Chapter 42: The Cult Leader’s Message

The flames from the destroyed warehouse still burned in the distance, sending thick black smoke into the sky. The air was heavy with the stench of fire and ash, mixing with the distant echoes of the cult's mocking whispers.

Aryan, Naina, Karan, and Riya sat inside an abandoned truck, catching their breath. Their bodies were covered in dust and sweat, their minds still racing from the ambush.

They had barely escaped with their lives.

And the cult had let them.

Karan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They set us up." His voice was filled with frustration. "They wanted us there."

Aryan's jaw clenched. "They didn't just want us there. They were testing us."

Riya exhaled, her hands trembling. "But why? They could've killed us."

Naina's eyes darkened. "Because they want us afraid. They want us to feel powerless."

Karan scoffed. "Yeah? Well, it's working."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then—Naina's phone buzzed.

She glanced down at the screen.

Her blood ran cold.

Unknown Number.

The cult.

Again.

She immediately put it on speaker.

A familiar voice came through—distorted, deep, emotionless.

"The Abyss never dies. You're in my world now."

Before anyone could respond, Naina's phone vibrated again.

A new message.

It contained a link.

Karan leaned over. "What the hell is that?"

Aryan didn't hesitate. He clicked the link.

A live video feed appeared on Naina's screen. The footage was grainy and unstable, but it showed something that made everyone freeze.

A dark, abandoned factory.

Shaky camera angles showed hallways lined with hanging chains, bloodstains on the floor, and a massive sigil drawn in the center of the room.

And then—the screen flickered.

The image shifted, revealing a bound figure, struggling against restraints.

A woman.

Karan's breath hitched. "Is that—"

The camera zoomed in.

And Aryan's heart stopped.

It was Naina.

Except… it wasn't.

The screen flickered again, revealing the Cult Leader standing beside the bound woman.

Then, his cold, distorted voice filled the truck.

"The Abyss is patient, Inspector Naina."

"It always collects its debts."

Then—the screen cut to black.

Silence.

No one breathed.

No one spoke.

Naina's hands tightened into fists. "What the hell was that?"

Aryan replayed the image in his mind. "They showed us a prisoner. Someone in a ritual chamber."

Riya's voice was shaky. "But… she looked like you, Naina."

Karan's fists clenched. "They're playing mind games."

Naina exhaled, her expression unreadable. "This is their way of telling me I'm next."

Aryan's voice was low. "And they're daring us to come find them."

He glanced at the GPS coordinates embedded in the video's metadata.

"They just gave us their location."

Karan shook his head. "It's a trap."

"We know," Aryan said.

Karan threw his hands in the air. "Then why the hell are we even considering going?"

"Because they want Naina," Aryan said coldly. "And we're not giving them that."

Naina nodded. "We end this. Tonight."

Riya hesitated. "But what if we're too late? What if that woman is already—"

Her voice trailed off.

No one wanted to say it.

No one wanted to admit the possibility that the woman in the video was already dead.

Aryan's eyes darkened. "Then we stop the next one."

Karan exhaled sharply. "So we go in."

Naina's fingers tightened around her gun. "And we kill them all."

The factory stood in eerie silence, its towering structure hidden deep within the industrial district.

A perfect place for a killing ground.

Aryan, Naina, Karan, and Riya moved stealthily through the darkness, their weapons drawn. The factory doors were unlocked.

They stepped inside.

The air was thick with decay. The scent of dried blood and burnt flesh filled the corridors. The walls were lined with metal chains, rusted hooks, and cryptic symbols carved into the concrete.

It was hell on earth.

Then—a sound.

A woman's scream.

Naina's stomach twisted.

Riya whispered, "She's still alive."

They followed the sound deeper into the facility, moving past rooms filled with old surgical tools, torture devices, and metal cages.

And then—they found it.

The main chamber.

A massive sigil was drawn onto the floor, illuminated by red candles. Hanging from the ceiling were human remains, blood dripping onto the floor like rain.

And in the center—

The woman.

Bound. Terrified.

And standing beside her—

The Cult Leader.

The moment they entered, the doors slammed shut behind them.

The Cult Leader slowly turned, his silver mask gleaming under the candlelight. The pendulum in his hand swayed hypnotically.

"I was hoping you would come."

Naina lifted her gun. "Let. Her. Go."

The Cult Leader chuckled. "You still believe you have control?"

Karan took a step forward, but Aryan stopped him. "Wait."

The Cult Leader raised the pendulum. "The Abyss is patient. The Abyss is kind."

The candles flickered violently.

The air grew heavy.

Naina gritted her teeth. "Enough with your bullshit—"

The Cult Leader lifted his hand, and the lights cut out completely.

Darkness swallowed the room.

And then—

A voice whispered from everywhere at once.

"Welcome home."

Elsewhere…

In a surveillance room, a masked cultist watched through a hidden camera feed.

Another figure stepped forward, his voice cold.

"They have arrived."

The cultist nodded.

"The ritual will begin."