| 𝔉𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢𝔡 x 2 |
Book 1 in the FORTRESS series
Spirits. Ghosts. Apparitions.
Rudra Sharma doesn't believe in any of it.
He has always been a Science buff. Majoring in Physics, hoping to become an IAS officer one day and solve the practical p...
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He blinked hard before turning back. His legs quivered, and his lips trembled. "Wh-what..."
The silhouette of the spirit steadily gained a solid definition. "You look exactly like him. My Raghuveer. My son. You are a replica of him."
A small gasp of shock escaped his mouth, and he was in disbelief for a second. "Are y-you—"
"Mother. His mother. I was his mother. My son died a hero, didn't he? Protecting the kingdom? Just like he always wanted. I heard the princess scream about how Raghuveer would be born one day because he was not ensnared within the walls of the fort like the rest of us. It's true. It transpired."
He weakly nodded. "You are still trapped here."
She hummed. "I was until tonight. Spirits who wish to seek peace are free to leave. The curse got lifted, isn't it? But I have still been unable to find peace. I know why."
He licked his lips. "Wh-Why?"
"You need to know this," she whispered. "She died in the tunnels running under the city. She was there when the curse got triggered that fateful night. She dropped dead like the rest of us. I was there with her. I saw her die. Right before I did."
He blew air out of his mouth. "W-What?"
The apparition rose up in the air. "Unreachable and unbreachable—the tunnels. That's where she died. After the war ended. She was taking me and a few of my relatives out of the city via the tunnels for her wedding when—"
"Rudra? What are you doing here? You shouldn't be outside the circle."
The scared voice of Ishita floated to his ears, and he swiveled to find her and Rishabh standing behind him. He was again immersed in the hue of purple. Warmth flooded his heart.
Peering at the puzzled expressions on his face, Ishita quirked her brows. "What are you doing here?"
Rudra spun back to see if he could still perceive Raghuveer's mother, but the spirit was nowhere to be found. In fact, a haze of white smoke was hovering above his head, and the more he tried to concentrate on it, the more it dissolved in thin air before turning into nothingness. Comprehending that the soul found peace, he heaved a sigh of relief. "The tunnels," he murmured.
She huffed. "Yeah, we need to head to the tunnels because we can safely egress from there, but if we go out, Kalavati can follow suit. This locket," she caressed the surface of the neckpiece, "is what has been keeping her trapped this evening. Even if I leave it behind, it won't work because I am pretty sure it needs a medium, aka me, to keep the evil ghost within this fort. So, please concentrate on finding a part of her, Rudra, and we can think about escaping later."
Rudra rolled his eyes. "The tunnels. She died in the tunnels. Along with Raghuveer's mother and a few of her relatives," he said. "You just keep yapping and yapping, and you never listen to anyone."
