Darkness.
Complete… suffocating darkness.
Anaya couldn't breathe.
Her body felt frozen, like something invisible was holding her in place.
Then—
A whisper.
Soft.
Cold.
Right next to her ear.
"Anaya…"
Her eyes snapped open.
"How do you know my name?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
No answer.
Only silence.
But it wasn't empty.
It felt… alive.
She tried to move, but her legs refused. Her heart pounded wildly as her eyes adjusted to the dim light around her.
She wasn't in her room anymore.
The walls were different.
Old.
Cracked.
Stained.
And the air smelled like something… rotten.
"This isn't real…" she muttered, trying to convince herself.
But deep down—
She knew it was.
A sudden sound echoed behind her.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Coming closer.
Anaya turned around sharply.
No one.
But the footsteps didn't stop.
They circled her.
Closer.
Closer.
"Stop this!" she cried out.
The whisper returned.
This time, clearer.
"He didn't tell you… did he?"
Her breath hitched.
"Who?"
A pause.
Then—
"Aarav."
The name sent a chill down her spine.
"What about him?" she asked, fear creeping into every word.
A faint laugh echoed through the darkness.
Low.
Mocking.
"He was there…"
Anaya's mind raced.
There? Where?
Before she could think further—
A shadow appeared on the wall.
Tall.
Distorted.
Watching her.
And then—
It moved.
Not on the wall.
But behind her.
Anaya froze.
Slowly…
She turned.
And this time—
She wasn't alone.
What truth was Aarav hiding… and why was it coming for Anaya now?
👉 "The shadow wasn't a stranger… it was someone she trusted."