ADORABLE PAIN

The wardrobe was not a place for clothes, but a sanctuary of suffering. Mitali stepped into the cramped, dark space to perform the rite. The feeding was a visceral, jagged process: the bite of the blade, the warmth of her own life force spilling out to satiate the entity. For five agonizing minutes, the exchange took place—real blood for a synthetic, ethereal substitute that pulsed with a cold, unnatural vitality.

When the connection severed, Mitali stood, her legs trembling with a mixture of physical weakness and white-hot fury.

"Are you ready to remain beautiful, Mitali?" the Voice hissed, vibrating through the very wood of the wardrobe.

"No," Mitali spat, her voice cracking. "I don’t want to be beautiful anymore. I want you to leave my family for good!"

"How dare you question our sacrifice!" the Voice roared back, its tone jagged with ancient malice.

Driven by a sudden, frantic desperation, Mitali lunged toward the mirror inside the small space, shattering it. She stumbled out of the wardrobe, breathless and trembling, only to be met by Ananya and Rishab. They stood waiting, their faces masks of chilling concern.

"Mom," Ananya whispered, her eyes searching Mitali’s. "Did you feed it?"

Mitali could only offer a jagged, nervous nod.

"Thank you so much," Rishab said, pulling his mother into a tight, suffocating embrace. Over his shoulder, Mitali’s eyes welled with tears, staring into a future defined by fear.

PRESENT DAY – MORNING

The Mehra mansion was swarmed. Flashbulbs popped like suppressed gunfire as Rishab Mehra stood before a sea of reporters to address the horrific death of his wife, Ananya.

"The investigation has revealed that a time bomb was planted on her," Rishab stated, his voice steady despite the sweat beading on his brow.

"But how is that possible?" a reporter shouted over the din. "People are whispering that it’s your family’s beauty—that she was cursed!"

Rishab stiffened. "No! That is not the case. It was an advanced explosive device. My family is not cursed; our appearance is a gift to the world. Thank you."

He turned on his heel, ignoring the barrage of shouted questions as he retreated into the shadows of the mansion.

Miles away, Mitali sat slumped in the driver’s seat of her car. She had spent the night on the outskirts of an unfamiliar town, fleeing the life she had helped build. As the sun rose, she caught her reflection in the rearview mirror.

"I never should have accepted this madness," she sobbed, the sound muffled by the car’s glass. "Now, because of me, Ananya is gone."

At the college, the atmosphere shifted the moment Neila stepped out of her car. Her face remained familiar, but her silhouette had transformed into something otherworldly—striking, statuesque, and impossible to ignore. A hush fell over the courtyard as she walked, every eye anchored to her.

"You look beautiful, Neila," a boy called out as he passed.

Neila offered a shy, radiant smile. "Thank you."

"We have a party tonight," another boy added, stepping forward with a grin. "Please join us. I promise it’ll be fun."

Neila’s heart raced. For years, she had been a ghost on this campus; now, the most popular inner circle was beckoning. "I’ll think about it," she replied, though her mind was already made up. She was going.

Nearby, Priya stood frozen, watching her best friend with a mixture of awe and dawning horror. They retreated to an empty classroom to speak in private.

"My mom... I thought she was insane," Neila whispered, still reeling from the change. "But it’s true. On my eighteenth birthday, I became this."

"But Neila... is this even normal?" Priya asked, her voice trembling.

"Of course, Priya," Neila insisted, pulling her friend into a hug.

Across the quad, Rhea watched the scene unfold, flanked by her boyfriend Naveen and her friends Diya and Maya. Rhea’s grip on her handbag tightened until her knuckles turned white.

"The school is already calling her the new Queen of Hills," Diya murmured.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," Maya added, breathless. "She’s extraordinary."

"Take me to her," Rhea commanded, her voice low and dangerous.

As they approached, Naveen’s jaw dropped. He stared at Neila as if seeing a vision. "Oh my God," he muttered. "It’s true. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."

Upset and humiliated, Rhea turned and stormed away. Maya and Diya snapped at Naveen before chasing after her, but Naveen didn't move. He remained rooted to the spot, mesmerized by the new Neila.

MEHRA FACTORY – CEO OFFICE

Rishab paced his office like a caged predator. "Report her missing," he told his bodyguard, Suresh. "Offer a massive cash reward to anyone who finds her."

Suresh nodded and exited, nearly colliding with a woman entering the room. She wore a sharp blazer and an even sharper expression.

"ACP Geeta Chopra," she announced. "I’m investigating the sudden death of your wife."

"Officer, I made my statement at the conference," Rishab said, his eyes narrowing.

"I heard what you said. I just don't believe it," Geeta replied, stepping further into the room. "I don’t believe your daughter suddenly becomes a goddess on the same day her mother blows up. I don't believe in coincidences. Tell me what you're hiding, Mr. Mehra."

"I have nothing to say. Talk to my lawyer."

Geeta leaned over his desk, her voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "Whatever you did to that woman—whether it’s a cult or some twisted ritual—I am going to find out. And you will pay."

She walked out, leaving Rishab in a towering rage. He roared, upending his heavy mahogany desk in a spray of papers and shattered glass. "This is all your fault, Mom!" he screamed at the empty room. "But I will find you. I’ll make this right again."

Mitali stopped at a roadside supermarket, her nerves frayed. As she reached for supplies, a news bulletin flashed across a wall-mounted TV. It was her face—a missing person’s report with a staggering reward.

The shop attendant looked from the screen to Mitali, his eyes widening. Sensing the trap closing in, Mitali bolted for the exit, ignored his shouts, and sped away into the trees. Behind her, the attendant was already reaching for the phone.

Back at school, the power dynamic had shifted permanently. Neila’s desk was surrounded by students clamoring for selfies and friendship. Even Naveen was there, hovering in the front row.

The classroom door swung open, and the room went silent. Shweta and Rashmi, the undisputed arbiters of campus social life, walked toward Neila. They stopped, surveying her with stunned approval.

"Neila Mehra," Shweta announced, her voice carrying through the hall. "We crown you the Queen of Hills."

"From today onwards," Rashmi added, "you own everything and everyone in this school."

Neila beamed, swept up in the intoxicating rush of sudden power. As she was led away by her new entourage, she didn't notice Priya standing alone in the back of the room, looking on with a heavy heart.

MANY YEARS AGO – THE FORBIDDEN ROOM

Mitali and Rishab stood before Ananya, who was then a quiet, plain woman draped in bridal finery.

"We will bless you because Rishab loves you," Mitali said softly. "But to have this, you must become part of our gift."

"Yes, Mom," Ananya replied eagerly. "I want it. I want to be beautiful like you."

Mitali’s expression turned grave. "Are you ready to make a sacrifice when the time comes?"

Ananya hesitated, looking at Rishab. He smiled, a warm but hollow gesture. "My love, don’t worry. Just do as you’re told."

Ananya swallowed hard, forced a smile, and stepped into the darkness of the wardrobe. The heavy doors groaned shut.

"Do you think she'll accept the conditions?" Rishab asked quietly.

Mitali smiled, a cold, elegant curve of the lips. "Ananya is ambitious. She wants beauty... even if it comes with pain."

Rishab smirked, his eyes reflecting the shadows of the room. "An adorable pain."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***