The Truth of Darkness

On a silent night, Anamika was walking alone on a deserted road. Darkness surrounded her, with only a pale-yellow bulb flickering on an electric pole. The echo of her footsteps grew louder, and her heart filled with an unknown fear… as if someone was following her.

Suddenly, a voice called from behind:

“Stop!”

Anamika froze. She turned and saw a man dressed in black, his eyes gleaming strangely. Terrified, she ran as fast as she could.

The road ended, and an old appeared before her. Without thinking, she pushed the door open and rushed inside.

The was dark. Cobwebs clung to the walls, the windows were broken, and the air smelled damp.

The man entered after her.

“Why are you running?” his deep voice echoed.

Anamika screamed,

“Leave me! I don’t even know you…”

The man slowly stepped closer, then stopped. Suddenly, tears filled his eyes. With a trembling voice, he asked,

“Do you really not recognize me?”

Anamika stared in shock.

“Who are you?”

The man whispered,

“I am Amitabh… your brother.”

Anamika’s world shattered. Seven years ago, Amitabh had been believed dead in an accident.

She stammered,

“How is this possible?”

Tears streamed down Amitabh’s face.

“The accident was a lie, Anamika. I was forced into the Dark Syndicate. For years, I fought to escape… and today, I am finally free. I only wanted to see you again, but instead, I ended up frightening you.”

Anamika’s eyes filled with tears. She ran to him and embraced him tightly. The ’s darkness no longer seemed so terrifying.

But then… the door slammed shut on its own.

The walls of the began to tremble. Anamika and Amitabh looked around, but no one was there. Suddenly, an old picture on the wall shifted, revealing a hidden doorway.

Cautiously, they stepped inside. The room was filled with strange machines glowing red. At the center, on a tall chair, sat a masked man.

He spoke:

“At last, you both have arrived. Seven years of preparation has not gone to waste.”

Anamika’s voice trembled.

“Who are you? Why have you brought us here?”

The masked man laughed and slowly removed his mask.

Anamika gasped.

It was their father.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Papa…? You left us. How could you…?”

His eyes were cold and emotionless.

“Yes, Anamika. That accident was a lie too. The truth is, I was the one who pushed Amitabh into the Dark Syndicate. My mission is to control human emotions. And both of you are the most important part of this experiment.”

Amitabh shouted angrily,

“You cannot be our father!”

But their father smiled.

“I am. But I am no longer just your father. I am your creator. I designed you both—your fears, your strengths—everything was shaped by me.”

Anamika and Amitabh exchanged a horrified look.

The family they had longed to find was standing before them as their greatest enemy.

The machines roared louder. Their father raised his hand.

“The game begins now. Either you join my army, or you vanish into this darkness forever.”

Anamika took a deep breath and held Amitabh’s hand.

Her eyes no longer showed fear, only determination.

She said firmly,

“If darkness created us, then we will be the ones to destroy it.”

The machines shook violently, red light flooding the room.

Their father raised his hand again.

“You are part of my experiment. The power in your veins was created by me. Whether you like it or not, you belong to me.”

Amitabh roared,

“We are not pawns. We are human beings!”

He rushed forward, grabbed a rod from one of the machines, and broke it. Sparks burst out.

Anamika noticed strange markings on the walls—symbols like spells.

She whispered,

“Amitabh, these are not just machines. They run on our memories. Papa is imprisoning our souls.”

Their father smirked.

“Correct. Every fear, every tear, every hope—you owe them to me. You think you are free? No. Your entire life has been written by me.”

Tears welled up in Anamika’s eyes.

“So, we were never truly free?”

He stepped closer.

“You have only two choices—join me, or be destroyed.”

Amitabh looked at Anamika and said firmly,

“No, sister. There is a third choice.”

He grasped her hand. Together, they closed their eyes. Suddenly, blue light radiated from their bodies. The machines shook violently.

Their father gasped.

“How is this possible?!”

Anamika opened her eyes, her voice echoing,

“Because you forgot something. You may have created us, but you could never create the love between us. That love is stronger than your darkness.”

The blue light spread through the room. The symbols shattered. The machines burned to ashes.

Their father screamed as the darkness seemed to pull him back.

“This game is not over yet…!” he howled, before the shadows swallowed his voice.

Silence fell. For a long moment there was nothing but the soft crackle of cooling metal. Anamika and Amitabh collapsed to the floor, exhausted; dust settled on their clothes and on the ruined machines. Peace touched their faces, but it was fragile — like frost at dawn.

Anamika closed her eyes for a second, then whispered,

“Even if someone else wrote our lives, the pen is in our hands now.”

Amitabh managed a tired smile and nodded.

Then the floor trembled. A low, distant hum rose from the depths of the mansion— not the dying noise of broken machines, but something older, colder. The broken windows rattled. Candles guttered and the shadows lengthened.

From a dark corridor at the far end of the hall, a hidden door creaked open. A thin, crimson light spilled out and pooled on the floor, as if inviting them forward. The hum grew louder, like voices gathering from far away.

Papa stood, wiping dust from his sleeve. He looked at Anamika and Amitabh, his face set and unreadable.

“We have only just scratched the surface,” he said quietly. “Whatever this place holds... it is not finished with us.”

They exchanged a look — fear, resolve, and an unshakable bond. Together, they rose and took a step toward the light.

At the threshold, Anamika felt, for the first time, that the night held more than an end; it held a beginning.