Lost in thoughts of her past, Abha opened her grandmother's trunk once again. She kept staring at that photograph.
Holding it in her hands… she didn't even realize when she fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes, she was once again in the old mansion… standing in front of that same locked basement room.
"No… this can't be happening. I didn't come here. Wake up, Abha… you have to wake up. You need to get out of here as soon as possible," she told herself.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned around.
Her father stood there… smiling gently at her.
The dark, terrifying mansion was now glowing with light.
"Abha, my child… your mother has been looking for you. We've been waiting to play with you."
Tears rolled down her eyes.
Why him… why again?
She looked at him once more.
"No… no! You are not my father. My mother left me!" she screamed.
The smile slowly faded from her father's face.
"What are you doing here? You were not supposed to come here!" he said angrily.
Abha looked around.
With his anger, blood began to ooze from the walls of the mansion.
She was terrified… but this was not the time to be afraid.
She knew something worse was about to happen.
"No… leave me. Please, stop all of this right here. Please try to understand me. I don't want to do this. I want to live. If you were in my place… you would have done the same," she pleaded, trying unsuccessfully to bring the shadow to its senses.
Suddenly, the door behind her creaked open.
She turned toward it.
"Go inside."
A horrifying voice commanded her from behind.
Now she understood—
There was something far more dangerous here than just that shadow.
She turned back toward it and said bravely,
"If you have the courage… push me inside yourself."
To intimidate her, the shadow began growing taller.
"I'm not afraid of you… no matter what you do."
"Don't be afraid of it… but you should be afraid of me."
A voice came from inside the basement room.
As she turned, a terrifying laugh welcomed her.
"Wake up… wake up from this nightmare. You have to wake yourself up," she told herself.
"Arjun… Arjun is alone at home. If something happens to you, how will he survive? Wake up for him, Abha… open your eyes!"
At that moment, she saw a faint light to her right.
Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind:
"Whenever darkness surrounds you, remember your family and run toward the light. And never look back in such moments, my child."
She did exactly that.
She ran toward the light.
Just before her fingers could fully reach it, something grabbed her leg from behind.
She fell.
But her fingers had already touched the light.
Her eyes snapped open.
She was back in her room… lying on her bed.
She looked at her legs.
On her right leg… there were marks of four fingers.
She couldn't understand—
What kind of powerful shadow had managed to touch her?
She didn't know what would happen next.
But she didn't want Arjun to find out.
So she covered the mark with a long pajama and T-shirt.
Netherworld ( THE KINGDOM KNOWN AS HELL FOR HUMAN )
"At last… we have found her. Hahaha…"
Hearing the laughter, the Prime Minister of the Netherworld rushed to his king.
"What happened, my lord? Is there good news?" he asked.
"Not just good… it is great news. The human we have been searching for centuries… we have finally found her," the king said, laughing.
"This is wonderful, My lord! Our centuries of waiting have finally paid off," the minister said.
"Prepare yourself. We will personally go to Earth and bring that human here. Once she is under our control… all three worlds will belong to us," the king declared.
The minister looked worried.
"Can someone else bring her here instead, Maharaj?"
"Why would we allow anyone else to touch what belongs to us?" the king glared at him. "And don't forget your place. Do only what you are told."
The minister immediately fell to his knees.
"Forgive me, my lord. I do not doubt your decision. I'm only concerned… your absence may create chaos in the Netherworld."
"I know. But she must come here by her own will. Not just that… we must make her ours. If anyone else touches her… she will become useless to us."
"But no spirit can touch her. The power she was created with… only you can control it. So there is nothing to worry about?" the minister asked.
"Correct… but divine powers can also control it. Even that girl herself. If she learns to control her power before I do… it will not be good for us."
"My father… the Supreme God himself created her to protect Earth. Before she realizes her strength… we must bring her here."
The minister spoke again, visibly concerned:
"But if you go to Earth… you will have to leave ninety percent of your power here. And there… you will feel every human emotion. Even the Supreme God cannot fully control human emotions. How will you fight that?"
"That is why… you will come with me," the king ordered.
"I am ready, My lord. I will never leave you alone. But… in your absence, demons may create chaos here. The imprisoned souls might escape. Even the cycle of souls reaching the Netherworld could be disrupted."
"You are right. And if Heaven learns about our departure, they will try to interfere. That is why we must act quickly—before anyone finds out."
The king then sealed ninety percent of his powers into a diamond.
"What is this, my lord?" the minister asked.
"This… is my power. It will come with me. If someone else gets it, they may try to claim the Netherworld. And this throne belongs to me alone."
"Even if my father cast me out of Heaven and forced me here… I built this realm myself. It will always be mine."
He placed the diamond in his pocket.
"Will you create your own body on Earth, my lord?" the minister asked.
The king laughed.
"After all these years, you still haven't learned? I don't need to create a human body…"
"I only need to possess one."
"The moment I do… ten percent of my power will make that body immortal."
"Now go… find someone who is about to die. We need a fresh body."