The strange object from yesterday sat on Aarav's desk, untouched yet impossible to ignore. He couldn't stop thinking about it—its cold, metallic surface, the faint symbols etched into it, and the nagging feeling that it was more than just a random trinket.
Night had fallen, heavy and oppressive. The city outside his window seemed quieter than usual, shadows stretching unnaturally along the walls. Aarav shivered. That same uneasy feeling he'd had yesterday—the one he'd tried to dismiss—was back, stronger this time. He wasn't imagining it. Someone, or something, was watching him.
A sudden vibration made him jump. His phone buzzed. Anonymous. No number.
"You're already too late… and yet, you've just begun."
Attached was a photo. Aarav froze. It was him—sleeping. Last night. The night after he found the object.
Impossible. No one could have taken that photo.
His eyes darted around the room. That's when he noticed it—a faint scratch on the wall, forming the same symbol etched into the object. The symbol seemed alive, pulsating faintly in the dim light. A memory tugged at the edge of his mind, but he couldn't place it. It felt like a warning… or a threat.
And then the whispers began.
Faint at first, barely audible over the hum of the ceiling fan. Then clearer, sharper, almost like voices from inside his own head.
"Look behind you…"
"They're closer than you think…"
"You can't trust your eyes."
Aarav's pulse raced. Every warning came true: a vase teetered on the edge of his desk, the lights flickered violently, and the shadows twisted, almost reaching out. Reality itself seemed to bend around him, controlled by something unseen.
He clutched the object from yesterday, hoping for some clue. Suddenly, a cold breeze swept across the room, though the window was closed. The whispers grew louder, almost pleading—or taunting.
And then he saw it.
A shadowy figure at the corner of his room. Still. Silent. Watching.
Aarav's breath caught. The figure tilted its head—and in a voice that was both his own and not his own, it whispered…
"…Aarav."