Chapter 4: The Mysterious Warning

The afternoon sun had started its slow descent when an unsettling quietness settled over the group. After lunch, most of the children had begun to relax—some were playing near the grassy courtyard, others were scrolling through the photos they had taken so far. Yet Aarav, Siya, Kabir, and Naina weren’t smiling like before. Their minds were still caught up in the strange energy of the fort, especially that dry, echoing well.

Just then, from one corner of the fort’s boundary wall, a hunched, elderly woman slowly appeared. She looked no less ancient than the fort itself. Her clothes were tattered, her hair knotted into wild tufts, and she leaned heavily on a wooden stick. But what stood out most were her eyes — sharp, intense, and strangely lucid, like they had seen things that others refused to believe.

“Who’s that?” Siya whispered.

“Maybe a local,” Aarav replied, though uncertainty crept into his voice.

The old woman approached, her feet dragging along the stones. Then, in a shaky but piercing voice, she addressed the children directly:

“Leave… before the sun sets. If you stay tonight… none of you will survive.”

The words dropped like stones into still water. For a second, no one moved.

Before they could react, the woman spoke again, her voice louder this time —

“This fort has its own rules. Once the night rises here, no living soul is safe.”

The children looked at one another. Was she trying to scare them?

Moments later, Veeru, the guide, rushed over, looking flustered.

“Ammā, not again!” he said, half-annoyed and half-afraid.

Baba Dayaram followed close behind, his face unusually stern.

“She lives nearby,” he said to the group. “Pay her no mind. Old age plays tricks. She sometimes forgets what is real and what is dream.”

But the woman turned sharply toward him.

“Do not lie to them,” she hissed. “Tell them the truth! Tell them who screams inside these walls at night! Tell them who knocks from behind the closed doors!”

And then, without another word, she turned and began walking slowly toward the broken side stairs of the fort, disappearing into a crumbled archway.

The children stood frozen.

“Was she serious?” Naina asked, her voice trembling.

“Or just mad?” Kabir added, though he didn’t sound convinced himself.

“She didn’t look crazy,” said Aarav softly. “There was fear in her eyes. Real fear.”

Siya looked at Baba Dayaram, “Has she always said this kind of stuff?”

The old man looked away. “She was once the caretaker of this fort, many decades ago. Then something happened. One night, she was found wandering barefoot on these stones, blood on her hands… her eyes hollow. Since then, she lives in the village nearby. And avoids the fort at night.”

“What happened that night?” Aarav pressed.

Baba paused, then shook his head. “Some questions only time answers. If it ever does.”

The warning had planted a seed of unease in the children’s minds. The fort, once exciting, had now taken a darker turn. Every shadow now seemed to hide a story. Every breeze whispered something only half-heard.

As the afternoon passed and the group gathered for the second leg of the tour, Aarav couldn’t shake off the woman’s words. "None of you will survive…"

While the others prepared to follow the teacher, Aarav’s eyes wandered across the courtyard — and stopped at an iron door, partially hidden behind an old tree trunk.

The door was rusted and crooked, set into a narrow stone wall that led to a part of the fort they hadn’t visited yet.

There was a sign above it, almost completely covered in dirt. Aarav approached and wiped the dust away. Faint, barely readable text came into view:

“Entry Restricted — Unsafe Area.”

“Why is this part closed off?” Kabir asked, coming up beside him.

“Looks abandoned,” Naina said.

Just then, Baba Dayaram and Veeru joined them.

“That section is unsafe,” Baba explained. “Very old… the walls could collapse any moment.”

“But why a warning sign?” Siya asked. “You could’ve just said it was dangerous.”

Veeru hesitated. “There were… incidents. Long ago. People who went in and never came out. Strange noises, sudden illness. The locals stay away.”

Baba added, “That area was once the prisoners' quarters… and it’s said, during a rebellion, they were buried alive when the tunnels caved in. Their screams haven’t left these walls.”

Aarav looked back at the door. For a second, it looked like it moved slightly — just a creak. But when he stared harder, it was shut tight.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?” Naina said, turning.

“Nothing… maybe just the wind,” he muttered.

By now, evening was approaching. The sun was melting into the horizon, casting long shadows through the arches. The air had grown cooler, but heavier — as if the fort was holding its breath.

Back near the group, Ms. Anupama called the children to gather for a headcount before setting up their tents. But even as they laughed and chatted, the four friends stayed quiet.

“She wasn’t joking,” Siya finally said. “I know it.”

“I felt it too,” Naina added. “Like something’s… watching.”

“Maybe we’re not meant to be here after dark,” Aarav whispered.

Kabir nodded toward the iron door. “Then why do I feel like whatever’s inside… wants us to stay?”

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