CHAPTER 1,2,3.

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.

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