A TALE FROM THE PAGES OF PAST

NIGHT OF TERROR |

"While taming the wild lands after the terror. The pioneers experienced few unknown powers course through their bloods. As a larger threat approached them they flare up all the sudden and remained with them till their death. The same happened with their descendants. The royals named the phenomenon as transition. In transition the aura of the person magnify and the overall power and strength amplify overall. Some strange....."

"Ahhh." I screamed as I saw the book lightening itself up out of nowhere. It fallen on the ground burning up. There is absolutely no open flame in my chambers. I scouted back to the wall my eyes searching entire room. One of my hand immediately went to secure the rudraksha tied around my neck trying to seek out its comfort. Transition. Isn't it what the Jyotish ji talked about with Maharaj. He said the constellations are telling about a calamity. Is this is the calamity. Do Maharaj know ? My mind was running wild as I saw that out of nowhere the books I kept on table after reading caught fire as well. They didn't burnt with familiar yellow flames but to my horror they were iginated with black flame.

Dancing their own scared macrabe over the surface licking the books as if they were hungry for a long time. My heart is beating wild and mind is unorganised due to fear. I didn't even dared to shout as the books completely exhausted into nothing but ashes which looked abnormally normal despite burning with the black flames. My breath became haggard. I half expected the black shadow to come out and torment me. I just sat there as I saw the shadow lurking by my balcony. I scouted more into the wall as it tried to come closer to me but physically repelled by some kind of force. It recoiled and let out a shriek before floating downstairs.

Minutes passed away as I took a sign of relief. It is gone for this time. I waverly stood up and walked up to the table watching the ashes of books. The thing the author wrote should have some truth in it otherwise the shadow won't have burnt them. I thought as I touched their now cooled surface. The ashes did look normal. I determined that I can't spend my night in my chambers alone. Reteka won't mind that I slept with her in her quarters will she. I decided not to wait as I dressed in my nightmare. The lehenga fitted me losely. The first thing in morning I will do is revisit my father and tell him all about tonight. This can't go on like this. As I was about to close the dóors of my balcony I felt something fall on my forehead.

At first I dismissed it as water but when I felt that it is a lot thicker than I touched my forehead and it came out bloody. No doubt the thing on my forehead is blood. I turned back at the archway of my balcony. My body stiffer than rocks as I saw the periodic dripping of blood down the floor. The curtains fluttering nervously along with the winds singing their own terrifying songs. The rain had reduced to some extend. I felt as if I don't have any control of my body as I reached out for the thing out of which the blood is falling off.

It fallen on the floor with a thump as a blinding lightning lighten up the dark sky as the eyes which always looked at me with love and happiness, the lips which gave me a smile everytime and the face which glown up with happiness everytime looked back at me in horror. My ears became deaf to my own screams as I let out a shrill shout of anguish as I stared at the face of my father looking back at me in pure terror.

CHANDRIKA KRISHNADEV

We were thrown back into reality with a bang. What we saw are surely something sure way above our understanding of magic. "What was that ?" He asked rubbing his forehead with one hand and wiping away the blood from his nose. "Come with me." I said dragging him with me towards Aavesharahit Mahal. The noise of these thunderstorm can't stop cacophony of those spells I had listened. I thanked my five year old self who rebelled against the elders and spent entire nights upon nights in forbidden section of library reading books on blood and dark magic. The language used was Thlisaxavire once extincted with demons of centuries ago. My heart was crackling faster than the lightening in the midnight sky.

If a entity was powerful enough to subside us into a memory of past them something wrong is surely going on inside this fort walls. "How many lives are taken ?" I asked Rajkumar who is much more shaken than I am but his gaze was steady and eyes calm. I can tell that he was thinking deeply. Trying to connect the dots of all the things happened previously with current affairs. He is still wary of me. Who won't be. After being seeing one of the most darkest and forbidden ritual of transforming powers of twins into a single one to give them immense power. I can't tell what is more disturbing that he don't know what happened their or the fact that I know everything happened.

"That woman was mother of Rajkumari Bhumi." He said making me nearly stop in my feets but I kept going on nonetheless. "How many lives are taken ?" I asked again. The power of this evil souls depends on the number of lives they take. "Five." He answered which infuriated me. If Bhramagiri is having a killer on loose why they will call a wide spread Silver Assembly. To endanger thr lives of others or to have a direct hold over the other countries. The eeiry silence in atmosphere was only violated by the pandemonium of thunders which is yet to be ceased down. The Rajkumar trailed behind me without any objections.

The silence of Aavesharahit Mahal was deafening. Unlike the morning it's view at night would have been etheral if not for the thunders casting their eldritch shadows on it. The corridors were empty and devoid of any servants. When I first came I thought it is because Rajkumari Bhumi don't like others interference in her matters but now I suspect the innocent looking princess regent was more cunning than she looks. Ariv's footfall echoed through the corridors as my footfalls were silent by years and years of practice. I was like a cat on prowl. The tension in me didn't ceased as I regretted not bringing one of my gaurds with me or atleast Malvika. The Rajkumar was unreadable like always.

He visible flinched when a loud crackling in sky dropped it's light on one of the potrait making a small potrait of a lady or princess lived in Aavesharahit Mahal look ghosty. Soon the door to Bhumi's chamber came into view. I signed and went to go inside but Ariv dragged me away behind a pillar and towards straight to her bed chambers. I looked at him in annoyance. "Someone is here." He mouthed me as I took in the scene infront of me.

Bhumi was on the floor. Her hair undone from her elobrated braid spreading over her shoulders and ground like dark night sky. Her eyes were bloodshot. Which hold a rage in them like I have never seen. Her hand tightened over her dagger and her body bare of any jewels except for the rudraksha which I think was protecting her from the evil soul. "Not a word about this to anyone Bhumi." My eyes widened when I heard the clear voice of Maharaj Surendra speak in a extremely threatening voice.