Whispers Beneath The Lamplight

In the ancient lantern-lit city of Dharanagar, secrets are more dangerous than swords. And the darkest ones don't live in hearts — they live in shadows. Eighteen-year-old lamplighter Ishan Vora believes his nightly duty is simple: light the lamps before dusk and keep the streets safe from the creeping dark. But everything changes the night he sees two strangers argue under a lamppost — and their shadows touch. The shadows shiver, twist, and then begin to whisper each other's deepest secret. Ishan discovers a long-buried curse: When two shadows meet, they exchange the darkest truth their owners hide. The city's elite, criminals, lovers, and leaders would kill to protect their buried sins — and someone is using shadow-secrets to control them all. Soon, Ishan uncovers whispers of The Night of Ashes, a chilling plot by a secret group called the Ashen Circle, who intend to force every shadow in Dharanagar to merge at once — unleashing chaos that will tear the city apart from within. To stop them, Ishan must gather forbidden truths using the curse that could destroy him. Alongside a blind girl who can "see" through shadows, a disgraced royal guard, and a thief whose shadow has rebelled against him, Ishan races against the rising moon. But each shadow he touches demands a secret from his own soul — and his shadow is growing darker, louder, and more alive. Filled with mystery, suspense, dark secrets, adventure, and heart-pounding twists, Whispers Beneath the Lamplight explores how far one must go to save a city drowning in its own lies — and what happens when your own shadow becomes your greatest enemy. If shadows could speak, would you dare to listen?