CHAPTER 2: “The Truth Behind Heaven”

Darkness.

No sound.

No light.

Arnav and Kunal stepped inside the door…

And the world behind them disappeared.

“Okay… this is not normal,” Kunal said slowly.

There was nothing around them.

No sky.

No ground.

Just empty space.

Arnav looked ahead.

“Stay close.”

Kunal nodded,

“I’m right here.”

Far away…

A soft white light appeared.

Arnav’s heart started beating fast.

He knew.

They walked toward it.

Step by step.

As they got closer…

A figure appeared.

A girl.

“Arnav…?”

His eyes filled with tears.

“Tamanna…”

He ran.

And hugged her tightly.

“I tried to live without you…” Arnav said, his voice breaking,

“But I couldn’t… everything felt empty… I was alone…”

Tamanna held him back, crying softly,

“I was waiting for you…”

Arnav closed his eyes,

“I’m not leaving you again.”

Kunal stood behind them.

Quiet.

Letting them have their moment.

Tamanna looked at him,

“Kunal… you came too…”

Kunal gave a soft smile,

“Of course. I’m not letting him do crazy things alone.”

For a moment…

Everything felt peaceful.

Then—

A deep voice echoed everywhere.

“THIS IS NOT YOUR WORLD.”

The light grew stronger.

A large glowing figure appeared.

Its face unclear.

Its presence heavy.

“God…” Tamanna whispered.

Arnav’s expression changed.

Anger.

Pain.

“You took her away from me!” he shouted.

Kunal stepped forward quickly,

“Arnav, wait—”

But Arnav didn’t stop.

“Send her back!” he yelled.

“Or take me with her!”

Silence.

Then—

“THIS IS HER FATE.”

Arnav clenched his fists,

“No… this is wrong!”

Kunal looked around carefully.

Something felt strange.

The light…

felt heavy.

Not peaceful.

“This isn’t heaven…” Kunal said slowly.

Arnav looked at him,

“What?”

Before he could answer—

The light cracked.

For a second—

Something appeared behind it.

A dark shadow.

Huge.

Terrifying.

Tamanna stepped back in fear,

“Arnav… something is wrong…”

Kunal’s voice turned serious,

“You’re not God…”

The voice changed.

Colder. Darker.

“YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE THAT.”

The light started breaking.

Now it was clear—

This was not heaven.

Something evil was hiding behind that form.

Arnav held Tamanna’s hand tightly,

“I’m taking you with me.”

Tamanna shook her head, crying,

“You can’t… please… if you stay, you’ll get hurt…”

“I don’t care!” Arnav said.

Kunal grabbed his shoulder,

“We can’t fight this now!”

“I’m not leaving her again!” Arnav shouted.

Tamanna held his hand with both of hers,

Tears falling—

“Please… go… I don’t want to lose you again…”

Arnav’s voice broke,

“I already lost you once…”

Silence.

Kunal looked at Arnav.

Then said firmly—

“We will come back. Together. But not like this.”

Arnav closed his eyes.

After a moment…

He nodded slowly.

Tamanna smiled through tears,

“I’ll wait…”

Suddenly—

The figure raised its hand.

A massive force rushed toward them.

Kunal’s eyes widened,

“ARNAV—!”

The attack hit them.

Everything went white.

🌑 NEXT MORNING

Arnav woke up suddenly.

Breathing fast.

He was back.

In his room.

“Kunal…?” he said.

“I’m here,” Kunal replied from nearby.

Both were silent for a moment.

“It wasn’t heaven…” Arnav said.

Kunal nodded,

“No… it wasn’t.”

Then—

Arnav felt something strange.

A burning feeling in his hand.

He looked down.

A faint glow appeared for a second…

Then disappeared.

“What was that…?” he whispered.

At the same time—

Kunal held his chest.

“You feeling that too…?” he said.

“Yeah…”

Kunal looked at his hand.

For a moment—

The air around it slightly moved.

Like something invisible was there.

Both looked at each other.

“This started after that place…” Arnav said.

Kunal nodded slowly.

“That attack…”

Pause.

“…did something to us.”

Arnav clenched his fist.

“We’re going back.”

Kunal didn’t argue.

This time—

His voice was serious.

“Next time…”

He looked straight at Arnav—

“…we won’t go unprepared.”

Arnav nodded.

His eyes were no longer empty.

They were burning with something new.

Not just pain.

Purpose.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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