Kunal walked toward the room where the cub had stopped.

  The cub was standing completely still, its eyes fixed intensely on something inside. It wasn’t barking… it wasn’t moving… it was simply staring.

  A strange uneasiness crept into Kunal’s chest.

  Slowly, he stepped closer and looked inside the room.

  The moment his eyes adjusted to the darkness, his pupils widened.

  The atmosphere inside felt unnaturally heavy — suffocating, almost alive.

  Several half-burned candles were placed on the floor in a circular pattern, forming what looked like a ritual boundary. Melted wax had hardened around them like frozen tears. In the center of the circle sat a worn-out doll, its head slightly tilted downward, strands of hair covering part of its face.

  Around the room were scattered objects — strange symbols carved into metal pieces, old ropes, broken mirrors, rusted tools, and multiple photographs placed across the floor.

  It was clear.

  A ritual had been performed here.

  And not very long ago.

  As he leaned forward to examine the surroundings more closely, a sudden vision struck his mind.

  For a brief moment, the world around him disappeared.

  He saw a cemetery.

  The ground trembled slightly, and from beneath the soil, a human hand suddenly burst outward, fingers clawing desperately toward the surface.

  Before he could process it, the scene shifted again.

  Now he saw a massive man sitting on a horse. The figure looked ancient — as if he belonged to another era entirely. The surroundings felt unfamiliar, distant… like a fragment of time that did not belong to the present.

  Then — just as suddenly — the vision vanished.

  He staggered slightly, catching his balance.

  “What… was that?” he whispered under his breath.

  He couldn’t understand what he had just seen.

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  But before he could think further, something else happened.

  The door of the ritual room suddenly slammed shut behind him with a violent force.

  BOOM.

  The sound echoed throughout the entire mansion.

  At the same moment, loud crashing noises erupted from multiple directions.

  One by one…

  Every door inside the mansion began shutting violently on its own.

  Windows slammed.

  Locks clicked.

  Metal clanged.

  Within seconds, the entire mansion was sealed.

  The cub ran behind Kunal, clearly frightened, pressing close to his leg.

  Kunal immediately grabbed the door handle and tried to pull it open with all his strength.

  It didn’t move.

  No matter how much force he applied, the door remained completely locked — as if fused into the frame itself.

  A realization slowly formed in his mind.

  “We’re not alone here…” he murmured quietly.

  His thoughts raced back to the vision he had just experienced — the hand from the grave, the man on the horse, the ritual room.

  Questions began flooding his mind.

  Who performed this ritual?

  Who was that man?

  And why did it feel connected to him?

  Just then, a loud metallic sound echoed from the mansion’s main gate.

  He turned his head instantly toward the direction of the noise and ran out of the corridor.

  When he reached the entrance,

  “Calm down… think…” he whispered to himself, forcing his breathing to slow.

  Panic would only make things worse.

  But deep inside, a terrifying realization was forming —

  something here was controlling the situation.

  He tried to push the main gate open.

  It wouldn’t budge.

  Locked.

  As he looked more carefully, he noticed something written on the surface of the gate — but it was covered in dust.

  He wiped it using his hand.

  Words slowly became visible.

  “Do you want to make your little more interesting… so we give you three days to survive.”

  For a moment, silence filled the air.

  Then he let out a faint laugh.

  “So… this is a game now?” he said softly.

  But before he could react further, a cold voice suddenly echoed through the mansion.

  “If you want to save your life… come to me.”

  The voice felt close.

  Too close.

  He instinctively turned toward the staircase.

  At that moment, he noticed something.

  On the third floor… a shadow.

  Someone was standing there.

  The lighting was dim, making it impossible to see clearly, but the silhouette was unmistakable.

  Kunal’s eyes sharpened.

  “I finally found you,” he muttered.

  Without hesitation, he rushed toward the stairs and began climbing quickly.

  His footsteps echoed loudly through the empty mansion.

  As he reached the third floor, he noticed the wooden flooring ahead looked damaged and fragile — as if it could collapse under weight.

  He slowed slightly, carefully stepping forward.

  The shadow moved toward one of the rooms.

  Kunal immediately ran after it.

  He pushed the door open and entered.

  The room was empty.

  Completely empty.

  A chill ran down his spine.

  He quickly stepped back outside — but the moment he exited, the door slammed shut behind him again.

  Locked.

  His heartbeat intensified.

  Was he imagining things?

  No.

  He had definitely seen someone.

  The cub stood beside him, also staring at the door.

  For a moment, both of them remained silent.

  Then suddenly —

  A loud bell rang.

  The sound was sharp and deafening, echoing across the mansion like an alarm.

  Kunal froze.

  Footsteps followed.

  Not one.

  Many.

  It sounded as if a large number of people were walking somewhere inside the mansion at the same time.

  Then a voice echoed again.

  Cold.

  Calm.

  Final.

  “Your first day… has begun.”

  ? Kunal Singh

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