After everything that happened, the tension, the stress, I was running on fumes.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I went to bed early. My mind had been spinning with too many thoughts to stay awake any longer. As a result, I managed to drag myself to school on time the next morning. But something was... off. Aaravi wasn't there yet. She was never late. I smirked to myself, thinking about how I’d finally scold her for a change.

As students poured into the classroom, filling the room with noise and chatter, a knot began to form in my stomach. The teacher came in, we stood to greet her, but still... no Aaravi. I looked around, scanning faces, but somehow I couldn't find Ayaan either.

A flash of the message hit me hard: "Your friends are going to DIE."

My hands clenched the edge of the desk, my mind screaming at me to stop thinking like this. I slapped both my cheeks, hard, drawing a few stares from classmates, but they quickly averted their gaze. It was like everyone was trained to ignore me, except Mrs. Anjali. No one ever cared.

The lecture began, but I couldn’t focus. My eyes flicked toward the door every few seconds, my leg bouncing under the desk. Where the hell were they?

By the time the break came, I was drenched in sweat, my body fighting panic. I needed air. I needed to move.

I finally spotted Ayaan during the interval, and a rush of relief hit me so hard that it almost made me dizzy. He was fine. He had arrived early and been caught up with some project work.

“What about Aaravi?” I blurted out, not bothering to hide my worry. “She still hasn’t shown up.”

Ayaan’s face darkened for a second. “I saw her this morning, on the way to school.” He scratched his head. “She was walking, like always. Left pretty early too—unlike someone.” He smirked, trying to joke, but I wasn’t laughing.

My stomach churned, and I could feel bile rising in my throat. Without another word, I bolted to the bathroom. The panic had me in its grip now. I stumbled inside, barely making it to the sink before throwing up. My legs gave out. The cold bathroom floor greeted me, and the world started to blur around the edges.

Next thing I knew, Ayaan was there, lifting me up. He practically carried me to the nurse’s office. I hated feeling this weak, this powerless. The nurse told me to lie still for five minutes, something about my stomach needing to settle, but all I could think about was Aaravi.

“Maybe she had something important come up and skipped school.” Ayaan’s voice was calm, trying to reassure me. “You know how focused she is on becoming a doctor. She wouldn't miss class unless it was serious.”

“I’m not exactly losing sleep over it.” I scoffed, the words coming out sharper than I intended. “She can take care of herself.”

Ayaan just stared at me, his expression softening, like he was waiting for me to say something real.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“What? You think I’m sitting here panicking over her?” I forced a chuckle, even though my chest tightened. “Please, she’s probably just late because she found someone else to nag.”

His silence spoke volumes.

“Stop looking at me like that,” I muttered, feeling a flicker of irritation. “I’m not worried.”

But Ayaan’s eyes didn’t waver. He knew me too well, and the way his gaze pinned me down made it clear he wasn’t buying a single word.

“Fine, whatever,” I snapped, unable to hold back. “It’s just weird, okay? Happy now?”“

You’re worried sick, Vyom. Don’t pretend. No one else cares about you the way Aaravi does. This isn’t just about her being late, is it? It’s that message.”

I glared at him, but Ayaan’s eyes were already reading me like a book. He was too damn good at this.** I lied. “You’ve got it wrong.” But we both knew he saw right through me.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A chill ran down my spine. I grabbed it and glanced at the screen, my heart stopping for a second.

“What’s wrong?” Ayaan asked, his concern immediate.

“Just a new game release.” I forced a laugh, but the lie tasted bitter.

“Then why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I faked nausea again and made a show of rushing to the bathroom. Anything to avoid his questions.

Ayaan muttered something under his breath as I left, but I didn’t care. I needed space.

The nurse dismissed me back to class, but the knot in my stomach only tightened. As I handed over my phone at the submission counter, the message echoed in my mind.

I couldn’t shake it. Whoever sent that message wasn’t some wannabe hacker. They were serious, and they had the means to back up their threat. For the first time, I felt the weight of real danger looming over me. This wasn’t just some game. These people were real, and they were coming for me—and my friends.

I wouldn’t let them win.

The lectures droned on, but I felt the walls closing in. My mind drifted back to the first time I met Aaravi, five years ago. Ayaan had taken me to school in his car, and as soon as we stepped out, I heard it—her voice.

“You’re late again, Ayaan!” Her voice was sharp, but there was something about it that was... sweet, almost.

Ayaan introduced me to her, but I barely acknowledged her. I didn’t know how to talk to anyone but Ayaan. But Aaravi... she was persistent. Over time, she forced her way into my life, just like Ayaan had. And now? Now they were the two people I cared about more than anything.

And now, they were in danger because of me.

A sharp voice broke through my thoughts. “Wake up, Vyom! We’re in the middle of English class!” The teacher was glaring at me. I glared right back. He always ruined my naps.

But I had more important things to worry about.

I needed to follow the steps from the message. Step one was to get to the storage room. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t have a choice.

I raised my hand. “Sir, may I use the washroom?”

To my surprise, he nodded. That never works.

I didn’t waste a second. I had to retrieve my phone. Without it, I was blind, walking into this fight unarmed. And I never walked into a fight unarmed.

I reached the phone counter, my heart thudding in my ears. Every step felt too loud in the silence, like I was walking into something I shouldn’t. My hand slipped into my pocket, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the lock pick I’d carried for years.

My mind raced—what if someone saw me? What if this was a setup? I shook the thoughts off and focused, my fingers working on instinct, finding the grooves in the lock. It clicked open faster than I expected. Too fast.

I grabbed my phone, slipping it into my pocket like it was a stolen treasure. A strange chill crawled down my spine, and for a moment, I hesitated. Something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

The door to the storage room was supposed to be locked, but when I got there... it was open.

Wide open.

Like someone had been waiting for me.

Anyone could see the door , but only I could see the welcoming invite.