Meera's last message echoed in my mind.
"It's after me."
I didn't want to believe it.
But everything pointed in that direction.
The name in the file.
The hospital.
The fire.
And now—
The shadow speaking directly to her.
The next day, Meera looked distant.
"I keep thinking about that hospital," she said.
"What did your mom say?" I asked.
"She said I was found in the corridor… unconscious," Meera replied.
The corridor.
The same one.
"Was anyone else there?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"She said… another child was missing."
My heart dropped.
"Missing?" I repeated.
Meera nodded slowly.
"They never found her."
Cold chills ran down my spine.
That night—
We both knew the dream would return.
And it did.
The corridor appeared again.
But now—
Smoke filled the air.
The lights flickered violently.
"It's different," Meera whispered.
"It's the past," I said.
We walked forward.
Flames appeared at the end.
My heart raced.
A small figure stood near the fire.
A child.
"Do you see her?" Meera asked.
"Yes," I whispered.
The child slowly turned.
Her face hidden in shadow.
Then—
The dark shape appeared behind her.
The same shadow.
But smaller.
It stepped forward.
And the voice came.
"You left me…"
The child pointed at Meera.
"You promised…"
Meera's hands shook.
"I… I don't remember," she whispered.
The smoke grew thicker.
The shadow stretched taller again.
"You ran…"
The child disappeared.
The shadow moved closer.
"And I stayed."
Everything went dark.
I woke up gasping.
My phone buzzed instantly.
Message from Meera:
"I think… I wasn't alone that day."
My heart pounded.
Another message followed:
"I think I left someone behind."