A dull ache throbbed behind Kunal's eyes.
Slowly, he forced them open.
Someone was sitting in front of him.
A boy.
He was smiling—almost relieved—when their eyes met.
Before the stranger could speak, Kunal reacted on instinct.
He lunged forward, slammed him to the ground, and pinned him down, pressing a knee into his back.
"Who are you?" Kunal demanded coldly. "And how did you get here?"
The boy winced under the pressure.
"If you keep holding me like that," he gasped, "I might actually die."
Kunal studied him for a second longer, searching for deception in his eyes. Seeing no immediate threat, he stepped back.
The boy stood up, brushing dust from his clothes. Then he extended his hand casually.
"My name's Kayle."
Kunal didn't shake it.
No trust. Not here.
"How did you get here?" Kunal asked instead. "Before I blacked out… were you the one standing in front of me? Did you kill all of them?"
Kayle's lips curved into an easy smile.
"Yeah. That was me."
He glanced at the sword in Kunal's hand. "With your sword, actually. I borrowed it for a moment."
Kunal's grip tightened instinctively.
Kayle continued, his tone growing slightly more serious.
"I came here before you. I like exploring abandoned places. Thought this mansion would be another empty ruin."
He laughed softly, but there was bitterness in it.
"It wasn't."
His gaze shifted toward the mirrors lining the distant walls.
"There were spirits. I fought them. Explored. Survived for a few days. Then one of them dragged me into a mirror."
His jaw clenched slightly.
"I was trapped inside. I thought I'd never get out."
He looked back at Kunal.
"But when you reached this far… the mirrors activated again. That was my only chance to escape. I saw you collapsing. So I stepped in."
Kunal remained silent.
Part of him wanted to believe him.
Another part whispered that nothing in this mansion was coincidence.
"Do you know a way out?" Kunal asked finally.
Kayle's smile faded.
"There's no direct exit."
He hesitated. "But… there might be a way. It's dangerous. I don't remember it clearly anymore. I've been stuck here too long."
He extended the sword toward Kunal.
"Maybe if we work together, we can figure it out."
Kunal took the blade back.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, he felt it.
Sharper.
Lighter.
The rust that once covered parts of it had thinned, as if the blade was slowly restoring itself.
Or feeding.
A strange warmth pulsed faintly through the steel.
He didn't mention it.
"We'll find a way," Kunal said quietly.
He studied him for a moment, then asked, "Which day are you on?"
"When I arrived," Kayle continued, "I was given seven days."
Kunal's expression hardened.
"I got three."
Kayle's brows lifted.
"And?"
"Today was the end of Day Two."
A brief silence stretched between them.
Time was not on their side.
They returned to the library.
Kunal sat down and picked up the old book he had fought so hard to obtain. Its cover was blank—no title, no symbol—only a code etched faintly into its surface.
He tried to open it.
It didn't move.
Not even slightly.
Kayle watched in confusion.
"What's so special about that old thing?"
"Sit," Kunal said.
Reluctantly, Kayle lowered himself beside him.
The moment he did—
The environment shifted.
The chaotic, ruined surroundings vanished.
Everything became organized.
Shelves stood upright. Books aligned perfectly. Dust disappeared.
Kayle's eyes widened.
"How did—? When I was here before, I found nothing."
Kunal stared at the book.
"It didn't appear for me at first either. Maybe… luck."
Or maybe something else.
"But it won't open."
Both of them tried together. Pulling. Pressing. Forcing.
Nothing.
Kayle leaned back, thinking.
"What if it's testing us?" he said slowly. "My seven days are almost over. I have one left. You have one too, right?"
Kunal nodded.
"What if it only opens when our time ends?"
The idea hung heavily in the air.
A final trial.
Kunal gave a small nod.
"Maybe."
Then something struck him like lightning.
"The cub."
Without another word, he stood up abruptly and rushed toward the mansion.
Kayle blinked in surprise and ran after him.
"What happened?"
No answer.
They reached the mansion.
"Cub!" Kunal called out sharply.
Silence.
His chest tightened.
Then—
A small movement.
The cub crawled out from beneath a cupboard, eyes wide and frightened. The moment it heard Kunal's voice, it ran toward him.
Relief flooded through him—unexpectedly intense.
He lifted the cub into his arms.
Its tiny body trembled against his chest.
"You're safe," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to it.
Behind him, Kayle watched with interest.
"Where did you find that?" he asked.
Kunal allowed himself a faint smile.
"Long story."
Kayle folded his arms.
"Well," he said lightly, "looks like our team just became three members."
Kunal glanced down at the cub, then back at the silent, looming mansion.
For the first time since entering this place—
He wasn't alone.
And yet…
Somewhere deep inside, a quiet unease remained.
The sword in his hand felt warmer than before...
© Kunal Singh
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