The hidden room in the library became silent again.
The iron gate was still moving slightly, as if someone from below had just touched it.
Imama's heart was still beating fast.
"Jihan… I think we should leave," she said quietly.
Jihan looked toward the staircase. The darkness below was so deep that it felt like a completely different world down there.
"Or…" he said slowly,
"maybe we should see what's down there."
Imama looked at him in shock.
"Are you serious?"
Jihan gave a small smirk.
"Imama… we've already come this far. Why turn back now?"
He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.
The beam of light fell on the stairs below.
Old, dusty wooden stairs… disappearing into darkness.
Then suddenly—
Creak…
The iron gate slowly began to open by itself.
Imama stopped breathing for a moment.
"Jihan… how is the gate opening on its own?"
Even Jihan looked a little tense, but he tried to stay calm.
"Looks like… someone wants us to go down there."
Imama grabbed his arm immediately.
"This is definitely not a good idea."
Jihan looked at her and gently placed his hand around her waist, trying to reassure her.
"Relax… I'm here. Mai hamesha tumhare saath rahunga chaye kuch bhi hojaye."
Imama looked into his eyes.
For a moment, she felt a little braver.
Slowly, the two of them started moving toward the stairs.
One step.
Then another.
Each step made a creaking sound under their feet.
Cold air was rising from the basement, as if something had been trapped down there for years.
Jihan pointed the flashlight forward.
Suddenly—
They heard heavy footsteps from below.
Taapppp…
Taapppp…
Tappppp…
Imama's body froze.
"Jihan… someone is down there…"
Jihan shone the flashlight further down.
The basement floor slowly came into view.
Dusty walls.
Old broken furniture.
And then—
Imama noticed something on the floor.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Jihan… look at this."
On the dusty floor were fresh wet footprints.
As if someone had just stepped out of water and walked across the basement.
And the most terrifying part—
The footprints were coming straight toward them.
"Jihan…" Imama whispered slowly.
"The footprints… they lead right here."
Jihan moved the flashlight forward.
But the footprints suddenly stopped right in front of them.
As if someone was standing there.
Right between them.
But there was no one there.
Only the cold darkness of the basement.
And then—
A cold whisper came from right beside them.
"You shouldn't have come here…"
Imama's heart almost stopped.
In that moment, she realized something terrifying.
The basement wasn't empty.
Something was there.
Something that had been hiding in the darkness for years.
And now…
it knew that Imama and Jihan had entered its world