Chapter 8 — The One Who Followed Chamot
The staircase seemed to have no end.
Step after step.
Down and down.
The five friends descended into the darkness beneath Rudrgarh Mansion.
No one spoke.
Even Moko had stopped complaining.
That alone told Tofu how serious the situation was.
The walls around them were made of old black stone.
Unlike the upper parts of the mansion, these stones were completely clean.
No dust.
No spider webs.
No cracks.
It was as if someone had built the staircase recently.
But that was impossible.
The mansion was more than a hundred years old.
Rizu ran her fingers along the wall.
“This place is strange.”
Moko glanced at her.
“Stranger than a haunted mansion with eighteen ghost prisons?”
“Yes.”
Moko sighed.
“Great.”
Tofu was walking behind them, holding the old iron key tightly.
Every few steps, he looked at it.
The key had changed since they entered the underground passage.
A faint blue line now ran along its metal surface.
Sizububu noticed.
“It's reacting to something.”
Tofu nodded.
“Maybe the third prison.”
Rizu shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone stopped.
Moko turned.
“Then what?”
Rizu looked at the key.
“It is reacting to Chamot.”
All eyes moved toward the cat.
Chamot was several steps ahead.
She had stopped.
Her head was lowered.
Her ears were pointed toward the darkness.
Moko immediately walked to her.
“What do you hear?”
Chamot didn't move.
Moko crouched.
“Chamot?”
The cat slowly looked at him.
Her eyes were different.
For a moment, Moko felt as if he was looking at someone much older.
Someone who had seen things no one should see.
Then Chamot turned away.
She continued down.
Moko followed.
“I don't like that look.”
Tofu smiled faintly.
“Which look?”
“The one that says she knows something and isn't telling us.”
Sizububu looked at Chamot.
“Maybe she can't tell us.”
Moko frowned.
“She's a cat.”
“Exactly.”
Moko stared at him.
“That doesn't explain anything.”
Rizu suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
The others stopped again.
She was looking at the wall.
There was a symbol carved into it.
A circle.
Inside the circle were five small marks.
One for each of them.
But there was something else.
A sixth mark.
Moko stared.
“That's new.”
Sizububu moved closer.
“Six.”
Tofu frowned.
“We are five.”
Rizu touched the sixth mark.
The wall immediately became cold.
A whisper emerged.
“Five entered.”
Then another whisper answered.
“Six returned.”
Moko's face went pale.
“Six?”
Everyone looked around.
There was no one else.
Chamot was still there.
Sizububu.
Moko.
Tofu.
Rizu.
Five.
Moko counted again.
“One, two, three, four, five.”
He pointed at Chamot.
“You're number five.”
Chamot looked at him.
Moko frowned.
“Unless you count yourself twice.”
Tofu laughed.
But Rizu didn't.
She was staring at the sixth symbol.
“The sixth one isn't with us.”
Moko's smile disappeared.
“Then where is it?”
Rizu whispered—
“Behind us.”
Everyone turned.
The staircase was empty.
Moko stared into the darkness above.
“Don't say things like that.”
Rizu looked carefully.
“I can see something.”
Sizububu raised his hand.
“What?”
“A shadow.”
Moko immediately moved closer to Tofu.
“There is always a shadow.”
“No.”
Rizu shook her head.
“This one doesn't belong to anyone.”
The darkness at the top of the staircase shifted.
A shape appeared.
Tall.
Thin.
Motionless.
Moko whispered—
“Is that Arkan?”
Rizu shook her head.
“No.”
“The Keeper?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Rizu's eyes widened.
“I don't know.”
The figure took one step.
Step.
Chamot suddenly hissed.
FSSSSSS!
The blue symbol on her paw appeared.
The figure stopped.
Then it vanished.
Moko stared.
“Did it just disappear?”
Sizububu nodded.
“Looks like it.”
Moko pointed upward.
“Then maybe we should go back.”
Tofu shook his head.
“We're already halfway down.”
“Exactly. We should go back before we're completely down.”
Sizububu continued.
“No.”
Moko groaned.
“Of course.”
They continued.
But now no one looked behind them.
The staircase became colder.
After several more minutes, they reached the bottom.
A giant stone door stood before them.
There was no handle.
No lock.
Only a small carving.
A cat.
Chamot walked toward it.
The moment she touched the carving—
the door opened.
Slowly.
Grrrrrrr…
Cold air rushed toward them.
Moko covered his face.
“What is that smell?”
Tofu sniffed.
“Old books.”
Rizu shook her head.
“No.”
She looked inside.
“Memories.”
Moko stared.
“You can smell memories?”
“No.”
Rizu stepped through.
“I can see them.”
The room beyond was enormous.
Bookshelves covered every wall.
Thousands of books.
Some were lying open on tables.
Others floated in the air.
Blue pages moved by themselves.
Moko looked around.
“This isn't a prison.”
Sizububu walked closer to one of the shelves.
“What makes you think that?”
“Because there are books.”
Tofu looked at him.
“That's your argument?”
“Yes.”
A book suddenly flew past Moko's face.
Moko ducked.
“Okay!”
The book slammed into the wall.
It opened.
A picture appeared above the pages.
The five friends saw themselves.
A hundred years ago.
They were standing inside the same room.
Moko stared.
“Again?”
Sizububu looked at the image.
But this time, there was something different.
The old version of Chamot was not with them.
She was standing several feet away.
And beside her—
was someone else.
A young man.
Moko leaned closer.
“Who is that?”
Arkan appeared in the memory.
He looked younger.
He was holding a small silver bell.
Chamot was sitting beside him.
Then the memory changed.
Arkan handed the bell to Chamot.
Chamot touched it.
The bell rang.
Ting.
The entire room changed.
Moko stared.
“What did that do?”
Rizu shook her head.
“I don't know.”
The book closed.
Another opened.
This time, the memory showed the girl from the highest room.
She was sitting beside Chamot.
The girl was crying.
Chamot was licking her hand.
The girl whispered—
“I don't want you to go.”
Chamot looked toward the door.
Arkan stood outside.
The girl shouted—
“Don't send her!”
Arkan answered—
“If I don't, everyone dies.”
The memory ended.
Moko looked at Rizu.
“What does he mean?”
Rizu shook her head.
“Another memory.”
A third book opened.
This one showed the Hollow.
The black emptiness.
The five stood around it.
Chamot stood at the center.
But someone else was there.
A sixth person.
Moko's eyes widened.
“That's the sixth.”
The figure stood behind Chamot.
His face was hidden.
He was holding something.
A silver bell.
Moko pointed.
“The same bell.”
Sizububu moved closer.
“Who is he?”
The figure slowly turned.
For one second, his face became visible.
Moko froze.
Tofu froze.
Rizu froze.
Sizububu stared.
The man looked exactly like—
Sizububu.
Moko immediately turned toward him.
“Sizububu?”
Sizububu looked horrified.
“I don't know him.”
The memory disappeared.
The book slammed shut.
Silence.
Moko stared at Sizububu.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Rizu looked at the shelf.
“That wasn't a memory of the past.”
Everyone looked at her.
“What?”
“It was a warning.”
A voice came from the darkness.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
The sixth figure was standing at the other end of the room.
Moko's heart jumped.
It looked like Sizububu.
But not completely.
His eyes were darker.
His clothes were old.
And around his neck hung the silver bell.
Sizububu stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The figure smiled.
“You.”
Sizububu's expression hardened.
“No.”
The figure laughed.
“You always say that.”
Moko moved beside Sizububu.
“Stay away from him.”
The figure looked at Moko.
“You said that before too.”
Moko froze.
“What?”
The figure's smile disappeared.
“You don't remember.”
Rizu stepped forward.
“Are you a ghost?”
“No.”
“A memory?”
“No.”
“Then what are you?”
The figure looked at Chamot.
“A promise.”
Moko frowned.
“That makes no sense.”
The figure lifted the silver bell.
Ting.
The sound echoed through the room.
Chamot immediately froze.
Her blue mark disappeared.
Her eyes became empty.
Moko rushed toward her.
“Chamot!”
She didn't respond.
“Chamot!”
Nothing.
The figure rang the bell again.
Ting.
Chamot slowly turned toward him.
Rizu shouted—
“Don't let her go!”
Moko grabbed Chamot.
But the cat suddenly scratched him.
“OW!”
She jumped free.
The figure smiled.
“She remembers the bell.”
Sizububu stepped forward.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why is she listening to you?”
“Because she promised.”
“Promised what?”
The figure raised the bell.
“To come back.”
The room went dark.
A voice echoed around them.
“Chamot…”
The cat began walking toward the figure.
Moko followed.
“Chamot, stop.”
She didn't.
“Chamot!”
The figure rang the bell again.
Ting.
The bookshelves opened.
A passage appeared behind the figure.
Moko stared.
“Where does that lead?”
The figure smiled.
“To the place she died.”
Moko stopped.
Rizu's eyes widened.
“The Hollow.”
The figure nodded.
Chamot continued walking.
Moko rushed forward and grabbed her.
This time, Chamot didn't scratch him.
She simply stared at him.
Moko knelt.
“Look at me.”
Chamot looked.
“You don't have to go anywhere.”
The cat's eyes trembled.
Moko smiled.
“You're with us.”
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Chamot's eyes became normal.
She jumped into Moko's arms.
The silver bell stopped ringing.
The sixth figure stared.
“You changed the memory.”
Rizu looked at him.
“No.”
She smiled.
“She changed it herself.”
The figure's expression became serious.
“You don't understand what you've done.”
Sizububu stepped forward.
“Then explain.”
The figure looked at the five.
“The Hollow isn't waking because you are freeing the prisoners.”
Tofu asked—
“Then why?”
“Because Chamot is remembering.”
Moko looked down.
Chamot was curled against his chest.
The figure continued—
“Every memory she recovers makes the Hollow stronger.”
Rizu's face changed.
“Why?”
“Because she was its first prisoner.”
Silence.
Moko slowly looked at Chamot.
“What?”
The figure nodded.
“The Hollow was not created for ghosts.”
Sizububu frowned.
“Then what was it created for?”
The figure answered—
“Her.”
Chamot suddenly lifted her head.
The blue symbol appeared.
The room shook.
Books fell from the shelves.
Tofu dropped the iron key.
It hit the floor.
CLANG!
The silver bell answered.
Ting.
The two sounds combined.
A giant blue symbol appeared on the floor.
The same symbol that had appeared beneath Chamot earlier.
Rizu stared.
“The key and the bell.”
Sizububu understood.
“They're connected.”
The figure nodded.
“The key locks the prisons.”
He lifted the bell.
“The bell wakes the memories.”
Moko frowned.
“Then why does Chamot have the mark?”
The figure looked at her.
“Because she is the bridge.”
“To what?”
The figure whispered—
“The living and the dead.”
The room suddenly became freezing cold.
Ghostly figures appeared between the bookshelves.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Moko looked around.
“They're everywhere.”
Rizu's ghost-sight showed her the truth.
“These aren't prisoners.”
“What are they?”
“Memories.”
The spirits moved silently.
They weren't attacking.
They were watching Chamot.
One by one, they began kneeling.
Moko stared.
“Why are they doing that?”
The figure answered—
“They remember their queen.”
Rizu's eyes widened.
“Queen?”
Chamot hissed.
The spirits bowed lower.
Moko looked at the cat.
“Chamot?”
The figure nodded.
“She was the first soul to enter the Hollow.”
Sizububu frowned.
“Then why did she lose her memories?”
“Because the Hollow was afraid of her.”
Moko stared.
“A place can be afraid?”
The figure looked at him.
“The Hollow isn't a place.”
Moko's smile disappeared.
“Then what is it?”
The figure whispered—
“A living thing.”
The walls suddenly pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Like a heartbeat.
THUMP.
The books began falling.
Rizu covered her ears.
“It's waking.”
Sizububu looked at the figure.
“How do we stop it?”
The figure stared at Chamot.
“You can't.”
Moko tightened his arms around the cat.
“Then what do we do?”
“Remember.”
Rizu frowned.
“Remember what?”
The figure pointed toward the deepest part of the room.
A door appeared.
It was covered with five handprints.
And one paw print.
The paw print belonged to Chamot.
Moko stared.
“What is behind that door?”
The figure's voice became quiet.
“The memory of the first prison.”
Sizububu looked at him.
“You said the first prisoner was freed.”
“Yes.”
“Then why is there another first prison?”
The figure smiled sadly.
“Because you freed the wrong thing.”
Moko's expression hardened.
“Enough riddles.”
The figure looked at him.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“Then open the door.”
Sizububu walked toward it.
Rizu grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“There's something wrong.”
“What?”
She pointed at the door.
“The five handprints are not ours.”
Moko stared.
“Then whose?”
Rizu looked carefully.
Her eyes widened.
“They are ours.”
Everyone froze.
“But…”
She pointed.
“These handprints are from a hundred years ago.”
Moko looked at his own hand.
Then the imprint.
They matched.
Sizububu's matched.
Tofu's.
Rizu's.
And even Chamot's paw.
Moko whispered—
“We opened this door before.”
The sixth figure nodded.
“Yes.”
“To find what?”
The figure looked toward the door.
“To save Chamot.”
Moko frowned.
“But she was the one who saved us.”
The figure's expression became sad.
“That is what you believed.”
Rizu stepped forward.
“What actually happened?”
The figure didn't answer.
Instead, he rang the silver bell.
Ting.
The door opened.
A wave of cold air hit them.
Inside was a circular room.
At the center stood a stone chair.
And sitting in that chair—
was Chamot.
Not the cat.
A human girl.
She had long dark hair.
Her eyes were closed.
Blue symbols covered her arms.
Moko stopped breathing.
Rizu stared.
Tofu dropped his jaw.
Sizububu whispered—
“Who is she?”
The sixth figure answered—
“Chamot.”
Moko shook his head.
“No.”
The figure nodded.
“Yes.”
“That's impossible.”
“Look at her.”
Moko stared.
The girl slowly opened her eyes.
They were the same eyes as Chamot's.
The cat in Moko's arms suddenly began trembling.
The girl looked directly at her.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then she whispered—
“I'm sorry.”
Chamot cried out.
Not a meow.
Not a hiss.
A scream.
The room exploded with blue light.
Moko fell to his knees.
The cat jumped from his arms.
The human girl stood.
The symbols around her body shattered.
And for one terrifying second—
Moko saw two figures standing together.
The girl.
And Chamot.
The girl reached toward the cat.
Chamot moved toward her.
Their hands touched.
And the world disappeared.
Moko saw the past.
A hundred years ago.
Chamot was not always a cat.
She had once been a young girl named Chaya.
She lived in Rudrgarh Mansion.
She could see ghosts.
She could speak to them.
And she could enter their memories.
Arkan found her.
He discovered that Chaya could see something no other human could see.
The Hollow.
He believed she could help him control it.
But Chaya refused.
She knew it wasn't a doorway.
It was alive.
It fed on memories.
It fed on fear.
And it wanted her.
Arkan didn't listen.
He opened the first gate.
The Hollow reached for Chaya.
She fought it.
She lost.
But before it could consume her completely—
the Keeper arrived.
He tried to save her.
Arkan tried to save her.
The five friends tried to save her.
But Chaya made a choice.
She entered the Hollow willingly.
Not to save herself.
To save everyone else.
The Hollow offered her a bargain.
Her life—
for her memories.
She accepted.
But the Hollow twisted the bargain.
It turned her into a cat.
A creature that could move between the living world and the world of ghosts.
Chamot.
The memory ended.
Moko opened his eyes.
He was back in the room.
Chamot was lying on the floor.
The human girl was gone.
Rizu was crying.
Tofu was silent.
Sizububu stared at the empty chair.
Moko picked Chamot up.
The cat looked at him.
Moko whispered—
“Your name was Chaya.”
Chamot blinked.
A tear appeared in one eye.
Then—
she nodded.
Just once.
Moko's heart broke.
“You remember?”
Chamot looked toward the door.
Then she meowed softly.
Rizu understood.
“She remembers some of it.”
Sizububu looked at the sixth figure.
“Who are you?”
The figure lowered the silver bell.
“I was the sixth.”
“What sixth?”
“The sixth member of your group.”
Moko stared.
“We were six?”
“Yes.”
“Who were you?”
The figure smiled.
“My name was Nivan.”
Sizububu's expression changed.
“Why don't we remember you?”
Nivan looked at the floor.
“Because I died.”
Moko frowned.
“Then why are you here?”
Nivan looked toward Chamot.
“Because she brought me back.”
Chamot's eyes widened.
Rizu whispered—
“The Hollow.”
Nivan nodded.
“She saved me too.”
Sizububu stepped forward.
“Then why are you helping us?”
Nivan's face became serious.
“Because I owe her my life.”
A deep heartbeat echoed beneath them.
THUMP.
Everyone froze.
Nivan looked toward the floor.
“The Hollow knows she remembers.”
Moko held Chamot tighter.
“What happens now?”
Nivan looked at him.
“Now it comes for her.”
The walls began cracking.
Black mist leaked through.
Rizu stood.
“Then we fight.”
Nivan shook his head.
“You can't fight it.”
Sizububu tightened his fists.
“Then what?”
Nivan pointed toward the stone chair.
“You have to put Chamot back.”
Moko's expression hardened.
“No.”
Nivan looked at him.
“If you don't, the Hollow will wake.”
“No.”
Moko stepped backward.
“You're asking us to put her back into that prison?”
Nivan's voice became quiet.
“Not a prison.”
Moko shook his head.
“Then what?”
Nivan looked at Chamot.
“A choice.”
The cat stared at the chair.
The blue mark on her paw began glowing.
Then she slowly jumped down.
She walked toward the chair.
Moko immediately followed.
“Chamot, wait.”
She stopped.
Moko crouched.
“You don't have to do this.”
Chamot stared at him.
She lifted one paw.
The blue mark touched his hand.
A memory entered Moko's mind.
Chaya.
A hundred years ago.
Standing before the Hollow.
The five friends were behind her.
She turned toward them.
And smiled.
Then she said—
“Don't follow me.”
Moko opened his eyes.
He was crying.
Chamot looked at him.
Moko shook his head.
“You've been telling us that for a hundred years.”
The cat tilted her head.
Moko smiled through his tears.
“And we've been ignoring you for a hundred years.”
Sizububu stepped forward.
“Not this time.”
Tofu nodded.
Rizu wiped her eyes.
“We're not leaving her alone.”
Nivan stared at them.
“You don't understand.”
Sizububu looked at him.
“Maybe we don't.”
He held up the iron key.
“But we're not letting our friend face it alone.”
The floor shook.
The black mist became thicker.
The Hollow was coming.
Chamot looked toward the darkness.
Then she looked at the four friends.
And for the first time—
she didn't run.
She walked toward the darkness.
The others followed.
Nivan followed too.
Behind them, the stone chair cracked.
The third prison had begun opening.
And somewhere beneath the mansion—
something laughed.
Not the Keeper.
Not Arkan.
Not a ghost.
The Hollow itself.
A voice whispered through the darkness—
“Welcome home, Chaya.”
Chamot stopped.
Her eyes became bright blue.
Moko stepped beside her.
Sizububu raised the iron key.
Tofu stood ready.
Rizu activated her ghost-sight.
And Nivan rang the silver bell.
Ting.
Every memory in Rudrgarh Mansion woke at once.
And the war for Chamot's soul finally began.