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"What's come over me? I can't allow these maniacs to harm my friend," he thought decisively. Yash resolved to shield Atharva from harm until the stroke of midnight, when the time of the sacrifice would pass. Perhaps, he pondered, all of this was just a myth after all.
Yash led Atharva to an unoccupied room in the hostel, handing him some food for the night. "Stay here," Yash instructed, locking the door from the outside. "Don't make any noise and only answer to my call."
Atharva looked puzzled. "Why are you doing this? What's going on?"
"I'll explain later," Yash replied cryptically. "Just trust me for now."
As the hour approached midnight, the sky ominously turned blood red, shrouding everything in darkness. Suddenly, black smoke billowed into the sky, accompanied by a chilling voice that echoed, "I do not see my prey, Atharva. He is being hidden from me. Whoever is responsible for this must now sacrifice themselves to me, or I will unleash my powers."
The dark lord had demanded him as the next sacrifice. This wasn't a myth; it was all too real. He stood at a crossroads, with two options: surrender himself or stand firm and fight against the darkness.