• He was feeling the chaos since God knows when...

"Please," she choked out, her voice trembling, tears now silently tracing hot paths down her cheeks. "Please… just leave me alone."

To her utter surprise and immense relief, the oppressive presence slowly dissipated. The feeling of being held vanished, the warm breath on her neck faded into the cool basement air. She spun around, her eyes darting frantically through the shadows, searching for the source of the disembodied voice and the phantom touch. The basement remained empty, the lantern casting its flickering light on the cold stone and the bloodstained chains.

A desperate urge to flee washed over her, but a strange sense of curiosity, a feeling that there was something more to this place than just terror, held her rooted to the spot. Whatever that presence was, despite the fear it instilled, it hadn't physically harmed her.

With a newfound resolve, she began to search for a light switch, her hand brushing against the damp stone walls. Finally, her fingers found a cold, metallic toggle. She flicked it, and with a hum, harsh fluorescent lights flickered to life, illuminating the basement in a stark, unflattering glow.

She knew how much she had to fight her own fear to remain and inspect the area. Turning back towards the chains, her breath hitched. The man from her vision was there. Actually there. His build was indeed imposing, much larger than hers. His head hung low, his dark hair obscuring his face. Tentatively, her trembling hand reached out, almost against her will, to touch him, to confirm that he was real and not a figment of her terrified imagination. He was solid, cold to the touch.

As soon as her fingers brushed against his arm, a cacophony of sounds erupted in her head – the clash of steel, guttural screams, the thunder of horses' hooves, the frantic pounding of footsteps. Her body froze, overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of sensory input.

After a few disoriented moments, she forced herself to place her hand over the area where his heart would be. She closed her eyes, focusing, trying to decipher the chaotic sounds, to understand what he was trying to make her hear. It was the din of battle, the sounds of a war fought centuries ago.

Suddenly, she felt a hand gently rest behind her head, another behind her waist, pulling her closer until his head rested against hers. The voices in her mind intensified, as if he were trying to make her truly feel the terror and chaos he had experienced. She could sense his anguish, the echoes of those long-past battles still raging within him.

Slowly, instinctively, her own hands reached up, intending to cover her ears to block out the overwhelming noise. But then, with a gentle motion, she placed her soft palms against his ears, covering them completely. The cacophony in her mind began to fade, the sharp edges softening. Soon, all she could hear were ragged, heavy breaths, and a faint, almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

Gauri's eyes snapped open, and for a fleeting moment, all she saw were a pair of intensely sharp, yet surprisingly soft, brown eyes gazing directly into hers. A profound connection seemed to pass between them in that silent exchange. She didn't even have time to fully register his features before the basement door crashed open with a loud thud. The brown eyes vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Gauri gasped, her head snapping towards the doorway where Jai and Isha stood, their faces etched with worry. Jai rushed to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the basement with urgent haste. "Come on, Gauri! We were so worried!"

"What's wrong? Why the hurry?" Gauri asked, her mind still reeling from the encounter.

"It's Arya," Isha cried, her voice trembling. "He fell down the stairs! His head is bleeding! Veda's bandaging him." They explained their fear when they couldn't find Gauri, which had prompted their frantic search of the basement. Isha looked particularly distressed.

They found Arya sprawled on one of the antique couches in the main hall, Veda hovering over him, his medical expertise on full display as he meticulously wrapped a bandage around Arya's head. Arya offered Gauri a sheepish grin, which quickly vanished as she lightly swatted his arm. "You! So careless!" she scolded, her relief at seeing him safe mixed with irritation.

"Hey, I'm always careful!" Arya protested, wincing slightly as Veda tightened the bandage. "I don't even know how it happened. I just… stumbled. On nothing."

Gauri's breath hitched. Arya's words echoed his teasing remark from the basement – about her letting him hold her. Could it have been… him? The possessive feeling, the unseen touch… Oh no. A chilling realization began to dawn in her mind.