The hospital room was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Arjun sat beside Aanya, his eyes fixed on her face. She looked normal now. Calm. Fragile. As if nothing had happened.
But he knew better.
He had seen it.
That shadow… that voice… that smile.
"Aanya…" he said softly. "Do you remember anything?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on the ceiling.
For a moment, Arjun thought she hadn't heard him.
Then, slowly… she spoke.
"I remember everything."
Arjun's heart skipped a beat.
"Everything?" he asked carefully.
Aanya turned her head toward him.
Her eyes were normal.
But something in them felt… deeper.
Darker.
"It was there before you came," she said quietly. "In the room."
Arjun swallowed.
"What was?"
Aanya's lips curved slightly.
"The shadow."
A cold chill ran through him.
"You can see it?" he whispered.
She didn't reply.
Instead, she sat up slowly.
The machines beside her beeped faster for a moment… then suddenly stopped.
The silence returned.
Arjun frowned.
"That's not possible…" he muttered.
Aanya looked down at her hands.
Her wrist.
No wound.
Not even a scar.
"It doesn't hurt anymore," she said.
Before Arjun could respond—
A faint whisper echoed in the room.
Soft.
Almost inaudible.
"Aanya…"
Arjun froze.
"Did you hear that?" he asked quickly.
But Aanya didn't look scared.
She looked… calm.
As if she was expecting it.
"It's calling me," she said.
Arjun stood up immediately.
"No. No, you're not going anywhere."
He grabbed her hand.
It was cold.
Colder than before.
"You're not alone," he said firmly. "I'm here."
For a moment, Aanya looked at him.
Really looked at him.
Something flickered in her eyes.
Something human.
But then—
Her expression changed.
"It doesn't like you," she said softly.
Arjun's grip tightened.
"What do you mean?"
Aanya slowly turned her head toward the wall behind him.
Arjun followed her gaze.
Nothing was there.
Just a blank white wall.
Then—
A dark stain appeared.
Faint at first.
Then slowly growing.
Spreading like smoke.
Forming a shape.
A shadow.
Crimson.
Arjun stepped back in horror.
"No… no, this isn't real…"
But it was.
The shadow moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Toward Aanya.
"She belongs to me," a voice whispered.
This time, Arjun heard it clearly.
He grabbed Aanya's hand again.
"She's not going anywhere!" he shouted.
The shadow suddenly stretched across the wall.
Faster now.
Angrier.
The lights flickered violently.
The temperature dropped.
And then—
Everything stopped.
The shadow froze.
Aanya's body stiffened.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then she smiled.
A slow… terrifying smile.
"She already came," she whispered.
Arjun felt his heart stop.
"What…?"
Aanya leaned closer to him.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I didn't come back alone."
The lights went out.
Darkness filled the room.
And in that darkness…
Something moved.
"Because the moment the lights came back… there were two shadows standing behind her."