C14 Chapter 14 : The Mysterious Voice and the Cave’s Glow

In the Previous Chapter,

You read that Ali and Junaid entered the cave, where they discovered mysterious paintings.

After that, they came across two paths and chose the right one.

Up

As soon as they moved forward, a strange voice echoed in their ears...

Now, moving ahead...

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The Mysterious Voice and the Cave’s Glow

As soon as Ali and Junaid stepped inside the cave, they noticed something strange—a mysterious glow. While the entire cave was filled with darkness, this particular section was illuminated with light.

Junaid frantically looked around, his breathing becoming heavier. "Ali! This voice… it sounds familiar. Did you hear it too?"

Ali closed his eyes for a moment, as if searching his memory. "Yes, I heard it… and I am sure this voice does not belong to a stranger!"

Junaid pointed towards the light shining on the cave walls. "But tell me this—when the entire cave is covered in darkness, where is this light coming from?"

Ali's eyes scanned the torches mounted on the walls. He reached out and touched one of them—the wood was still warm.

"These torches were lit recently… which means someone has been waiting to bring us here!"

Junaid (startled): "What did you say? Someone has been waiting to bring us here? What do you mean?"

Ali (in a serious tone): "Look at these burning torches… these were lit just two or three days ago. They look fresh, as if someone placed them here recently."

Just then, Junaid’s eyes fell on the ground, where fresh footprints were visible.

Junaid (shocked): "Ali! Look at these footprints… someone has been here before us!"

Ali (examining the marks carefully): "These footprints are recent! That means someone is still nearby!"

Junaid (with a sense of suspicion): "And these are the footprints of two people… who could they be?"

Suddenly, a Loud Laugh Echoed Through the Cave

A mysterious voice rang out from the corner of the cave—

Mysterious Voice: "Ali and Junaid! How long will you keep running? In just a little while, you’ll fall right into our trap!"

Junaid (shivering): "Ali! Who are they?"

Ali (shouting): "Who are you? If you have the courage, come out and face us!"

The voice echoed once again—

Mysterious Voice: "Talking about courage? Soon, your courage will fail you!"

Junaid (provoking them): "Cowards always speak from the shadows! If you really have the guts, come forward!"

Mysterious Voice: "Well then, here we come!"

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The Return of Old Enemies

On a large rock above them, two shadows appeared.

When Ali and Junaid looked up, their eyes widened in shock.

The two men standing there were none other than Ameer Tahir's spies and soldiers—the same ones who had attacked Ali and Junaid earlier at the mysterious old man’s house!

They were the same spies the old man had fought and captured!

Junaid (in disbelief): "You two… how are you here?"

The first soldier let out a loud laugh and said—

First Soldier: "Did you really think you could stop us just by taking us captive?"

Junaid: "But how did you even get here?"

The First Soldier Boasted Proudly, As If He Had Achieved Something Great

"We are Ameer Tahir’s oldest and most powerful soldiers! We do not know how to lose! Did you really think that by capturing us, we would rot away in that place?"

Ali and Junaid exchanged glances. They now understood that these men were not the type to give up easily.

The second soldier let out a loud laugh and said:

"When you locked us in that room and left, we found a way out! The ground there wasn’t too hard, so we slowly started digging a tunnel."

Ali (suspiciously): "But where did the tunnel lead?"

The first soldier smirked and spread his arms as he gestured around—

"That’s the trick, my friend! This cave is connected to the tunnel we dug! That means we were already here, waiting for you!"

Ali and Junaid looked at each other in shock.

First Soldier (mockingly): "And those robbers you met? They were our men too!"

Junaid (in disbelief): "What?"

Second Soldier (laughing): "Yes! They pretended to give you the map so that you would fall right into our trap! This was all part of our plan!"

Junaid (angrily): "But if they were your men, why did they fight us?"

First Soldier: "Because we knew they were weak, and you would easily defeat them! That way, you would trust them more easily!"

Ali (in a serious tone): "So, what exactly do you both want from us?"

First Soldier: "We want to capture you and take you to our leader, Ameer Tahir! You two have become a thorn in our side, and once we hand you over to him, you will receive a 'grand welcome'!"

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Ali and Junaid Fight Against the Two Soldiers

Junaid (with determination): "Forget it! We will never fall into your hands!"

Second Soldier (laughing): "And who are you to stop us? You can’t even wield a sword properly!"

Junaid (smirking): "You are right that we don’t know how to use weapons, but you seem to be forgetting that you also don’t have any weapons right now. That means this fight will be fair!"

Second Soldier (angrily): "Weapons or not, it doesn’t matter! We can defeat you without them!"

Ali (firmly): "Let’s see who defeats whom!"

The moment those words were spoken, the battle began!

Ali fought against the first soldier, while Junaid engaged the second soldier. The fight between all four of them was intense and evenly matched!

Ali launched an attack on the first soldier, but the soldier quickly stepped back and suddenly scratched Ali’s eyes with his nails!

Ali groaned in pain, but he refused to give up. He immediately counterattacked and grabbed the soldier by the neck.

As soon as Ali clenched his grip, the first soldier started gasping for air. But suddenly, he used his nails again and scratched Ali’s other eye, cutting the skin above it.

Ali staggered back for a moment.

Seeing an opportunity, the first soldier forcefully pushed Ali, making him crash into the cave wall and fall to the ground.

Meanwhile, Junaid and the Second Soldier Faced Each Other

Seeing Ali in such a bad condition, Junaid's confidence also started fading.

Suddenly, the second soldier punched Junaid hard in the stomach, making him stumble backward and fall.

But in the very next moment, Junaid got back up and landed a powerful punch, breaking two of the soldier’s teeth!

Furious, the second soldier grabbed Junaid by the throat and delivered a strong punch to his stomach.

The force of the punch made Junaid dizzy, and he began to lose his balance. Seeing the perfect opportunity, the second soldier pushed him hard, making him crash into the cave wall and fall to the ground right next to Ali.

Now, both Ali and Junaid had fallen. They were severely weakened after the fight.

The first soldier let out a mocking laugh and said—

"We told you before—fighting us would have terrible consequences!"

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The Final Move and Victory

Ameer Tahir’s two soldiers thought Ali and Junaid were unconscious and were now preparing to capture them.

Ali’s breathing was heavy, but despite the pain, he slowly moved his hand toward his pocket, pretending to still be unconscious.

The second soldier stepped forward and was about to grab Ali’s neck when...

"Now, watch my move!"

Ali suddenly sprang up, gripping the pins in both hands, and stabbed them straight into the soldiers' necks!

"Wh-what have you done?" The first soldier stammered as he stumbled backward.

The second soldier’s eyes rolled upward, and in a heavy, slurred voice, he muttered—

"Ali… you… shouldn’t have done this… Ameer Tahir will not spare you!"

And in the very next moment, both soldiers collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious!

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A Clever Plan to Trap the Soldiers

Ali quickly turned to wake Junaid up.

As soon as Junaid regained consciousness, he saw Ameer Tahir’s soldiers still lying unconscious.

Looking at them, Junaid turned to Ali in astonishment—

"Ali… did you do this? How?"

Ali: "Yes, Junaid! I wasn’t unconscious. I secretly used the sleep-inducing pins, which made them pass out. But forget about that—are you alright?"

Junaid: "Yes, Ali! I’m fine. But what happened to the skin above your eyes?"

Ali: "During the fight, one of the soldiers scratched my eyes with his nails, tearing the skin. But now, we need to tie them up and make sure they don’t escape!"

Ali then thought for a moment and his eyes fell on a small tunnel near a large rock.

Pointing towards it, Ali said—

"Junaid! Look, that small tunnel!"

Junaid turned towards the tunnel and asked—

"A tunnel? What’s your plan?"

Ali explained—

"We will tie these two soldiers with ropes and lock them inside the tunnel. Then, we will move that large rock to block its entrance.

This will give us some extra time, though after a few days, they will find a way out and return to their leader. But for now, this delay is all we need!"

Junaid and Ali Secure the Soldiers and Move Forward

Junaid then said, "Your plan is really good! Let’s do it!"

Ali and Junaid quickly tied up the two soldiers with ropes, dragged them into the small tunnel near the large rock, and sealed the entrance by pushing the massive rock in front of it.

After completing their task, Junaid dusted off his hands and said—

"Well, that takes care of them! Now, let’s move forward."

Ali and Junaid continued their journey deeper into the cave.

After walking for a while, they suddenly saw sunlight streaming in from the cave’s exit.

Ali (excitedly): "Junaid! Look! We’ve finally made it through the cave!"

With renewed energy, Ali and Junaid stepped out of the cave.

However, the moment they emerged, they stopped in shock.

On the outer walls of the cave, strange carvings appeared before them.

What could they mean?

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What Happens Next in the chapter?

What were the carvings that left Ali and Junaid stunned?

The poisonous river lies ahead—will Ali and Junaid be able to cross it?

What will be Ameer Tahir’s next move?

Will the two captured soldiers escape from the tunnel?

To find out, read the next chapter...

Chapter 15...

To Be Continued...

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