Night did not fall over the house.
It crept.
Slowly.
Silently.
Like something claiming what already belonged to it.
Aarav lay awake on his bed.
Eyes open.
Mind restless.
The shattered mirror refused to leave his thoughts.
That figure.
That smile.
Those scratches.
"It was just imagination…"
He whispered it softly into the darkness.
But the words felt weak.
Unconvincing.
The digital clock beside him glowed faintly.
12:17 AM
Outside, the world had gone completely still.
No rain.
No wind.
No distant sounds.
Just silence.
Not normal silence.
But the heavy kind.
The suffocating kind.
The kind that made your ears ring.
Then—
CREAK.
Aarav's body stiffened instantly.
The sound came from the hallway.
Slow.
Dragging.
His breath caught.
He listened.
CREAK…
Another step.
Closer.
Measured.
Unhurried.
Aarav swallowed.
"Mom?"
No answer.
The footsteps continued.
Soft.
Patient.
Until—
They stopped.
Right outside his door.
Aarav stared at it.
Frozen.
Heart hammering violently.
Then—
TAP.
A soft knock.
His pulse exploded.
Silence.
Then again—
TAP… TAP…
Three knocks.
Perfectly spaced.
Deliberate.
A cold wave rushed through Aarav's chest.
"Who's there?"
His voice barely emerged.
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Low.
Distorted.
Unnatural.
"Aarav…"
His blood turned to ice.
The voice wasn't outside.
It came from inside the room.
Right behind him.