The cold night wind brushed past my face as I walked through the silent streets.
Every sound around me felt amplified.
A stray dog scratching against a metal shutter.
The distant hum of a truck engine.
A window closing three houses away.
Even the faint rustle of leaves seemed unnaturally clear.
I slowed my steps.
This body…
No.
This body was no longer the weak shell it once had been.
Every nerve felt alive.
Every breath carried scents I had never noticed before.
Rainwater on the pavement.
Smoke from a faraway tea stall.
And something warm.
Home.
The memories of the boy—Aarav Malhotra—guided my feet through the narrow lane.
A familiar two-storey house stood at the end of the street.
Cream-coloured walls.
A small balcony on the first floor.
Soft yellow light spilling from one of the windows.
Someone was awake.
I stopped at the gate.
For a moment, I simply stared.
A strange feeling stirred inside me.
In my previous life, there had never been a place to return to.
No home.
No family.
Only safe houses, rooftops, and hotel rooms changed with every mission.
But now…
I had a house.
I reached for the gate and pushed it open.
The faint creak sounded louder than it should have.
Before I could even knock, the front door swung open.
A young woman stood there with her arms crossed.
Long dark hair fell over one shoulder.
Sharp eyes.
Elegant features.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties.
Her expression was a mix of anger and relief.
The memory clicked.
Ananya.
The eldest sister.
She glared at me.
"Do you even know what time it is?"
Her voice was low, sharp, and full of restrained frustration.
I blinked.
For a second, I didn't know how to respond.
In my past life, no one had ever waited for me.
No one had ever worried.
No one had ever opened a door like this.
Behind her, another voice called out.
"Did our little bookworm finally remember he has a house?"
A second woman stepped into view.
Slightly younger.
Shoulder-length hair.
A teasing smile played on her lips.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Kavya.
The second sister.
She leaned against the wall and smirked.
"Or did some girl finally confess to you?"
Before I could answer, quick footsteps approached.
A third girl appeared.
Shorter than the other two.
Softer expression.
Warm eyes filled with concern.
Riya.
The youngest among the elder sisters.
The closest to Aarav emotionally.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw me.
"Aarav!"
She rushed forward and grabbed my arm.
"Where were you? We've been calling you for hours!"
Her touch made me freeze.
The warmth of another human being felt… unfamiliar.
I looked down at her hand on my sleeve.
For a moment, something old and dark stirred inside me.
The assassin in me immediately catalogued her position, distance, and vulnerability.
I pushed the instinct down.
These people weren't enemies.
They were family.
At least, they had been his.
And now…
mine.
"I…"
The words came out rough.
I wasn't used to explaining myself.
Ananya's expression softened slightly.
"Come inside first."
I stepped into the house.
Warmth immediately wrapped around me.
The scent of fresh tea lingered in the air.
The living room was simple but cosy.
A sofa.
A wooden centre table.
Family photographs lined the wall.
One picture caught my eye.
A much younger Aarav stood between his three sisters, awkwardly holding a stack of books while they smiled around him.
For some reason, my chest tightened.
Riya touched my forehead.
Her brows furrowed.
"You're not sick…"
Kavya stepped closer and tilted her head.
"Hm."
Her teasing smile slowly faded.
"Wait a minute."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you look… different?"
Ananya looked at me carefully.
And I realised she was right.
The body had changed.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
The frail weakness from the host's memories was gone.
My shoulders felt broader.
My posture is naturally straighter.
Even my eyes seemed sharper.
The sisters noticed it instantly.
I gave a faint smile.
"Maybe I'm just tired."
Kavya snorted.
"That's definitely not it."
Riya looked worried.
"You disappeared after college."
Her voice dropped.
"And when we called your friends…"
She hesitated.
"They said you left alone."
A flash of memory surfaced.
A dark street.
Ten women.
A glowing circle.
Then blackness.
I clenched my fist.
Before I could answer, a calm voice came from deeper inside the house.
"So the young man finally decided to come home."
My gaze snapped toward the hallway.
A tall man stepped into the living room.
Broad shoulders.
Relaxed posture.
Sharp but kind eyes.
Even in simple home clothes, he carried a presence that commanded the room.
Rajveer Malhotra.
The father.
The cool-headed man from the host's memories.
Beside him came a woman with soft features and worried eyes.
Her expression instantly melted into relief the moment she saw me.
Meera Malhotra.
The mother.
She walked over quickly.
"Aarav!"
Her hands gently held my face.
"Do you know how worried we were?"
For a moment, I said nothing.
Something strange stirred inside me again.
No one had ever looked at me like this.
No one had ever been relieved to see me alive.
Not in either life.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly.
The room fell silent.
The three sisters stared at me.
Mother blinked.
Father raised one brow.
Apparently, the original Aarav rarely apologised.
Kavya suddenly laughed.
"Okay, now this is suspicious."
Ananya nodded slowly.
"Very suspicious."
Riya tilted her head.
"Are you really our brother?"
I almost smiled.
For the first time since waking up, the atmosphere felt lighter.
Then—
a sound.
A heartbeat.
Outside the house.
Slow.
Steady.
Unfamiliar.
I turned sharply toward the window.
My entire body tensed.
Ananya frowned.
"What happened?"
I didn't answer.
Because I could hear it clearly.
Someone was standing outside the gate.
Watching the house.
The heartbeat was calm.
Controlled.
Not human.
Cold killing intent flickered through my veins.
The assassin inside me awakened instantly.
And then—
another sound.
A soft female voice carried through the night.
Low.
Elegant.
Dangerously familiar.
"My king…"
My eyes widened.
That voice.
One of the girls from the ritual.
The sisters stared at me in confusion.
But I was already moving toward the door.
Because whoever stood outside—
had come for me.