Beneath the Surface

The day was overcast, the sky shrouded in a blanket of gray clouds that mirrored Anaya’s mood. The rehearsals were becoming more intense, and the tension between her and Aashutosh had reached its breaking point. It was only a matter of time before everything came to light.

In the middle of their dance practice, an argument erupted. Aashutosh’s steps were off, and Anaya, already on edge, snapped. "Aashutosh, can you please focus? This isn’t a joke!"

Aashutosh stopped mid-move, his eyes narrowing at her sharp tone. "I’m trying, Anaya! Maybe if you weren’t so uptight, this wouldn’t be so difficult!"

The words hit her harder than she expected, stirring up a mix of frustration and guilt. "Uptight? Maybe I’m the only one taking this seriously because it means something to me!"

"And what’s that supposed to mean?" Aashutosh shot back, his voice rising with each word.

"It means," Anaya started, her voice trembling with the effort to keep her emotions in check, "this dance isn’t just some school event for me. It’s a promise I made, and I intend to keep it."

Aashutosh’s face softened slightly, but the fire in his eyes didn’t extinguish. "A promise? To whom?"

Anaya’s lips parted to respond, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t tell him the truth—not yet. Instead, she turned away, her hands clenching at her sides. "It doesn’t matter."

Aashutosh stepped closer, his voice dropping to a gentler tone. "Anaya, it does matter. I can see something’s bothering you. Why won’t you let me in?"

Her heart ached at his words, the sincerity in his voice breaking down her defenses. But before she could respond, a surge of energy pulsed through her, a sign her emotions were spiraling out of control. In an instant, a nearby mirror shattered, shards flying across the room.

Aashutosh jumped back, his eyes wide in shock. "What the hell was that?"

Anaya’s breathing was erratic, her hands trembling as she tried to reign in the power surging within her. She hadn’t meant for that to happen, but the damage was done.

"Anaya," Aashutosh’s voice was low, cautious. "Did you... do that?"

There was no point in denying it. The truth hung between them like a storm cloud, waiting to break. Anaya nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"How?" Aashutosh asked, his voice barely a whisper. "How did you do that?"

"I..." Anaya hesitated, the weight of her secret threatening to crush her. "It’s complicated."

"Try me," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the inevitable. "I have powers, Aashutosh. I can do things that others can’t. But I never wanted you to find out this way."

For a moment, silence stretched between them, the reality of her confession sinking in. Then, Aashutosh ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of disbelief and wonder. "Powers? Like... magic?"

Anaya nodded again, feeling both relieved and terrified. "Yes, something like that."

Aashutosh stared at her, his mind racing. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because it’s dangerous," she admitted. "The more people know, the more risks there are. I didn’t want to put you in danger."

He shook his head, a small, incredulous laugh escaping his lips. "So all this time, you’ve been dealing with this alone?"

"Not entirely," Anaya said, thinking of Sera and Guruji. "But yes, mostly."

Aashutosh took a step closer, his gaze locking with hers. "You don’t have to do this alone, Anaya. I’m here now. Let me help."

Anaya’s eyes welled with tears, the weight of her burden momentarily lifting. "I don’t know if you can, Aashutosh. This world is dangerous, and there’s so much you don’t understand."

"Then help me understand," he said, his voice filled with determination. "I’m not afraid, Anaya. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together."

His words sent a wave of warmth through her, a sense of hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. But before she could respond, the door burst open, and Sera rushed in, her eyes wide with panic.

"Anaya, we need to talk. Now," Sera said, her gaze flickering to Aashutosh. "Alone."

Aashutosh frowned, but Anaya placed a hand on his arm. "Give us a moment," she said softly.

Reluctantly, Aashutosh nodded and stepped back. "I’ll be outside."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Sera turned to Anaya, her expression grave. "You told him, didn’t you?"

"I didn’t have a choice," Anaya said, her voice trembling. "He saw what happened with the mirror."

Sera sighed, her shoulders slumping. "This isn’t good, Anaya. There are forces at play that you don’t even know about. If Aashutosh is involved now, he’s in danger too."

"I know," Anaya whispered. "But I couldn’t keep lying to him."

"You have to be careful," Sera warned. "There’s a dark prophecy involving him, and if he gets too close, it could trigger something catastrophic."

Anaya’s heart sank. "A prophecy? What do you mean?"

Sera glanced towards the door, ensuring Aashutosh wasn’t listening. "Guruji told me about it. There’s a prophecy about a protector and a powerful being. If the protector is corrupted, it could lead to destruction. Aashutosh might be that protector."

Anaya’s mind raced, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fit together. "You think the shadowy figure in my dreams is trying to corrupt Aashutosh?"

"It’s possible," Sera said grimly. "And if that happens, you might be the only one who can stop it."

Fear gripped Anaya’s heart. The thought of losing Aashutosh to darkness was unbearable. She had to find a way to protect him, to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

"What do we do?" Anaya asked, her voice firm with resolve.

"We need to keep him close," Sera said. "But we also need to keep him safe. And that means we need to find out more about this prophecy and the shadowy figure."

Anaya nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "Then we start now. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect him."

Sera placed a reassuring hand on Anaya’s shoulder. "We’ll figure this out together, Anaya. We always do."

As they left the room to rejoin Aashutosh, Anaya knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges. But with her friends by her side, she was ready to face whatever came their way. The secrets that had been buried beneath the surface were finally coming to light, and there was no turning back.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***