For the first time in days…
I wasn't scared of sleeping.
But I was wrong.
The real fear—
Was waking up.
Everything felt normal that morning.
Sunlight through the window.
The soft sound of people outside.
My room… just the way it always was.
But something inside me had changed.
I sat up slowly and looked at my hand.
The mark was still there.
Faint.
Warm.
A reminder.
"Was it really over?" I whispered.
Deep down…
I knew the answer.
No.
The whole day felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
Even the usual noise around me felt distant.
Like I was hearing everything through a wall.
At college—
I tried to focus.
Tried to act normal.
But then—
Something happened.
I was walking through the corridor when suddenly—
I felt it.
That same cold presence.
My steps slowed.
"No…" I whispered under my breath.
The air around me felt heavier.
I turned slightly—
And froze.
At the end of the corridor…
For just a second—
I saw it.
The shadow.
Standing between people.
But no one else noticed.
My heart started pounding.
"This isn't possible…" I whispered.
I blinked—
And it was gone.
Completely gone.
"Ritu? Are you okay?"
I flinched.
Sofia was standing next to me again.
"You look like you've seen something," she said.
"I… I think I did," I replied quietly.
"What?"
I hesitated.
Then shook my head.
"Nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
Because I knew—
It had followed me.
That evening…
I couldn't stay calm anymore.
I went back to the café.
The same place.
The same quiet atmosphere.
And just like before—
He was there.
Aarav.
Sitting near the window.
As if he was waiting.
"You saw it, didn't you?" he said without looking up.
I stopped.
"You already know?" I asked.
He looked at me.
Serious.
"It's not just in your dreams anymore."
A chill ran down my spine.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Aarav stood up slowly.
"It means the barrier is breaking faster than I thought."
My heart dropped.
"Because I remembered?" I asked.
He nodded.
"The more you remember… the stronger it gets."
Fear crept back in.
"So what do we do?" I asked.
Before he could answer—
The lights in the café flickered.
Both of us froze.
"No…" Aarav whispered.
The air turned cold instantly.
That same heavy feeling filled the room.
"It's here," I said, my voice shaking.
Aarav grabbed my wrist.
"Stay close to me."
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And then—
A sound.
Not from far away.
Right behind us.
Slow.
Dragging footsteps.
I couldn't breathe.
"Aarav…" I whispered.
"I know," he replied quietly.
And then—
A voice.
Clearer than ever before.
"You're learning."
I felt my blood run cold.
It wasn't just in my head anymore.
It was real.
Standing there.
With us.
"You shouldn't have helped her remember," it said.
Aarav stepped slightly in front of me.
"She deserves to know the truth."
The shadow let out a low, distorted laugh.
"The truth will destroy her."
My hands trembled.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, forcing my voice out.
Silence.
Then—
It answered.
"Everything."
Suddenly—
The darkness shifted.
And for a split second—
I saw its face.
Not fully.
Not clearly.
But enough to make my heart stop.
It looked like—
Me.
I stumbled back.
"No… that's not possible…"
Aarav's grip tightened.
"It's evolving," he said.
My mind raced.
"It… it looked like me…"
Aarav didn't deny it.
"That's why it's dangerous," he said.
Before I could process anything—
The shadow moved.
Fast.
The air around us cracked.
And suddenly—
I couldn't feel the ground beneath my feet.
"Aarav!" I screamed.
But this time—
He couldn't reach me.
The darkness wrapped around me—
Pulling me in.
Deeper.
Stronger than before.
And the last thing I heard before everything disappeared—
Was its whisper.
"Now… you're coming with me."