Nestled between the hills, a mysterious valley unveils itself, enveloped by dense and eerie forests. As they approach, the air becomes heavy with an otherworldly stillness accompanying the scenery, and fog hinders sight, and among the gnarled branches of ancient trees, they can see movements.
The final convoy marks the journey of a lifetime for many as they travel through this enigmatic landscape, navigating the twisting roads that cut through the heart of the valley. The towering redwood trees cast long shadows, and the forest floor is covered in an emerald-green carpet of moss. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth, adding another layer of mystique to the surroundings.
The people inside the bus are mesmerized by the mystique, are lost in their own thoughts. No one is interacting with anyone; the once chatty crowd is just observing silently. The one military guard that entered with them is simply observing everyone not affected by the surroundings, giving Raghu the impression that he has been through here before.
The convoy is moving at a good pace and crosses bridges over a dark river, its waters reflecting the gloomy sky above. They can feel the shift in the air as the pale sunlight pierces through the twisted branches, creating an eerie play of light and shadows on the convoy's path.
As the journey progresses, the once serene atmosphere takes a haunting turn. Strange sounds emanate from the depths of the forest; the people in the bus are now coming out of their reverie as they can hear hooting of unseen creatures and the rustling of leaves. The air itself is making sounds strangely. The convoy catches glimpses of glowing eyes peering from the shadows, and an unsettling feeling settles over the convoy.
Now they understand why they are being escorted by four armored vehicles; this is their wake-up call as reality sets in. There is tension on people's faces, and the already alert guards have become even more vigilant. Slight whispering can be heard as people are now engaging in small talks. Most of them are scared shitless.
The convoy travels all the way through the unnatural path of ancient trees, their twisted forms adding to the ominous aura. Strange silhouettes can be seen in the backdrop, and shadows move in the periphery, but the convoy maintains its pace, the air already thick with an unspoken tension.
In the heart of the valley, an unsettling fog tightens its grip. The convoy, now on edge, catches only fleeting glimpses of colossal, shadowy figures lurking among the dense foliage. The once-inviting valley sheds its facade, exposing a sinister and foreboding aspect that sends shivers down the spines of all who dare to venture further.
They travel along as they are now at the end of the roads, and the fog has made sure of nearly zero visibility. Raghu is wondering about how the driver is even driving. All the vehicles stop after traveling for about 30 more minutes with nothing visible but fog and silhouettes of beasts. The guard announces that they will need to walk the rest of the way.
People seating in his bus are visibly unwilling to even get up from their seats. They can see next to nothing outside. They see that people from other buses are getting down as the guards from the other vehicles are making their way towards their buses. They also start to disembark from the bus.
Once everyone is down, Raghu is simply standing in the back of the line, as they formed lines of 4 rows with 5 people in each. The guards are addressing them, telling them to follow the man in front of them or they will get lost. They tell everyone present there to hold their hands till they reach the Sacred Red gate. The gate is where the soldier will leave them after ensuring that they have entered.
They continue to move through the barely visible road for some more time. No one is even uttering a single word. There is a deathly silence while they all walk towards their own doom. It seems they will be arriving at the gate soon as the guards are starting to slow down. One of the guards who is in the forefront signals to stop, and three more guards that were behind come to the front. They all open their backpacks to take out a scroll. They confirm the location they are in, and he starts to walk for some more distance after taking all the scrolls from the three guards. He places each of them on the ground on the four corners of the road, and after coming back, he breaks another artifact that he took out from his backpack and throws it towards the scrolls he placed before.
The forest, filled with the sounds of unknown creatures, fell silent, as if nature itself held its breath in anticipation of something unnatural. The world itself stopped, and the feeling of immense pressure descended upon the people there, and most of them were sweating profoundly. Where there was once a path forward, now there is a Huge 15 ft tall gate, grandiose in appearance but giving an otherworldly feeling.
The guards looked at people present, and an unspoken understanding dawned on them that it's time to get going. This is their fate now; they have nowhere to go but forward.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the 3rd block, there was a meeting taking place at the same time. The meeting room in the central command base served as a hub for representatives from twelve blocks. The room featured a long, sturdy table surrounded by chairs, each equipped with digital interfaces. The walls displayed large maps which Raghu would have recognized very well as the same ones he was taught in the academy. The screens for real-time data sharing displayed the 240 sacrifices' locations.
Bright overhead lights illuminated the space, revealing a clean and organized environment. The air carried a subtle scent of cleanliness, with a few digital terminals manned by officers. A central screen facilitated communication, displaying feeds from surveillance and ongoing mission data.
The room had representatives from each district gathered to discuss the progress of sacrifices' movement. There were 4 people Raghu would have recognized here. One of them was responsible for broadening his horizons of the world. Yes, Shaw was present here, along with him were the base commanders of all the 12 blocks. They were discussing the movement of all the sacrifices towards the gates. They were responsible for coordinating all the transport and logistics of the people.
The officers of each block manning the terminals are giving them updates on the same. The gates have a time at which they open, and they will make sure the sacrifices move into it at the same time. They have a total of 4 hours after which the gates will close. The gates for 1 to 12 districts are already open, and they are announcing as the gate's closure once everyone moves inside. The announcement is heard one by one as the officer said in a loud noise. Gate 1 closed, Gate 2 closed, Gate 3 Closed... with each gate being closed, they could see the relieved faces on these people from that block as the dots on the screen vanished. As the 11th and 12th gates closed, the air inside the room relaxed, and the environment turned a little jovial. The officers are now discussing the fate of sacrifices and names they might be familiar with.
Shaw is sitting quietly on his table not wanting to engage in this facade; he knows that no one here knows the truth, and this is just a job for them. He is approached by the commanders from the 3rd, 5th, and 8th.
Watching them approach, he knows what they want to talk about. They all served with Raghu. Shaw has a general idea what they want to talk about. They want to talk about Raghu and his plight. They want their wounded pride to have some respite. Raghu was someone untouchable for them even when he was serving under them. His wits and strategic mind outclass theirs.