His mother always had one rule:
"Never stay outside after sunset."
She never explained why.
One night, curiosity outweighed fear. Aarav looked out the window.
Under the broken streetlight stood a boy.
Same height.
Same build.
Same stillness.
But no face.
Just a smooth stretch of darkness where features should have been.
The strangest part?
The boy had no shadow.
Because he was one.