The air grew colder as Lydia's figure stood in the mirror. Her eyes, empty and void of hope, stared straight at the girls, piercing through their very souls.
"Aap… kisne mujhe yaad kiya?" Lydia's voice was faint, but it echoed in their minds.
They all stepped back, their hearts racing. The room, already shrouded in shadows, felt like it was closing in on them. The walls seemed to pulse with an ominous energy, and the air was thick with the scent of burning wood.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" Akshara whispered, her voice trembling. "Kya yeh humare saath ho raha hai ya phir hum sapne dekh rahe hain?"
Prajwal's mind raced. "This isn't just a curse. Lydia… she's tied to this place. Her anger is alive."
Swara closed her eyes, focusing. "Humne jo bhi padha… Lydia ki rooh abhi tak free nahi hui. Woh chah rahi thi ki koi uski baat sunne, samjhe."
Lydia's form flickered for a moment, and she slowly began to approach them. The girls froze in place, their breaths shallow. The mirror crackled again, and the flames of an old fire began to form in the glass. The image of Lydia was now joined by visions of the past.
A grand ballroom, a wedding, a celebration. Lydia, standing in a white gown, her face radiant, but there was something in her eyes—something dark. A man, tall and handsome, stood by her side.
Then, the flames.
Suddenly, the vision shifted. A shadowy figure moved through the ballroom, a candle in hand. It tipped over, and the room erupted into flames. Lydia screamed, but the fire consumed everything—her life, her love, her joy, all reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds.
"Yeh sab Lydia ne dekha tha… yeh sab uski zindagi ka hissa tha," Khushi murmured. "Aur usne yeh gussa apne saath liya. Yeh hotel… uska shikar ban gaya."
As the vision dissipated, Lydia's presence intensified, filling the room with a burning heat that made their skin prickle.
"Lydia… tum khud ko maaf karo," Prajwal spoke softly, stepping forward. "Tumhara dard samajh sakte hain, par humein yeh jagah chodna hoga. Tumhein bhi shanti chahiye, nahi?"
Lydia's expression softened for a split second. Her ghostly figure flickered.
"Shanti…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Shanti… milegi."
The mirror began to glow, the flames flickering in the reflection. But something was different this time—the flames were no longer consuming the room. They were being controlled, almost like a force of nature, but gentle, like a cleansing fire.
But just as the atmosphere started to settle, the ground shook beneath them.
"Kya yeh kuch aur hone wala hai?" Anushka shouted as the walls began to crack, a deep rumbling noise filling the room.
The fire in the mirror grew stronger, and the girls realized that Lydia wasn't just a restless spirit—she was connected to the hotel itself. The curse was alive, and it was feeding off their fear.
"Humme yeh sab rukna hoga," Srushti said, grabbing Prajwal's arm. "Hum sabko yeh jagah chhodni hogi, warna Lydia ka gussa humein bhi le lega."
But as they turned to leave, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang. The windows were sealed, and the room plunged into darkness.
Then, in the distance, they heard the soft sound of footsteps.
"Lydia…" Prajwal whispered. "Tu chahti hai hum sab tere saath rukein, samjhein teri kahani."
Suddenly, a figure appeared from the shadows—a figure that looked just like Lydia, but different, more menacing. She stepped forward, and the flames in the mirror grew larger.
"Tum sab… mujhe hamesha bhool jaati ho. Tum sab mujhe samajh nahi paayi ho," Lydia's voice echoed. "Par tumhari madad se, shayad main apna badla le sakoon."
The fire began to spread around them. It wasn't just a ghost. It wasn't just a curse. Lydia was becoming something else, something more powerful, and the hotel was her vessel.
"Nahi… hum tumhe jaanenge, Lydia," Prajwal said, determination in her voice. "Hum tere dard ko samajhkar tujhe shanti denge."
But Lydia just laughed, her voice distorted with pain and rage.
"Agar tum mere saath nahi chale, toh tumhare paas bhi koi shaanti nahi rahegi," she warned.
The ground shook harder. The lights flickered and went out. They were surrounded by darkness, the only source of light now coming from the raging flames in the mirror.
"Yeh ek aakhri koshish hai, humare liye aur Lydia ke liye," Prajwal said. "Humein yeh hotel se bach ke nikalna hoga."
The flames rose higher, almost like they were reaching for them, pulling them closer to Lydia's wrath.
The mirror's reflection shifted again.
This time, it was clear.
"Ye jagah kabhi nahi ruki. Toh tum log bhi yahan se kabhi nahi jaa paoge," Lydia's voice now boomed, her face twisted with anger.
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