Riven apne ghutno par gir gaya, aur zameen uske neeche halki si darawni awaaz ke saath crack hone lagi. Uski skin par jo glowing marks the, woh ek zinda cheez ki tarah pulse kar rahe the—har baar jab Ariana usse touch karti, woh aur zyada jalne lagte.
“Mat karo,” usne saans lete hue kaha. “Tum nahi samajhti ho tum kya jaga rahi ho.”
Lekin Ariana ne uska haath nahi chhoda.
Uske haath kaanp rahe the, par uska dil strong tha. “Tum pain me ho,” usne kaha. “Main tumhe aise nahi chhodungi.”
Us ek sentence ne Riven ke andar kuch tod diya.
Curse cheekh utha.
Dark energy ki ek wave bahar phooti, jisne Ariana ko peeche dhakel diya. Woh wall se takra gayi, saans ruk si gayi, jab shadows Riven ke body ke around ghoomne lagi. Uski aankhen red chamki—phir black—aur phir dobara human ho gayi.
Har jagah se, aur kahin se bhi nahi, ek purani awaaz goonj uthi:
“She is the anomaly.”
Riven jam gaya.
“Iska kya matlab hai?” usne demand kiya.
“Woh kabhi tumhari raah me aane ke liye bani hi nahi thi. Uski soul curse ka virodh karti hai.”
Ariana dheere se khadi hui. “Mujhe khud nahi pata iska kya matlab hai.”
Awaaz hasi. “Matlab yeh hai ki uski kindness tumhare liye zeher hai.”
Riven ne uski taraf dekha, gusse ki jagah ab fear tha. “Mere paas mat aao, Ariana. Jis se bhi main close hota hoon, woh mar jaata hai. Main tumhare saath yeh hote nahi dekhunga.”
Phir bhi Ariana ek step aur paas aayi.
“Toh mujhe door mat karo,” usne dheere se kaha. “Isse fight karo. Mere saath.”
Pehli baar, Riven ne curse se bhi zyada powerful kuch mehsoos kiya.
Hope.
Lekin hope hamesha ek price ke saath aati hai.
Kyuki unke upar shadows me, bina dikhai diye, kisi ki aankhen khul chuki thi—
aur kisi aur ne curse ke jagne ko mehsoos kar liya tha.
Koi jo Ariana ko mara hua dekhna chahta tha.
END OF chapter 3
Chapter 4 tomorrow 6pm
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