The Forbidden Zone
As night falls, Aryan's curiosity grows. Despite the warnings, he visits the banyan tree. As he approaches, an uneasy sensation fills him - his heartbeat quickens, and the air feels unnaturally cold. The tree seems to grow larger in the moonlight, its gnarled branches twisting in strange directions. Aryan notices an old stone near thebase of the tree, covered in ancient symbols. He kneels to examine them when suddenly, a low whisper rises from the ground. "Leave this place… or be claimed." The voice is like a gust of wind, soft but sharp, like a command. Aryan stands up quickly, feeling an overwhelming urge to run, but he fights it. Something pulls him closer to the tree. He touches the bark, and the worldaround him shifts - a cold, sharp image of Chandrika's final moments flashes in his mind. The pain, the fear, the betrayal. He feels her anger burning inside him, and for a moment, it feels like his own soul is trapped in the tree.