episode 4

The figure of Maya, emerging from the smoke, slowly began to take shape. This time, there was no anger in her eyes... only pain.

She reached out her hand toward her burnt son—

“Enough is enough... come with me.”

The burnt child smiled at first... but then, suddenly, his expression changed. His eyes turned pitch black.

“No...” he said in a low voice,

“I am no longer alone... they won't let me go.”

Suddenly, the dark chasm below deepened even further. Hundreds of shadows began to crawl out of it—all the souls that had been trapped in this place for years.

Many voices echoed in unison—

“If he leaves... the door will close... and we will be trapped forever...”

Standing in the midst of it all, Aarav was trembling.

Maya understood—this was not merely about her son; it was the intricate web of the entire curse.

She looked gently toward Aarav and spoke—

“You absorbed his pain into yourself... and so, you have become the door.”

Aarav’s mother cried out in tears—

“There must be a way... please!”

After a few moments of silence, Maya made her decision.

“There is a way...

but it requires one person to remain here forever.”

The room fell into absolute silence.

Maya walked over to her son and touched his burnt face—

“This time, I will not lose you...”

Then, she slowly turned around... and stepped forward to stand directly before Aarav.

“You will stay.”

Aarav’s mother screamed—

“No! My child—”

But Maya’s voice suddenly turned hard—

“Either this boy remains here...

or this door stays open forever—and whatever steps out of it... will plunge the entire world into darkness.”

Aarav took his mother’s hand.

For the first time, a faint smile appeared on his face—

“Mom... I’m not afraid...”

Slowly, his hand began to turn to ash. Maya placed her hand upon his head and whispered—

“Now, you are the guardian of this place…”

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted.

All the shadows recoiled, screaming. The chasm began to close.

When the silence finally settled—

There was no lodge…

No darkness…

No Maya…

No son…

Only empty ground.

And Aarav’s mother stood there, all alone.

But the story did not end there.

A few months later, a small temple was built upon that very spot.

People say that peace now reigns there.

Yet, anyone who visits at night hears a faint whisper—

“Do not fear… I am right here…”

And sometimes…

Tiny, scorched footprints can be seen upon the soil.

After the temple was built, there was real peace for a while.

People would come during the day, light lamps, and say, "Now everything is fine."

But at night... there was never complete peace.

A priest was appointed to serve there.

On the very first night, at exactly 2:17 a.m., the temple bell started ringing on its own.

Tun... Tun... Tun...

The priest thought it might be the wind.

But as he looked toward the sanctum sanctorum—the flame of the lamp stood straight up... there was no wind at all.

And then he saw—tiny burnt footprints on the soil...

leading straight into the temple.

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