CHAPTER 4 : RITUAL

Author's Note:

Your well-being matters. This story explores dark and intense themes, including self-harm and ritualistic violence. If you find any content distressing or triggering, please take care of yourself and don't hesitate to pause or reach out for support. Remember, you are not alone, and help is available. Thank you for reading and prioritizing your mental health.

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2:50 PM, 12 July 2025 - Toronto, Canada

(Corresponds to 12:20 AM, 13 July 2025 in India.)

Maya's chanting grew louder, her voice echoing off the cold tiles of the washroom. The air felt charged, tingling with unseen energy.

Suddenly, the clip holding her bun snapped, letting her hair tumble wildly around her face. Black veins snaked along her forearms, pulsing with unnatural energy, and her eyes glowed a deep, menacing red. She tilted her head back, staring up at the ceiling, both arms raised as if summoning something from beyond.

"Shakal jao. Jao."

"Shakal. Go."

She clenched her left fist, her breathing ragged. With the sharp nails of her right hand, she drew a line of blood across her left wrist. Drops of crimson fell, sizzling as they landed on the star symbol she had drawn on the mirror.

"Maine tumhe khoon diya hai. Tum uski hifazat karoge. Aadesh hai mera."

"I have given you my blood. You will protect him. This is my command."

A huge dark shadows with red eyes forming on celling, foggy unclear. But looking straight in her glowing red eyes. Lights began to flicker, mirrors shaking and blood dripping from circle on mirror.

A heavy, bossy voice resonated from the celling deep and otherworldly:

"Jaisa aap kahe, malkin."

"As you command, mistress."

Hearing this, Maya let out a chilling, triumphant laugh, her voice echoing with power and madness.

"Koi nahi tik sakta mere aage. Main maut hoon."

"No one can stand before me. I am death."

Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the office, reverberating down the hallways. Already on edge, the staff, board members, investors, and her assistant James felt terror grip their hearts.

James, trembling, whispered, "I am going to call her father, Sir Henry Wilson. She is getting scary."

His hands shook as he scrolled through his contacts, finally dialing.

"Chairman, your daughter... she is acting strange again. Please come!"

Henry, in his Sky Tech Company office, sounded alarmed,

"Maya! What did she do now?"

James glanced nervously toward Maya's cabin.

"Hear this, Chairman."

He moved closer to Maya's office door, holding the phone up so Henry could hear.

Maya's terrifying laughter rang out, followed by the sharp, unmistakable sound of shattering glass-a heavy thud, and then absolute silence.

Henry's heart nearly stopped.

"Maya! James, I'm coming. Take a few men and break into her office. I want my daughter safe at any cost. Go inside!"

"Yes, Chairman," James replied immediately.

He called over security. Together, they rushed to Maya's office. The cabin was empty, but one guard pointed to the washroom door, slightly ajar.

"Look, that door is open. Let's go inside and check"

James nodded, and two guards followed him inside while the others waited outside.

What they saw made their blood run cold.

Maya lay unconscious on the floor, blood trickling from her left wrist, her body limp, eyes closed, hair spread around her like a dark halo. The mirrors were shattered, shards glinting with a strange, supernatural energy, as if the power of her ritual had exploded outward.

TO BE CONTINUED......

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