The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

80. Inferno

Clammy hands gripping his ankles, scabby fingers grazing the fraction of his exposed skin between the lining of the socks and the hem of the jeans, the dank and odorous stench, the despair and frigidity it was bringing in its wake. As if from a distance, he heard screams and shouts and bangs, echoing in his ears. He could also see the perspiration-drenched, contorted features of Ishita as she overcame her fear of fire and outstretched her arm towards him to take, urging him to leave the lady in red behind. But as suddenly as the insane temptation to hold her hand washed over him, his mind seemed to turn into a blank canvas etched with the vastness of darkness, and a curtain seemed to be falling from up above, shielding his vision and prohibiting him from hearing a sound, coercing him into inhaling the smoke.

Silence and darkness, in which he remained standing, rooted to his spot, frozen in time, hanging from a fine thread, balancing himself on the heels of his feet but otherwise unruffled.

"You are almost there, Raghuveer."

The ghastly whisper of death, the malevolence dripping from it, and the sinister dragging of rattling breaths reverberated against his heart.

"The supernatural realm awaits you. Give up this measly existence you are so fond of and join me in this quest for utmost powers. We shall rule the realms together. Me as the queen, you as the consort..."

Until light flooded his vision and warmth engulfed his heart. The harsh grip with which the unearthly being was binding him slackened to a great extent, and when he blinked to adjust his eyesight to the flaming conflagration all around, he was shocked to see the raging Ishita standing beside him, fumes of her anger emanating from every inch of the sweaty skin as her heated glare was directed at the cowering spirits behind. Only the lady in red in her feeble spirit form remained in charge behind him while he was bathed in the sustained circle of light all over again.

The light around them was flickering, and he could tell it would die out soon. Meanwhile, the fire raged around them, and he could also predict they were going to be consumed by the spreading flames before they could escape it. The lady in red need not do anything any more. She was a few moments away from achieving her heart's desire. The unbridled inferno was consuming everything in its wake at a heightened speed.

But no! He shouldn't lose hope. These three people were there to save him, and he wouldn't lead anyone to their deaths.

A sudden burst of positivity filled his heart, and a single word slipped out of his mouth. "Move!"

Rudra's sudden yell jolted Rishabh and Shankar into attention while Ishita jerked her head and clasped her palm around his wrist as the four of them began to sprint along the labyrinthine corridors again in the hope of outpacing the fumes and the flames.

Smoke filled their lungs, and they were respiring rashly, coughing at times, using a piece of cloth to protect their mouths and noses from the mix of noxious gases and ash, but they expeditiously ran down the cascading tunnel with Rudra and Shankar screaming encouraging words every now and then while Ishita and Rishabh tried to control their rising fear as the hot flames nearly licked their skins.

Upon turning a corner, Shankar slowed down and urged the trio to be in the lead as he followed them, keeping a close watch on the string of apparitions that the lady in red was assimilating in herself, gaining more energy and power, acquiring unparalleled darkness. The grey outline of her silhouette steadily attained a more solid definition all over again, and the nebulousness inside the tunnels intensified.

The circle of light they were in had receded to a very small area, rendering them nearly powerless, and Ishita was scared to turn around and find Kalavati at the helm of the attack, chasing them down and biding her time when the locket would have no energy left in it. Terrified she was of getting caught, and she garnered enough bravado to take a transient glimpse behind her.