Chapter 3: The Missing Pages

The torn newspaper trembled in Aarav’s grip. The ink was faded, but the red scrawl across the article burned into his mind:

“She is NOT dead.”

His pulse hammered. The hallway was silent—too silent. Whoever had left this had disappeared into the shadows. Were they warning him? Or leading him deeper into the mystery?

Aarav glanced around once more before stepping back into his room, locking the door behind him. He set the newspaper on the desk, smoothing out the creases. The article was brief:

"After weeks of investigation, journalist Aisha Verma has been presumed dead following her sudden disappearance from her family estate in Ravenshore. No remains or personal belongings were found. The case is now closed, and the Verma Mansion remains abandoned."

Aarav frowned. Something was missing.

He reached for his laptop and searched online archives for the same article. It took a few minutes, but he finally found the original version of the report.

His eyes narrowed.

The version he found online was longer. The one left outside his door had entire paragraphs missing.

Someone had deliberately removed key details.

Aarav quickly scanned the missing sections:

"Sources claim Aisha Verma was investigating a high-profile corruption scandal before her disappearance. Authorities believe her work may have led to her vanishing, though no conclusive evidence has surfaced."

Aarav inhaled sharply. Aisha was onto something before she disappeared.

A name stood out in the article: Raghav Malhotra—a powerful businessman with rumored criminal ties.

Aarav clenched his jaw. If Aisha had been digging into Malhotra’s secrets before she vanished, was it possible that…

She had been silenced?

His fingers tightened around the paper. But that still didn’t explain the photograph. If Aisha had truly disappeared twenty years ago, why did that Polaroid look so recent?

And more importantly—who had sent it to him?

Aarav’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden creak from the hallway.

He froze.

The sound was faint, but deliberate. Someone was standing outside his door.

Aarav’s heart pounded. He grabbed his phone, its screen still showing no signal. Slowly, he stepped toward the door, listening.

Then—a shadow moved under the gap.

Aarav yanked the door open.

But the hallway was empty.

Except for something lying on the floor.

Another envelope.

The Second Letter

Back inside, Aarav carefully opened the envelope. Unlike the first letter, this one was crumpled and stained, as if it had been handled roughly.

Inside was a single sheet of paper—this time, messily written in bold, jagged handwriting.

“Don’t trust them. The town lies. Meet me at the cliffs before sunrise. Come alone.”

There was no name. No instructions on exactly where at the cliffs.

Aarav exhaled sharply. This was getting deeper by the second.

Someone in Ravenshore wanted him gone.

And someone else wanted him to know the truth.

He glanced at the clock—4:15 AM.

The sky outside was still dark, the town silent.

He had two hours before sunrise.

Aarav grabbed his coat and slipped the newspaper, letters, and photograph into his bag.

It was time to find out who was really pulling the strings.

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