haunted.

dark

In the dimly lit room, Ed and Lorraine Warren meticulously arranged the tools for the ritual that would free Virat from the malevolent grip of Edmund's soul. The air was thick with tension, every creak of the old house amplifying their nerves. Pip and Ravi stood beside Rohit, whose eyes never left Virat. They knew this was their last chance to save him.

Virat, or rather Edmund inhabiting Virat's body, was restrained in the center of a protective circle. His eyes glinted with malice, but then, in a split second, they softened, turning towards Rohit with a look of desperate pleading.

"Rohit, stop them! They're hurting me. Please, Rohit, it's me, Virat," he cried out, his voice cracking with fear. "Don't let them do this. I'm scared."

Rohit's heart clenched. The voice, the look, it was all so painfully familiar. He took a hesitant step forward, confusion and love battling within him. Ed noticed the movement and called out, his voice sharp.

"Rohit, don't listen! It's Edmund, not Virat!"

But the seed of doubt had already been planted. Virat's—no, Edmund's—eyes welled up with tears. "Rohit, please. You know me. You know I'd never lie to you. They're hurting me."

Lorraine added her voice to Ed's, a note of urgency in her tone. "Rohit, we need to finish the ritual. It's the only way to save him!"

Rohit's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. He glanced at Pip and Ravi, seeking reassurance, but Edmund, sensing his weakening resolve, pushed harder.

"Remember our time together, Rohit? Our dreams, our future? Don't let them take it away from us. You have to stop them!"

The words struck Rohit like a physical blow. The memories of their life together, the love they shared, clouded his judgment. Against his better instincts, he stepped into the circle, reaching out to Virat.

"Stop! Rohit, don't!" Ed's voice was almost a roar, but it was too late.

Rohit's touch broke the protective barrier. In an instant, the room plunged into darkness as Edmund's laughter filled the air. The candles flickered out, and a chilling silence followed.

Panic erupted. Ed fumbled for a flashlight, its beam cutting through the dark, but Virat was gone. Only the echoes of Edmund's laughter remained.

Lorraine gripped Rohit's arm. "We need to find him, now!"

Rohit, shaken and guilt-ridden, nodded. "I'm sorry, I thought—I thought it was him."

Pip and Ravi, though terrified, stood resolute. "We'll find him together," Ravi said, his voice firm.

The group moved cautiously through the house, the shadows playing tricks on their minds. Edmund's voice taunted them from every corner.

"Rohit, you're so easily fooled. Did you really think he'd come back to you that easily?"

Rohit's heart ached with regret, but he pushed forward, determination hardening his resolve. "We will save him," he whispered to himself.

Ed led the way, his experience guiding them through the maze of rooms. "Stay close. He's trying to separate us."

They reached the basement door, which stood ominously ajar. The air was colder here, and a sense of dread settled over them. Ed and Lorraine exchanged a glance, then descended the stairs, the others following close behind.

As the group cautiously moved through the house, the oppressive darkness seemed to grow thicker, like a living entity determined to tear them apart. Ed, Lorraine, Pip, and Ravi kept close to each other, their flashlights casting narrow beams of light that did little to dispel the ominous shadows. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind swept through the hallway, and the group found themselves in disarray.