The festival lights blurred into streaks of color.
Students laughed again.
Music restarted.
Chaos faded back into celebration.
But for Sarthak—
The world had completely changed.
"…If you want to survive, stop searching."
Riya's words kept echoing in his head.
Not threatening.
Not manipulative.
Terrified.
Like she knew something awful.
Or someone awful.
"Sarthak!"
Vansh grabbed his shoulder.
"Bro, what happened? Where did Riya go?"
Sarthak looked into the crowd.
Gone.
Like she had dissolved into the noise itself.
"…I do not know."
Which was technically true.
But not enough.
Not anymore.
Later That Night
Rain returned again.
Soft this time.
Like the city itself was whispering secrets.
Sarthak sat in his room staring at the bracelet photo on his phone.
He had secretly taken it during the festival.
Zoomed in.
Studied carefully.
The silver charm was scratched near the edge.
Exactly like the one in the footage.
Same bracelet.
No doubt now.
But why would Riya warn him?
If she was guilty—
Why protect him?
And if she was innocent—
Why hide?
Contradictions again.
Always contradictions.
A vibration.
Unknown Number.
His eyes darkened immediately.
"Good."
"You finally found the right door."
Sarthak typed instantly.
"What do you want from Riya?"
Typing…
Stopped.
Then—
"Wrong question."
Another message arrived immediately.
"Ask what Riya wants from YOU."
Silence.
His grip tightened.
Before he could reply again—
Another message appeared.
"Library basement."
"30 minutes."
Sarthak stood instantly.
No hesitation.
Because deep down—
He knew this was connected to Riya somehow.
College Library – Basement
The basement was old.
Unused.
Most students did not even know it existed.
The staircase creaked under each step.
Dust filled the air.
Dark.
Silent.
Perfect hiding place.
At the bottom—
A weak yellow light flickered from beneath a half-open door.
Sarthak approached slowly.
Heart steady.
Mind alert.
Then pushed the door open.
And froze.
The room was covered in photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Pinned to walls.
Scattered across tables.
Photos of him.
Sarthak in class.
Walking home.
Sitting with Vansh.
Talking to Mahi.
Looking at Riya.
Even older photos.
Years old.
His breath caught.
"…What is this…"
It was not random surveillance.
This was obsession.
Careful.
Detailed.
Planned over years.
And then—
He noticed something else.
Notes.
Dates.
Times.
Patterns tracking his behavior.
One note circled heavily in red ink:
"HE STILL DOESN'T REMEMBER."
Cold rushed through his body instantly.
Remember what?
Another note:
"Trigger response improving."
Another:
"Riya interfering emotionally."
Sarthak's eyes widened.
Interfering?
As if someone was studying them.
Testing them.
Like lab rats inside an experiment.
And then—
At the center wall—
One final photograph.
The dead girl.
Smiling.
Alive.
Pinned beside a single sentence.
"THIS STARTED BEFORE HER."
Silence.
No.
No way.
This was bigger than the rooftop incident.
Much bigger.
And suddenly—
A floorboard creaked behind him.
Sarthak turned instantly.
But not fast enough.
A sharp pain exploded at the back of his neck.
His vision blurred.
Someone had struck him.
He staggered forward—
Trying to focus.
Trying to see.
A shadow stood behind him.
Tall.
Face hidden beneath a hood.
Familiar.
The same silhouette from the footage.
Sarthak forced himself upright.
"…You…"
The figure stepped closer slowly.
Then finally spoke.
Not distorted this time.
A real voice.
Young.
Calm.
"…You were never supposed to remember this early."
Sarthak's eyes widened.
Because that voice—
He recognized it.
Not fully.
But enough to send fear through him.
"…Who are you?" he whispered.
The figure tilted their head slightly.
Almost sadly.
"…Someone you trusted."
And then—
Darkness swallowed everything.
Unknown Time
A faint ringing sound.
Pain in his head.
Sarthak slowly opened his eyes.
Blurred vision.
Cold floor beneath him.
The hidden room was empty now.
Photos gone.
Notes gone.
Everything cleaned.
As if it had never existed.
Except—
One thing.
A single bracelet placed beside him.
Black thread.
Silver charm.
And attached to it—
A note.
"Ask Riya what happened 4 years ago."
Sarthak stared at it silently.
Because now—
He finally understood the truth.
This story did not begin with the girl's death.
That incident—
Was only one piece.
Something older.
Darker.
More twisted—
Had been happening long before any of them realized.
And somehow—
Riya was connected to all of it.
To be continued…