Risha's POV
The next day felt… off.
Not in a way anyone else would notice--
but I did.
Rishab was busy making new friends,
while I just stood there…
lost in my own thoughts.
A confusion.
Or maybe--
I was just overthinking everything.
Without thinking much , my steps led me away from the crowded corridors.
Towards the far end of the campus .
A place most students avoided .
It was quiet there
Too quiet
I sat down on the old wooden bench , letting out a slow breathe.
For a moment , everything felt still
But my mind wasn't.
Ananya's expression
The way she had looked at me --like she was trying to say something she couldn't.
And then
That name.
Rakshat Verma.
Why did it feel like everything was somehow connected .
My mind was rethinking that situation again and again but ...then suddenly
A faint sound broke my thoughts.
Footsteps .
Uneven.
I looked up .
And then I saw her .
A girl stumbled into the open space --her movements unsteady , almost like she was forcing herself to keep going .
Her face was dull as if she was being mentally and emotionally tortured, maybe physically too.
Her uniform was slightly crumpled , her hair messy .
And there was something in her eyes-- something that didn't sit right .
Fear .
She looked around frantically , like she was searching for an escape .
And then her eyes landed on me .
Without hesitation, she rushed forward.
"Please..."
Her voice trembled .
"Help me ..."
I stood up immediately startled .
"What happened ?"
She shook her head , breathing heavily.
"I -- I can't stay here..."
She pointed somewhere .
I glanced around instinctively.
No one.
The place was completely empty.
"Who?" I asked , my voice lowering
But before she could say anything -- her eyes dropped .
To my badge .
And just like that -- her expression changed
Fear turned into something else .
Recognition.
"No..." She whispered.
She stepped back
"You're...one of them "
"What? I don't even --"
"Don't" she snapped suddenly , pushing me back .
I lost my balance for a second , confused .
"You are all the same "
Her voice shook , but her eyes burning with something much deeper .
Anger.
"Do you even know what you people do "
I stayed silent .
Because I didn't.
"Killing someone is illegal, right ?"
Her voice dropped
" But what's worse than killing someone..."
"Is breaking them -- slowly"
" Again and again ...until they stop fighting..."
My chest tightened slightly .
"This place -- " she gestured around ,her hands trembling .
" this so -- called reputed institution..."
" It ...crushes people"
"Those powerful rich brats ..."
" They treat us like we're nothing.."
"No matter how hard we try ...to be like them"
"They always remind us -- "
Her gaze looked onto mine .
" That power and respect... aren't earned "
" They're inherited "
A silence followed.
Heavy
Then suddenly,
She froze.
Her eyes shifted past me .
Somewhere behind .
The fear returned instantly .
Stronger than before.
I turned --
But all I could see was distance .
Someone standing far away.
Watching.
She whispered something.
And before I could stop her -- she ran .
Fast.
Disappearing the same way she has appeared .
" Wait--!"
But she didn't stop
My gaze instinctively dropped -- And that's when I saw it.
The badge on her uniform.
Not like mine .
Different.
Silver .
Lavanya -- Even a name badge was there , which was only provided to council members .
My breath hitched slightly
Silver council .
Not everyone had those.
Then why ...
Was she asking for help ?
I turned away again.
Not in confusion.
But , I wanted to see who was there?
At first, there was nothing.
Just silence.
Empty space.
And then-- I saw it .
A figure.
Standing far away.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus.
It looked like… a girl.
I couldn't see her face clearly-- the distance blurred everything.
But something about her stood out.
A faint glint near her ear.
Multiple piercings-- lining the curve of her ear.
My gaze shifted slightly.
In her hand-- a phone
Black cover.
A devil.
She wasn't moving.
Just… watching.
A strange chill ran down my spine.
I blinked-- just for a second
And when I looked again--
she was gone.
My breath hitched.
In her place--
a boy stood there now.
Like he had always been there.
My eyes narrowed.
Something about him felt familiar.
And then it clicked.
Rakshat.
"…Rakshat?"
But before I could react--
he turned.
And walked away.
As if nothing had happened.
"Wait--!"
But he didn't stop.
"Risha!"
I turned abruptly.
Rishab rushed towards me, breathless.
"Come with me -- now "
"Rishab, I need to tell you something--"
"No time."
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.
We walked fast--almost running.
My heart started pounding.
"What happened?"
He didn't answer.
We stopped in front of an old storeroom.
Students had gathered outside.
Too many.
But no one spoke.
Just… watching.
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
We stepped inside.
The room smelled of dust and rust.
Broken desks.
Old chairs.
Discarded things no one cared about anymore.
And in the middle-- everything stopped .
My breath caught in my throat.
Just moments ago--
she was standing in front of me.
Asking for help.
And now-- she was gone.
Completely.
The silence in the room felt heavier than before.
No one reacted.
As if this wasn't new.
I turned away.
I couldn't look there anymore.
My chest felt tight.
My eyes shifted towards the students standing at a distance.
And then-- they stopped.
At the far end.
A girl.
Standing there.
My breath hitched slightly.
The piercings.
The phone.
The same one.
This time--
I could see her face.
And for a moment…
I wished I couldn't.
Her eyes were dark.
Not just in color--
but in the way they looked at everything.
Empty…
yet knowing.
And then--
she smiled.
Slow.
Controlled.
Wrong.
A smile that didn't belong there.
Because it felt like-- she already knew .
Like she had been waiting for this.
My fingers curled slightly.
Who is she?
And why did it feel like--
she wasn't just watching…
but she is part of it ...?