From the survivor to the vanisher

The man led them to his modest home on the edge of the village. The air grew heavier as they approached, and Aditya felt a familiar sense of unease settling over him. The house was small and unassuming, but as they stepped inside, the temperature seemed to drop.

The child was in her room, sitting cross-legged on the floor. She couldn't have been older than seven, with large, dark eyes that seemed far too old for her face. She was muttering under her breath, her voice low and guttural, speaking a language Aditya didn't recognize.

"Stay back," Druva warned Aditya as he stepped closer to the child.

The girl looked up, her eyes locking onto Druva. For a moment, her lips twisted into a cruel smile, and a voice that was not her own echoed through the room. "You meddled where you shouldn't have, Alchemist."

Aditya's blood ran cold. The voice was deep and distorted, nothing like a child's.

Druva remained calm, his expression unreadable. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady.

The girl laughed, a chilling sound that sent shivers down Aditya's spine. "You know who I am. You've danced on the edge of my domain for far too long."

Druva's jaw tightened. He reached into his bag and pulled out a talisman, its surface etched with intricate symbols. He held it up, and the room seemed to vibrate with energy.

The girl recoiled, her smile fading. "You think that will stop me?" she hissed.

"It's not meant to stop you," Druva said. "It's meant to reveal you."

He pressed the talisman to the girl's forehead, and she screamed—a sound so piercing that Aditya had to cover his ears. A dark, shadowy figure emerged from the child, its form shifting and writhing like smoke.

Druva didn't hesitate. He began chanting in that same strange language Aditya had heard in the forest. The shadow writhed, its form distorting as Druva's words grew louder and more forceful.

Finally, with a deafening roar, the shadow dissipated, leaving the girl slumped on the floor. The air in the room grew lighter, and the oppressive energy that had filled the space was gone.

The girl's father rushed to her side, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.

Druva turned to Aditya. "This is only the beginning," he said quietly. "The darkness is testing us."

The events with the possessed child left Aditya shaken, but Druva seemed unaffected. He returned to his work as if nothing had happened, leaving Aditya to grapple with the implications of what they had faced.