Chapter 6: The Silent Pursuit
Neha moved quickly through the snow, her boots crunching softly against the frozen ground.
The night was endless and black, only the faint shimmer of the northern lights painting the sky in eerie green waves.
The cold cut into her skin like knives, but she didn't slow down.
She couldn't.
Behind her, the base grew smaller, swallowed by the darkness.
She was alone now.
But strangely, she felt a heavy presence in the air — as if unseen eyes were following her every step.
The wilderness ahead was vast, merciless.
But whatever she had left behind was far more terrifying.
**
Footprints in the Snow
After an hour of walking, Neha paused to catch her breath.
The storm had lessened, but the temperature had dropped even further.
She scanned the ground behind her — and froze.
There were more footprints than her own.
Fresh ones.
Following her.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
She was not alone.
Neha tightened her grip on her pistol and moved faster, forcing herself to keep calm.
Panic would only get her killed.
She needed to find shelter.
And soon.
**
The Abandoned Outpost
After another brutal hour, Neha spotted something through the mist —a dark shape rising out of the endless white.
An old research outpost.
Half-buried under snow, walls crumbling from neglect.
Hope flickered inside her.
If the structure was stable enough, it could provide temporary shelter — a place to regroup, to think.
She hurried toward it, ignoring the burning pain in her legs.
The door creaked loudly as she pushed it open.
Inside, the air was stale, frozen.
Frost covered the walls.
Old papers and broken furniture were scattered everywhere.
But it was shelter.
It was enough.
For now.
**
Setting Traps
Neha knew she couldn't just hide.
She needed to defend herself.
Quickly, she rigged a few makeshift alarms — strings tied to empty cans and broken glass — around the doors and windows.
Not much, but it might give her a warning.
She found an old lantern, miraculously still functional, and lit it.
A soft orange glow filled the room, pushing back the oppressive darkness.
For the first time since leaving the base, she allowed herself a moment to breathe.
But deep inside, she knew the night wasn't over.
Not yet.
**
The Visitor
Hours passed.
Neha sat in a corner, wrapped in an old blanket, gun resting across her lap.
Her eyelids grew heavy.
Her mind drifted.
Then — Clink.
The sound of a can falling.
Her eyes snapped open.
Someone — or something — had triggered her alarm.
She moved silently to the nearest window and peered outside.
A shadow moved through the snow.
Slow.
Deliberate.
A human shape.
But somehow wrong.
Its movements were jerky, unnatural — like a puppet with broken strings.
Neha's blood turned to ice.
It had followed her.
It had found her.
**
Face-to-Face
The figure stopped just a few feet from the door.
In the weak lantern light, she recognized the face.
Aarav.
Or rather, something wearing Aarav's face.
It smiled at her.
A wide, broken smile that didn't reach its hollow, empty eyes.
"Neha," it called softly."Come back. It's safe now. You don't have to run."
Its voice was almost right — almost.
But there was something wrong in the rhythm, the tone, the soul of it.
Neha backed away, heart pounding.
The thing at the door tilted its head, watching her.
Waiting.
**
Breaking In
Suddenly, the door rattled violently.
The creature began pounding, smashing against it with inhuman strength.
The flimsy wood wouldn't hold for long.
Neha raised her gun, aiming at the door.
Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to steady them.
If it came through, she would shoot.
Shoot first, question later.
Bang!
A fist punched through the thin wood, splintering it.
An arm reached inside, groping blindly.
Neha fired.
The gunshot echoed through the empty outpost.
The creature screamed — a shrill, unnatural sound — and staggered back.
Neha didn't wait.
She grabbed her pack, kicked open the back door, and ran into the blizzard once more.
**
The Hunt Begins
The creature howled behind her.
A terrible, broken sound that carried across the ice.
Neha ran.
The snow battered her.
The wind whipped her face.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
She could feel it chasing her.
It wasn't tired.
It wasn't human.
And it wanted her.
Wanted her memories.
Wanted her soul.
She didn't dare look back.
She knew if she saw its face again — if she believed it — it would be the end.
**
A New Ally
Just when her legs were about to give out, she saw a figure ahead —another human shape.
For a moment, she panicked.
Another creature?
Another trap?
But then the figure raised both hands, showing they were empty.
"I'm human!" a voice called over the storm."I swear! Please — stop!"
Neha hesitated, her instincts screaming at her.
But the figure didn't approach.
Didn't rush her.
Instead, he slowly lowered his hood, revealing a rugged, frostbitten face — tired, scared, but alive.
"My name is Rishi," he said."I've been running too."
Neha kept her gun raised, but nodded cautiously.
Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't alone in this nightmare after all.
**
A Brief Respite
Rishi led Neha to a small ice cave he had discovered — hidden among rocky outcrops, shielded from the worst of the wind.
Inside, it was cramped but relatively warm.
Neha collapsed onto the ice floor, her body screaming in exhaustion.
Rishi handed her a canteen of water.
"You're lucky," he said grimly."It almost got you."
Neha nodded, too tired to speak.
For a long while, they sat in silence, sharing the small warmth.
Two survivors, clinging to life in a world gone mad.
**
Stories in the Dark
Eventually, Rishi spoke.
"I was part of a different research team.A year ago.We found something under the ice.Something ancient.It infected us — one by one.Mimicking.Replacing."
His voice broke.
"I ran. Left them all behind.I thought if I got far enough... I could be safe.But it's not that easy."
Neha listened, her heart sinking.
It was worse than she had feared.
This wasn't a new threat.
It had been waking for years.
And now — it was fully awake.
Hunting.
Spreading.
**
The Cold Truth
As Neha drifted into an uneasy sleep, she realized something terrible:
There was no safe place left.
The creature — whatever it truly was — had learned from them.
It wore their memories.
It wore their hopes.
It wore their faces.
And it was patient.
It didn't need to chase.
It only needed to wait.
Wait for the fear.
Wait for the doubt.
Wait for the moment when survival seemed worse than surrender.
And then... it would strike.
Neha tightened her fingers around her gun.
Tomorrow, they would plan.
Tomorrow, they would fight.
Because if they didn't...
There would be no one left to remember they ever existed.