Ananya stood by the cold glass of the hostel window, the world outside blurring as her mind spiraled in restless thoughts.
How do I fix this? she wondered, fingers tightening around the sleeve of her hoodie. How can I bring Nidhi and Vihaan closer? Should I even try? The questions tangled inside her like thorny vines, impossible to unravel.
Her hand moved almost on its own, slipping deep into her pocket.
The crystal rested there—its familiar weight anchoring her amid the storm inside.
But tonight, it was different. The crystal didn't just glow softly—it pulsed, alive with a strange urgency that sent a shiver up her spine.
She blinked against the sudden brightness.
Why now? she whispered, her voice barely audible. The day was calm... Why are you reacting like this?
The crystal's glow flared brighter, beating like a silent drum against her palm.
And then it hit her—the creatures.
The ones no one else could see, the shadows lurking at the edge of her vision, the dark shapes that haunted her nights and days alike.
I'm still seeing them… she thought, her breath hitching. But I shouldn't. Not after I found this crystal. Why haven't they stopped? Why am I still… haunted?
The pulse in her pocket grew faster, urgent.
Suddenly, her vision blurred, the world around her dissolving into a haze of memories she had tried so hard to forget.
---
She was eight years old again.
Tiny feet pattered excitedly across the wooden floor of her uncle and aunt's house, the air filled with the scent of jasmine and fresh paint. Balloons bobbed gently near the ceiling, and a wrapped box sat on the table, waiting for the celebration.
Her uncle knelt on the floor, tying a delicate ribbon around the gift, his face soft with affection. Her aunt stood by the window, adjusting the curtains to let in the warm afternoon light.
Then the light shifted.
A shadow fell over the room as thick clouds rolled in, swallowing the sun whole. The wind began to whistle sharply, rattling the windows and sending a chill through the house.
But little Ananya only smiled, her eyes sparkling with innocent delight.
"I think it's going to rain today!" she said, clapping her hands. "Can we go outside?"
Her uncle looked up, his smile gentle and reassuring.
"Why not?" he said softly.
Her aunt approached, brushing a stray lock of hair from Ananya's forehead.
"Of course, darling. Let's go outside."
Laughing, Ananya dashed through the door, feeling the first drops of rain splash against her skin. The sky roared its approval, as if celebrating with her.
But then—
She stopped.
Behind the mango tree, shadows stirred.
Figures.
Not human. Not fully.
Tall and hunched, their forms made of smoke and darkness, eyes glowing with a cold, hungry light that burned into her soul.
Fear gripped her tiny chest like iron. She crouched low, pressing her back against the rough bark, holding her breath as the creatures moved closer to the house.
One... two... three...
Then—
CRASH.
The sound tore through the rain-soaked air—glass breaking, wood splintering, screams swallowed by the storm.
Ananya's heart thundered in her ears. She was frozen, a helpless witness to the nightmare unfolding before her eyes—a terror she hadn't fully understood until now.
---
Back in the present, tears slipped down Ananya's cheeks, hot and silent.
This wasn't just grief. It was confusion, fear, and anger tangled deep inside her chest.
Those creatures… not the ones who took her uncle and aunt, but something else, something darker.
Since that day, they had never left her alone.
Her fingers curled tightly around the crystal in her pocket.
"The crystal…" she whispered to herself. "It's supposed to protect me. I shouldn't be seeing them anymore. Why am I?"
Her mind raced to find answers in the impossible.
Then, like a spark igniting in the darkest night, a fierce determination flared inside her.
"No," she told herself firmly. "I won't be weak. I can't be."
"If no one else can help, then I have to be the one."
"I know how to handle this. I will."
She wiped away her tears and straightened her spine.
Her goal was clear—even if her heart was breaking, she would fight.
Because this was hers to bear—and hers to conquer.