Karan couldn't move.
Not because he didn't want to—
But because his body refused to respond.
His eyes were locked on the thing crawling out of the floor.
On the face.
His face.
Same features.
Same eyes.
Same scars.
But something about it was… wrong.
Deeply wrong.
---
The other Karan pulled himself further up, his fingers digging into the edges of the trapdoor like he had done it before.
Like he had done it many times.
His movements were slow.
Unnatural.
Almost as if he wasn't in a hurry.
Because he knew—
Karan wasn't going anywhere.
---
Karan's breath came out in short, broken bursts.
"No… no, this is not possible…"
His voice barely existed.
A whisper.
A denial.
A lie he was trying to believe.
---
The other Karan smiled wider.
Not friendly.
Not human.
A stretched, hollow expression that didn't reach his eyes.
---
«"You always say that."»
---
The exact same line.
Again.
Karan shook his head violently.
"Stop saying that! What do you mean 'always'?!"
His voice cracked.
Fear bleeding through every word.
---
The other Karan tilted his head slowly.
Observing him.
Studying him.
Like a reflection that had learned to think on its own.
---
«"It means…" he said softly, "you never remember."»
---
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Karan's mind struggled to catch up.
"Remember… what?"
---
The other Karan didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He climbed out completely.
Standing now.
Fully inside the room.
---
Karan instinctively moved back.
Until his back hit the wall.
No escape.
Nowhere to go.
---
The two stood facing each other.
Identical.
But completely different.
---
The other Karan's eyes were darker.
Deeper.
Like they held something—
Something Karan couldn't understand.
Or maybe—
Something he had forgotten.
---
«"You think this is the first time you came here?" the other Karan asked quietly.»
---
Karan swallowed hard.
"…it is."
---
The other Karan chuckled softly.
A low, broken sound.
---
«"That's what you said last time too."»
---
Karan's chest tightened painfully.
"No… you're lying."
---
«"Am I?"»
---
The other Karan took a step forward.
Karan flinched immediately.
---
«"Then why does everything feel familiar?" he continued.
"Why did you know your room?"
"Why did the house recognize you?"»
---
Each question hit harder than the last.
Because Karan didn't have answers.
Only fear.
---
"I—I lived here before—"
---
«"No," the other Karan interrupted calmly.
"You didn't just live here."»
---
Another step closer.
---
«"You stayed."»
---
Karan's breath stopped.
---
«"You never left."»
---
Something inside Karan snapped.
"No! That's not true!"
He shook his head, pressing himself harder against the wall.
"I left years ago! I remember—"
---
«"Do you?"»
---
Silence.
---
Karan's thoughts froze.
Because when he tried—
Really tried—
To remember leaving…
There was nothing.
Just a gap.
A blur.
An empty space.
---
His breathing became uneven.
"No… no, I remember—"
But he didn't.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
---
The other Karan watched him closely.
Almost… sympathetically.
---
«"It's okay," he said softly.
"It always breaks here."»
---
Karan looked up sharply.
"What breaks?"
---
The other Karan smiled faintly.
---
«"You."»
---
The word landed heavily.
Like something final.
Something inevitable.
---
Before Karan could react—
The room changed.
---
The walls flickered.
For a second—
They weren't walls anymore.
They were something else.
Dark.
Endless.
Moving.
---
Karan blinked.
And everything snapped back to normal.
---
His heart pounded violently.
"What—what was that?!"
---
The other Karan didn't answer.
Instead—
He turned his head slowly.
Looking at something behind Karan.
---
Karan frowned.
"…what are you looking at?"
---
No response.
---
A chill ran down his spine.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
Karan turned his head.
---
The wall behind him…
Was no longer a wall.
---
It was a mirror.
---
A large one.
Covering the entire surface.
---
Karan's eyes widened.
"That wasn't there—"
---
But he stopped.
Because the reflection—
Was wrong.
---
There were three figures.
---
Him.
The other Karan.
And—
Someone else.
---
Standing between them.
---
Karan's breath caught.
"…who is that…?"
---
The figure was blurry.
Distorted.
Like it didn't belong fully in the reflection.
---
But slowly—
It became clearer.
---
A girl.
---
Long hair.
Still.
Silent.
Watching.
---
Karan's heart started racing again.
"Who—who are you?!"
---
The girl didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
---
The other Karan spoke instead.
Quietly.
---
«"You don't remember her either?"»
---
Karan turned toward him instantly.
"What are you talking about?!"
---
The other Karan's expression softened.
For the first time—
There was something human in it.
---
«"That's… unfortunate."»
---
The girl in the mirror moved.
---
Karan froze.
Because this time—
He hadn't moved.
---
She stepped forward.
Inside the reflection.
Closer.
Closer.
---
And then—
She raised her hand.
Pointing.
At him.
---
Not the other Karan.
Not the reflection.
---
Him.
---
Karan's breath hitched.
"Why is she—"
---
«"Because you're the one who forgot."»
---
The other Karan's voice cut through.
Cold now.
Sharp.
---
The mirror flickered.
Violently.
---
For a split second—
Karan saw something else.
---
The same room.
But not empty.
---
Blood.
On the floor.
On the walls.
Everywhere.
---
And in the center—
A body.
---
Karan's body.
---
His vision snapped back.
He stumbled, grabbing his head.
"No… no, I didn't—"
---
The other Karan stepped closer again.
Right in front of him now.
Too close.
---
«"You did."»
---
Karan looked up.
Tears forming in his eyes.
"I didn't do anything…"
---
The other Karan leaned in slightly.
Whispering—
---
«"Then why does she keep coming back?"»
---
Karan's entire body went cold.
---
Slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned his head back toward the mirror.
---
The girl was gone.
---
But in her place—
Words had appeared.
---
Written across the glass.
Dark.
Wet.
Fresh.
---
Karan stared at them.
His vision blurring.
His hands shaking.
---
Because this time—
He understood.
---
The message read—
---
"YOU LEFT ME HERE."