Marked By Darkness

Chapter 72- Witches Never Die

Ruhan's POV...

After speaking with Anshika, I felt a restless urgency, a need to find answers. Her words echoed in my mind, pushing me toward a decision I didn't fully understand but couldn't ignore. So, I found myself outside the church, hoping for guidance, searching for something that could make sense of everything.

The church doors were closed, and I stood there, uncertain. Just as I was about to leave, a voice called from behind me.

"Ruhan!"

I turned and saw Father Daniel approaching, his face calm yet perceptive, as if he already knew why I was there.

"Come inside, my son," he said, gesturing for me to follow him. We walked together into a quiet room at the side of the church, and I explained everything Anshika had told me, her theory about why Hina hadn't harmed me, about the protection my family's blood seemed to hold.

Father Daniel listened intently, nodding slowly as he absorbed every detail. When I finished, he paused, his brow furrowing in thought before he finally spoke.

"It's possible, Ruhan," he said, his voice low and reflective. "Hina's spirit is bound to that curse, and the curse was designed to take those who aren't of the Adamson line. It may be why she hasn't directly harmed you. She can't... not through the curse."

I processed his words, feeling a mixture of relief and dread. "But then... why does she want Ruhi?"

Father Daniel's eyes were solemn as he answered, "Because, Ruhan, Hina can't reach you. She can't touch you because you share the same blood. But she wants you, in some twisted way... so she goes after the person who holds your heart. If she takes Ruhi, she believes she can experience life through her, connected to you as she's always desired."

A chill ran through me at his words. "So Hina wants Ruhi's body... to get to me?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes. And the bungalow's curse, it wants something too-life. To keep itself strong, it needs to take the spirits of those bound to it."

I felt sick as I processed his words. This wasn't just about a ghost haunting a house-it was about possession, obsession, a horrifying trap that Hina and the bungalow had formed together.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. "But if the curse can't harm me, then why did I lose my family? Why did my sister... my parents..." My voice broke, and I forced myself to continue. "Why did they die?"

.....

Father Daniel looked at me with empathy and a heavy heart, but his answer surprised me.

"Ruhan... the curse did not take their lives."

I stared at him, stunned. "What are you saying?"

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Your grandmother, Evelyn, was still alive when your sister died. But after Jenesis's death, rumors began to spread throughout the town. People whispered that Evelyn was involved in black magic. Some even claimed that her rituals had caused her own granddaughter's death. They blamed her for something she had never done."

My heart tightened.

"But why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Father Daniel's expression darkened with sorrow.

"Because people were afraid of the bungalow. They had already heard strange stories about the place, and after Jenesis died, those rumors became worse. They said Evelyn had brought darkness into her own family."

He paused before continuing.

"That night, after you left the bungalow, Evelyn died."

I froze.