CHAPTER 2: SHADOWS OF DOUBT

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:51:36 +0000

Dawn bled grey and tentative through the grime on the windowpanes, revealing Aarohi exactly where Divya had last seen her – standing sentinel by the window, silhouetted against the weak light. She hadn’t moved all night, hadn’t blinked, hadn’t shown any sign of fatigue. Just stood, watching the rain finally ease to a drizzle. Divya, huddled on the sofa under a thin blanket, hadn’t slept either, her mind racing, replaying Aarohi’s chilling words from the night before: “You won’t leave me alone at night again, right?” A twisted echo of some forgotten plea, weaponized. The text message burned in her thoughts: Don't let it stay after midnight. Midnight had passed. It was still here.