"The warning board stood silent under the fading sunlight—no one was allowed inside after sunset.
But they stepped in anyway."A cold wind rushed past them as they stepped inside, as if the fort itself had noticed their presence.
Dhruthi shivered. "Did you feel that?"
Chaya didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were fixed ahead—on the broken archway, where shadows seemed to move even though nothing was there.
"It's just the wind," Chaya said finally, but her voice wasn't as confident as before.
The sun was sinking fast, painting the ruins in a dull orange glow. The silence felt… wrong. No birds. No insects. Nothing.
Dhruthi glanced back at the gate.
For a second, she thought about leaving.
Then—
A faint whisper echoed from deeper inside the fort.
"…come…"
Both of them froze.