You can bury the darkness, you can lock it away... but one day, it will return to claim what is rightfully its own."

A full moon casts an eerie glow over the village temple, its stone pillars bathed in an unnatural stillness. The village elders gather in secrecy, their faces etched with fear and urgency. The ancient priestess, her once-commanding presence now frail yet formidable, leans forward, her blind eyes fixed on the trembling flame before her.

"This boy is not ill," she rasps. "He is a vessel. And if we do not act now, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Murmurs ripple through the room. The decision is made. A forbidden ritual—one not performed in centuries—must be invoked.

The Ritual Begins:

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Inside a hidden chamber beneath the temple, Arjun's unconscious body is placed in the center of a sacred mandala, drawn with turmeric, ash, and blood. The elders chant incantations older than memory itself, their voices rising and falling in a haunting rhythm. A bowl of oil ignites on its own, sending shadows dancing across the walls.

As the priestess places a trembling hand on Arjun's forehead, he convulses violently. A deep, guttural growl escapes his lips—a sound too ancient, too inhuman to belong to a child. The air thickens, as if something unseen is resisting, fighting.

With a final, desperate mantra, the entity is sealed. The temple trembles, the candle flames flicker... and then, silence.

The Morning After:

Arjun wakes, his head pounding, memories foggy. His mother smiles weakly, hiding her terror. His father tells him it was nothing—just a seizure. He believes them.

But in the depths of his soul, something lingers. Something waits.

Did the ritual truly seal the entity... or did it merely give it time to grow stronger?