Central chamber ka giant door poori tarah khul gaya tha.
Cold air andar enter hui… aur uske saath ek ajeeb sa pressure bhi.
Echo dheere dheere room ke andar aa gya tha. Uske hands pockets mein the.. or face calm. Jaise usse kisi cheez ki jaldi hi na ho.
Par uski aankhon mein..
danger clearly visible tha.
Meera instantly defensive stance mein aa gayi thi or usne kaha..
👉 "Door reh."
Echo ne uski taraf dekha aur halka sa smile kiya. "Relax. Agar attack karna hota toh ab tak kar chuka hota."
Kabir comms par almost chillaya, "Bhai uski baat mat sunna!"
Zoya ki awaaz immediately aayi, "Aarav, chamber unstable ho raha hai. Jo bhi karna hai jaldi karo."
Par Aarav…
woh bas Echo ko dekh raha tha.
Kyuki ab sab kuch alag feel ho raha tha.
Echo enemy lag raha tha.
Origin manipulator lag raha tha.
Aur sach…
completely broken.
Echo ne glowing structure ki taraf dekha. "Interesting. Toh finally tujhe truth dikha diya."
Aarav ka jaw tighten ho gaya or usne kaha..
👉 "Tu pehle se jaanta tha?"
Echo ne seedha answer diya..
👉 "Haan."
Silence.
👉 "Sab jaante the," usne calmly add kiya.
Andar Origin immediately bola..
👉 "Uski baat mat sun."
Echo hasa.
👉 "See? Yahi problem hai uski."
Aarav ka anger phir rise hone laga. "STOP TALKING LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING!"
Room shake hua.
Energy flicker.
Meera tension mein Aarav ke paas aayi. "Please calm down…"
Echo ka expression first time thoda serious hua.
👉 "Tu jitna unstable hoga… utna jaldi woh control lega."
Aarav freeze ho gya.
👉 "Matlab?"
Echo ne directly uski aankhon mein dekha or kaha...
👉 "Origin mar nahi raha."
Silence.
Andar Origin suddenly silent.
Echo dheere se bola..
👉 "He's transferring."
Aarav ka heart sink ho gaya.
👉 "Transfer…?"
👉 "Into you."
Room completely silent ho gaya.
Meera slowly peeche hati. "Nahi…"
Kabir comms par bhi chup ho gaya.
Echo ne continue kiya..
👉 "Every version ka purpose same tha."
👉 "Create a perfect vessel."
Aarav ki breathing uneven ho gayi.
👉 "Jhoot…"
Echo ne sir hilaya. "Wish karta hoon hota."
Andar Collapse unusually quiet tha.
Jaise woh bhi sun raha ho.
Aarav ne teeth clench kiye. "Origin!"
Kuch seconds silence raha.
Phir..
👉 "Yes."
Bas ek word.
Aur wahi sabse dangerous tha.
Aarav ka control tootne laga.
👉 "TU MUJHE USE KAR RAHA THA?!"
Golden aur black energy violently erupt hui.
Meera peeche throw ho gayi.
Walls crack.
Structure overload hone laga.
Warning alarms.
👉 "Energy overflow detected."
Echo instantly serious ho gaya. "AARAV STOP!"
Par ab late ho raha tha.
Aarav ke around reality distort hone lagi.
Floor glitch.
Air crack.
Jaise existence unstable ho rahi ho.
Andar Collapse finally bola..
👉 "He's breaking."
Origin calm tha.
👉 "Expected."
Echo ne instantly Aarav ki taraf sprint kiya.
👉 "Agar tu abhi collapse hua toh poora base erase ho jayega!"
Aarav chillaya...
👉 "MUJHE FARAK NAHI PADTA!"
Aur us moment..
dark energy explosion hua.
Pure chamber mein shockwave spread hui.
Kabir aur Zoya dusre side corridor mein literally wall se takra gaye.
👉 "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Kabir almost panic mein tha.
Zoya ka face pale ho gya tha.
👉 "Aarav…"
Central chamber ke andar..
everything was distorted.
Lights flicker ho rhi thi.
Walls half broken ho chuke the.
Aur center mein..
Aarav khada tha.
Head down.
Energy continuously leak ho rahi thi.
Meera slowly uske paas gayi or boli..
👉 "Aarav…"
Usne uska naam bohot softly bola tha.
Aur wahi ek cheez thi jo ab bhi us tak pahunch rahi thi.
Aarav ne dheere se head raise kiya.
Uski aankhein..
half black.
Half gold.
Meera ka saans ruk gaya.
Par usne peeche step nahi liya.
Or kaha..
👉 "Tu alone nahi hai…"
Aarav ka body slightly shake hua.
Inside..
Collapse growl kar raha tha.
Origin silent observe kar raha tha.
Echo tense khada tha.
Aur phir..
suddenly..
Aarav ne ek aur voice suni.
Unknown.
Deep.
Ancient.
👉 "Interesting…"
Sab freeze.
Echo ka expression instantly change hua.
👉 "Nahi…"
Voice phir aayi..
👉 "Finally… the perfect balance."
Room ke center mein darkness gather hone lagi.
Different darkness.
Heavier.
Older.
Aur us darkness mein se..
ek hand bahar aaya.
Human.
Par cracked like reality itself.
Meera slowly peeche hati.
👉 "Kya… hai yeh?"
Echo ne first time actual fear show kiya.
👉 "Impossible…"
Andar Origin ka tone bhi tense tha.
👉 "He woke up…"
Aarav ne weakly poocha..
👉 "Kaun?"
Silence.
Phir..
darkness ke andar se do glowing eyes open hui.
Red.
Ancient.
Aur woh voice dheere se boli..
👉 "The First Collapse."
Complete silence.
Kabir comms par confused tha. "Bhai koi mujhe explain karega ki yeh kya ho raha hai?!"
Par kisi ke paas answer nahi tha.
Kyuki jo cheez unke saamne aa rahi thi…
woh Fragment nahi thi.
Na Echo.
Na Residue.
Na Origin.
Woh kuch aur hi tha.
Kuch zyada purana.
Aur zyada dangerous.
Darkness dheere dheere human shape lene lagi.
Aur us creature ne directly Aarav ko dekha.
Phir..
smile ki.
👉 "After so many failures…"
Pause.
👉 "…finally you were born."
Aarav ka heart literally skip kar gaya.
Kyuki us moment mein..
usne feel kiya..
Collapse…
darr raha tha....
👉 To be continued..