HELLMARK Chapter-6 The Gatekeeper’s Arrival

 Chapter 6 – The Gatekeeper’s Arrival

The night was unnaturally still.

Riven aur Arin dono us Book of Abyss ke saamne baithe the — candle ki flame halki si hil rahi thi, aur har shadow unhe ghur rahi thi jaise jeevit ho.

Page पलटते waqt ek word Riven ke nazar me aaya —

“Gatekeeper.”

Jaise hi usne ye word padha, hawa ekdum se heavy ho gayi. Room me temperature gir gaya, aur ek low humming sunai di — jaise koi dil ke andar se dhadak raha ho.

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CRACK.

Room ki wall me ek thin fracture bana.

Arin ne shock me peeche hatt kar kaha,

“Riven, deewar... hil rahi hai!”

Woh crack dheere-dheere ek symbol me badal gaya — ek glowing, pulsing sign… Abyss Mark.

Uske edges se black smoke nikalne laga, aur ek deep red glow room me chha gaya.

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Arin ki awaaz hil rahi thi:

“Yeh... kya hai yeh sab?”

Riven ne dheere se kaha,

“Lagta hai... gate khul raha hai.”

Aur phir woh hua —

Wall beech se phat gayi, jaise koi cheez andar se dhakka de rahi ho.

Ek black portal open hua, uske andar itna gehra andhera tha ke lagta tha koi shunya zinda ho gaya ho.

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Ek second ke liye silence.

Aur phir... do red eyes us darkness me chamki.

Ek hulking figure dheere se bahar aane laga — body aadhi insaan, aadhi shadow, claws lambi aur teeth jagmag karte hue.

Uski breathing se hawa heavy hone lagi.

Arin ne scream kiya:

“Riven! Bhag yahan se! Ye demon hai!”

Par Riven… wahi khada tha.

Cold. Calm. Silent.

Usne bas itna kaha,

“Ye iss gate ka protector hai. Jab tak hum gate ki taraf nahi jayenge, yeh kuch nahi karega.”

Arin cheekha,

“Tu itna calm kaise reh sakta hai? Riven, ye maut hai samne!”

Riven ne us demon ki aankhon me dekha aur bola,

“Kyuki yeh mujhe dushman nahi... koi apna lagta hai.”

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Arin ne book uthayi —

"Bas! Yeh sab pagalpan hai! Yeh kitab teri akal kharab kar rahi hai. Mujhe de! Main isse gate me fenk dunga, kissa khatam!"

Riven ne uski taraf dekha, awaaz thandi thi par uske words me kuch tha jo hawa rok gaya:

“Shant ho ja. Gate is closing.”

Room ekdum freeze ho gaya.

Clock ki ticking band, candle flame still.

Wall pe Abyss Mark dhadakne laga — dhad, dhad, dhad.

Black smoke andar ke taraf kheenchne laga, aur portal shrink hone laga.

Arin ka haath hil gaya —

Book ab uske haath me heavy lagne lagi, jaise koi invisible pull ho.

Riven ne uska haath pakda, dono ne ek saath book hold ki, aur tabhi ek flash hua.

Book ke cover se red light nikli aur Riven ke haath pe symbol jal gaya —

Abyss Mark, ab poori tarah se uske skin me samag gaya.

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Riven ne chillate hue apna sir pakda.

Uske dimag me tasveerein ubharne lagi — laal aasman, bikhri duniya, shadow creatures chal rahe the.

Ek awaaz uske dimaag me goonji,

"You belong to the shadows."

Uske hoth khule aur usne dheere se kaha,

"Main... ek Shadow Reaper hoon..."

Uski dhadkane control se bahar gayi, aur ek sharp scream ke saath — wo behosh ho gaya.

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Next Morning.

Riven hospital ke ek white room me aankh kholta hai.

Light chamak rahi thi, par usse lag raha tha jaise andhera hi uska ghar hai.

Usne apna haath uthaya — Abyss Mark ab bhi wahan tha, blue glow ke saath dhadak raha tha.

Uske andar ek ajnabi energy move kar rahi thi.

Ek raw, untamed power.

Darwaza khula — Arin andar aaya, aankhon me darr aur dosti dono.

"Riven… tu theek hai na?"

Riven ne uski taraf dekha.

Kuch seconds tak chup raha, phir uske hoth dheere se hile —

uski awaaz calm, lekin uske tone me ek darkness thi.

“Game start karte hain… Kael Veyron.”