THUMP.
Aanya couldn’t move.
The sound echoed through the underground chamber.
Once.
Then again.
THUMP.
Aarav looked at her.
“That isn’t the Heart.”
“I know.”
The old woman remained completely still.
Aanya turned toward her.
“You knew this would happen.”
The woman didn’t deny it.
“Yes.”
“Then tell us what it is.”
The woman looked at Aarav’s glowing wrist.
“The second Heart.”
Aanya’s expression changed.
“Second?”
“The Heart beneath Ravenhall was only one part of the original system.”
Aarav stared at the symbol on his wrist.
“Then what is this?”
The woman answered:
“A key.”
Aanya stepped closer.
“A key to what?”
The woman looked toward the darkness behind the three doors.
“To the place where Nightfall began.”
Aarav shook his head.
“You said Nightfall started here.”
“I said the experiment happened here.”
She paused.
“The beginning was somewhere else.”
Aanya’s eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
The woman pointed upward.
“Ravenhall.”
Aanya frowned.
“We’re already under Ravenhall.”
“Not this Ravenhall.”
The woman turned toward the wall.
“There was another one.”
The wall suddenly lit up.
A map appeared.
Aanya recognized the university immediately.
But it was different.
Older.
Much older.
The map showed Ravenhall as it had looked more than a century ago.
Then the image changed.
A second Ravenhall appeared beneath it.
Hidden underground.
Aanya whispered:
“There’s another university beneath this one.”
The woman nodded.
“The original Ravenhall.”
Aarav looked at the map.
“Then why was it hidden?”
“Because it wasn’t built for students.”
Aanya’s voice became quiet.
“What was it built for?”
The woman looked at her.
“Memory.”
The silver symbol on Aarav’s wrist suddenly became brighter.
He winced.
Aanya immediately reached for his arm.
“Aarav!”
“I’m okay.”
The glow spread slightly across his skin.
Aanya looked at the woman.
“Stop it.”
“I can’t.”
“Then tell us how.”
The woman shook her head.
“I don’t control it.”
“Then who does?”
The woman looked toward the ceiling.
“Nightfall.”
Aanya’s heart sank.
“But Nightfall is a project.”
“Not anymore.”
The woman stepped backward.
“After the Heart was destroyed, something had to survive.”
Aarav looked at her.
“You.”
The woman smiled sadly.
“No.”
She pointed at his wrist.
“That.”
The room suddenly shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The three doors slammed shut.
Aanya grabbed the folder.
“We need to leave.”
The woman nodded.
“Yes.”
Aarav looked at her.
“You’re coming with us?”
“No.”
“Why?”
The woman walked toward the wall.
“Because I can’t leave.”
Aanya frowned.
“What do you mean?”
The woman touched the Nightfall symbol.
“I’ve been here for twenty-three years.”
Aanya froze.
“Twenty-three?”
The woman smiled.
“Nightfall doesn’t let its creators leave.”
Aanya stared at her.
“Then how are we supposed to?”
The woman looked directly at her.
“You’re not its creators.”
She glanced at Aarav.
“You’re its subjects.”
The lights went out.
Aanya heard Aarav move beside her.
Then a whisper.
“Aanya.”
“I’m here.”
“Don’t move.”
“Why?”
“I can hear something.”
Aanya listened.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Coming from behind them.
Someone was walking through the darkness.
The woman whispered:
“Don’t let it see you.”
Aanya’s heart raced.
“What?”
“It isn’t human.”
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then—
a voice spoke.
“AARAV.”
Aanya froze.
The voice sounded exactly like her.
Aarav turned toward her.
“Did you say that?”
“No.”
The voice came again.
“AARAV, COME HERE.”
It was Aanya’s voice.
Perfectly.
Aarav took a step forward.
Aanya grabbed his arm.
“Don’t.”
The voice whispered:
“He belongs to Nightfall.”
Aanya looked at Aarav.
He looked terrified.
Then another voice spoke.
Aarav’s voice.
“AANYA, DON’T TRUST HER.”
Aanya turned toward the old woman.
The woman had gone pale.
“No…”
“What?”
She stared into the darkness.
“It’s awake.”
A silver light suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor.
A figure stood inside it.
Tall.
Motionless.
Its face was hidden.
Aanya couldn’t breathe.
Aarav stepped in front of her.
“Who are you?”
The figure didn’t answer.
Instead, it raised its hand.
A silver symbol appeared in the air.
The same symbol on Aarav’s wrist.
Then another symbol appeared.
On Aanya’s palm.
Aanya stared.
“When did that get there?”
The woman whispered:
“When the two of you entered the final room.”
Aanya looked at her.
“What does it mean?”
The woman answered:
“It means Nightfall has recognized you.”
Aarav’s voice was quiet.
“As what?”
The woman looked at both of them.
“Not subjects.”
Aanya’s stomach dropped.
“Then what?”
The figure finally spoke.
Its voice was neither male nor female.
It sounded like hundreds of voices at once.
“HEIRS.”
Aanya stared.
“Heirs to what?”
The figure disappeared.
The silver light vanished.
The corridor became silent.
Then the wall behind them opened.
Beyond it was a staircase leading downward.
Aanya looked at Aarav.
“How much farther can Ravenhall possibly go?”
Aarav gave a nervous laugh.
“Apparently, we haven’t found the bottom yet.”
Aanya looked at the staircase.
A small silver plaque was fixed beside it.
She stepped closer.
There were only four words written on it:
WELCOME TO ORIGINAL RAVENHALL.
Aanya took a breath.
Aarav stood beside her.
Neither of them knew what waited below.
But this time—
they weren’t going separately.
Aanya reached for his hand.
Aarav looked at her.
“Together?”
She smiled.
“Together.”
And they began walking down.
Behind them, the old woman watched silently.
Then she whispered to herself:
“Just like the first time.”