The hospital room fell silent.
Arjun stood still, trying to understand what had just happened.
"Aanya…" he whispered.
She looked at him.
For a moment… she looked normal.
Just Aanya.
The girl he knew.
The girl he loved.
But then—
Her expression changed.
Slightly.
Almost unnoticeable.
"You came back," she said.
Arjun frowned.
"I never left."
Aanya shook her head slowly.
"No… not here."
A chill ran down his spine.
"What do you mean?"
Aanya stepped closer.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"You crossed over… and now something followed you back."
The air in the room suddenly grew heavier.
The lights dimmed.
And the temperature dropped again.
Arjun felt it instantly.
That presence.
It was back.
Behind him—
A shadow formed.
Not the crimson one.
Not the protector.
This one was darker.
Deeper.
And it was his.
Arjun turned slowly.
His shadow stood on the wall.
Still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Aanya looked at it.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's growing," she said.
Arjun swallowed.
"What is it?"
Aanya didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she stepped closer to him.
Very close.
Too close.
"You're not fully human anymore," she whispered.
Arjun's heart stopped.
"What…?"
Aanya's fingers slowly touched his chest.
Right where the pain had started before.
"You brought something back with you," she said.
"And now… it's becoming you."
Suddenly—
A sharp whisper echoed in the room.
"Give him to me…"
The crimson shadow appeared again.
Spreading across the ceiling.
Hungry.
Desperate.
The protector shadow appeared instantly.
Blocking its path.
The two forces clashed again.
The room trembled.
Arjun fell to his knees.
The pain returned.
Stronger than before.
"AANYA!" he shouted.
Aanya didn't move.
She just watched.
Her face calm.
Too calm.
"You have to choose," she said.
Arjun looked up at her in shock.
"Choose what?!"
Aanya's eyes locked onto his.
"Stay human… and let it take you."
"Or accept the shadow… and lose yourself."
Silence.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
The shadows around them grew more violent.
Fighting.
Colliding.
Breaking the walls of reality itself.
Arjun's shadow moved again.
This time… closer to him.
Reaching.
Calling.
Arjun clenched his fists.
His mind racing.
His heart breaking.
"Aanya…" he whispered.
"Will I lose you?"
For a moment—
Her expression softened.
A tear almost formed in her eyes.
"You already did," she said quietly.
Everything inside him shattered.
The crimson shadow screamed.
The protector shadow pushed forward.
The room exploded into darkness.
Arjun closed his eyes.
And made his choice.
"And when he opened his eyes again… his shadow was no longer behind him—it was standing in his place."