Chapter 41: The Warehouse Ambush

The warehouse stood in eerie silence.

It was an abandoned structure on the outskirts of the city—rusted metal beams, shattered windows, and a stench of old decay and rot. This was the place where the group had decided to regroup and plan their next move.

But they weren't alone.

The Pendulum of Death had been watching them.

And tonight, the hunters would become the hunted.

Aryan, Karan, Riya, and Naina sat around a makeshift table, the dim glow of a lantern casting shadows against the cold concrete walls. Their expressions were grim, their minds racing with everything they had uncovered.

"We finally know how they do it," Aryan muttered, placing the old parchment from the Gatekeeper on the table.

Naina ran a hand through her hair. "They don't just kill. They make the victims suffer to the absolute limit."

Riya swallowed hard. "They… they hypnotize them first."

Karan exhaled sharply. "That's how they break them. The Pendulum of Death."

Aryan nodded. "They swing it in front of the victim, using rhythmic movements, murmuring in an ancient language. The hypnosis weakens their mental state, making them more vulnerable to pain."

Naina clenched her jaw. "And then the real torture begins."

The room was silent as Aryan began reading the Gatekeeper's notes aloud.

"The first step… they make small incisions."

A gruesome image flashed in Aryan's mind—a victim, bound to a chair, expression blank from hypnosis, hands and legs trembling.

"They start with pins, poking the victim's hands and legs. Tiny wounds at first, just enough to cause pain but not enough to kill."

Riya covered her mouth. Karan's fists tightened.

"They use braces to keep the victim's mouth open. Then, they take sharp needles and poke the gums, causing excruciating pain."

A chill ran down everyone's spine.

Naina's voice was sharp. "And then?"

Aryan continued, his voice cold, detached.

"They pour boiling water into the victim's mouth."

Riya turned away, her breathing unsteady. "That's inhuman."

Aryan's face was unreadable. "It's beyond inhuman."

Karan swallowed hard. "It doesn't stop there, does it?"

Aryan shook his head.

"After the gums are burned, they take a knife and start making deeper cuts—one at a time, over different parts of the body."

The air in the warehouse felt suffocating.

"And once they see the victim is still alive…"

His fingers gripped the parchment tightly.

"…they bring out the pruner."

Naina's face darkened. "They cut the fingers off."

Aryan nodded. "Slowly. One by one. Hands and legs. Then, they take the fingers and craft a chain out of them."

Karan's face twisted in disgust. "They make the victim wear their own severed fingers."

A heavy silence followed.

"And after all that…" Aryan exhaled sharply. "If the victim survives the pain, they take a blade and end their life."

Riya's voice was a whisper. "And if they die during the torture?"

Aryan's eyes darkened. "They kill them anyway. The ritual must be completed."

Naina stood abruptly, pacing. "We can't let this happen again. If the final ritual is happening soon, we need to stop it before another victim is taken."

Karan nodded. "We have to be ready."

But the moment he said that—

The lights flickered.

And everything changed.

A gust of wind blew through the warehouse, forcing the doors wide open.

The lantern flickered violently, casting twisted shadows on the walls.

A voice echoed through the space—cold, mocking.

"Welcome, outsiders."

The air turned heavy.

Riya grabbed Karan's arm. "Something's wrong."

Aryan and Naina drew their guns, stepping toward the entrance.

Then—

BOOM.

The warehouse doors burst open, revealing multiple hooded figures.

At the center stood him.

The Cult Leader.

His metallic mask gleamed under the dim light, a silver pendulum swinging slowly in his hand.

"You are already part of the ritual," he murmured. "You just don't know it yet."

Aryan fired first.

But the bullet never hit its target.

The Cult Leader stepped aside effortlessly, as if predicting the attack. His followers moved in silently, surrounding them.

Naina clenched her jaw. "We fight our way out."

Karan grabbed a metal pipe, his breath unsteady. "Bring it on."

The Cult Leader chuckled. "Bravery… is such a fragile thing."

Then, he lifted his hand.

A pendulum swung.

And the warehouse exploded in flames.

The force of the explosion threw them back. Debris rained down, flames licking at the metal beams.

Riya coughed violently, struggling to see through the smoke. "Karan—!"

"I'm here!" Karan grabbed her hand, pulling her toward an exit.

Aryan and Naina dodged falling debris, covering their mouths as smoke choked the air.

The Cult Leader's voice echoed through the fire.

"Run all you want."

His shadow flickered, moving through the smoke like a ghost.

"The Abyss is waiting."

Naina found an opening. "This way—GO!"

Karan, dragging Riya, sprinted through the flames, dodging burning debris.

Aryan and Naina followed, barely escaping as the warehouse collapsed behind them.

They emerged into the cold night air, coughing violently, covered in ash and sweat.

The warehouse was gone.

Swallowed by fire.

And the cult?

Vanished.

Minutes later, they leaned against a nearby abandoned truck, catching their breath.

Karan's hands shook. "What the hell was that?"

Naina exhaled, still gripping her gun. "A warning."

Riya wiped blood off her forehead. "They're playing with us."

Aryan's jaw clenched. "No."

He turned back toward the burning warehouse.

"They're just getting started."

Elsewhere…

Inside a dark temple, the Cult Leader stood before his followers.

The pendulum swung slowly.

"The fire did not consume them," one of the hooded figures whispered. "They escaped."

The Cult Leader smiled beneath his mask.

"They will return."

He lifted a knife, dripping with fresh blood.

"And when they do…"

He placed the knife against an unconscious victim tied to an altar.

"…they will witness the true face of the Abyss."

The pendulum swung.

The ritual continued.