Chapter 14 – Shadows in Lahore

The golden sun was setting behind the hazy outline of the Minar-e-Pakistan, casting a warm glow over Lahore's ancient cityscape. But beneath the fading light, an unsettling tension wrapped itself around the streets like a creeping fog. The usual cacophony of street vendors, rickshaw horns, and children's laughter seemed muted—replaced by uneasy glances and hurried steps.

Zahra stepped out of the taxi near the hospital entrance, the weight of her destiny pressing down on her with every heartbeat. The familiar city that had raised her now felt foreign — as if it too sensed the dark storm gathering on the horizon.

Mufti Rafiq walked beside her, his robes whispering secrets of forgotten times. "Lahore is no longer the city I once knew," he murmured, eyes scanning the restless crowd. "The Marked Ones multiply, and the shadows grow longer."

Zahra nodded, gripping the leather-bound Book of Guardians tightly under her arm. "We have to find them before it's too late."

Inside Noor International Hospital, whispers buzzed like a hive disturbed. Nurses and doctors exchanged furtive looks, and a layer of cold anxiety chilled the air. The boy—the first Marked One—was still there, though now his condition had worsened.

They were led through sterile corridors to a secluded room. The boy lay on the bed, his small frame tense and trembling. Black and red tattoos, still glowing faintly, stretched across his chest and arms like burning veins.

His dark eyes fluttered open as Zahra approached. "You're safe here," she said softly, kneeling beside him. "Can you tell me what's happening?"

The boy's voice was weak but urgent. "They're coming. The Bone Collector and the others… The gate is breaking. The Saints have fallen."

Before Zahra could ask more, a sudden jolt rocked the building. The lights flickered violently and plunged the ward into darkness.

A low rumble echoed from beneath the city.

Mufti Rafiq's face grew grim. "The seals are failing faster than we thought."

Outside the hospital, the streets had emptied, as if an unseen force pushed the people away. Shadows writhed and twisted, coalescing into figures both human and monstrous.

From the depths of Lahore's oldest neighborhoods, whispers rose — of ancient curses and broken promises.

In a hidden underground chamber beneath the Walled City, twelve dark figures gathered, their faces obscured by hoods. They were the Circle of Shadows — enemies of the Guardians.

Their leader, a figure draped in bone armor and a mask shaped like a skull, spoke in a voice like grinding stones.

"The Mystic Surgeon rises. But she is weak without the Circle. We will break her."

Back in the hospital, Zahra closed her eyes and began to chant the prayers written in the Book of Guardians. Her hands glowed faintly as healing energy pulsed through her fingertips.

Arif's voice broke through the tension. "Zahra, the boy's aura… It's unstable."

Zahra's eyes snapped open. "We need to stabilize him. If the darkness spreads, it could infect others."

The boy's breathing grew shallow as the glow from his tattoos pulsed violently, threatening to burst.

Zahra placed her hands over the symbols, channeling every ounce of her power.

Suddenly, a scream tore through the night — the cry of a city under siege.