The next day at college, Shreya noticed the shadows stretching unnaturally in every hallway, crawling toward her with a subtle, silent menace. Every glance she threw over her shoulder revealed movement that should not exist.
Aarav met her in the courtyard. "It's growing," he said, voice trembling. "The corridor, the shadows… they are feeding on fear. And now you're tied to it."
Shreya's heart raced. "Tied? What do you mean?"
"Every time you interfere with what's supposed to happen, it changes reality. And it remembers you. Always. You aren't running anymore—you're being hunted."
Her stomach churned. She glanced at the old bridge in the distance. That's where it started. That's where the dead man waited.
Mehul approached, worried. "Shreya… you look like you haven't slept in days."
"I haven't," she said. "Something… something is following me. I think it's in the shadows now. In everyone I know."
Aarav placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have to go back there. To the bridge. To the place it began. If we don't… tomorrow will come for us all."
Shreya hesitated, but deep down she knew he was right. She had to confront it, whatever it was.
As they walked, the shadows grew thicker, almost solid, brushing against their ankles, whispering their names.
And for the first time, Shreya felt it clearly: the world she knew was no longer real. Time was fraying. And if she didn't act, she might vanish too—erased before her life had even begun.