Fannah let out a surprised breathe as he looked ahead of himself, his eyes going wide as he tried to comprehend if he was just seeing an illusion or not.
"Castle of forbidden souls, this place holds all the universes together, one wrong choice and the world will be in chaos, or maybe multiple universes". The divine being mumbled in his brain slowly as it noticed the expression of horror and amusement on its host's face upon seeing the enormous castle wrapped in a thick mist of gold.
The castle was made of gold bricks inlaid with countless inscriptions in a language lost in time and the universe, there were no windows or bars nor any creature nearby, just the giant walls that seemed infinitely long and wide, like there was no end to this misery, the monsters remained inside, clueless, sealed and forgotten with time.
And with them laid the foundation of peace for the universes of unknown, a cold sigh finally left Fannah's mouth as he realized the extent of power and chaos this place held, he took a deep breath and held the child's hand as if to make sure the curse had not eaten him and led the way to the palace of forbidden souls and hidden destructions.
"Pull him up in your arms". The divine being said, as they got closer to the unknown realm.
Fannah did as he was asked and put the child back near his heart, there was no beat to it right now, Fannah sighed in defeat and quickened his pace, his desire to get out of this hell called Al-Samash at its peak.
Ever step they took felt heavier than the last one, Fannah's heart also started beating abnormally, his eyes seemed to be blurry and see things strangely, turning every detail around him upside down, different colours weaving into one, like a child's imagination and a sting in his hand followed by red mark on his arm.
Fannah was so intrigued and confused at the same time that he continued Walking ahead without knowing what was going on, the colours turned one by one and a small light of black was swimming towards him, Fannah was about to take another step, when the divine being screamed.
"Fannah, sttooooppp", the strangling voice in his mind choked out, and he came crashing out of the colours and sparks, halting in front of the door of the castle, the atmosphere around him seemed to shift slightly.
And then he finally looked up at his left side, and he felt his stomach turn, his blurry eyes became clearer than ever and his legs fell soft, the child is his arms had covered his mouth with his two tiny hands as like Fannah his eyes pooled with tears of horror.
There, floated a monster's head thrice the size of Fannah, staring right into his eyes,like the final judgement day, ready to tear him off of the sea of Al-samash.
The Hell's destruction came closer to his face and started sniffing the air around him, Fannah's eyes went wide and his legs lost their strength, ready to get his soul vanished completely from the world, the tears he was holding back started falling one by one as the Hell's destruction sniffed the place near his feet, he was thinking of his mother and father back home, what would they do without him, he is their only child after all, what about his photo studio and his friends.
And most importantly what about Sufiyan, he is going too be locked there for the eternity, will he think Fannah never came for him?, will his parents be able to take the news of his death, who will take care of them?, he could not imagine anything right now.
The monster looked up from his feet and slowly started moving up to his face, Fannah tightly shut his eyes, ready to get his head eaten off at any moment, his body went completely cold and he felt suffocated, and he fisted his hands tightly ready to give up his life, but nothing happened, no pain, no darkness, nothing just a feeling of suffering, after a few minutes Fannah opened his eyes and looked up but this time there was no one.
"Fannah, walk fast", the divine being's voice startled Fannah out of his thoughts as he realised that the child and the divine being had been calling to him for some time now.
"Where is it?" Fannah asked as he ran towards the door of the castle.
"I told you hell's destruction can't see, just smell, right now the Mulkush inside you had concealed your scent so the monster could not detect you, you are too cowardly". The divine being complained but still didn't forget to warn Fannah again.
"You remember what I told you, inside the castle don't believe anything". The divine being said as Fannah finally reached inside the castle but his steps came halting abruptly, his mouth fell wide open as he looked around.
The castle had no guards or anything inside, but it seemed to be bigger than what they had seen outside, a humongous space that was covered with the barrier of lights between the monsters and them, Fannah looked around terrified as he asked.
"Where am I going to find Sufiyan in a few hours, it will atleast take us a few hundred thousand years to look through this place".
" You don't have to look through the whole castle, he is somewhere in this floor". The divine being said.
"Okay, let's go then". Fannah said as he put the child down and started walking to the corridor, where the cells of unknown were covered with the barrier.
The two walked in silence with their hands clasped together as they looked at the barriers, trying to decipher which one would be holding Sufiyan inside, after walking for a bit Fannah felt a longing in his heart, like someone was pulling him, he stood in front of the walk for a few seconds and finally announced.
"This one, sufiyan must be in there".
"You sure Fannah, you remember what I told you right?" The divine being asked.
"I know, but I can feel it, it's not an illusion". Fannah said determined as he put his hand on the barrier and the divine being started chanting some lines, after a few seconds, the barrier opened andthe two stepped into the room, it was dark and cold, like it was freezing, Fannah left the child at the door and stepped further inside the room, with divine being talking gibberish in his brain until they were in the middle of the room, as soon as Fannah's eyes lay on the thing inside, cold sweat broke out in his body and his mouth betrayed him, letting out a yelp.
Fannah turned around and broke into a run, but before he could get to the door, the creature had woken up and spiralled itself around the room.
"Fannah stop running, it can see you", the divine being screamed in his brain but Fannah did not stop, he took the child back in his arms but the door had been completely blocked.
He stood by the door as the creature slowly made its way to him.
"You said it's blind then how is it going to see us?" Fannah asked completely baffled.
"The one outside is different from the one inside, this one can see and smell both, you unlucky bastard". The divine being cursed, sure of its death in the mouth of the Hell's destruction.
The creature floated around Fannah sniffing and looking at every nook and cranny of his body, at last it came down to his feet and started sniffing his legs and Fannah felt a drop of something mushy fall on his entire foot.
The Hell's destruction stayed like that for a few minutes, making Fannah breathless and slowly unswirled it's body around the room and went back to the cold and freezing side of the room and curled itself once again to sleep,the door opened once again and Fannah stepped out of the room.
The corridor was changed right now, there were no more rooms, only a wall ahead, at this time the divine being spoke up.
"Fannah, you are destinied to burn in hell". The divine being said, making Fannah stop in his tracks.
"What do you mean?" He asked back.
"Stop pretending, I know who you are, Fannah, you have been lying". The divine being spoke again, hauntigly as if It knew his darkest thoughts.
"I asked, what do you mean?", Fannah screamed but the divine being just laughed quietly.
Fannah, look you are turning into yourself, look in that mirror". The divine being said, making Fannah look up at the ceiling, where a mirror reflected him perfectly.
"Fannah, look carefully, look at the monster that you are, they decieved you, made you their dog" The divine being whispered, as Fannah looked at his own face in the mirror, a monster peaked back at him, its scaled face laughing hysterically as the black thrones adorning his eyes spiked out, Fannah clutched his heart, his vision turned back as something slowly crept up his leg.
"This is me, I...." Fannah mumbled as he kept looking at the monster in the mirror.
"That's right, you don't have any remorse for Sufiyan, you are happy he is dead, you are going back to hell, back to us" this time the creature in the mirror spoke up.
The thing locked around his ankle, the Fannah in the mirror reached out, his hands full of ashes as he opened his mouth full of blood.
"You were born of ashes and hatred Fannah, you are not meant to love, come with me, back to the depths of hell". The mirror Fannah continued as his hands reached the one below him.
Fannah looked the creature in the eye and slowly raised his hand towards the creature in the mirror wanting to hold its hand.
Their fingers touched and Fannah felt small stabs all over his hand.
"You like pain, you always have, come on". The creature said and Fannah just nodded, ready to go.
The mirror Fannah came closer and was about to hold his hand completely when an agonizing voice blasted in his mind, like a whip and tried to drag him back.
"Fannah you stupid idiot, this is an illusion". The divine being screamed, and Fannah blinked, his arms trembled a bit, but the creature in the mirror came closer.
"They don't understand you, only I do, Fannah come with me, I know who you are, after all I am you", the creature said.
"You like pain, okay". The divine being snarled and a sudden force clamped around Fannah's brain, like claws made of fire dragging him backwards, but the creature in the mirror didn't stop.
"Come on", the creature said.
"Fannah, snap out of it, Sufiyan is waiting for us". the divine being screamed again and Fannah fell backwards, as a tear slipped out of his eyes, but the divine being didn't let go, still clawing on his brain and he struck his mind again
"You need to see Sufiyan again he is waiting for you". The divine being said and Fannah's eyes flew open, the mirror shattered into pieces and they were back to the corridor, Fannah collapsed down completely on the floor.
No one said anything for a few minutes as the tears fell from his eyes, and his hands were shivering, the child quietly stood in front of him and wiped his tears with his small hands.
"It's okay", the child said, making Fannah come out of his misery.
"I am okay, let's go". Fannah said and got up again, his feet were still lifeless, but he could not do anything, he had to brace himself and start walking again.
"Fannah stop, I think it's dangerous for you to walk like that, you might fall into another illusion, after all this place is full of them". The divine being said.
"Than, what do you want me to do?". Fannah asked.
"Make you go blind and deaf for the time being". The divine being suggested.
"How would I know where sufiyan is than?" Fannah asked.
"I will guide on the path, and you don't need your eyes to know where Sufiyan is, so trust me on this, it saves us a lot of time and trouble". The divine being answered.
"Okay". Fannah said and in an instant, he could feel his vision darken and and after a few minutes, he was completely deaf and blind, like he had never had those senses to begin with.
"Okay now, start walking straight until you feel like you have reached Sufiyan, we are running out of time". The divine being said as it narrowed the path so that Fannah does not walk into the pillars of lights.
There was complete silence as Fannah and the kid walked hand in hand, the darkness around him seemed to be never ending but Fannah did not have much of a problem, only the fear that he would not be able to see the colours again, but if seeing colours meant what he had witnessed earlier, he would rather be blind.
The darkness seemed to calm him and stop his anxiety slowly, but the path seemed to be never ending, they had been walking from a long time, so long that the kid got tired and he had to pick him up again, and that was long ago too, because now even Fannah was tired, his legs became shaky again and he asked the divine being in a low voice.
"We have walked half the Kashmir, when are we going to reach the end of this". He said as he felt the kid in his arms had fallen asleep.
"You have to walk until you feel you have reached Sufiyan".we have not even crossed 1/10 of this floor"
"Okay". Fannah replied and started walking again, after a long time, he stopped in front of a cell.
"Are you sure?", the divine being asked.
"Yes". Fannah out his hand on the barrier and after a few minutes it opened, allowing them to step inside.
As soon as they went inside the room, the divine being let Fannah see and hear once again.
The room was warmer then the earlier one and there seemed to be some light, Fannah stepped inside to see what was in there and as soon as he walked in he started crying again.
"You foolish bastard, why are you so unlucky, run", the divine being screamed but before they could run out the door shut close.
"We are doomed". Fannah cried.