Gahvhal, a being of immense power, lay shattered amongst a tapestry of wildflowers. Blood marbled his once glorious form, his breath ragged in the stillness. "Ahh... is this the end?" he rasped, defiance flickering in his fading eyes. "No. I will not be extinguished. I will transform, cheat death, rise again!" With a guttural incantation, raw magic surged through him, knitting together torn flesh and shattered bone. His broken body twisted and contorted, reforming into the sleek silhouette of a raven. "Death is but a game," he croaked, his voice now a raspy caw, "and I am its master." With a powerful beat of his newly formed wings, he launched himself into the twilight sky, leaving behind the fading echo of his defiance.
Ten millennia drifted by like dust motes dancing on a sunbeam.
Arun, a lanky seventeen-year-old with a perpetually tousled mop of brown hair, trudged through the dense forest, a bulging garbage bag slung over his shoulder. "This is such a drag," he grumbled, kicking a loose stone that skittered through the undergrowth. "Why am I stuck cleaning up everyone else's mess?" His father, a fervent environmentalist, insisted Arun dedicate his weekends to community service, much to Arun's adolescent chagrin.
A flicker of movement caught his eye. A raven, its plumage an iridescent black against the emerald green of the forest canopy, disappeared into the gaping maw of a nearby cave. Curiosity piqued, Arun cautiously approached. The air within the cave was heavy with the scent of damp earth and something more... something ancient and unsettling. He pulled out his phone, the flashlight beam cutting a swathe through the oppressive darkness.
Deeper he ventured, the silence broken only by the rhythmic drip of water and the echo of his own footsteps. A weathered sign, half-hidden in the shadows, proclaimed: DANGER! DO NOT ENTER. But Arun, his youthful sense of adventure overriding any sense of caution, pressed on.
Suddenly, the ground crumbled beneath him. He tumbled down a hidden shaft, landing with a bone-jarring thud that knocked the wind out of him. His phone clattered away, plunging him into absolute darkness. Panic clawed at his throat, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Then, he saw it – a glint of crimson in the inky blackness. He crawled towards it, his fingers brushing against something smooth and cold. He lifted it, his phone's light flickering back to life, revealing a small earthenware pot, its surface a mesmerizing swirl of black and red. A single, withered leaf clung to its side.
"This has got to be worth something!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement. He peeled off the leaf, anticipation building with every twist of his wrist. As he lifted the lid, a plume of black smoke erupted, swirling around him like a living entity. It surged into his nostrils, his mouth, his ears, filling him with a suffocating darkness.
A deafening roar echoed through the cavern, shaking the very foundations of the earth. Arun scrambled back, his hands scrabbling for purchase on the loose rocks. Unintelligible voices, a cacophony of whispers and screams, assaulted his mind. He stumbled, his ankle twisting beneath him. Pain shot through his leg, but fear propelled him onward, back towards the entrance, back to the light, back to his friends.
He burst out of the cave, gasping for breath, his clothes torn and his face streaked with dirt.
"Whoa, where were you, man?" one of his friends asked, a concerned frown creasing his forehead.
"Just... checking for garbage," Arun mumbled, trying to regain his composure.
"Dude, it's a cave, not a dumpster," his friend laughed. "Come on, let's head back."
A few days later, Arun sat in his room, staring at his exam results in disbelief. 95%! He had never scored so high. He raced downstairs, eager to share the good news.
"Dad! Mom!" he shouted, bursting into the living room. "I aced my exams!"
"That's wonderful, Arun!" his father beamed, pride radiating from his face. "What would you like as a reward?"
"A trip! Just like old times, with you and Mom."
His mother, her eyes sparkling with affection, smiled. "Greenland, this weekend? And I'll cook all your favorite meals this week."
"You're the best, Mom!" Arun grinned, his heart swelling with happiness.
But the joy was fleeting. A deep, menacing voice echoed in his mind, shattering the moment. "Are you happy? Ha ha ha."
Arun's blood ran cold. "Who's there?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
"I am the one you never wanted," the voice hissed, "but now I am all you have."
Panic seized him. He fled upstairs, his heart pounding like a drum. "What's happening to me?" he muttered, his voice filled with fear.
"You have two choices," the voice declared, its tone chillingly calm. "Kill your parents, or I will kill you."
"Who are you?" Arun cried, his voice cracking. "Am I going crazy?"
Suddenly, his legs began to move, carrying him towards the ceiling. He clawed at the walls, desperate to stop, but his body was no longer his own.
"I warned you," the voice growled. "Kill them, or you die."
"I can't!" Arun pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
"Then you die," the voice snarled.
"No, wait!"
His body, propelled by an unseen force, rushed towards the kitchen. He found his mother humming a cheerful tune as she chopped vegetables.
"Mom!" he gasped, his voice frantic. "Something's wrong with me! There's a voice..."
His mother stopped, her brow furrowed with concern. "Arun, what are you talking about? Are you playing another one of your pranks?"
"No, Mom, it's real! I..."
"Kill her! Kill her!" the voice roared, its intensity unbearable.
Arun's hand, clutching a knife from the counter, began to rise. He fought against it, his muscles straining, but the force was overwhelming.
"Arun, stop it!" his mother cried, her voice laced with fear. "This isn't funny!"
The knife nicked his neck, drawing blood. His mother lunged forward, trying to wrest the weapon away.
"Kill her! Kill her!" the voice screamed relentlessly.
Overwhelmed by fear, anger, and the relentless pressure in his mind, Arun lost control. The knife plunged into his mother's throat. She gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief, and collapsed onto the floor.
A memory flashed through Arun's mind – his mother, her voice soft and reassuring, "If you ever feel unsafe, come to me, Arun. I will always protect you, even if it means my own life."
Now, as her lifeblood ebbed away, she clutched his hand, her voice a faint whisper. "I love you, son. Don't worry about me... I will always protect you..."