The crack across the stone door spread like lightning.
Red light poured through it, filling the chamber with a deep, burning glow. The air became hot. Hard to breathe.
Arjun shielded his eyes.
The guardian stood firm in front of the door, its massive body blocking the growing fracture.
"Choose," the voice repeated inside Arjun's mind.
The key in his hand felt alive now—vibrating, pulling him toward the door.
"What am I choosing?" Arjun shouted.
The guardian answered:
"To seal it… or to free it."
Another explosion of red light burst from the door. A piece of stone broke off and crashed to the ground.
Through the opening, Arjun saw movement.
Something shifting.
Something enormous.
A deep laugh echoed from behind the door—low, ancient, and cruel.
The ground shook violently.
Arjun's heart raced. He was just a village boy. Not a warrior. Not a hero.
But if the guardian was right…
If the door broke, the hills would fall.
His village would fall.
His family.
Everything.
The key burned hotter.
Without thinking further, Arjun ran forward.
The guardian stepped aside just enough.
Arjun placed the key into a small hollow at the center of the glowing eye symbol.
It fit perfectly.
The moment it turned—
A shockwave blasted through the chamber.
The red light clashed with a sudden burst of blue energy from the key.
The door trembled violently.
Behind it, the shadowed figure roared in anger.
The sound was not human.
It was ancient rage.
Cracks spread across the chamber walls. Stones fell. Dust filled the air.
Arjun held the key tightly as blue light spread across the door like chains made of energy.
The guardian raised both arms and pressed its stone hands against the door.
"Hold!" the voice commanded.
The red light pushed back harder.
For a second, the blue chains began to break.
The roar from behind the door grew louder.
Closer.
Arjun screamed as the heat burned his hand, but he did not let go.
"I won't let you out!" he shouted.
With one final pulse of energy—
The blue light exploded outward.
The chamber went silent.
The red light disappeared.
The cracks on the door slowly sealed themselves.
The stone became solid again.
The shaking stopped.
Dust settled.
Arjun fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
The key had turned cold.
The guardian stepped back from the door.
The golden glow in its eyes softened.
"The Seal holds."
Arjun looked up weakly. "Is it over?"
The guardian did not answer immediately.
Instead, it looked at the door.
A faint red line still glowed at the center of the eye symbol.
Very faint.
But still there.
"For now."
The guardian turned toward Arjun.
"You are now bound to the Seal."
A strange mark appeared on Arjun's palm—the same eye symbol.
It glowed briefly… then faded into his skin.
"What does that mean?" Arjun whispered.
The guardian's body began to crack further, pieces falling like dry stone.
"When it rises again… you will return."
The golden lights in its eyes slowly dimmed.
Its body turned completely to stone.
Then—
It stopped moving.
Silent.
Still.
Like a statue.
Arjun was alone.
The stone steps leading upward had reopened.
Fresh air flowed down into the chamber.
He looked one last time at the sealed door.
Something was still behind it.
Waiting.
And somehow…
It knew his name.