**Author's Note – The Unstoppable Queen Aish 💋🖤**
Welcome back, my bold little ShadowHearts. We are deep in the haunted veins of the Withered House now. Chapter 10 is not for the faint-hearted—it's for those who dare to open the door that should remain locked.
Last chapter, we saw Veer torn between his reflection and reality. Aanya stood in front of two Veers—one whose ring pulsed with memory, the other whose eyes cried guilt. The mirror screamed. Naira whispered. The truth began bleeding through the cracks. Now… you'll step with her, one step closer to the scream you've been dreading.
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**Aanya's POV**
The house was holding its breath again.
Two Veers stood in front of her—both staring at her with the same eyes, the same broken tenderness. The room felt like it was cracking from the weight of the moment.
The one on the left stepped forward. His ring—silver and glowing faintly—glinted in the dim light.
"Do you remember the Silver Lake Promise?"
Aanya's breath hitched.
"You held my hand and made me promise that no matter how many shadows chased you, I'd never leave."
The other Veer stayed silent.
The memory hit her like thunder:
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**Flashback – The Silver Lake Promise**
She was seven. Crying by the lakeside. The wind was cold, her hands trembling.
Veer—just a boy then—had knelt beside her, dipped his pinky into hers.
"If you get lost in the dark… I'll scream your name until the House itself listens."
She had nodded.
"Promise, Veer."
"Promise."
---
Back in the present, she reached for the Veer with the glowing ring.
"It's you," she whispered.
The imposter dissolved into smoke.
The mirror boy stood behind them, his expression unreadable.
"Two hearts, one shadow. Be careful which one you follow next."
---
They walked together—her fingers slipping unconsciously into his. The air was thick with whispers.
Aanya wore a deep crimson sweater over black leggings. Her hair was braided loosely, but the strands escaped—wild, like the thoughts flooding her mind. Veer was in a grey shirt, sleeves rolled, silver ring ever glowing.
The hallway stretched into endless dark.
Until…
A door.
A door with claw marks.
A door that breathed.
On it, carved with a trembling hand, were the words:
**"5 FEBRUARY 2007"**
Her birthday.
"Why is this here?" she whispered.
Veer's voice was soft.
"Because this house remembers your first cry."
"What lies behind it?"
"The reason Aunt Ira lost her mind."
"And why I bled for you before I ever loved you."
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**Whispering Girl's Riddle**
She appeared.
Long dark hair. A white dress floating in air.
"A name was sealed here. Not buried. Not mourned. Sealed."
"Who was it?" Aanya cried.
"Ask your mother… before the House answers instead."
---
Veer bled from his palm as he touched the doorknob. The ring burned into his skin.
"No!" Aanya pulled him back.
"I'm fine. But you—Aanya—you always hear the screams before the door opens, don't you?"
"Yes… every night."
"Then it's not locked for you."
Her fingers grazed the handle.
The door clicked.
And opened.
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**The Door Screams**
The room inside was pitch black. No walls. No floor. Just void.
And a lullaby.
A child's lullaby.
Sung backward.
"Do you hear it?" Veer asked.
She nodded.
"That's not a song. That's a name being undone."
A shadow rose from the void.
"What… what is that?"
"Ananta," Veer said. "The boy who forgot who he was. And the reason I was made to remember."
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**Author's Ending Note – The Unstoppable Queen Aish 💋🖤**
My bold ShadowHearts… did the door scream for you too?
Now we know this: the House remembers Aanya's birth. And it sealed something behind a door meant *only* for her. Veer bleeds. The mirror boy speaks in riddles. And Ananta… waits.
Next chapter: **"We Were Not Meant to Be Found."**
Tell me: Do you think Aanya's mother knows more than she says? And who sang that lullaby backward?
Vote, breathe, and hold tight. The House is done whispering. Now it screams.
—Your Queen Aish 👑🖤