!!Prelude to the Inferno!! D3 !!SHORT STORY!! HORROR!!

Prologue: The Spark Before the Flame

They say dance is an escape — a way to lose yourself in rhythm, to forget the world and feel only the beat beneath your feet.
But sometimes, the stage isn’t a sanctuary.
Sometimes, it’s a trap.

Four years ago, a scandal ripped through the intercollegiate dance world. Accusations. Sabotage. One name at the center — Rajdeep Khurana. And then, he disappeared.
So did the truth.

Now, the past is stirring.

Across the city, invitations arrive — unsigned, unnerving, untraceable. Not just to anyone, but to the best. The ones who burned brightest. The ones with the most to lose.

They are called back — not to compete, but to confront.

Old wounds reopen. Secrets unravel through choreography.
And behind every beat lies a question:
How far would you go to survive your own story?

This isn’t just a dance competition.

This is the Inferno.

And once you're in...
There’s no guarantee you’ll dance your way out.

Chapter 1: The Invitation

Mumbai’s sky was painted in strokes of grey as raindanced on the college’s rooftop. Rey leaned against the dance studio mirror,his gaze distant. He hadn’t been here since the last national championship.Since Kriya left.

That was four years ago.

“Dude,” Swayam’s voice pulled Rey out of his reverie.“You’re actually early for rehearsal. Miracles do happen.”

Rey gave a half-smile, but his eyes stayed on the foldedinvitation in his hand. It was thick, embossed, and unsigned — inviting St.Louis alumni to an underground dance competition titled "Inferno."No location. Just GPS coordinates. And a warning: "This stage burnsmore than just feet."

Meanwhile, across the hall, Sharon tightened herponytail, eyes narrowing as she scanned the invite. “This isn’t normal. Whosends anonymous invitations for elite dance battles? No names, no sponsors?”

Before Swayam could respond, the studio door creakedopen. A gust of wind followed — and with it, Kriya Ghai.

Rey froze.

She looked stronger, fiercer. Her hair was damp, her eyesunreadable.

“I got the same invite,” she said, lifting a matchingenvelope. “I didn’t come back for nostalgia. Something’s wrong.”

Sharon crossed her arms. “You think it’s a trap?”

Kriya nodded. “It’s not just about dance. Whoever sentthis... knows us.”

Thunder rolled as silence swallowed the room.

Then Kriya whispered, “They want us all in one place.Together. For a reason.”

Rey’s heart pounded — not just from her return — but fromthe feeling that this was just the beginning.

Chapter 2: Shadows from thePast

The team gathered later that evening at the old warehousenear Carter Road — the same place where they’d once rehearsed before everymajor competition. Dust had settled over memories, but now it stirred withtension.

Kriya spread out the map on a table, pointing at the GPScoordinates. “The location leads to an abandoned resort in Lonavala. Closed forfive years after a fire.”

“A fire?” Sharon arched an eyebrow.

Kriya nodded. “And here’s the kicker — the resort wasowned by Rajdeep Khurana.”

Rey stiffened. The name sent a jolt through all of them.Khurana had once tried to sabotage St. Louis’ team, manipulating judges andframing Rey during their final intercollegiate showdown. He vanished after thatscandal.

Swayam frowned. “You think this is revenge?”

“I think this is a game,” Kriya replied. “And we’re thepieces.”

A knock at the warehouse door made everyone jump.

Rey opened it cautiously. A courier stood there with asecond envelope — marked in blood red ink. It read:
“The dance begins in 48 hours. Come alone or lose your rhythm... forever.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Sharon asked, voice low.

Kriya’s jaw tightened. “It means we’re not just fightingto win. We’re dancing to survive.”

Outside, the rain had stopped — but thunder still echoedin the distance, like the prelude to something dark. Rey’s hand brushedKriya’s. She looked at him, emotion flickering in her eyes.

“We’ll figure this out,” he said. “Together.”

But something inside both of them knew — not all of themmight make it back.

Chapter 3: The Resort ofSecrets

The narrow road twisted like a serpent as the SUV climbedinto Lonavala’s dense hills. Mist clung to the windshield, thickening withevery kilometer. Kriya sat in the back, fingers drumming nervously against herthigh. Rey stole glances at her in the rearview mirror, sensing the stormbrewing inside her.

Swayam, driving, broke the silence. “We still don’t knowwhat they want from us. Why now? Why all of us?”

“We’re not just dancers anymore,” Sharon murmured,staring out the window. “We’re the show.”

The GPS beeped. They’d arrived.

Before them stood the resort — The Seraphim Retreat— once luxurious, now crumbling. Vines crawled over broken railings. The frontgates creaked open slowly… on their own.

“No staff. No guards. Just us,” Rey muttered.

Inside, the lobby had been eerily restored. Litchandeliers, polished floors, and a large poster on the wall:
“Round One: Truth in Motion.”

A projector whirred to life, playing footage of theirpast — intimate, painful moments. Kriya’s emotional breakdown after leavingIndia. Rey’s furious destruction of the rehearsal room. Sharon’s tears afterher fight with Swayam.

They looked at each other, stunned.

“Who filmed these?” Kriya whispered.

A voice echoed from hidden speakers — distorted and cold:
“Dance your truth, or lose your secrets… forever.”

Swayam clenched his fists. “They’re using our pastagainst us.”

“And this is just the first round,” Sharon added, eyesnarrowing.

Suddenly, the doors behind them slammed shut. The resorthad locked them in.

“Welcome,” the voice said again, “to the Inferno.”

Rey reached out, grasping Kriya’s hand.

She didn’t pull away this time.

Chapter 4: Truth in Motion

The grand ballroom was transformed into a stage. Lightsbeamed down on them, casting long, eerie shadows. A message flashed on thegiant screen:

“Perform your truth. One by one. Lie — and you lose.”

A panel of blacked-out figures appeared behind the glass— silent watchers. The air grew cold.

Kriya stepped forward first. “I’ll go.”

Rey caught her arm. “You don’t have to—”

“I do,” she said, locking eyes with him. “For us.”

Music started — a haunting blend of classical and streetstyle. Kriya’s body moved fluidly, each step a memory. Her choreography toldthe story of her departure — not just duty, but fear. Fear of losing Rey to theperson he was becoming — consumed by competition and anger.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she ended on one knee.

Silence.

Then a ding.

“Truth accepted,” the screen read. One door inthe ballroom slid open, revealing a corridor.

Next, Swayam stepped in, facing his own truth: His fearthat Sharon would always love the stage more than him. His dance was raw,fierce, ending in a quiet, reaching lift — symbolizing letting go.

“Truth accepted.”

Sharon’s routine followed — slow and heart-wrenching. Sheconfessed, through movement, how much she regretted pushing Swayam away,pretending she didn’t care.

“Truth accepted.”

Finally, Rey stepped up.

Everyone watched as he unleashed a powerful performance —frustration, guilt, and undying love. In his final move, he mimed catchingsomething slipping from his grasp — Kriya.

He stood breathless.

Silence stretched longer.

Then—

“Truth… accepted.”

The second door opened.

But before they could move, the lights blacked out. Avoice whispered from all directions:

“Truth earns survival. But trust... will be yourundoing.”

A loud click echoed. One of the corridors hadsealed behind them.

Someone else was here.

Watching.

Chapter 5: The Trap Door

Dim emergency lights flickered on. The once-grandballroom now felt like a cage. The sealed corridor behind them thudded shut,locking like a vault. Panic rippled through the group.

“Someone’s controlling this in real-time,” Sharon said,voice tight. “They’re watching every move.”

Kriya pressed her palm against the wall where the doorclosed. “They’re not just making us face ourselves — they’re testing ourbonds.”

“Then they’ll fail,” Rey said, stepping beside her.“We’re not the same people we were back then.”

“Exactly,” came a voice from a speaker — deeper, clearerthan before. “You’re weaker. Divided.”

Suddenly, the floor beneath Rey gave a metallic groan.Before anyone could react, a trap door opened beneath him.

“Rey!” Kriya screamed.

He fell into darkness.

Swayam dove forward, grabbing the edge too late. The doorslammed shut. On the wall, a new screen flickered on:

“Trust Test: Save him... or save yourselves.”

Kriya ran to the screen, pounding it with her fists.“Where is he?!”

The screen split into two options — two hallways markedwith signs:

• A: Save Rey
• B: Advance to Round Two

Swayam read the instructions below. “Only one team membercan go through Hall A. The others must continue. If no one chooses, Rey doesn’tmake it.”

Kriya didn’t hesitate. “I’m going.”

Sharon tried to stop her. “It might be a trap—”

“I don’t care. If they want trust tested, they’ll getit.”

She disappeared down Hall A before anyone could argue.The door slammed shut behind her.

Alone in the silence, Swayam looked at Sharon.

“We move,” he said.

As the couple stepped into Hall B, the distorted voicereturned.

“Love is the perfect illusion. Let’s see whosurvives it.”

_________________________

HOPE ALL OF YOU LIKE IT.

DO CHECK. IGNORE IT IF NOT INTERESTED

Chapter 6: Echoes in the Dark

Kriya ran through the narrow passageway, lit only byflickering red lights. Her heart thundered louder than her footsteps. The wallsseemed to breathe — pulsing with every step. The air grew colder, and somewheredeep within, she heard Rey’s voice.

“Kriya...?”

She turned a corner and found herself in a circularchamber. Chains dangled from the ceiling. In the center, Rey wasstrapped to a vertical platform, arms spread. A spotlight illuminated his face— bruised, but alert.

“Kriya!” His eyes widened. “It’s a trap. You shouldn’thave come!”

She rushed toward him. “I wasn’t going to let them takeyou!”

A siren wailed. Doors sealed behind her.

A mechanical voice boomed:
“Trust demands a price. Choose: Free him... or fight him.”

Suddenly, metal cuffs clamped around her wrists from thefloor. A shock jolted her — not enough to hurt, but enough to warn.

Rey struggled. “Don’t listen to them! This ismanipulation!”

A screen behind him showed a timer: 02:00 andcounting down.

Voice again:
“Only one can walk out of this room. Truth was easy. Loyalty is not.”

Kriya’s cuffs loosened. A baton slid from the wall intoher hand.

“No,” she whispered, stepping back.

Rey looked into her eyes. “Do what you have to.”

“I’m not playing their game.”

She turned, grabbed the baton — and threw it at thecamera above.

Sparks exploded.

The lights shut off.

For ten heartbeats, there was silence.

Then — a loud clang, and Rey dropped to theground, free. He ran to her, pulling her into his arms.

“You came for me,” he whispered.

“Always,” she breathed.

The walls rumbled as a hidden door slid open.

They had passed.

But neither saw the shadow watching them from the screen,smiling.

“Two hearts. One weakness.”

Chapter 7:The Dividing Line

Swayam and Sharon stepped cautiously into Hall B. Unlike the dim corridorsbefore, this space resembled a dance stage — gleaming black floors, mirrorslining every wall. But the mirrors were… wrong. They didn’t reflect theirmovements.

“These aren’t mirrors,” Sharon whispered. “They’re surveillance screens.”

One flickered to life, displaying footage of her — a fight with her father,storming out of a house. Another screen showed Swayam crying alone after theircollege breakup.

Swayam turned away. “This isn’t about dance anymore. It’s psychologicalwarfare.”

The room darkened.

A new prompt lit up in red:

“Final Trial: Separation.”
“Only one may advance. The other must stay behind.”

A steel divider rose between them, fast.

“Sharon!” Swayam tried to hold the edge, but it forced them apart.

A voice came through the intercom:
“Sharon, step forward and leave your past behind. Swayam, stay — or saygoodbye forever.”

Sharon stared at the glowing doorway ahead.

“I’m not leaving without him!” she shouted.

Swayam’s voice echoed faintly from behind the divider. “Go, Sharon! This iswhat they want — to break us. Don’t let them.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t!”

He whispered, “Yes, you can. I believe in you.”

Heart shattering, she stepped through the door.

Suddenly, the divider dropped — and Swayam was there, standing free.

“It was never real,” he said, eyes wide with relief. “It was a test.”

She ran into his arms. They held each other tightly as the stage around themcrumbled away, revealing the next corridor.

From above, the same voice echoed once more — colder now:

“You may have passed. But you’ve only earned the right… to face thetruth together.”

A final door opened — and behind it, Rey and Kriya stood,waiting.

The final round had begun.

Chapter 8:The Last Dance

The four of them stood in the grand hall, their faces lit by a harshspotlight. The air felt thick, heavy, as if the very walls were watching them,waiting for something.

Rey and Kriya exchanged a quiet glance. She could feel his gaze on her,intense but filled with something she couldn’t quite define — was it love, orsomething darker?

Swayam and Sharon flanked them, their hands clenched. There was no time forwords, only an unspoken understanding that this was it. The final test. Thevoice came again, deep and chilling, echoing through the room.

“The Inferno awaits. You have one chance to prove your loyalty, yourstrength. Dance. And let the truth reveal itself.”

The music began — haunting, like a death march. The beat was slow,methodical, building an inevitable tension. The floor beneath them seemed totremble with each step.

Rey’s body moved first, as if pulled by an invisible force. His dance wasfierce, raw, each movement filled with emotion. Kriya followed, mirroring him,their steps fluid but filled with a desperation neither could hide. Their pastintertwined through every twist and turn, their bodies fighting for aconnection that had once been lost.

Swayam and Sharon moved next, their style more synchronized, controlled, yetthere was an edge of bitterness in their every step. The unresolved tensionbetween them was palpable.

The room felt like it was closing in. The music became louder, faster, asthough the very walls were pushing them forward. They danced in perfectharmony, despite the internal chaos, pushing through the layers of hurt,betrayal, and fear.

But then, as the music reached its peak, the lights flickered, and thescreen above them flashed a message:

“One must fall. One must rise.”

The music stopped abruptly.

Kriya froze, eyes wide. “What does that mean?”

The voice came again, almost mocking. “The truth is… someone mustsacrifice for the others to survive. The dance is over.”

They stood still, breathless, not knowing who would have to make theultimate choice.

Rey reached for Kriya’s hand. "Not without you," he whispered. Butdeep down, he knew — the true test was yet to come.