The room fell into complete silence.
Arjun stood frozen as Aanya stepped closer.
Every step she took felt… wrong.
Not human.
"Aanya… stop," he said, his voice trembling.
But she didn't stop.
Her eyes… they weren't the same anymore.
A faint crimson glow flickered inside them.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
That same unfamiliar voice echoed again.
Arjun shook his head.
"No… this isn't you."
He took a step back.
But suddenly—
The door behind him slammed shut.
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
For a few seconds… there was nothing.
No sound.
No movement.
Just silence.
Then—
A whisper.
The room fell into complete silence.
Arjun stood frozen as Aanya stepped closer.
Her movements were slow… unnatural… as if something else was controlling her body.
"Aanya… stop," he said, his voice shaking.
But she didn't stop.
Her eyes… they weren't hers anymore.
A faint crimson glow flickered deep inside them.
"You shouldn't have come back," she said softly.
That voice…
It didn't belong to her.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The door slammed shut behind Arjun.
The lights went out instantly.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Arjun couldn't even see his own hands.
"Aanya…?" he whispered.
No response.
Then—
A cold breath brushed against his ear.
"You left her first…"
Arjun gasped and turned around.
Nothing.
No one.
A faint red light slowly filled the room.
Just enough to reveal Aanya standing in the middle.
Completely still.
Her head slowly lifted upward.
As if something inside her had finally awakened.
The temperature dropped sharply.
The windows began to shake.
Glass rattling violently.
Wind howling from nowhere.
Then—
She screamed.
A piercing, chilling scream.
But it wasn't just her voice.
It was two voices overlapping.
One filled with pain…
The other filled with something ancient.
Her body suddenly lifted off the ground.
Arjun's heart stopped.
"AANYA!"
The crimson shadow spread wildly across the walls.
Like it was alive.
Like it was hungry.
It wrapped around her… slowly… tightly.
Then—
Everything stopped.
Silence.
Her body dropped hard onto the floor.
The red light disappeared.
Darkness returned.
Arjun rushed to her side.
"Aanya… please… wake up…"
For a moment… nothing happened.
Then—
Her fingers twitched.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Normal.
Completely normal.
"Arjun…?" she whispered weakly.
Relief hit him instantly.
"You're okay… you're safe…"
But then—
She smiled.
A slow… quiet… knowing smile.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
But control.
Behind her…
On the wall…
The crimson shadow didn't disappear.
It stayed.
Still.
Watching.
"Because this time… the shadow didn't need the darkness anymore—it was already inside her."