CHAPTER 1: Jay’s Night Shift

[Jay’s POV]

It’s 4 a.m.

I’m still at my desk. Papers. Files. Coffee—gone cold hours ago.

The office hums. Silence. My brain hums louder.

“Jay. Missed calls.”

Ritwik. Always showing up at the wrong time.

“It’s your mom. Why aren’t you home? Look at the time—4 a.m., man! How can you just work all night? Go home.”

I stare at the screen.

“Should I…?”

“Should you? Should you what? Go. Before she comes herself.”

I sigh. Pack my bag. Walk out.

The moment I step in… there she is .Mom..

Arms crossed. Serious look. Scary serious.

“We’re leaving for visar. Now.”

Me: “Mom… seriously? Flights, tickets… tomorrow morning? You’re—”

“Booked. Done. You’re coming.”

I blink.

Permission? From the head office? She slides a paper toward me.

I glance at Dad.

He just shrugs. That look. I signed, no one can resist her.

I groan. Yep. Resistance? Impossible.

---

CHAPTER 2: New Ground, Same Chaos

[Jay’s POV]

Hyderabad headquarters.

Big. Busy. Loud. Organized chaos.

I step in, bags in hand, scanning faces, names, everything.

“Jay! Didn’t expect you here!”

I freeze. Ritwik. Smiling that idiot smile.

“What… what are you doing here?”

“Came with you, didn’t I?” he laughs. “Surprise, bro.”

Surprise. Right. Like anyone actually surprises me.

I nod. “Good.” Keep my voice neutral. Eyes scanning the room. Teammates, equipment, space. All business.

“Meet the team,” Ritwik nudges.

A few nods, handshakes. Names flicker through my brain like quick flashes.

I don’t linger. I don’t chatter. I observe.

Everything. Everyone.

“You… intense, aren’t you?” one of the juniors says.

I glance up.

“Focused,” I reply. Short. Sharp. Enough said.

Ritwik smirks. He knows me. Always knows me.

I glance out the window.

---

CHAPTER 3: Alone in the Dark

[Luna’s POV]

Library. My happy place. My comfort zone.

Books, silence… sweet, sweet silence.

I’d been here for hours, completely lost in my little world of pages and stories.

Until I looked at my watch.

> 10 p.m.

Wait… what?!

I blinked. Scrambled. Freaked.

Did I seriously stay here all this time?

I grabbed my bag, shoved a few stray papers in, and pushed the chair back.

The library doors creaked as I stepped out.

And then—the corridor.

Dark.

Pitch-black. Not a flicker of light anywhere.

My footsteps echoed, bouncing back at me like someone was walking right behind me.

I swallowed hard.

Okay. Deep breaths. It’s fine. Totally fine.

Except it wasn’t.

The smell—stale air, dust, faint chemical tang—hit me first.

Then the silence. Too quiet.

No whispers, no hum of electricity… nothing but my own heartbeat.

I tried to tell myself it was fine. I was fine. Everything was fine.

But my stomach twisted. My skin crawled.

Footstep after footstep, I moved faster.

Locker doors lined the corridor, shadows stretching like long fingers toward me.

Somewhere in the distance, a clock ticked… tick… tick… tick…

The sound made me jump.

A sudden draft.

I shivered. My hair tickled my neck.

I could swear… someone moved behind me.

Just… there. A shift in the darkness.

'Stop imagining things. Stop.'

I picked up my pace. Almost running now.

And then—I saw it.

The classroom door ahead. Light spilling out from the tiny crack at the bottom.

I froze.

Something was inside.

I stepped closer. Heart thudding in my ears.

The air changed. Heavy. Cold.

Oh my god… oh my god…

I inched closer. My bag strap dug into my shoulder, my fingers trembling.

And there it was.

A body.

Lifeless. Still. Silent.

I… I stumbled back a step, heart in my throat.

My mind screamed. I couldn’t… I can’t touch it. Not now. Not yet.

Everything else disappeared—the corridor, the shadows, the ticking clock.

All I saw… was that body.

I blinked.

Tried to swallow.

CHAPTER 4: The First Questions

[Luna’s POV]

The police finally arrived.

Two officers. Not much fanfare, just serious faces, pens, notebooks.

I tried to calm my racing heart.

Officer 1: “Miss… you found the body?”

“Y-yes. I was leaving the library… and I… I saw it.”

Officer 2: “What time exactly did you arrive at the library today?”

“I… uh, I came around 4 p.m., I think. Spent hours there… lost track. Checked my watch… it was 10 p.m. when I left.”

Officer 1: “Were you alone the entire time?”

“Yeah. Um… I mean, no one else was around when I was reading.”

Officer 2: “Did you notice anything unusual while you were in the library?”

“Not really… just… the usual quiet. I mean, books, tables… nothing unusual until I left.”

Officer 1: “Did you touch anything in the classroom?”

“No! Absolutely not. I… I just… saw it. And froze.”

Officer 2: “How did the body look? Any visible injuries?”

“I… I mean, I couldn’t get too close. But… it looked… like someone was lying there. Not moving. I… I don’t know exactly. I’m not a doctor.”

Officer 1: “Did you see anyone enter or leave the library before you found the body?”

“No! I swear, no one. It was empty. I was alone the whole time.”

Officer 2: “Do you know the person?”

“No. I… I don’t think so. I’ve never seen them before.”

Officer 1: “Did you notice anything unusual about the doors or windows?”

“No… doors were closed like normal. Windows… nothing. Just… dark. And quiet. Too quiet.”

Officer 2: “Miss… do you remember anything else that might be important?”

“I… I felt… like someone was behind me. I don’t know if it was my imagination… but it felt real. And then I saw the classroom… and the body

CHAPTER 5: The Night After

[Luna’s POV]

By the time I got home it was past midnight.

The house was asleep — my parents, my sister, even the dog.

I slipped my shoes off, tiptoed in, holding my breath like I was sneaking into a crime scene.

No lights. Just the faint glow of the streetlamp bleeding through the window.

I shut my door softly. Locked it. Leaned against it, eyes closed.

“Okay… okay. Just breathe.”

But my mind didn’t stop.

Because of course it didn’t.

I study crime for a living — patterns, motives, suspects.

And now I’d literally stumbled into one.

My brain: What if the killer followed you? What if they know your name? What if they’re outside right now—

Me: Oh come on, Luna. Stop it. You’re fine. Nothing’s going to happen. Right?

My hands were shaking as I dumped my bag on the bed. My books spilled out, papers fluttering like weak alibis.

I paced.

Thought about the body. The smell. The silence.

Thought about the shadow behind me.

Then laughed at myself.

Laughed out loud, actually.

> “Girl. You are the main character. No one’s killing you yet.”

I pressed my palms against my eyes. Tried to calm the tremor in my chest.

Nothing was going to happen.

Absolutely nothing.

And yet… my window creaked. Just a little.

The night outside stayed heavy, watching.

CHAPTER 6: The Shadow in the Hall

[Luna’s POV]

2:47 a.m.

Thirst. That’s what woke me.

My throat felt dry, my head heavy.

The house was still. Too still.

Parents asleep. Whole street asleep.

I crept out of my room, barefoot.

The tiles felt cold under my feet as I padded to the kitchen.

Grabbed a glass. Filled it.

That’s when I saw it.

A shape.

Standing in the hall.

Black clothes from head to toe.

Still. Silent. Watching.

My heart stopped.

My brain screamed.

No. No. No. No.

I set the glass down without a sound.

My eyes darted to the counter — a pan. Heavy enough. My only weapon.

I grabbed it. Slowly.

Every step toward him felt like walking through water. My breath shallow.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Closer. Closer. My hands shaking, but grip tight.

> You’re okay. You’re fine. Main character, remember?

I raised the pan.

Ready.

And then—he moved.

He turned so fast I barely saw his face.

His hand shot out, catching my wrist mid‑swing.

A twist. Sharp, firm.

My breath caught as the pan clattered to the floor.

Before I could even scream, he pushed — not harsh, but quick — and my back hit the wall.

Not hard enough to hurt. Just enough to pin me there.

His face inches from mine now.

Dark eyes. Breath warm.

Danger.

And something else I couldn’t name.

I froze.

My pulse thundered.

The house stayed silent.

Only us.

Only this moment.

And then—

...TBC..

[ ]:inner voice

CHAPTER 7: The Stranger Has a Name

[Luna’s POV]

“MAMA!”

The word tore out of my throat before I could stop it.

Light.

Flooded the hall. Blinding.

Footsteps

My mom rushed in, my dad behind her, blinking at the scene: me pinned against the wall, a man in black holding my wrist.

“Luna!”

And then my mom’s voice changed from panic to calm.

“Jay?!”

[Wait… what?]

She crossed the hall and grabbed my shoulders. “Luna, stop screaming. This is Jay arora He’s going to be staying here for a while.”

I stared at him. He let go of my wrist slowly. Dark eyes unreadable, jaw tight.

That same black shirt, that same presence — intense, quiet. Scorpio energy.

Behind them, two other figures appeared a man and a woman. Jay’s parents. Smiling, polite, warm even.

“So sorry for the scare,” his mom said gently. “We arrived late, didn’t want to wake anyone. Jay just stepped out…”

[Just stepped out.

At 2 a.m.

In all black.

In our hall.

Sure. Totally normal.]

I opened my mouth. Closed it again. My heart still hammering.

“What… what is he doing here at 2 a.m.?”

My mom squeezed my arm. “Just go back to sleep, Luna. Don’t overthink everything.”

Jay’s father smiled, but his eyes flickered for half a second.

Jay himself said nothing. Just stood there. Watching. Intense.

I grabbed my glass of water, muttered something, and backed toward my room.

Inside, my head was spinning.

[He’s going to be living here.

He was standing in my hall at 2 a.m. in black clothes]

Don’t overthink?

Yeah right.

CHAPTER 8: Killer in the Quad

[Luna’s POV]

The morning sun was blazing, but my brain was still stuck in last night’s nightmare. I’d barely slept. My bag was stuffed with notes and my mouth stuffed with half a sandwich. Mira walked beside me, rolling her eyes at my non-stop chatter.

“So then I told myself, Luna, you’re just overthinking—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Froze.

In the middle of the university quad crowded, noisy, full of students there he was.

Tall. Dark shirt. Same piercing eyes.

Jay.

I blinked once. Twice.

What the hell is he doing here?

Panic rose. Then anger. Then my brain decided to switch to “public humiliation” mode.

I spun toward him, pointed dramatically, and before Mira could stop me, my voice went up three octaves:

“YOU KILLER!”

Everything stopped.

Students froze mid-walk, heads turned. Conversations cut off like someone pressed mute.

I stomped closer, finger still out like a weapon.

“What are you doing here?! Are you stalking me now?!”

Gasps. Whispers. A couple of people even took their phones out.

Jay just stood there. Confused. Jaw clenched, eyes narrowing slightly. His whole aura said Scorpio patience level: dangerously low.

Mira grabbed my arm, practically dragging me backwards.

“Luna! Are you insane?!” she hissed under her breath.

“But—he—he was in my hall at 2 a.m.—”

Mira clamped a hand over my mouth. “Shut. Up.”

Then she leaned in and whispered, “He’s not stalking you, idiot. He’s a CB-CID officer. He’s here to investigate the murder from last night.”

I blinked at her. My voice dropped to a squeak.

“What?”

Mira let go of me and crossed her arms. “Yeah. The crime scene you literally walked past last night? He’s in charge.”

I looked back at Jay. He was still staring at me, unreadable. My cheeks burned. The crowd started murmuring again.

[Oh great. I just called a government officer a killer. In public. In front of my entire college]

“Uhhh…” I mumbled, hiding behind Mira. “Oops.”

Jay’s lip twitched — not quite a smile, but almost. He turned away, striding toward the administration block, his coat swaying behind him like he owned the place

CHAPTER 9: Questions & Shadows

[Luna’s POV]

The room smelled faintly of coffee and disinfectant. A ceiling fan turned lazily, scattering papers on the desk where Jay sat. The blinds were half-closed, slicing the sunlight into strips across his face.

He didn’t look at me at first.

He was flipping through a file.

My file.

I sat opposite him, palms sweating, heart trying to break out of my ribcage. Mira had been sent out; it was just the two of us now.

“Let’s begin.”

His voice was calm. Low. Controlled.

That voice you don’t interrupt.

He started simple:

> “Name.”

“Luna.”

“Where were you before entering the corridor last night?”

“In the library.”

“What time did you notice the body?”

“Around 10:45… maybe 11.”

“Did you touch anything?”

“No. I know I shouldn’t.”

“Did you see anyone leaving the area?”

“I… thought I felt someone behind me. But no, not clearly.”

Each question slid from him like water.

Each answer felt like pulling teeth from me.

He leaned back, arms crossing over his chest, eyes fixed on me the whole time. His pen tapped against the desk, steady, patient, unreadable.

More questions. Details. Timelines. Descriptions.

I answered everything. My voice kept breaking; he never looked away.

Finally, the pen stilled.

He tilted his head slightly.

>“One last question, Luna.”

My throat tightened.

>“Do you have any suspicion on someone?”

The room went silent. The fan creaked. My heartbeat was the only sound.

I swallowed, stood slowly, and before I could stop myself, I moved closer to him.

One step.

Two.

Until I was right in front of his desk.

He didn’t move. Just watched me.

Eyes dark. Brows slightly lowered.

I bent down, close enough to feel his breath, close enough to see the flecks of gold in his irises.

And whispered:

“You.”

The word barely left my lips — a breath, not a sound.

For a second, neither of us moved.

His eyes flickered.

Then everything inside the room felt like it shifted — heavier, thicker.

TBC