BROKEN HEARTS

Chapter 10 : Unveiling Shadows

*The dream*

Esha stood on the edge of darkness, her heart pounding in her chest as she peered into the abyss before her. Around her, the air crackled with an otherworldly energy, a sense of foreboding that sent cold shivers down her spine. An uneasy feeling settling inside her stomach as she tried to figure out about her location. She looked everywhere but found nothing except a dark cloudy hole infront of her.

As she took a hesitant step forward, the darkness seemed to part before her, revealing a scene from a time of long gone and forgotten past. She found herself standing in the midddle of a bustling marketplace, the sights and sounds of the ancient city swirling around her like a whirlwind. She could hear, see and also, somehow feel the commotion, as if, she was a part of it. 

But it wasn'tthe same case for people who were present at the marketplace. To test if she is visible or not, she decided to gather some attention towards her.'Can't they see me? I am right infront of this man.' She thought, as she frantically waved towards a shopkeeper to gain his attention. After not getting any type of response, she tried to do the same with others. But it was of no good, as she failed everytime. 

She felt lost yet oddly familiar with that marketplace. Something in her was telling that she had been there before even if it was her first time seeing the market. She felt deja vu at the sight of the shops around her as she roamed the streets, diving deeper and deeper into the crowd. 

In the distance, she saw two figures moving through the crowd, their faces obscured by shadows. But as she drew nearer, she recognized them, just to be left stunned and wordless . They were Aryan and herself, their features twisted with fear and desperation. But the figure she saw, were younger, than her and Aryan were, in present. The darkness chased them as they desperately tried to save eachother. 

Esha watched in horror as the scene unfolded before her, unable to tear her gaze away from the haunting tableau. She saw herself and Aryan caught in the midst of a tumultuous love affair, their passion tempered by the harsh realities of their world. Dark figures maliciously approaching the terrified kids, pure horror evident in their eyes. The figures seemed to enjoy the horrified looks on their faces as they threatened more and more. 

But as the shadows closed in around them, Esha felt a surge of determination welling up inside her. She knew that she had to find a way to break free from the darkness that threatened to consume them, to find a way back to the light. But, as soon as she took a step further, her hands reflexively covered her ears, as she heard a loud scream penetrating through her fingers and hurting the eardrums. She crouched down in fear, hugging her knees, panick engulfing her in, completely. She started to breathe heavily, while her lips quivered. She was frozen. Not able to move. Her head never coming up. Shivering in fear of the dark.

It took her some time to calm down. When she did, she raised her head to see Aryan's eyes begging her for help. The smaller Esha was long gone, taken away by the darkness. The loud scream was her's asking and begging for help. With a steely resolve, Esha stepped forward, reaching out to the smaller Aryan with a  outstretched hand. And as their fingers brushed against each other, she felt a spark of hope ignite within her, a beacon of light cutting through the darkness. She felt a certain kind of connection - an odd feeling. Something telling her to know more about her past, her dreams and what was much more beyond it.

But just as quickly as it had appeared, the scene began to fade, the marketplace melting away into nothingness. The commotion and the cacophony slowly fading away. And as Esha blinked away the remnants of the vision, she found herself standing once more on the edge of darkness, her heart heavy with the weight of what she had seen. Suddenly, a voice began to speak. The voice sounded deep and cold as ice, which startled her. "You need to know who you are. Remember. What you were. You need to find out."

"What do you want from me? What do i need to remember?" She screamed trying to find the source of the voice. "Why are you doing this to me?......why?..?.just why??" Her voice broke in the end, as she struggled to control herself and not breakdown. A loud and cold laugh rang through her ears making shivers run down her spine, giving her goosebumps. She glared at the sky with fierceful bloodshot eyes, hot tears streaming down her face. "You may go now. See you next time."the voice said. 

"Uhh, wait!!! Answer my question.....Hey! Where did you go? You can't leave me without giving a proper answer. HEY!! I know you're listening. Just tell me...why?? Why me..?? Why us...??" Esha tried hard to talk with the voice but seems like it was long gone. She was frustrated, exhausted and somewhat broken, due to what she got to encountered today. 

With a deep breath, Esha turned away from the abyss and made her way back to the waking world, determined to uncover the truth behind her haunted dreams, and to find a way to break free from the shadows that threatened to consume her.

A/N :- what do you think about the voice?

 Who were the kids who looked like young Esha and Aryan?

thanku for reading and don't forget to comment and vote.

Total words :- 956