Poore world mein complete silence tha.
Sabki nazar us black door ki opening par tik gayi thi.
Andar sirf darkness thi.
Endless darkness.
Aur us darkness ke beech..
do golden eyes.
Bilkul Aarav jaisi.
Aur phir woh smile.
Wahi smile jo insaan ki nahi lagti thi.
Aarav ka heartbeat uncontrollably fast ho gaya.
๐ "Who are you...?"
Uski awaaz halki si shake hui.
Door ke andar se woh figure dheere se hasa.
Soft.
Calm.
Jaise woh kisi purane dost se mil raha ho.
๐ "Wrong question."
Silence.
๐ "Question yeh hai..."
Pause.
๐ "...tum mujhe kab bhool gaye?"
Aarav freeze.
Uske dimaag mein achanak dozens memories flash hone lagi.
Broken pieces.
Unknown places.
Ancient stars.
Destroyed worlds.
Aur har memory ke edge par..
ek shadow.
Same shadow.
Same golden eyes.
Par jab bhi Aarav uska face dekhne ki koshish karta .
memory break ho jaati.
Meera instantly Aarav ke saamne aa gayi.
๐ "Door se door reh."
Golden eyes wale figure ne usse dekha.
Aur surprisingly..
woh halka sa smile kiya.
๐ "Human attachment."
Usne dheere se kaha.
๐ "Every cycle."
๐ "Every timeline."
๐ "Same mistake."
Meera ka jaw tighten ho gaya.
๐ "Main mistake nahi hoon."
Figure kuch seconds usse dekhta raha.
Phir softly bola..
๐ "Nahi."
Pause.
๐ "...tum reason ho."
Room silent ho gya.
Aarav confused tha.
Par usse zyada confused Echo lag raha tha.
Echo suddenly aage badha.
๐ "Enough."
Uski voice pehli baar angry thi.
๐ "Stay inside the gate."
Figure ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur phir..
woh genuinely hasa.
๐ "Version Two."
Kabir instantly whisper kiya..
๐ "Yeh banda sabka biodata jaanta hai kya?"
Kisi ne react nahi kiya.
Kyuki next second..
Echo wall se takra gaya.
BOOOOM.
Kisi ne move hote hue bhi nahi dekha.
Bas ek blink.
Aur Echo room ke dusre end mein tha.
Subject 0 ki eyes narrow ho gayi.
๐ "Interesting."
Figure ne uski taraf dekha.
๐ "Subject Zero."
Pause.
๐ "The one who chose power."
Subject 0 calmly bola..
๐ "And you're the one who chose madness."
Room silent.
Figure ki smile dheere dheere gayab ho gayi.
Aur pehli baar..
uski eyes dangerous lagne lagi.
Sky ke upar black eye still watch kar rahi thi.
Motionless.
Patient.
Waiting.
Jaise usse pata ho exactly kya hone wala hai.
Watcher suddenly bola..
๐ "Aarav."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Watcher ka expression unreadable tha.
๐ "Do not listen to him."
Door ke andar wala figure hasa.
๐ "Listen to him?"
Pause.
๐ "He's the reason everything broke."
Complete silence.
Watcher instantly silent ho gaya.
Aur wahi silence dangerous tha.
Aarav ka dimaag overload ho raha tha.
Sab ek dusre ko blame kar rahe the.
Koi clear answer nahi.
Koi truth nahi.
Bas mysteries.
Aur phir..
woh snap kar gaya.
๐ "ENOUGH!"
Shockwave.
Golden-black-white energy room mein explode hui.
Poora base shake hua.
Door aur open ho gaya.
Black eye aur bright ho gayi.
Aur ussi second..
Aarav ke dimaag mein ek final memory flash hui.
Sabse clear memory.
Sabse purani.
Darkness.
Before existence.
Before time.
Before reality.
Do figures.
Aarav.
Aur woh golden-eyed figure.
Dono ek saath khade the.
Laugh kar rahe the.
Creating stars.
Creating worlds.
Creating life.
Brothers.
Best friends.
Partners.
Family.
Aur phir..
ek giant black eye darkness mein open hui.
Wahi eye.
The End.
Golden-eyed figure ne instantly kaha..
๐ "We have to destroy it."
Aarav ne jawab diya..
๐ "No."
๐ "We can save it."
Wahan argument chalne lage.
Fight hone lagi.
Or dekhte hi dekhte vo ek war main badal gyi.
Worlds break hone lage.
Reality collapse hone lagi.
Aur phir..
Aarav ne apne friend ko seal kar diya.
Inside the Final Gate.
Memory abruptly end.
Aarav ki aankhein shock mein khul gayi.
๐ "Nahi..."
Uski saans ruk gayi.
Door ke andar wala figure bas usse dekh raha tha.
No anger.
No smile.
Bas sadness.
Deep sadness.
Aur phir usne dheere se kaha..
๐ "Now you remember."
Complete silence.
Aarav ki voice barely nikli.
๐ "...Kael."
Room freeze.
Mysterious figure ki eyes widen hui.
For the first time.
๐ "Yes."
A tear uski eye ke corner mein appear hui.
๐ "That's my name."
Silence.
Aarav ka body shake karne laga.
Kyuki us moment..
usse sab yaad aana start ho gaya.
Not everything.
But enough.
Enough to know one terrifying truth.
Usne slowly sky ki taraf dekha.
Black eye.
The End.
Aur phir Kael ki taraf.
Aur whisper kiya..
๐ "You're not trying to open the gate..."
Kael ne dheere se sir hilaya.
๐ "No."
Aarav ka face completely pale ho gaya.
Kyuki usse finally samajh aa gaya tha.
Kael gate kholna nahi chahta tha.
Kael...
andar se kisi cheez ko rok raha tha.
Aur ussi second..
Final Gate ke andar se ek loud CRACK ki awaaz aayi.
Door ke center mein ek giant fracture appear hua.
Kael ka expression instantly change ho gaya.
Uske face pe fear dikh rha tha.
Pure fear.
Aur usne pehli baar chillakar kaha..
๐ "AARAV RUN!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Final Gate ka ek hissa toot gaya.
Aur andar se..
ek massive black hand bahar nikal aaya.
Par sabse terrifying baat...
woh hand Kael ka nahi tha.
To be continued..