"Don't move."
Kiara's voice was low.
Sharp.
Nothing like her usual playful tone.
I froze.
My eyes were still locked on that thing.
Those black, empty eyes—
Staring straight into me.
Not through me.
Into me.
"You can see…"
That whisper echoed again.
Louder this time.
Clearer.
And definitely not my voice.
My chest tightened.
"Kiara…" I whispered, "it's talking again."
"I know."
That was not comforting.
At all.
Luna stepped slightly forward.
Positioning herself just a bit ahead of me.
Protective.
Or maybe—
Defensive.
"You weren't supposed to find him this soon," she said coldly.
The thing didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
It just—
Watched.
And then—
It smiled.
Or at least…
Something like a smile.
Its face stretched unnaturally.
Too wide.
Too wrong.
My stomach twisted.
"Yeah, nope," Kiara muttered. "I officially hate that."
"Focus," Luna said.
"I am focused. I'm focused on how creepy that thing is."
"Kiara."
"Fine."
For the first time—
Kiara stepped forward too.
Now both of them were in front of me.
Shielding me.
That… felt strange.
Because just a while ago—
I didn't even know any of this existed.
And now?
I was being protected from it.
"Stay behind us," Luna said.
I didn't argue.
Didn't even think about it.
Because my body already knew—
I stood no chance against that thing.
The air around us felt heavy.
Like pressure building up.
Invisible.
But suffocating.
The thing tilted its head again.
And then—
It took a step.
A real one this time.
The sound echoed.
Soft.
But wrong.
Like something learning how to walk.
"…It's getting closer," I said.
"No shit," Kiara replied.
"Language."
"Not the time, Luna."
Another step.
Closer.
Each movement felt… delayed.
Like it didn't belong to this world.
"Why isn't it attacking?" I asked.
"Because it's curious," Luna said.
"That's worse."
"Much worse."
Great.
Just great.
My heartbeat was getting louder again.
That same heavy pounding.
Like something was reacting inside me.
The thing stopped.
Just a few meters away now.
Those black eyes—
Still locked onto me.
Only me.
It wasn't even looking at Kiara or Luna.
Just me.
"…Why me?" I whispered.
Neither of them answered.
But I think—
They both knew.
Suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through my chest.
I gasped.
"What the—?!"
I clutched my shirt.
Right over my heart.
It burned.
Like something was… carving into me.
"Ayaan!" Kiara turned instantly.
"What's happening to him?" she snapped.
Luna's eyes widened slightly.
For the first time—
Actual shock.
"…No way."
"What?!"
"He's getting marked."
My mind went blank.
"Getting WHAT?!"
The pain intensified.
I dropped to my knees.
Breathing became harder.
Each breath felt like fire.
"Make it stop!" I gritted out.
"Kiara, we need to pull back—now!" Luna said.
"I'm not leaving him!"
"You won't have a choice if that thing completes it!"
Completes?
Completes what?!
The thing took another step.
Closer.
Closer.
And then—
It raised its hand.
Slowly.
Like it was reaching for me.
"Nope, not happening," Kiara snapped.
She moved.
Fast.
Faster than I expected.
In a blink—
She was in front of it.
Her expression—
Gone.
No smile.
No playfulness.
Just cold focus.
"Back off," she said.
The thing didn't react.
Its hand kept moving.
Towards me.
Towards my chest.
Towards that burning pain.
"Kiara!" Luna warned.
"I said—BACK OFF!"
Something changed.
The air cracked.
Literally.
A sharp, invisible ripple spread from Kiara.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Cold.
Freezing.
For a split second—
Everything felt still.
Then—
The thing stopped.
Its hand froze mid-air.
Its head twitched.
Like it was… glitching.
Kiara's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah," she muttered. "That got your attention."
The pressure around us shifted.
Unstable.
Like something was about to break.
But the pain in my chest—
Was still there.
Still burning.
Still spreading.
"Ayaan, listen to me," Luna said urgently, kneeling beside me.
"Focus on your breathing."
"I—I can't—"
"You have to."
Her hand moved to my chest.
Right where it hurt.
And for a moment—
The pain lessened.
Just a little.
"Good," she said softly. "Stay with me."
Her voice—
Calm again.
But faster.
Controlled urgency.
"Don't let it in."
"…What does that even mean?!" I gasped.
"It means don't respond to it."
Too late.
I already had.
That whisper.
That connection.
That thing—
It wasn't just watching anymore.
It was interacting.
And now—
It was doing something to me.
The thing twitched again.
More violently this time.
Its body flickered.
Like a broken signal.
Kiara didn't move.
Didn't blink.
She just stood there—
Blocking it.
"You're not taking him," she said quietly.
Something about her tone—
Was different.
Serious.
Dangerous.
Possessive.
The thing let out a sound.
Not a voice.
Not a growl.
Something in between.
Distorted.
Unnatural.
And then—
It stepped back.
Just one step.
But that was enough.
The pressure eased slightly.
The pain in my chest started fading.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
"…It's retreating," I whispered.
"For now," Luna said.
The thing's eyes—
Still locked onto me.
Even as it moved back.
Even as its form started to blur again.
"You… are… marked…"
The whisper came one last time.
Clear.
Cold.
Final.
And then—
It disappeared.
Gone.
Like it was never there.
Silence.
Heavy.
Deafening silence.
My breathing was still uneven.
My body shaking slightly.
"What… just happened?" I asked.
No one answered immediately.
Kiara turned back to me.
Her usual smile—
Gone.
"…That," she said quietly,
"was bad."
Luna helped me stand up.
Her grip steady.
But her expression—
Still serious.
"Show me," she said.
"Show you what?"
"Your chest."
"Excuse me?!"
"Not like that, idiot. Just—move your collar."
"Oh."
Right.
I awkwardly pulled my collar aside.
Both of them leaned in.
And then—
They froze.
"…I knew it," Luna whispered.
Kiara exhaled slowly.
"Yeah…"
"What?!" I snapped. "What is it?!"
Neither of them answered immediately.
That was getting really annoying.
Finally—
Luna looked at me.
Straight into my eyes.
And said the one thing—
I didn't want to hear.
"You've been chosen."
My stomach dropped.
"…Chosen for what?"
A pause.
A heavy one.
Kiara smirked faintly.
But this time—
There was no humor in it.
"For something," she said,
"you really don't want to be part of."