THE SNAKE ISLAND-EXPLORE THE DEATH

Part 7: The Unraveling Shadows

The air in the temple felt charged, almost electric, as Ansh and his friends stepped deeper into its shadows. The ancient stones seemed to whisper secrets long buried, and the intricate carvings of serpents and idols told a story of their own. Each step echoed ominously, reverberating through the empty halls, as if the temple were alive, holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

"Do you think we'll find anything here?" Lakhan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ansh nodded, clutching the diary tightly against his chest. "If the diary is accurate, we might find clues about the Nagapasham or what happened to Priya and Ravi."

They walked cautiously, the flickering light of their phone torches illuminating the dust particles that danced in the air. As they moved further in, the carvings grew more detailed, depicting scenes of rituals, serpent gods, and frightened villagers. Roshni stopped to examine one particularly intricate carving, tracing the lines with her finger.

"Look at this," she said, pointing to a serpent intertwined with a figure that appeared to be a priest. "This looks like it's telling a story."

Ansh leaned closer, studying the carving. The figure of the priest had a distinct headdress that resembled the Nagapasham. "It seems to depict the ancient rituals performed by the serpent priests. They believed the Nagapasham had the power to control the serpents."

Lakhan's eyes widened. "Control the serpents? You mean like they could summon them?"

"Exactly," Ansh replied. "But it looks like it came with a price—a sacrifice, perhaps."

Roshni shuddered. "What kind of sacrifice?"

Before Ansh could respond, a cold draft swept through the temple, extinguishing their torches momentarily. The sudden darkness was palpable, and an unsettling feeling settled in their stomachs. They quickly turned on their lights again, their beams illuminating the dust and cobwebs.

"Did anyone else feel that?" Divyans asked, his voice shaky.

"Yeah, it felt... alive," Lakhan replied, his bravado fading.

Ansh tried to maintain his composure. "It's probably just the wind. This place has been abandoned for ages."

They continued deeper into the temple, where the air grew colder and more oppressive. Eventually, they found a massive stone door, covered in intricate carvings similar to those on the walls. In the center, a symbol of the serpent and the Nagapasham was etched into the stone, gleaming faintly in the dim light.

"This must be it," Ansh said, excitement flooding his veins. "This is the entrance to whatever lies beyond."

"How do we open it?" Roshni asked, eyeing the door warily.

Ansh examined the carvings closely. "There has to be a mechanism—something to trigger it."

Lakhan pointed to a small indentation near the serpent's head. "What about this?"

"Maybe it's a key of sorts," Ansh suggested. He rummaged through his backpack, pulling out the Nagapasham pendant his grandfather had given him long ago. It was small, resembling the carvings on the door. "This could work."

As he pressed the pendant into the indentation, the ground trembled, and a low rumble echoed through the temple. The door slowly began to shift, revealing a dark passageway that descended into the depths of the earth.

"Should we go in?" Divyans asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course we should," Lakhan said, a mix of fear and excitement in his tone. "This is what we came for!"