As they stepped through the three massive trees marking the entrance, the path ahead was thin, winding deeper into the ancient forest. Towering trees loomed over them, their massive trunks covered in moss, their branches twisting in eerie shapes under the dim moonlight. But the thrill of adventure overpowered any fear—they had come too far to turn back now.
For two hours, they followed the path, pushing through thick undergrowth, stepping over roots that snaked across the forest floor like veins of the earth itself. The air grew colder, heavier. The only sounds were their own footsteps and the occasional rustle in the darkness.
Then, suddenly… the path was gone.
They stopped in their tracks. Around them, only massive trees stood, their shadows stretching endlessly in every direction. There was no temple. No further trail. And when they turned to retrace their steps—
The road they had come from had disappeared.
A cold realization settled over them. The stories were true. The forest didn’t just hide the temple—it *trapped* those who sought it.
*Blame and Desperation*
*"This is your fault!"* Sunil snapped, turning to Darik. *"You’re the one who insisted we come here!"*
Darik threw up his hands. *"Oh, so now it’s my fault? Who showed us that book, huh? If Nobin hadn’t brought it, we wouldn’t even know about this stupid temple!"*
Nobin glared at both of them. *"Really? If Sunil had actually warned us the moment things felt risky, we wouldn’t be stuck here in the first place!"*
The argument flared, voices rising in frustration. But no matter how much they blamed each other, it didn’t change the fact—they were lost.
Darik was the first to take a deep breath and calm down. *"Look, fighting isn’t going to get us out of here. We need to focus. We can’t keep walking blindly at night. It’s too dangerous. We should rest and figure things out in the morning."*
Sunil exhaled sharply, forcing himself to nod. *"Fine. But we can’t all sleep. One of us has to stay awake in case of… well, anything."*
*"I’ll do it,"* Darik offered.
Nobin shook his head. *"No, we take turns. Two sleep while one stays up. We’ll rotate every two hours."*
They agreed, setting up a small camp under the thick canopy, the forest pressing in around them like a silent, watchful presence.
*A Desperate Search*
Back at the base camp, Sunil’s father stirred from his sleep, stretching as he stepped out of his tent. The fire had dimmed to glowing embers. He glanced around, expecting to see the boys somewhere nearby.
But they weren’t there.
Frowning, he called out. *"Sunil? Darik? Nobin?"*
Silence.
He tried again, louder this time. Still no answer. His stomach twisted with unease. He searched the nearby area, checking behind the tents, looking toward the trees. Nothing.
Then, he noticed something—their bags were missing.
Panic surged through him. His breath quickened. He didn’t need to think twice—he knew exactly where they had gone.
*"No… they wouldn’t,"* he muttered. But deep down, he knew they would.
They had gone after the temple.
Without wasting another second, he grabbed a flashlight and ran into the forest. His only thought was reaching to the base camp for seeking help before it was too late.
The jungle was unforgiving. He stumbled over roots, tripped on rocks, crashed into branches. Thorns tore at his clothes, his skin. The darkness felt endless, the trees stretching taller, closing in around him. His lungs burned, his legs screamed for rest, but he didn’t stop.
By the time he reached the base camp where they had first arrived—hours before dawn—he was barely standing.
*"Help… someone help!"* he shouted, his voice breaking from exhaustion.
The tourists and local guides jolted awake, rushing toward him. He staggered a few more steps before collapsing to the ground.
The crowd gathered around him in shock. Some tried to wake him, while others murmured among themselves.
*"What happened to him?"*
*"Why was he running from that forest?"*
*"No one goes that deep in… what was he thinking?"*
Among them, the old guide—the same man who had warned them—stood silently, watching the unconscious man on the ground.
Slowly, he shook his head.
*"I warned them,"* he murmured to himself. *"But they didn’t listen. Now… they must face whatever awaits them."*
As the villagers carried Sunil’s father to the hospital, an unsettling question hung in the air—
What had really happened to the boys?
And what *would* happen to them now?
*To be continued*
Next to come... ... 18. Into The Depths of The Unknown 19. The Forbidden Discovery 20. The Descent into the Unknown 21. The Point of No Return 22. A Dangerous Decision 23. Back at the Village 24. Lost in the Temple’s Maze 25. The Wait at the Old Man’s House 26. A New Lead - The Prince's Connection 27. The New Lead - Parimita 28. Waiting for the Prince 29. The Morning Breakthrough 30. The Discovery 31. The Prince Arrives : Decoding the Blueprint 32. The Journey Begins : Into the Jungle 33. The Hidden Temple : A Fateful Arrival 34. ...
Shivai Miraculous
*Lost in the Depths*
The excitement of discovery had blinded them.
As they stepped through the three massive trees marking the entrance, the path ahead was thin, winding deeper into the ancient forest. Towering trees loomed over them, their massive trunks covered in moss, their branches twisting in eerie shapes under the dim moonlight. But the thrill of adventure overpowered any fear—they had come too far to turn back now.
For two hours, they followed the path, pushing through thick undergrowth, stepping over roots that snaked across the forest floor like veins of the earth itself. The air grew colder, heavier. The only sounds were their own footsteps and the occasional rustle in the darkness.
Then, suddenly… the path was gone.
They stopped in their tracks. Around them, only massive trees stood, their shadows stretching endlessly in every direction. There was no temple. No further trail. And when they turned to retrace their steps—
The road they had come from had disappeared.
A cold realization settled over them. The stories were true. The forest didn’t just hide the temple—it *trapped* those who sought it.
*Blame and Desperation*
*"This is your fault!"* Sunil snapped, turning to Darik. *"You’re the one who insisted we come here!"*
Darik threw up his hands. *"Oh, so now it’s my fault? Who showed us that book, huh? If Nobin hadn’t brought it, we wouldn’t even know about this stupid temple!"*
Nobin glared at both of them. *"Really? If Sunil had actually warned us the moment things felt risky, we wouldn’t be stuck here in the first place!"*
The argument flared, voices rising in frustration. But no matter how much they blamed each other, it didn’t change the fact—they were lost.
Darik was the first to take a deep breath and calm down. *"Look, fighting isn’t going to get us out of here. We need to focus. We can’t keep walking blindly at night. It’s too dangerous. We should rest and figure things out in the morning."*
Sunil exhaled sharply, forcing himself to nod. *"Fine. But we can’t all sleep. One of us has to stay awake in case of… well, anything."*
*"I’ll do it,"* Darik offered.
Nobin shook his head. *"No, we take turns. Two sleep while one stays up. We’ll rotate every two hours."*
They agreed, setting up a small camp under the thick canopy, the forest pressing in around them like a silent, watchful presence.
*A Desperate Search*
Back at the base camp, Sunil’s father stirred from his sleep, stretching as he stepped out of his tent. The fire had dimmed to glowing embers. He glanced around, expecting to see the boys somewhere nearby.
But they weren’t there.
Frowning, he called out. *"Sunil? Darik? Nobin?"*
Silence.
He tried again, louder this time. Still no answer. His stomach twisted with unease. He searched the nearby area, checking behind the tents, looking toward the trees. Nothing.
Then, he noticed something—their bags were missing.
Panic surged through him. His breath quickened. He didn’t need to think twice—he knew exactly where they had gone.
*"No… they wouldn’t,"* he muttered. But deep down, he knew they would.
They had gone after the temple.
Without wasting another second, he grabbed a flashlight and ran into the forest. His only thought was reaching to the base camp for seeking help before it was too late.
The jungle was unforgiving. He stumbled over roots, tripped on rocks, crashed into branches. Thorns tore at his clothes, his skin. The darkness felt endless, the trees stretching taller, closing in around him. His lungs burned, his legs screamed for rest, but he didn’t stop.
By the time he reached the base camp where they had first arrived—hours before dawn—he was barely standing.
*"Help… someone help!"* he shouted, his voice breaking from exhaustion.
The tourists and local guides jolted awake, rushing toward him. He staggered a few more steps before collapsing to the ground.
The crowd gathered around him in shock. Some tried to wake him, while others murmured among themselves.
*"What happened to him?"*
*"Why was he running from that forest?"*
*"No one goes that deep in… what was he thinking?"*
Among them, the old guide—the same man who had warned them—stood silently, watching the unconscious man on the ground.
Slowly, he shook his head.
*"I warned them,"* he murmured to himself. *"But they didn’t listen. Now… they must face whatever awaits them."*
As the villagers carried Sunil’s father to the hospital, an unsettling question hung in the air—
What had really happened to the boys?
And what *would* happen to them now?
*To be continued*
Next to come...
...
18. Into The Depths of The Unknown
19. The Forbidden Discovery
20. The Descent into the Unknown
21. The Point of No Return
22. A Dangerous Decision
23. Back at the Village
24. Lost in the Temple’s Maze
25. The Wait at the Old Man’s House
26. A New Lead - The Prince's Connection
27. The New Lead - Parimita
28. Waiting for the Prince
29. The Morning Breakthrough
30. The Discovery
31. The Prince Arrives : Decoding the Blueprint
32. The Journey Begins : Into the Jungle
33. The Hidden Temple : A Fateful Arrival
34. ...
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9