ep42

Aryan and Kiara's footsteps echoed softly as they descended into the crypt. The narrow, winding staircase seemed to go on forever, and with every step, the air grew colder, heavier. Kiara could feel the weight of something ancient pressing down on her, and though she wanted to be brave, fear twisted in her gut.

At the bottom of the stairs, the crypt opened into a long, dark hallway lined with ancient statues. The figures, carved out of stone, appeared to be warriors, their faces etched with expressions of defiance and pain. The flickering light from Aryan's flashlight danced across them, casting long shadows that seemed to move as if alive.

"This place feels wrong," Kiara whispered, her voice barely audible.

Aryan nodded, his jaw clenched. "We're not alone here. Stay close."

They walked cautiously down the hall, every sound amplified in the stillness. At the end of the corridor, they came to a heavy, wooden door, bound with iron. The carvings on the door were similar to those they had seen in the mansion—symbols of an ancient language they couldn't understand.

Aryan's hand hovered over the door handle, hesitating. "Once we go in, there's no turning back."

Kiara took a deep breath, steadying herself. "We don't have a choice."

With a firm nod, Aryan pushed the door open. The room beyond was dark, the air thick with the scent of earth and decay. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, sat a stone chest, its surface covered in more of the strange symbols. The second artifact was inside, waiting for them.

But something wasn't right.

The atmosphere felt different from the mansion. There was no immediate presence of a guardian, no oppressive energy. It was as if the crypt was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Kiara's eyes scanned the room nervously. "Where's the guardian? There has to be one, right?"

Aryan frowned, stepping closer to the chest. "I don't know. This feels…off."

Just as his hand touched the chest, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The crypt groaned, and the statues lining the hallway outside creaked as if they were moving. Kiara's heart raced as she spun around, her flashlight catching movement in the darkness.

"Aryan!" she shouted, backing away from the chest. "Something's happening!"

The trembling intensified, and suddenly, the stone statues began to shift. Slowly, they turned their heads toward Aryan and Kiara, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. One by one, the statues stepped off their pedestals, their stone limbs creaking as they came to life.

Aryan grabbed Kiara's arm, pulling her back toward the door. "We need to get out of here, now!"

But before they could reach the exit, the door slammed shut with a deafening crash, trapping them inside.

The statues moved closer, their footsteps heavy, echoing in the small chamber. Their faces, once frozen in stoic expressions, now twisted into sneers of malice. One statue, a towering figure with a sword in its hand, raised its weapon and swung it toward them.

Aryan shoved Kiara out of the way just in time, the sword slicing through the air where she had stood moments before. "We're trapped!" Kiara cried, her voice trembling.

"We have to fight!" Aryan shouted, grabbing a broken piece of stone from the ground. He swung it at the nearest statue, but it barely made a dent in the creature's rock-hard body. "These things won't go down easy."

Kiara's mind raced as she tried to think of a way out. The crypt was ancient, filled with traps and guardians meant to protect the artifacts. There had to be a way to stop the statues.

Her eyes darted to the symbols on the stone chest. They were similar to the ones on the statues, glowing faintly in the dim light. "Aryan, the symbols! Maybe they're connected to the statues!"

Aryan followed her gaze, his breath coming in quick gasps. "It's worth a shot."

He rushed to the chest, his fingers tracing the glowing symbols. There had to be a sequence, a way to deactivate the statues. But as he worked, the statues closed in, their stone faces twisted with malevolent intent.

Kiara grabbed a torch from the wall, swinging it at the nearest statue to keep it at bay. "Hurry, Aryan!"

The statues were relentless, their stone weapons clanging against the walls as they attacked. Aryan's hands moved quickly, pressing the symbols in different combinations, desperate to find the right one.

Just as the largest statue raised its sword again, ready to strike Kiara, Aryan shouted, "Got it!"

The room was filled with a blinding light as the symbols on the chest flared to life. The statues froze, their glowing eyes dimming as the magic that animated them faded. With a groan, they crumbled to the ground, turning back into lifeless stone.

Kiara collapsed to the floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "That was too close."

Aryan wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving. "We're not done yet."

He turned his attention back to the chest, his hands trembling as he lifted the lid. Inside, resting on a bed of silk, was the second artifact—a golden bracelet, its surface engraved with the same ancient symbols.

Kiara's eyes widened as she looked at it. "That's it?"

Aryan nodded, carefully lifting the bracelet from the chest. "One step closer to stopping Aaryan."

But as they stood there, clutching the artifact, a cold wind swept through the crypt. The symbols on the walls flickered, and a deep, haunting voice echoed through the room.

"You may have taken the artifact," the voice whispered, sending chills down their spines. "But the curse is far from lifted."

Kiara's heart skipped a beat as she glanced at Aryan. "What does that mean?"

Before Aryan could respond, the ground beneath them began to shift again, and the crypt's walls started to close in, the ceiling lowering as if the crypt itself was trying to trap them.

"We need to get out of here!" Aryan shouted, grabbing Kiara's hand as they sprinted toward the door.

The walls groaned, and the ceiling creaked as it descended faster and faster. They reached the door just in time, forcing it open and tumbling out into the hallway. Behind them, the crypt sealed itself shut, the sound of stone grinding against stone echoing in the air.

They leaned against the wall, catching their breath, their bodies trembling with adrenaline.

"That voice," Kiara whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "It wasn't the guardian."

Aryan shook his head, his expression grim. "No. Whatever that was, it's something much worse."

As they stood there, the weight of their mission pressed down on them harder than ever. The artifacts weren't just tools of power—they were cursed objects, tied to a dark past that was starting to awaken.

And whatever was coming next would be more dangerous than anything they had faced so far.