Fractured Echoes

Bengaluru’s city lights flickered through the rain-splattered windows of the metro, the rhythmic hum of the train serving as a comforting background for Raghav, who sat lost in thought. It had been a long day at work, but a satisfying one. He was a software engineer at one of the many tech startups scattered across the city.

Leaning back in his seat, he looked around the crowded metro, familiar faces from daily rides. Then, there was a flicker, like the train itself had skipped a beat, he saw them, two faces from his past, from a time he thought he had long forgotten. Sneha and Rajat.

Raghav's heart skipped a beat. His mind refused to believe what his eyes were seeing. It couldn’t be them; Sneha, the girl he had once loved in college, and Rajat, his closest friend from those days. For a moment, he told himself it couldn’t be them. It had to be a mistake. A trick of the mind. But the cold, sinking feeling in his gut said otherwise. There they were, just across the aisle, chatting casually, as if they hadn’t been dead for over ten years. He hadn’t heard from them in years. The accident had taken them both away, just like that. But now, there they were. Alive. Laughing. As if nothing had ever happened.

His mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Hands trembling, he stood up, his legs moving on their own, pushing through the crowded metro. He had to talk to them, had to know how this was possible.

"Snеha... Rajat..." he murmured, reaching out, his fingers just inches away.

And then…. everything vanished.

The metro, the people, the city itself. One moment, he was surrounded by life, and the next, he stood in a vast, empty void. Thick and suffocating shadows crept in from all sides. The air turned unbearably cold, sending shivers down his spine.

Sneha and Rajat stood there with pleading eyes. “Raghav” Sneha said with a crying voice and tears filled in her eye. “Our son is in danger. You need to save him”

Raghav froze. His mind raced. Our son? He opened his mouth, but his throat felt dry. Before he could ask, the world around him dissolved into darkness.

Raghav woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat. His head spun. What had just happened? It was supposed to be a normal day, a routine metro ride home. Yet now, the faces of Sneha and Rajat haunted him like ghosts from a past life. He sat up, trying to shake the feeling off. Maybe it was a nightmare, maybe just the stress of work.

Sneha. Rajat. Their son?

He hadn’t thought about them in years. After Sneha had broken his heart in college and moved on with Rajat, Raghav had thrown himself into his career. Bengaluru had swallowed him up, the hustle of the tech world keeping him too busy to dwell on old memories.

But now, those memories are back. And so was something deep, unsettling feeling that something was terribly wrong. Raghav couldn’t ignore it. He needed answers.

As the day dragged on, Raghav couldn’t focus on work. His mind kept drifting back to Sneha. He remembered their love, how it had felt like the world was theirs during those golden years. But when they broke up, everything had shattered. He had heard that Sneha married Rajat, but their lives had diverged completely after that. The last he heard was about their tragic death in a car accident years ago.

He had moved on, or so he thought. Now, not only were they back in his life, but they were begging for his help.

By evening, Raghav couldn't take it anymore. The unease had settled deep into his bones, refusing to let go. He needed answers.

He pulled out his laptop and started searching online for anything about Sneha and Rajat. But all he found were the same old news articles, reports about their tragic car accident from years ago. Nothing new. Nothing unusual.

Except for one thing.

A name...

Aarav...

Raghav’s fingers froze on the keyboard. His heartbeat quickened. Aarav.?

That was the name of the boy he had adopted from an orphanage a year ago.

The memory hit him hard. He had found the little boy at the orphanage, lost, without a family. Something about him had felt familiar, something he couldn’t explain. Raghav had taken Aarav in, cared for him, and loved him like his own. But then, just a few months later, the boy had vanished without a trace.

And now… Sneha and Rajat were telling him that Aarav was their son.

Raghav couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that his past and present were somehow tangled in ways he didn’t yet understand. Something was pulling him back, whispering that the answers lay in the past.

He decided to return to their old neighborhood, the place where Sneha and Rajat had lived before the accident. Their house had been abandoned for years, but something deep inside him whispered that he needed to go there. Maybe the past held the key to understanding what was happening now.

Raghav stopped at the rusted gate. Memories hit him like a storm. The three of them, were young and carefree, living moments they thought would last forever. But looking at it now, those memories felt...off. Pushing open the creaking gate, he stepped into the compound. As he drove down the familiar roads, a strange unease settled over him. The trees seemed darker, the air heavier, as if the place itself had aged with grief. And then, there it was, the house. Once filled with laughter, late-night conversations, and shared dreams, now it was nothing but a ghost of its past.

The house loomed before him, windows broken, the front door slightly ajar. It looked like no one had set foot in there for years. But as Raghav approached, he could swear he felt eyes on him, as if the house itself was watching, waiting.

Inside, the air was damp and cold. Dust coated every inch, and the air was thick with the scent of decay. His footsteps echoed as he walked through the familiar yet alien space.

And then, his eyes landed on them. The photographs.

Hanging crookedly on the walls, covered in dust yet unmistakable; Rajat, Sneha... and a child.

Aarav...

Raghav’s breath caught. The boy in the photo, the same boy he had adopted and lost, looked back at him. And for a moment, just a fleeting second the shadows in the corners of the room flickered, almost like they were moving on their own. Raghav rubbed his eyes, trying to shake the strange sensation.

As he reached the stairs, he heard a faint noise from above. A creak, followed by what sounded like a whisper. His heartbeat quickened. He had come here for answers, but now every fiber of his being told him to run.

But Raghav pressed on, climbing the stairs that groaned under his weight. At the top, the door to Sneha and Rajat’s bedroom stood slightly ajar. He pushed it open.

The room was dark, save for a flickering light coming from an old lamp on the bedside table. And there, standing in the middle of the room, was Sneha.

Her figure was as ethereal as a dream, her eyes wide and filled with sorrow. "You have to save him, Raghav," she said, her voice a broken whisper. "Our son is in danger. Aarav... he's not safe. You must hurry."

Before he could ask her anything, the room plunged into darkness, and Sneha vanished. Raghav stood frozen, his heart hammering in his chest.

The shadows in the room seemed to stretch towards him, pulling at him like invisible hands. He felt the temperature drop again, colder than before, and the faint sound of a child’s laughter echoed through the halls.

Aarav’s laughter.

The drive back home was a blur, Raghav’s mind racing with the impossible events that had unfolded in the abandoned house. The haunting image of Sneha, her plea for help, and the way the shadows seemed to move on their own kept replaying in his head. Nothing made sense, yet it all felt too real to be a dream.

Who was Aarav? Could it be possible that he was Sneha and Rajat’s child? And if so, why didn’t he know? Why had Aarav ended up in an orphanage?

Raghav couldn’t ignore the growing sense of dread in his chest. Something dark was at play, something beyond his understanding. And worse, he now knew that Aarav’s disappearance wasn’t just a random event, it was connected to something much deeper, much more dangerous.

When Raghav finally reached his apartment, he walked into Aarav’s room, which he hadn’t touched since the boy went missing. The toys still lay scattered on the floor, and his small bed was neatly made as if waiting for the boy to return.

But as Raghav stood there, the shadows in the room began to flicker again, just like in Sneha’s house. And then he heard it, the faintest sound of footsteps behind him.

He turned around, but there was no one there.

The whispers started again, low and unintelligible at first, then grew louder, and clearer. "You failed him, Raghav. You failed your son."

His son.

Aarav.?

The realization hit Raghav like a lightning bolt. Aarav wasn’t just the child of Sneha and Rajat, he was his son.?

A flood of memories came rushing back, blurring the lines of his past with the harsh truth of the present. His college days with Sneha, the love they shared, the nights spent planning a future that never came to be. Could it be that Aarav was the child Sneha never told him about?

Raghav stumbled backward, gripping the bedpost for support. He had adopted Aarav, and taken him in without knowing the truth. How could Sneha have hidden this from him?

Why had Sneha and Rajat appeared in the metro? Why now? And what did they mean by Aarav being in danger?

As these questions swirled in his mind, Raghav heard a faint rustling from the hallway. He froze every nerve in his body on edge. The sound grew louder, like someone, or something was moving just outside the door. His breath caught in his throat as the door creaked open slightly, though no one was there.

The room grew colder, the air thick with a sense of dread. And then, in the corner of his eye, Raghav saw a shadow move. It wasn’t just any shadow; it had a presence, an intent. He turned his head slowly, heart pounding.

A small figure stood in the doorway, barely visible in the dim light. It was a boy, and Raghav knew instantly who it was.

“Aarav?” he whispered, his voice shaky.

But the figure didn’t respond. Instead, it turned its head slowly, revealing a face twisted in anger, eyes glowing with a cold, unnatural light.

"Why didn’t you save me, Papa?" the figure whispered in a voice that didn’t belong to a living child. "You left me. You left us."

Raghav’s blood ran cold. This wasn’t Aarav. This was something else, something that had taken the shape of his son. He took a step back, but the figure moved closer, its gaze never leaving him.

"You failed me," it whispered again, the words cutting deep into Raghav’s soul.

Panic surged through him. He had to get out, had to escape whatever was happening. Without thinking, he ran out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the dark, haunted apartment. But as he reached the front door, a force slammed it shut with a deafening bang.

Raghav turned around; his back pressed against the door. The shadowy figure was gone, but the cold, heavy presence still lingered. The whispers grew louder, circling him like vultures. They were everywhere, and they all carried the same message:

"You must save him, Raghav. Before it’s too late."

The next morning, Raghav woke up to an unsettling silence. His apartment felt heavier like the air itself was pressing down on him. His mind was still clouded by the events of the previous night, the boy, the whispers, the figure that had taken Aarav’s form. It all felt like a nightmare.

But it wasn’t.

The lingering chill in his bones, the way the shadows had moved, he knew it had been real. And if it was real, then he needed answers. He couldn’t stay here, pretending nothing had happened. There were too many questions, and too many gaps in the story. And there was only one place that could give him those answers, Sneha’s house.

With that thought, he hurried through breakfast, barely tasting the food, his mind restless. This time, he was going back prepared.

As he reached the old neighborhood, a strange unease settled over him. The house stood there, waiting.

Yesterday, it had felt abandoned. Today, it felt... aware.

The walls, the windows, the overgrown vines, everything seemed to be watching him. He stopped at the rusted gate, gripping the metal tightly, the memories of last night clawed at the edges of his mind, whispering for him to turn back.

But he couldn’t. Not now.

With a deep breath, Raghav stepped inside. The house was just as he had left it, silent, empty, frozen in time. Yet, something felt different this time. A heaviness in the air, an eerie stillness that made his skin crawl.

His eyes wandered around the dimly lit living room. And then he saw it.

On the mantelpiece, covered in a thin layer of dust, sat an old photograph. It was Sneha, Rajat, and a young boy, Aarav. His fingers traced over their faces, but something felt off. He leaned in closer, squinting at the image. And that’s when he saw it.

In the background, barely noticeable at first, was another figure.

A second boy.

His face was twisted into a menacing grin.

Raghav’s breath hitched. His hands trembled as he held the photo up to the light. A shiver ran down Raghav’s spine. That boy wasn’t there before. He wasn’t part of the original picture. It was as if something, or someone, had forced its way into the image.

Who was he? And why did it feel like he was watching Aarav?

Raghav clutched the photo, his mind racing. It felt like the house itself was trying to tell him something. A warning? A message? But before he could make sense of it, he heard it again.

A voice. Faint but unmistakable.

"Find him, Raghav."

Raghav froze. His heart pounded against his ribs. That voice. It wasn’t in his head. It was real.

Spinning around, he searched the room. Nothing. The house stood empty, just as it had when he arrived.

"Who’s there?!" he demanded, his voice unsteady. "What do you want from me?"

Silence.

And then, a low, chilling whisper.

"Save him… before the other one takes him."

Raghav's mind was in turmoil. His body broke into a cold sweat, his heart pounding.

The other one?

Who was the other one? Another child?

As he stood in the eerie silence of Sneha’s abandoned house, a sudden chill ran through him. A cold gust of air brushed past his skin, almost as if the house itself was whispering to him. There was a secret buried here, something tied to that second boy in the photo. Something that had been hidden for years.

His thoughts turned to Sneha. Had she known all along? Was this connected to Aarav’s sudden disappearance?

Determined to find out, Raghav climbed the creaking stairs, heading toward the room where he had seen her presence the night before. The door was slightly open, just like before. It felt like an invitation. Or a warning.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. The air felt heavy, charged with something unseen. His eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that might hold a clue. And then—his gaze landed on something.

A box. Old, dust-covered, hidden under the bed.

With shaky hands, he pulled it out and opened it. Inside were letters, photographs, and an old journal. That is Sneha’s journal.

Raghav flipped through the pages, his pulse racing. Her words painted a picture of the life she had built after college, her marriage to Rajat, and then—

His breath caught.

A single entry. A few shaky lines. But enough to send a chill down his spine.

"Rajat and I never spoke of him. He wasn’t like Aarav. There was something wrong with him… something dark. He wasn’t ours… he was something else."

The words trailed off, but their meaning was clear.

There had been another child.

Not just another boy. Something unnatural. Something dangerous.

Raghav felt the walls closing in around him. This wasn’t just about Aarav anymore.

The other one… whatever he was, was still out there.

And he was coming for his son.

Raghav’s hands trembled as he clutched Sneha’s old journal. A second child? The words echoed in his mind, sending a deep chill through his spine. He took a shaky breath, but the air in the room felt heavier as if the very walls were holding onto a secret too terrifying to speak aloud.

A cold breeze slipped in through the open window, rustling the pages of the journal. And then, his eyes landed on the final page. The words were scribbled in a hurried, almost desperate handwriting:

"He’s coming for Aarav. I don’t know how long we can keep him safe."

Raghav staggered back, his heart pounding. Sneha had known. She had been terrified. She had kept this hidden, buried along with the past. But who was ‘he’? And was this connected to the strange boy from the old photograph? The one with the unsettling grin, always lurking in the background?

Before he could gather his thoughts, his phone buzzed in his pocket. The sudden vibration jolted him back to reality. It was from an unknown number.

Hesitating for a moment, he answered.

"Raghav?" The voice on the other end was strained, trembling. The voice was of Arjun. The caretaker from the orphanage where Raghav had found Aarav.

"You need to come here. Now."

Raghav’s pulse quickened. "Arjun? What’s going on?"

Arjun’s breath was uneven, laced with fear. "He’s here, Raghav. Aarav… I saw him. But something’s wrong. He’s not himself."

A cold wave of dread washed over Raghav. Not himself? What did that even mean?

His grip tightened around the phone. Whatever was happening, it was all connected and he had to go back. Back to the orphanage. Back to where it all began.

As Raghav weaved through Bengaluru’s chaotic traffic, his mind raced just as fast. Aarav had been missing for months, how had he suddenly turned up at the orphanage? And what did Arjun mean by "not himself"?

His heart pounded as he pulled up outside the orphanage. The familiar building stood eerily still, its presence weighing heavy on him. The gates creaked as he pushed them open. Usually, the place buzzed with children's laughter, but today, it was silent and lifeless.

Arjun was already waiting at the entrance, his face pale, his posture tense.

"Raghav…" His voice was shaky. "He’s in his old room. But… something’s not right."

Raghav didn’t wait for more. His heart pounded as he rushed down the dimly lit hallway. The door to Aarav’s room stood slightly ajar; just like the door to Sneha’s house had been. He hesitated, his breath uneven, then pushed it open.

Aarav sat on the bed; his back turned to Raghav. The air in the room felt… wrong. Heavy. Cold. As if something unseen was lurking in the corners, watching.

"Aarav?" Raghav’s voice wavered as he stepped forward cautiously.

The boy turned, slow and deliberate.

Raghav’s stomach dropped.

It was Aarav’s face. But those eyes… They weren’t his. Vacant. Hollow. As if something had drained the boy he knew and left behind an empty shell.

Then, the boy spoke. A voice that wasn’t Aarav’s.

"I’m not Aarav." His tone was calm. Too calm. Almost… mocking.

"You didn’t save him in time, Papa."

Raghav felt his world tilt. The other child. The one from the photograph. The one Sneha had feared.

Before Raghav could react, the boy stood up. Slow. Unhurried. Purposeful.

"I waited for you, Papa," he whispered. "But you left me. You chose him over me."

Raghav’s breath caught. This wasn’t his son.

This was the darkness Sneha had written about. The shadow in the pictures. The thing that had been lurking behind Aarav all along.

"I… I didn’t know," Raghav stammered, stepping back.

The boy laughed. Cold. Hollow. The sound made Raghav’s skin crawl.

"You never wanted me. Just like she didn’t."

Raghav’s chest tightened. This wasn’t just a ghost. This was pain. Rejection. An abandoned child, twisted into something else.

But Aarav… his Aarav, he had to still be in there. Fighting.

"I’m sorry," Raghav whispered, his voice shaking. "I didn’t know. But I won’t give up. Not on you. Not on Aarav."

The boy’s expression darkened. His eyes glowed with something unreadable.

"It’s too late, Papa."

Raghav stood rooted to the spot, his mind spinning. Too late.? The boy’s words echoed in his head like a haunting refrain. Could it really be? Had he already lost Aarav?

No. He refused to believe it. He had fought too hard, lost too much, to give up now.

Before he could respond, a familiar voice, soft yet urgent, cut through the silence.

"Raghav, don’t listen to him."

His breath caught. He turned, and there she was Sneha. Standing in the doorway, her eyes filled with sorrow, regret heavy in her stance. She looked different, not the woman he once knew, but someone broken, carrying a weight she couldn’t bear.

"You don’t have to do this," she whispered, stepping closer. "Aarav can still be saved. But you have to trust me."

Raghav’s chest tightened. Could he trust her? After everything? Or was this just another trick?

"I never wanted this, Raghav," her voice wavered, "I loved you. I never meant to hurt you."

For a moment, he felt it again, that pull from the past. The way she had once made him feel, the warmth, the love. But like a cruel tide, the memories of betrayal surged forward. Sneha had left him. She had kept secrets. And now, Aarav was trapped because of those lies.

"I don’t know what to believe anymore," he admitted, his voice raw. "You hid the truth, Sneha. And now Aarav is paying the price for it."

Tears welled in her eyes. "I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would come to this. But I can fix it. I can bring him back."

Before Raghav could react, the door slammed shut. The room plunged into darkness, a chill creeping in. And then the whispers returned.

Louder. Harsher. More insistent.

"You can’t trust her, Raghav."

The other boy, stood in the corner. His eyes glowed with a cold, eerie light.

"Sneha isn’t here to save you," he murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips. "She’s here to take you with her."

Raghav felt the blood drain from his face. It had never been about Aarav.

This was a trap. It had always been a trap.

Sneha and Rajat, they had planned this. They had drawn him in, played on his love for his son. And now, they wanted him too.

"Raghav, please!" Sneha’s voice trembled. "We can still save Aarav!"

But Raghav saw it now, the flicker of darkness in her eyes, the way the air around her warped, twisted. She wasn’t the woman he had once loved.

She was something else. Something darker.

"You lied to me," he whispered. "About everything."

Sneha stepped forward; desperation etched into her face. "I did it for you, Raghav. For us. We can be a family again."

But he knew the truth now. The real Sneha was gone.

What stood before him was a shadow. A ghost. A remnant of the past, clinging to him, trying to pull him down.

Panic surged through him. He had to get out.

Raghav turned to run, but the boy blocked his path. Grinning.

"You can’t escape, Papa." The words were almost mocking. "You belong to us now."

The room tightened, the walls closing in, shadows stretching, creeping toward him.

But Raghav wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

With a burst of strength, he lunged for the door, shoving past the boy. The door burst open, and he stumbled into the hallway, gasping.

Behind him, the whispers swelled, Sneha’s voice melding with the boy’s, calling him back.

But he didn’t stop.

Raghav ran through the dark corridors of the orphanage, his only thought Aarav. He had to save him.

Then, silence.

The whispers stopped.

A heavy, suffocating quiet filled the air.

Raghav turned back, expecting to see Sneha, the boy.

But the hallway was empty. Too empty.

The silence pressed down on him, heavier than the voices had been.

He stumbled out into the cold Bengaluru night, gasping for breath as reality crashed down on him.

The truth was unbearable.

Sneha, the woman he had loved, the woman he had mourned, had betrayed him in ways he couldn’t comprehend.

She hadn’t just hidden Aarav from him. She had been part of something darker.

Rajat had been in it too. Playing him. Weaving this trap.

But the real question remained… why?

Why had they done this? What did they want from him?

Raghav pushed forward, his legs heavy, his thoughts drowning in confusion.

But through all of it, one thing remained clear.

Aarav.

His son was still out there.

And Raghav wouldn’t stop until he found him.

Raghav couldn’t shake the feeling that something crucial was slipping through his fingers. The connection between Sneha, Rajat, and the other boy remained unclear, and the more he thought about it, the more tangled everything became.

As he walked through the dimly lit streets of Bengaluru, memories flooded his mind, the laughter he had shared with Sneha, the dreams they had woven together, and the bitter end that tore them apart.

Back then, Sneha had been his everything. Bright, fierce, independent. But after graduation, something in her had changed. Her once-sparkling eyes had dulled, her smiles had started to feel forced. Raghav had assumed it was the stress of life, the weight of responsibilities. But now, as he pieced things together, he saw the truth, the cracks had formed long before their final goodbye.

The breakup had been ugly. Angry words. Accusations. Regret. And then, just months later, she had married Rajat. That had shattered him completely. Raghav had buried himself in his work, cutting off all ties, trying to forget her.

But now, standing in the middle of a quiet street, he realized something chilling, Sneha hadn’t just moved on. She had been hiding something. And whatever it was, it had led to this nightmare.

As he approached his apartment building, a familiar figure caught his eye. Arjun. The caretaker from the orphanage.

Raghav’s heart skipped a beat. He had left the orphanage in such a hurry, he hadn't even asked Arjun what had really happened to Aarav.

Arjun’s voice was low and urgent. “I’ve been looking for you, Raghav.”

Raghav hurried to him. “Arjun, what happened back there? Where is Aarav?”

Arjun’s face was pale, his eyes shifting anxiously. “I don’t know how to explain this… but Aarav isn’t just missing, Raghav. He’s being… haunted.”

Raghav’s blood ran cold. “Haunted? What do you mean?”

Arjun glanced around, lowering his voice. “It’s not just Aarav. It’s the other boy, the one who was never meant to be.”

Raghav felt the ground shift beneath him. “The boy…?” Raghav showed the photo that he took from Sneha’s house to arjun and asked, “Is this him?”

Arjun nodded; his expression grim. “Yes. Sneha had him before Aarav. But something was wrong. The child wasn’t… normal. He was born out of something dark, something Sneha and Rajat got themselves tangled in.”

Raghav’s stomach twisted. “What are you saying? What was wrong with him?”

Arjun swallowed hard. “The child wasn’t born out of love, Raghav. He was the result of a pact, something Sneha and Rajat did to gain success, to build the life they wanted. But they didn’t understand the price they would have to pay. The boy wasn’t human. He was... a curse.”

Raghav felt his knees weaken. A pact? A curse? This sounded like a horror story. But after everything he had seen and heard, could he really dismiss it?

“They tried to hide him,” Arjun continued. “But he came back. And now, he wants Aarav.”

Raghav stumbled to a nearby bench, his breath heavy, his hands gripping his head. The pieces were finally coming together. And the picture they formed was terrifying.

“Aarav is in danger,” he muttered. “I have to save him.”

Arjun placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “There is one way, Raghav. But it’s dangerous. You’ll have to face the boy, the other one. And you’ll need to make a choice.”

Raghav looked up, his face pale. “What choice?”

Arjun’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“You’ll have to choose which son to save.”

The weight of Arjun’s words settled heavily in Raghav’s chest. He struggled to process what he had just heard. How could he be forced to choose? His son, Aarav, or the other child, the shadow that had been haunting him? But there was no escaping it. If he didn’t act now, he would lose Aarav forever.

“There must be another way,” Raghav said, his voice thick with desperation. “I can’t give up on Aarav.”

Arjun let out a long sigh. “This other child… he was never meant to exist. His presence is disrupting the balance. He wants to take Aarav’s place and to erase him. You have to stop him.”

Raghav clenched his fists. He had already lost Sneha. His life had fallen apart once before. But Aarav… Aarav was his hope, his anchor. There was no way he would let him be taken.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said, his voice resolute. “Tell me where to find him.”

Arjun hesitated before speaking. “There’s a place. An old temple, deep in the city. It’s where Sneha and Rajat made their pact. That’s where you’ll find the boy.”

Raghav’s heart pounded. He had no idea what awaited him, but one thing was certain, he had to save Aarav.

As he drove through Bengaluru, the familiar city felt different. The streets he had known for years seemed distant, fading into the background. The deeper he went into the old city, the heavier the air became, as if the city itself was warning him to turn back.

Finally, he reached the temple. It was ancient, its stone walls covered in vines, hidden away like a forgotten secret. The scent of incense mixed with something rotten. A sense of unease settled in his bones as he stepped inside.

A faint chant echoed from within. The dimly lit temple seemed to breathe, the shadows shifting as if they had a life of their own. Something was watching him.

Then, at the altar, he saw a small figure.

Aarav.

Relief flooded Raghav as he rushed forward. “Aarav!”

The boy turned.

Raghav froze.

It wasn’t Aarav.

It was the other boy, the one from the photograph. The one Sneha had warned him about.

“You’re too late, Papa,” the boy whispered, his voice laced with something cold, something inhuman. “Aarav is mine now.”

A wave of dread crashed over Raghav. The darkness inside the temple pulsed, thick and suffocating. He had to act, now.

But before he could move, a shadow shifted near the altar. Sneha stepped forward.

Her face was etched with sorrow. “You have to choose, Raghav,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “Save one… or lose them both.”

His heart pounded.

This was it.

The moment he had feared.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

This wasn’t just about choosing between two children. It was about facing the darkness that had consumed them all.

The temple’s air was thick, suffocating. The energy in the room swirled like a storm, and at the center of it stood the boy, the other boy. His presence seemed to warp reality itself like he didn’t belong in this world. But what truly unsettled Raghav was Sneha.

She stood there, her eyes shimmering with emotions Raghav couldn’t quite place; guilt, sorrow… and something far more dangerous.

Raghav took a step back. The temple walls seemed to shift, the flickering flames casting moving shadows that felt too real. His heart pounded.

"I’m not playing this game," Raghav said, his voice tight with fear but firm with resolve. "I won’t choose between my sons."

Sneha sighed, but a knowing look flickered in her eyes. "You don’t have a choice, Raghav. The pact… the curse… it started long before any of us realized the price. But now, it’s in your hands to end it."

Raghav turned to look at the boy standing near the altar, the child with Aarav’s face but none of his innocence. There was something unnatural about him. His eyes, too dark for a child, held an ancient malice. This wasn’t a helpless orphan. This was something created out of greed, a force born from Sneha and Rajat’s mistakes. And now, it wanted Aarav’s life. To take his place.

Raghav could see it now, the hesitation in the boy’s eyes. Here, in this place, he wasn’t as strong. Not like he had been in the orphanage, or in the nightmares that had tormented Raghav night after night. Maybe… just maybe, this was where the darkness had begun. And maybe this was where it could end.

"You don’t have to do this," Raghav said softly, taking a step closer. His voice was firm yet pleading. "Aarav is just a child. You don’t have to take his life. This doesn’t have to go on."

The boy smiled, but it wasn’t a child’s smile. It was cold, twisted, something unnatural that sent a chill deep into Raghav’s bones.

"It’s too late," the boy said, "You’re too weak to stop me. Soon, Aarav won’t even remember who he was."

The words struck Raghav like a punch to the chest. He was running out of time. He had come this far, fought through nightmares, grief, and guilt, only to be left with an impossible choice. But he wasn’t ready to give up.

Raghav turned to Sneha; his voice thick with emotion. "I made mistakes," he admitted. "I trusted you, Sneha. I loved you. And maybe I was blind to what was happening in front of me. But I won’t let you take Aarav away from me."

Sneha’s face twisted with something unreadable, a mix of sadness and something almost like regret. "You were always too good, Raghav," she whispered. "Too pure-hearted. You never understood what Rajat, and I were trying to do. We thought we could control it… but we couldn’t. I tried to protect Aarav, but this… this was always going to happen."

Raghav’s hands curled into fists. "No, Sneha. You chose this. But I won’t let you decide my son’s fate."

The boy moved.

Faster than Raghav had expected, his small body lunged forward. A sharp gust of cold wind burst through the temple, slamming into Raghav like an invisible force. He staggered back, hitting the hard stone floor.

"You’re too late," the boy said again, his voice echoing off the temple walls. "Aarav’s life is mine now."

And then, Raghav heard it.

Faint, almost lost in the cold wind. A voice, small, trembling.

"Papa…"

Raghav’s breath caught. His heart pounded. That wasn’t the boy’s voice.

It was Aarav’s.

His son. Still in there. Still fighting.

"Help me…" Aarav’s voice whispered, barely a breath, yet it was enough to shatter Raghav completely.

"You can’t have him!" Raghav roared, pushing himself up. His body ached, the darkness pressing against him, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to lose his son.

The temple trembled. The air grew even colder, almost suffocating. Raghav took a step forward, his mind clear now.

This wasn’t a choice between one child and another.

This was about breaking the curse.

He looked at the boy, the dark force that had haunted them all. Not as a monster. Not as an enemy.

But as a child.

A child is born from mistakes, from pain. A child who had never known warmth, never known love.

"You don’t have to do this," Raghav said again, softer this time. "You don’t have to take his place."

The boy’s cruel smile faltered. Just for a second. But it was enough.

Raghav reached out, his hand trembling. The cold radiating from the boy was unbearable, like touching ice that burned. But he didn’t pull away.

"I know what happened to you," he said. "It wasn’t your fault. But you don’t have to hurt Aarav. You don’t have to be alone."

For a long moment, nothing happened. The temple’s darkness thickened, and Raghav feared he had been wrong. That he had lost.

Then, the boy spoke.

"I was never meant to be," he whispered. "But they made me. I don’t know who I am."

This wasn’t just a curse. This was a child, twisted by black magic, abandoned by the ones who created him.

"You’re not forgotten," Raghav said gently. "But you don’t have to stay here anymore."

The boy’s eyes glistened with something new, not malice, not rage. It was tears.

"But I’m so cold," the boy whispered. "So… alone."

Raghav felt his own eyes burn. He understood that pain. The feeling of being lost, of not belonging. He had spent years drowning in it. But Aarav… Aarav had brought him back.

"You don’t have to be alone anymore," he said, voice breaking. "You can be free. Let Aarav go, and I’ll help you."

The boy hesitated. His form flickered, like a candle fighting against the wind. Then, slowly… he nodded.

A burst of light filled the temple. Blinding. Pure. The darkness shattered, retreating like smoke in the wind. The air grew warm, and the suffocating weight lifted.

And when Raghav opened his eyes…

The boy was gone.

And standing in the soft glow of the temple, his small hands shaking, was Aarav.

Raghav choked back a sob. "Aarav…"

The boy’s lip quivered. His eyes were frightened, unsure searching for something, someone.

And then, in a broken whisper, he said "Papa?"

Raghav didn’t hesitate. He ran.

He fell to his knees and pulled Aarav into his arms, holding him so tightly, as if letting go would mean losing him again.

"I’ve got you," he whispered against his son’s hair. His hands trembled as he held the boy close, feeling the warmth of his body, his soft breaths.

"You’re safe now."

Tears spilled down Raghav’s face. Aarav was here. His son was here.

Raghav held Aarav close, his heart still pounding as the weight of everything that had happened began to settle. The nightmare was over. The eerie energy that had once filled the temple was gone, leaving behind just an old building; silent and lifeless.

But as he turned to leave, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows. Sneha.

She stood there, her face pale, her eyes heavy with emotions he couldn’t quite place; regret, sorrow… guilt.

"Raghav," she said softly, stepping forward. "I never wanted this, for you, for us."

Raghav's jaw tightened. The anger inside him hadn’t faded yet. "You made your choice, Sneha. You and Rajat. And look where it brought us."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked away, her voice barely a whisper. "I thought I could control it. I thought I could protect Aarav. But I was wrong."

Raghav didn’t reply. What was left to say? He had Aarav now. That was all that mattered.

He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.

"Raghav..." Her words hung in the air, heavy and unsettling. "You’ll never truly be free of this. The pact… the darkness… it’s still there. Waiting."

Raghav clenched his fists but didn’t look back. He had fought the darkness. He had won. Whatever was left, he would deal with it, on his own terms.

As he stepped out of the temple, Bengaluru stretched out before him, bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun. The city was waking up, oblivious to the storm he had just survived.

It was over.

Or so he hoped.

Because deep down, he knew, some shadows never really fade.

The morning sunbathed Bengaluru’s streets in a golden glow, but Raghav couldn’t shake off the unease settling in his chest. The city buzzed with its usual energy, honking autos, chai stalls brimming with people, life moving on... but for him, everything felt distant, muted. Sneha’s last words echoed in his mind.

"The darkness is still there, waiting."

He held Aarav’s small hand firmly as they walked towards their apartment. The past few days had been nothing short of a nightmare. He had fought to bring Aarav back, to keep him safe. But was it really over?

“Papa,” Aarav’s voice was small, hesitant. He looked up with tired eyes. “Are we safe now?”

Raghav knelt beside him, forcing a smile despite the storm raging inside. “Yes, beta. We’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay.”

But as he said the words, doubt crept in. Was it truly over? The other boy had disappeared. But Sneha had warned him. The pact, the darkness... it was still lurking, waiting. Would they ever truly be free?

Aarav pressed himself against Raghav’s chest, his tiny body trembling. Raghav held him close, stroking his hair, silently vowing that nothing would take his son away again.

When they reached their apartment, Raghav hesitated at the door. Something felt… off.

The air inside was thick, heavy, as if the walls had absorbed the tension of their past. His eyes darted across the room. Everything looked the same, the sofa, the bookshelves, the framed photographs. Nothing seemed out of place.

Until he saw it.

A journal.

It sat on the coffee table, old and worn, its leather cover etched with strange, intricate symbols.

His throat went dry.

“What’s that?” Aarav whispered, clinging to his shirt.

Raghav stepped forward cautiously, his hands slightly trembling as he picked it up. This wasn’t his. It had never been here before.

Slowly, he flipped open the first page.

And his heart nearly stopped.

Written in neat, looping handwriting were the words:

For Raghav, from Sneha.

Raghav’s fingers trembled as he stared at the journal, his mind racing. Sneha’s last warning echoed in his ears; the pact is still there. What did she mean? And how had this journal appeared in his home? His instincts screamed at him to destroy it, to rid his house of whatever cursed object Sneha had left behind. But his curiosity overpowered his fear.

With Aarav still by his side, Raghav sat on the couch, flipping through the brittle pages. Each entry revealed more about the life Sneha had kept hidden from him, the secret meetings with Rajat, their growing obsession with dark rituals, and finally, the pact that had sealed their fate.

Sneha’s words painted a picture of desperation, she had wanted success and power, and Rajat had convinced her that this dark path was the only way. They had been warned by those who knew the rituals that there would be a price, but they had ignored the warnings, blind to the dangers. The journal detailed their rituals in vivid, horrifying detail: a pact made with something far darker than they had understood, a promise to trade something precious for the life they had dreamed of.

And that “something precious” had been their first child.

Raghav’s stomach twisted in horror as he realized the extent of Sneha’s betrayal. The boy, the one who had hunted Aarav, was their first son, the one they had abandoned in the darkness. He had been cursed, a living embodiment of their greed and ambition, and now he had come back, seeking revenge.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

As Raghav continued reading, his eyes fell upon the final entry, a chilling confession from Sneha.

Rajat and I thought we could control it, but we were wrong. The darkness has demanded him, and now it’s coming for Aarav. But Raghav must never know the truth. He must never know that Aarav…

Raghav’s heart stopped as he read the next line.

…that Aarav is not his son.

The journal slipped from Raghav’s hands, falling to the floor with a thud. He couldn’t breathe. His mind raced, desperately trying to comprehend what he had just read.

Aarav… wasn’t his son?

He glanced at Aarav, who was playing quietly with a toy on the floor, unaware of the earth-shattering revelation that had just unraveled his father’s world. Raghav’s thoughts spiraled. If Aarav wasn’t his son, then who was his real father? And why had Sneha kept this secret from him?

His head spun, and he struggled to keep his breathing steady. The truth was too much to bear.

But before he could process it any further, the lights in the apartment flickered, and a sudden chill swept through the room. The temperature dropped, and the familiar sense of dread returned, stronger than ever.

Something was here.

Raghav stood up, his heart pounding. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to shift, growing darker, more menacing. He could feel the presence of something watching them, waiting.

And then, from the corner of the room, a voice echoed, a voice that chilled him to the bone.

"You thought it was over, Raghav. But it’s only just begun."

Raghav spun around, his eyes wide with terror. There, standing in the shadows, was a figure—tall, imposing, and draped in darkness. His heart raced as the figure stepped forward, revealing its face.

It was Rajat.

But this wasn’t the man Raghav had once known. His eyes were hollow, his skin pale, and a wicked smile twisted his lips.

"You didn’t think it would be this easy, did you?" Rajat sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Sneha and I made a pact, and you can’t break it that easily."

Raghav’s mind raced. This was the final piece of the puzzle. Rajat had never truly left. He had been part of this all along, plotting, manipulating, even from beyond the grave.

"You and Sneha…" Raghav choked out. "You planned this. All of it."

Rajat’s grin widened. "We needed you, Raghav. You were the perfect pawn. But now, it’s time for you to make your final sacrifice."

The shadows around Rajat seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, and Raghav could feel the weight of the darkness pressing down on him. He couldn’t let it end this way. He couldn’t let Rajat win.

Grabbing Aarav, Raghav backed away, his mind racing for a plan, any plan. He had faced dark forces before, but this was different. Rajat was no longer human, he was far worse.

And Raghav knew, deep down, that the only way to save Aarav was to face the darkness head-on.

Raghav sprinted through the dimly lit streets of Bengaluru; his arms wrapped protectively around Aarav. His chest burned with every breath, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. His only thought was to get away from the apartment, away from Rajat.

But no matter how fast he ran, the darkness followed.

Rajat’s voice echoed in his mind, cold and taunting.

"You can’t escape this, Raghav. The pact still holds. The shadows are watching."

Raghav clenched his jaw, shaking off the voice. He had to end this. But how? He had no idea where to go, no idea how to fight something this powerful.

Then, as he turned a corner, the thought struck him, the temple.

It was the only place where the shadows had lifted, where he had been able to reach Aarav. If there was even the slightest chance of breaking this curse, it was there.

His legs screamed in protest, but he pushed forward, weaving through the narrow lanes as the city blurred around him. The weight of the darkness grew heavier with each step, suffocating, relentless.

But he couldn’t stop. Not now.

By the time he reached the temple, the last traces of daylight had faded. The city was swallowed by night’s darkness.

The temple loomed before him; its ancient stone walls bathed in flickering oil lamps. The heavy wooden doors groaned as he pushed them open and stepped inside.

Immediately, the air changed.

It was thick, not just with incense, but with something deeper, something powerful. The very walls seemed to hum with an ancient energy, yet the shadows clung stubbornly, pulsing with Rajat’s presence.

Raghav’s heart pounded. He turned, pulling Aarav closer.

"I won’t let you take him!" Raghav’s voice echoed through the temple.

A slow, chilling laugh echoed in response.

"You don’t have a choice, Raghav," Rajat’s voice slithered through the darkness. "The pact was made long ago. It’s time to fulfil your end of the bargain."

Raghav’s hands trembled, but he didn’t let go of Aarav. His eyes darted across the temple, searching, desperate. There had to be a way out of this.

The temple had once been a place of light, of protection.

Maybe... it still was.

His gaze locked onto the altar at the temple’s center. It stood weathered but strong, an unshaken force amidst the creeping darkness. If there was any hope left, it was here.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, pulling Aarav with him. The child’s small fingers dug into his palm, trembling.

"Papa..." Aarav’s voice was barely a whisper. "What’s happening?"

Raghav knelt down, forcing himself to smile despite the terror coursing through him. "It’s going to be okay, beta. I promise."

But the shadows around them shifted, swirling into a dark storm. Rajat’s voice boomed louder than before, filled with an unnatural rage.

"You can’t stop this, Raghav. Aarav belongs to me!"

Raghav stood his ground, his grip on Aarav tightening. "You’re wrong. Aarav belongs to no one but himself."

The laughter that followed was mocking, almost pitying.

"Do you really believe that? The pact cannot be broken. The boy’s fate was sealed the moment he was born."

Raghav’s mind raced. He had read Sneha’s journal and learned the horrifying truth. Aarav wasn’t his biological son. But none of that mattered. He had raised him, loved him, protected him. That bond wasn’t bound by blood.

And no curse, no pact, was going to take that away from him.

Then, amidst the suffocating darkness, a faint glow flickered from the altar. Raghav’s breath caught.

The altar was the key.

He had seen the power of this place before. If there was any way to break the curse, it was here.

Gripping Aarav’s hand, he pulled him towards the altar. The shadows roared around them, growing stronger, but he didn’t stop. He placed Aarav’s tiny hand on the cold stone surface and closed his eyes.

He whispered a prayer.

One he had learned as a child, one buried deep in his memory.

"Please," he murmured, his voice trembling. "Please protect my son."

The temple trembled. The air grew colder.

Rajat’s voice turned into a furious scream.

"No! You can’t break the pact! The darkness will consume you both!"

But Raghav refused to listen. He poured everything he had, every ounce of love, every desperate hope into his prayer.

For a moment, everything went still.

Then...

A blinding light burst from the altar, flooding the temple with an intense radiance. The shadows recoiled violently, retreating like wounded beasts. Rajat’s furious shrieks filled the air, his presence flickering like a dying flame.

"No! This can’t be happening!" Rajat screamed, his voice breaking.

The light grew stronger, and as it did, the darkness around them shattered. The oppressive weight lifted, replaced by something else, something warm, peaceful.

Aarav clutched Raghav’s hand, his eyes wide with awe.

"Papa," he whispered, his voice filled with wonder. "We’re safe."

Raghav let out a shaky breath, pulling Aarav into his arms. "Yes, beta. We’re safe."

But just as he turned to leave, something shifted in the light.

A figure emerged from the fading shadows.

Raghav’s breath caught. Sneha.

But she wasn’t the woman from his nightmares, the cold, calculating figure he had seen in his visions. She looked… different. Softer. Regretful.

"Raghav," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I’m so sorry."

Raghav swallowed; his emotions tangled. "Sneha… why? Why did you do this?"

She stepped forward, her eyes filled with sorrow. "We were desperate, Raghav. Rajat and I… we wanted power. Success. But we didn’t know what we were inviting into our lives. And by the time we realised our mistake, it was too late."

Pain twisted in Raghav’s chest. "You let this happen. You let our son become a monster."

Tears slipped down Sneha’s face. "I know. And I’ve paid the price. But Aarav, he’s innocent, Raghav. He doesn’t deserve to suffer for our sins."

Raghav looked at her for a long moment. He had loved her once. That love had been destroyed by the darkness she had chosen. And yet, as he looked into her eyes now, he saw guilt. Regret.

But no matter what, one thing was clear.

"I won’t let Aarav suffer," he said, his voice firm. "I will protect him. No matter what."

Sneha gave him a sad, knowing smile. "You’re a good man, Raghav. A good father. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before."

Her form shimmered, then faded into the light. And with her, the last remnants of darkness disappeared.

The temple fell silent.

Raghav let out a slow breath, his arms wrapped protectively around Aarav. The worst was over. But as he stepped outside, he couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere, in the shadows, the past still lingered.

The darkness was gone.

But its echoes would remain.

The Shadows Still Linger

Days passed, and life in Bengaluru slowly returned to its usual rhythm. The city moved on, and so did Raghav and Aarav, falling back into their routine. But the past weeks had left scars, unseen, but deeply felt.

Raghav tried to convince himself that it was over. That the darkness was gone. Yet, every now and then, he’d catch Aarav glancing over his shoulder, his small hands gripping Raghav’s tighter than before. And though Aarav smiled, his eyes still held traces of fear, as if he knew something Raghav didn’t.

One evening, as Raghav tucked Aarav into bed, the boy looked up at him, his voice soft, almost hesitant.

"Papa… what happened to the other boy? The one in the shadows?"

Raghav stilled. He had told Aarav the darkness was gone, that they were safe now. But deep down, he wasn’t sure if that was true.

"He’s gone, beta," Raghav said gently. "He won’t hurt you anymore."

Aarav nodded but looked away, thoughtful. "I hope he’s okay… he was all alone."

Raghav’s heart clenched. Even after everything, Aarav’s innocence remained untouched. The boy saw past fear, past pain.

Leaning down, Raghav pressed a kiss to his forehead. "He’s free now. Just like you."

Aarav smiled, his eyes growing heavy with sleep. Within minutes, his breathing evened out, lost in peaceful dreams. For the first time in weeks, Raghav allowed himself to breathe, to believe, maybe, just maybe, it was truly over.

But the truth was never far behind.

As he stepped out of Aarav’s room, he shut the door carefully, the soft click echoing in the silence. The apartment was too quiet. Not the peaceful kind, the kind that made the hair on his arms stand up.

He walked to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Below, the city stretched endlessly, bathed in the golden glow of streetlights. Life moved on. People laughed, cars sped past, and Bengaluru thrived.

And yet, something in him refused to settle.

The past still weighed on him, Sneha’s final confession, Rajat’s spirit banished by the light. The pact had been broken. But was it really over?

His mind drifted to the journal Sneha had left behind. Pages he hadn’t read. Truths he hadn’t uncovered. He wanted to destroy it, to erase every trace of the nightmare they had barely survived.

But something held him back.

What if the journal had the answers he still needed?

A sudden chill swept through the room.

Raghav’s breath hitched. His skin prickled. He turned, his eyes scanning the dimly lit apartment. Everything looked the same. But the air… the air had changed.

And then, just for a second, he saw it.

A flicker. A shadow shifted at the edge of his vision.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

It was faint. Almost imperceptible. But he knew.

The shadows were back.

His heart pounded as he backed away from the window. His fingers curled into fists. He had fought the darkness once and won. But what if he was wrong?

What if it had never left?

A door creaked open.

Raghav whirled around, dread crawling up his spine.

It was Aarav’s room.

His breath caught. He rushed forward, pushing the door open but Aarav lay sound asleep, untouched, safe.

But the cold lingered. Watching. Waiting.

Raghav exhaled shakily. For the first time, he felt powerless.

He had fought monsters he couldn’t understand, but what if the real battle was just beginning?

Steeling himself, he shut the door quietly and placed a protective hand on it.

No matter what came next, he would keep Aarav safe.

He wouldn’t let the darkness take one more piece of his life.

Days passed, dragging along with a forced sense of normalcy. Raghav buried himself in work, coding away in his Bengaluru office, hoping the relentless routine would help him forget everything that had shaken his world. The city’s rush, the never-ending traffic, the hum of conversations, it all helped drown out the memories. For a while, he let himself believe that life was back to normal.

But the shadows had never truly left.

Every night, when the chaos of the city settled and Aarav fell asleep, the unease would creep back in. Whispers at the edge of his mind. Fleeting figures in the corners of his vision. A presence, watching, waiting.

And it wasn’t just at home. Even on his daily metro rides, something felt… off. The train rides, once mundane, now felt heavy—as if something unseen had boarded along with him. The feeling of being watched never left. Reflections in the metro windows seemed darker, stretched, like something was just out of sight.

At first, he convinced himself it was exhaustion. Stress. Imagination. But one evening, on his ride back home, that illusion shattered.

Raghav took his usual window seat, staring at the flickering lights of Bengaluru outside. But his eyes kept drifting back to the glass. His reflection.

His own tired face stared back at him. And behind him…

A shadow.

His chest tightened. His breath caught in his throat. He spun around, heart pounding. Nothing. Just tired office workers scrolling through their phones, lost in their own worlds.

He turned back to the glass. The shadow was gone. But… not completely. Something lingered in the reflection. A faint outline, lurks far behind him, barely visible in the dim light.

His fingers clenched into fists. No. He wasn’t imagining this.

The train rattled forward. Raghav shut his eyes, exhaling slowly. He had been through worse. He could handle this.

When his stop arrived, he hurried off without looking back.

Back home, the apartment was quiet, just as he had left it. Aarav sat on the couch, sketching in his notebook, his small face scrunched up in concentration.

Raghav forced a smile, shaking off the chill that clung to his skin. “What are you drawing, champ?” He ruffled Aarav’s hair, trying to ground himself in the moment.

Aarav grinned, holding up his notebook. It was a simple drawing of their home—their apartment, the balcony, stick figures of him and Aarav standing outside. A child’s world, innocent and bright.

Except for one thing.

A dark figure loomed at the edge of the page. Tall. Faceless. Watching.

Raghav’s stomach twisted. His voice came out hoarse. “Who… who’s that?”

Aarav blinked up at him, confused. “The man who comes at night. The one who watches us.”

Raghav’s blood turned ice-cold.

This wasn’t his imagination. The shadows weren’t just lingering memories or tricks of the mind. They were real. And now, they weren’t just after him. They were coming for Aarav.

Raghav had thought it was over, that whatever nightmare Sneha and Rajat had unleashed was behind them. But the journal had warned of something deeper. A darkness that doesn’t die. A curse that doesn’t end.

The shadows weren’t gone.

They had simply found another way in.

And now, it seemed, it had found its way back into their lives.

As days passed, Raghav began noticing strange things around the houselights flickering for no reason, objects shifting when no one touched them, and sudden cold drafts that seemed to follow Aarav wherever he went.

And Aarav... he was changing too. The once playful boy had grown quieter, and withdrawn, his usual spark fading into something darker. It was as if the shadows weren’t just around him but inside him too.

One night, after tucking Aarav into bed, Raghav sat alone in the living room, staring at the old journal Sneha had left behind. He hadn’t touched it since that night at the temple. He had been too afraid of what he might find. But now, he had no choice. The answers were in there. And if he wanted to protect Aarav, he needed to know the truth.

His hands trembled as he flipped through the worn pages, skimming over Sneha’s careful handwriting. Most of it spoke of the pact—the deal she and Rajat had made. He already knew they had tried to control something beyond their understanding. But as he neared the end of the journal, his breath caught.

There was one final entry. And it wasn’t in Sneha’s handwriting.

The letters were jagged, rushed—written by someone desperate. Raghav’s heart pounded as he read:

"The pact cannot be undone. We thought we could control it, but we were wrong. The darkness we called upon has grown stronger, feeding on our fears, our pain. It wants more. It wants Aarav. He is the key—the bloodline."

"Rajat knew this. That’s why we had to make the sacrifice. The darkness only takes the firstborn. But there is a way to deceive it."

Raghav’s blood turned ice cold. Sacrifice? Deception? His hands tightened around the journal as he read on.

"Rajat never told me everything. He said it was too dangerous. But I’ve figured it out. The son we raised… he was never meant to be the real target."

"Our true firstborn… he’s still out there. The pact still holds him. And when the darkness finds him, it will come for Aarav next."

"We’ve set something in motion that can’t be stopped."

"I can feel the shadows watching me. The man in the darkness… he’s coming."

Raghav slammed the journal shut. His heart pounded so loudly he could hear it in his ears.

There was another child.

His and Sneha’s real firstborn had been sacrificed. Aarav had never been meant for the pact. But the deception only worked for so long. Now, the shadows had found him.

Raghav’s fists clenched. No. He wouldn’t let this happen.

Aarav was his son. Maybe not by blood, but in every way that mattered. He had raised him, protected him, loved him. And now, something from the past was trying to take him away.

But how could he fight something he couldn’t see? How do you stop a curse that was written in blood?

Raghav exhaled shakily, his mind racing. The man in the shadows… he had seen him before. Aarav had drawn him. The journal had confirmed it, this wasn’t just his imagination.

It was real. And it was coming.

Raghav had no idea how to break this pact, but he knew one thing, he wasn’t going to let the darkness take his son.

No matter what it took.

The days that followed felt like a never-ending nightmare. Something was wrong. The presence in Raghav’s home, once a fleeting chill or a shadow at the edge of his vision, had become stronger. It wasn’t just a feeling anymore, it was real. The air in the house felt heavier, thick with something unseen, something watching.

And Aarav... he was changing. The once lively, talkative boy had grown silent. He spent hours staring blankly out of the window, lost in thoughts he wouldn’t share. His cheerful laughter had faded, replaced by an unsettling quiet. Whenever Raghav tried to talk to him, Aarav would only respond in short, distant murmurs, his eyes clouded with something Raghav couldn’t understand.

Then came the drawings.

Aarav had always loved to draw; his notebooks were once filled with bright, happy sketches of trees, houses, and smiling faces. But now, his pages were covered in dark, disturbing images. Shadowy figures. Twisted shapes. And in nearly every picture, there was a tall, faceless figure lurking behind the stick drawings of Raghav and Aarav. Each day, the figure grew larger. More menacing.

Raghav couldn’t ignore it anymore. Something was taking hold of Aarav. And he had to stop it.

That night, after putting Aarav to bed, Raghav sat down at his laptop, determined to find answers. He scoured the internet, searching desperately for anything on dark pacts, ancient curses, and ways to break them.

The deeper he went, the more unsettling tales of people who had tried to undo curses like the one Sneha and Rajat had made. Some had vanished without a trace. Some had lost their minds. Some never lived to tell the tale.

Just as hopelessness was creeping in, he found something, a small, obscure forum about occult practices.

One post stood out.

It spoke of a ritual. A way to break a blood pact. The details were vague, but it mentioned two crucial elements:

1. An object tied to the person who made the pact.

2. A place of significance.

Raghav’s mind raced. The object... Sneha’s journal. She had carried it everywhere. It had to be linked to her, to the pact.

And the place? There was only one that made sense.

The temple. The very place where he had first felt the darkness.

His heart pounded. He had to try.

That night, Raghav prepared himself. He packed the old journal, a few candles, and a small knife he had found in the drawer. He didn’t know what exactly he would need, but he couldn’t afford to take any risks.

“Aarav, we’re going for a drive,” he said, keeping his voice steady as he helped his son into the car. Aarav didn’t ask any questions. He simply climbed into the backseat, his face blank, his eyes distant.

As they drove through the quiet streets of Bengaluru, Raghav’s mind raced. He had no idea if the ritual would work or if it would make things worse. But time was slipping away, and the darkness was getting stronger.

They finally reached the outskirts of the city, where an ancient temple stood hidden among thick trees. The place had always given him an eerie feeling, but today, the air felt different, heavier, colder, almost alive with an unsettling presence.

Raghav held Aarav’s hand tightly as they stepped inside. “Stay close to me,” he whispered.

The temple was just as he remembered, silent, freezing, and wrapped in a strange, unshakable gloom. The altar stood at the center; its surface worn smooth by centuries of forgotten rituals. This was where it had begun. This was where it had to end.

Taking a deep breath, Raghav placed the journal on the altar and lit the candles. Their flickering glow cast restless shadows on the stone walls. Aarav stood beside him, silent, pale, unblinking. There was no fear in his eyes, only an unsettling calm as if he had already accepted what was about to happen.

Raghav opened the journal, his hands trembling as he turned to the last page. The words weighed on him like chains, thick with the burden of the pact Sneha and Rajat had made. As he spoke to them aloud, the temperature in the room dropped further. The shadows at the edges of the temple seemed to move, breathing, waiting.

The man in the shadows was near.

Raghav could feel him.

“By the power of this pact, I break the bonds that bind us,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “I sever the ties of blood and darkness. I release my son from your grasp.”

The shadows shifted and flickered. For a moment, Raghav saw a figure, a tall, faceless man watching them from the darkness.

His heart pounded. He reached for the knife, his fingers trembling. The ritual required a blood offering, a sacrifice to break the bond.

His mind screamed at him to stop.

Could he really do this? Could he break the pact and free Aarav from whatever had been haunting them?

But then, the shadows moved closer, tightening around them like a vice. There was no time to hesitate.

Raghav took the knife and made a small cut on his palm. He sucked in a sharp breath as the blade sliced through his skin. A single drop of blood fell onto the pages of the journal.

Silence.

And then, light.

A blinding flash tore through the temple. The shadows screamed, twisting and writhing as the darkness shattered. The faceless man let out a deafening roar, his form flickering as the golden flames consumed him.

Raghav instinctively pulled Aarav close, shielding him as the air around them crackled with energy. He could feel it, the heavy, suffocating grip of the pact lifting, breaking, releasing them.

And then, stillness.

The temple stood quiet once more.

Raghav took a shaky breath, his body trembling. He looked down at Aarav, who met his gaze with wide, innocent eyes.

“It’s over,” Raghav whispered, tears stinging his eyes. “It’s finally over.”

But just as they turned to leave, a voice echoed from the darkness.

Low. Cold. Malicious.

“Not yet.”

Raghav froze.

The man in the shadows was gone.

But something else was still there.

Something far, far worse.

The ride home was silent, but the air inside the car felt heavy as if weighed down by something unseen. Raghav kept his hands tight on the steering wheel, his mind replaying the events of the night. The shadowy man had disappeared, but the words from the temple "Not yet", still echoed in his head, sending a shiver down his spine.

The streets of Bengaluru had emptied, the usual chaos replaced by eerie quiet. Raghav kept glancing at the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see that figure lurking in the darkness. But the road remained empty.

Aarav sat in the back, staring out the window, his face blank. Too quiet. Too still. Raghav’s heart clenched. His son had already been through more than any child should. He deserved peace, a normal life. No more curses. No more fear. As their apartment came into view, Raghav made a silent vow, that whatever was out there, he would protect Aarav from it.

But he had no idea that the real danger was much closer than he thought.

The home looked the same as they had left it, quiet, undisturbed. The strange chill that had seeped into the walls was gone. The flickering shadows had disappeared. Raghav let out a slow breath as he unlocked the door.

“You okay, champ?” he asked, forcing a lightness into his voice.

Aarav nodded, but there was something distant in his eyes. Raghav knelt down, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s over now. I promise.”

Aarav said nothing. He just turned and walked straight to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Raghav stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door. Would Aarav ever be free from the darkness that had wrapped around their lives? Would either of them?

With a sigh, he dragged himself to the living room and collapsed onto the couch. His body was exhausted, his mind even more so. It was over. It had to be over.

But the unease in his chest wouldn’t fade. "Not yet."

He leaned back, eyes shutting, willing himself to sleep. Just a few hours. Just enough to forget.

And then… creak.

His eyes snapped open. The sound of a door slowly opening.

Raghav sat up, every nerve alert. His eyes flicked to Aarav’s room. Was he awake?

“Aarav?” he called out softly.

No answer.

Then he saw the figure standing in the doorway.

It wasn’t Aarav.

It was Sneha.

Raghav’s heart nearly stopped as he saw Sneha standing in the doorway, her form half-obscured by shadows. He couldn’t believe it. It’s Sneha, the woman who had died in that car crash, the woman whose pact had started this entire nightmare. His throat went dry. "Sneha…" he whispered, his voice barely steady. "How… how are you here?"

She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto his. She looked just as he remembered; the same soft features, the same warm presence, yet something felt… off. She wasn’t warm.

“You’ve been brave, Raghav,” she said, her voice calm, too calm. “But you don’t understand. You were never meant to break the pact. You were never meant to interfere.”

Raghav felt a chill crawl up his spine. "What are you saying? I had to, Aarav was in danger!"

A bitter smile tugged at Sneha’s lips. "Yes, Aarav. You always thought this was about him, didn’t you?" Her voice softened, but her eyes stayed cold. "It was never about Aarav."

Raghav stared at her, his mind whirling. Not about Aarav? "He’s your son," he said, trying to make sense of it.

Sneha’s expression darkened. "Aarav was a decoy, Raghav. The real target was the one the darkness wanted was Rajat’s firstborn."

His breath caught. Firstborn? "But you and Rajat…" His words trailed off, his mind racing.

"We made a choice," Sneha said, her voice colder now. "A pact. It demanded a sacrifice, that’s our firstborn. But we thought we could cheat it. We thought if we gave it another, we could escape."

Raghav took a shaky step back. "So, you…?"

"We deceived it," she admitted, unflinching. "Aarav was never meant to be part of this. But the darkness found out. And now, it wants what it was promised."

Raghav’s stomach twisted. Everything he had done to protect Aarav; everything had been built on a lie.

"I broke the pact," he said, desperate now. "I stopped the shadows."

Sneha shook her head, her eyes unreadable. "You didn’t stop anything, Raghav. You only delayed it."

His breath grew shallow. "What are you saying?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The darkness still wants a sacrifice." Her gaze locked onto him. "It’s coming for Aarav."

Raghav’s blood ran cold. "No. I won’t let it take him."

Sneha stepped closer, her face softening. "You don’t have to," she said gently. "There’s still a way to save him. But you need to trust me."

Raghav’s mind was a storm of doubt. Could he trust her? She had started this nightmare… yet now, she was offering him a way out.

"What do I have to do?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Sneha smiled, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. "Bring Aarav to the temple. We’ll perform the final ritual. Once it’s done, he’ll be free."

Raghav hesitated. Something felt wrong. But what choice did he have?

“All right,” he said finally, his voice firm. "We’ll do it."

Sneha’s smile widened. And just for a second, a fleeting, chilling second, Raghav saw something dark stir behind her eyes.

That night, Raghav gathered Aarav once again. They drove back to the temple in the dead of night, Sneha leading the way. The city of Bengaluru was quiet, its streets empty, as though the world had paused, waiting for the darkness to make its final move.

Aarav seemed different, more aware, more attuned to what was happening around him. He didn’t ask any questions as they walked toward the temple, his small hand gripping Raghav’s tightly.

Inside the temple, the air was thick with tension. Sneha moved to the center of the room, lighting the candles and preparing the ritual.

“Place Aarav here,” Sneha instructed, motioning to the stone altar.

Raghav hesitated, his heart pounding. This was his son, the boy he had sworn to protect. But he had come this far. If this was the only way to save Aarav, he had no choice.

He gently lifted Aarav and placed him on the altar.

As Sneha began to chant, Raghav noticed something, a movement in the shadows. His eyes darted around the room, and then he saw it.

Rajat.

His spirit stood in the corner, watching silently, his eyes locked on Raghav.

Raghav’s stomach twisted with fear. What was Rajat doing here? Had the darkness summoned him?

But then, Rajat’s spirit spoke, his voice a low, haunting whisper.

“She’s lying.”

Raghav’s blood ran cold. He glanced at Sneha, who continued her chant, seemingly unaware of Rajat’s presence.

“She’s using you, Raghav,” Rajat’s spirit whispered. “This ritual isn’t to save Aarav. It’s to claim him.”

Raghav’s heart raced as the truth began to sink in. This had been Sneha’s plan all along. The darkness wasn’t coming for Aarav, it was being summoned by her. She had never wanted to save him. She had been working with the darkness, using the pact to bring it into their world.

“Stop her,” Rajat’s spirit urged. “Before it’s too late.”

Raghav’s body is tense. He had been a pawn in Sneha’s game all along. She tricked him, and manipulated him into bringing Aarav to the temple.

And now, she was about to offer him to the darkness.

Without a second thought, Raghav lunged toward Sneha, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the altar.

Sneha’s eyes flashed with anger, and for the first time, Raghav saw her true form, the darkness that had consumed her, twisting her into something monstrous.

“You fool,” Sneha hissed, her voice echoing with unnatural power. “You can’t stop it now.”

But Raghav wasn’t listening. He grabbed Aarav and pulled him off the altar, holding him close as the darkness swirled around them.

Sneha screamed, her form dissolving into the shadows as the temple shook, the walls cracking and crumbling under the force of the ritual.

Raghav ran, holding Aarav tightly as they fled the temple, the sound of Sneha’s furious screams echoing behind them.

As they reached the car, the temple collapsed in on itself, the darkness consuming it whole.

Raghav drove through the night, his hands shaking, his mind racing. He couldn't believe how close he had come to losing everything. Sneha, the woman he had loved, had been twisted by darkness. She had betrayed him in the worst way possible, trying to sacrifice their son for some unfathomable pact.

Aarav, still in his arms, looked up at him with wide eyes, as if sensing the gravity of what had just happened. Raghav hugged him tighter, his heart pounding in his chest.

They drove in silence for a while, the streets of Bengaluru seeming eerily quiet in the late hours of the night. The familiar lights and bustling energy of the city were absent, replaced by an overwhelming sense of isolation. The world had changed for Raghav. Everything he knew had crumbled, and now, all that mattered was protecting his son.

Days passed, and while Raghav tried to return to some sense of normalcy, the events at the temple weighed heavily on his mind. He had managed to escape the immediate danger, but he knew that the darkness still lingered. Rajat's warning echoed in his thoughts, Sneha's plan had been far more sinister than he'd ever realized.

Aarav, too, had been affected. He was no longer the same carefree boy Raghav had once known. There were moments when Raghav would catch him staring into space, his eyes unfocused, as if he were seeing something that wasn’t there. And then, there were the drawings.

The darkness had returned to Aarav’s art. Each picture was more disturbing than the last. Shadowy figures, twisted faces, and always, in the background, a faint silhouette that looked eerily like Sneha. Raghav would tear the drawings away, trying to keep them in Aarav’s sight, but new ones would appear the next day. It was as if the darkness was still trying to reach out through his son.

And then, one night, Aarav spoke.

"Dad," he whispered in the dead of night, as Raghav tucked him into bed. "She’s still here."

Raghav froze, his hand hovering over the covers. “Who, Aarav?” he asked, though he feared he already knew the answer.

Aarav turned his wide, innocent eyes up to him. “Mom. She comes at night. She watches me. She’s waiting.”

Raghav’s breath caught in his throat. "No, Aarav. Mom is... gone." His voice shook as he tried to reassure his son. "She can't hurt you anymore."

Aarav nodded, but there was a look of quiet understanding in his eyes as if he knew Raghav didn’t. “She’s not gone, Dad. She’s angry."

Raghav noticed strange things happening around the apartment. It started with small incidents, objects moving on their own, doors creaking open when no one was near, and cold drafts sweeping through the rooms. But soon, the manifestations became more aggressive.

One night, Raghav woke to the sound of soft footsteps outside his bedroom door. He sat up, listening carefully. Aarav was asleep in his room, so who could it be?

The footsteps grew louder, slow and deliberate, moving toward his door. Raghav’s heart pounded in his chest as he grabbed the nearest lamp as if it could somehow protect him. He stood, inching toward the door, his breath shallow.

When he opened it, there was nothing. Just the empty hallway.

But then, a voice. Whispering, faint, yet unmistakable.

“Raghav…”

It was Sneha’s voice. Soft, haunting, and filled with malice.

He spun around, searching for the source, but the hallway was empty. The shadows on the walls seemed to pulse and shift, as though they were alive.

Raghav’s heart raced. He slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it, his mind spinning. Was he losing his mind? Or was Sneha truly still here, her spirit lingering, waiting for the right moment to strike?

That night, Raghav barely slept. Every creak, every whisper of the wind seemed like Sneha’s presence, taunting him. The house was no longer safe. The darkness had followed them home.

Raghav knew he couldn’t keep living in fear. He had to understand what was happening, and more importantly, how to stop it. His mind kept going back to the pact, what had Sneha and Rajat truly done to invite this curse upon them?

He found himself poring over old records, digging into their past, searching for anything that might help him. His investigation led him to an old occult specialist who had once been consulted by Rajat.

The specialist, a frail old woman with piercing eyes, listened as Raghav explained everything, about Sneha, the pact, the darkness that had consumed them.

“You can’t break a pact, like that easily,” the woman said, her voice hoarse from age. “They bound themselves to a powerful entity. A trickster. One that feeds on deception.”

Raghav frowned. “A trickster? What does that mean?”

The woman leaned forward, her expression grave. “The entity doesn’t just want blood. It wants to play with its victims. It will twist everything; make you doubt what’s real. And once it has you, it’ll never let go.”

Raghav’s stomach turned. “So, is Aarav still in danger?”

The woman nodded slowly. “He will always be in danger, as long as the entity believes it still has a claim on him.”

“But Sneha is gone,” Raghav said, his voice cracking. “She’s dead.”

The old woman’s eyes glinted. “Dead doesn’t mean gone. Her spirit is tied to the pact. She’s still part of it, whether you want to believe it or not.”

Raghav’s heart sank. Sneha was still connected to the darkness, even in death. And worse, her spirit was trapped, unable to move on until the pact was satisfied.

“What can I do?” Raghav asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

The old woman hesitated, then finally spoke. “You must sever the connection. But to do that, you’ll need to face her, in the place where it all began. The temple.”

Raghav stood before the ruined temple, Aarav by his side. The night was thick with tension, the air heavy with an unnatural stillness. This was the place where everything had gone wrong.

Aarav clutched Raghav’s hand tightly, his small body trembling with fear. “Is she going to hurt us, Dad?”

Raghav swallowed hard. “I won’t let her.”

They stepped inside the temple, the broken stones crunching beneath their feet. The place was a ruin now, but Raghav could still feel the presence of the darkness here, lurking in the shadows.

And then, she appeared.

Sneha’s ghostly form materialized in front of the altar, her face twisted in a mixture of sorrow and anger. Her eyes locked on Raghav’s, filled with hatred that made his blood run cold.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” she hissed, her voice echoing through the chamber. “It’s too late.”

Raghav took a step forward, his voice steady despite the terror clawing at his chest. “You must let him go, Sneha. Aarav doesn’t belong to the darkness.”

Sneha’s face contorted with rage. “He belongs to me! You took everything from me, Raghav. My life, my freedom. And now, you want to take my son too?”

Raghav shook his head, his heart aching. “I didn’t take anything from you, Sneha. You made the choice. You and Rajat.”

Sneha’s form flickered, her anger giving way to something deeper pain. “I didn’t have a choice,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I did what I had to do.”

Raghav’s throat tightened. “But it’s over now. The darkness has no hold onto you anymore. You can move on.”

For a moment, it seemed as though Sneha might relent. Her eyes softened, and for the first time, Raghav saw the woman he had loved, the woman who had once been his everything.

But then, the shadows around her twisted, pulling her back, and her face contorted into a sneer. “You’ll never be free of me, Raghav. I’ll always be watching.”

The temple trembled as the darkness surged, threatening to engulf them.

Raghav grabbed Aarav’s hand and shouted, “We’re leaving, Sneha! You have no power over us anymore!”

With that, they turned and ran, the temple crumbled behind them. As they raced into the night, the echoes of Sneha’s voice faded, her final words chilling Raghav to his core.

Months passed, and the sense of normalcy slowly crept back into Raghav and Aarav's lives. Aarav returned to school, and Raghav went back to work. On the surface, things seemed ordinary. But Raghav knew that the shadow of their past was never far behind.

He’d thrown himself into fatherhood more than ever before, determined to give Aarav the childhood he deserved, free of fear. They went on trips to the park, played video games together, and spent quiet evenings drawing, though now, Aarav's sketches were filled with bright colors, landscapes, and happy faces. The darkness seemed to have finally let go of him.

But Raghav couldn’t shake the feeling that it hadn’t let go of him.

One day, as Raghav was picking Aarav up from school, his son approached him with an excited smile on his face. “Dad, we’re going on a field trip to the museum next week! Can you come with us?”

Raghav smiled, ruffling Aarav’s hair. “Of course, champ. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

For the first time in a long time, Raghav felt a flicker of genuine hope. Maybe they could move past everything. Maybe they could live a normal life. Maybe, just maybe, the darkness had been defeated for good.

But that night, as Raghav sat alone in the quiet of their apartment, the temperature dropped suddenly. A cold breeze swept through the room, sending a chill down his spine. He glanced around his senses on high alert.

There was no one there.

He told himself it was just his imagination, just the trauma of everything he’d been through. But as he stood to close the window, he saw a faint figure, just barely visible in the reflection of the glass.

Sneha.

Her form was hazy, her expression unreadable, but she was there. Watching.

Raghav’s hands trembled as he reached out to close the window. As he did, Sneha’s lips moved, though no sound came. It was as if she were mouthing a single word.

"Soon."

Raghav slammed the window shut, his heart pounding. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, staring out into the darkness, waiting for the apparition to disappear. But it was gone as quickly as it had come.

He sank into the couch, his mind racing. Was this another trick of the entity? Or was it really Sneha, still tethered to this world, waiting for her chance to return?

Raghav had no answers. All he knew was that the past wasn’t done with him yet.

The next morning, as Raghav prepared breakfast for Aarav, his phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. He glanced at the screen, expecting a routine message. Instead, his heart sank.

It was an unknown number, and the text read:

"The pact is not over. You need to finish what was started, or the shadows will return."

Raghav’s blood ran cold. He quickly deleted the message, not wanting Aarav to see it. But the fear had settled deep in his gut. The darkness wasn’t done with him. And now, it was making itself known again.

That night, Raghav lay awake, unable to sleep. He couldn’t keep running from the truth, whatever the curse Sneha and Rajat had unleashed, it wasn’t just tied to their past. It was tied to Aarav’s future. And if he didn’t find a way to break it, for good this time, it would come for his son again.

The next day, Raghav found himself driving toward the outskirts of the city. The occult specialist he had visited before had mentioned one other person, someone who might hold the key to ending the curse once and for all.

The house he arrived at was old, with crumbling brick walls and ivy growing up the sides. Raghav hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. A few seconds later, an elderly man with a long white beard opened it, his sharp eyes studying Raghav carefully.

“I know why you’re here,” the man said, his voice gravelly. “Come in.”

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of burning incense. Strange symbols adorned the walls, and ancient books lay scattered across the floor. The man led Raghav to a small room lit only by candlelight.

“You seek to end the pact,” the man said, sitting down on an old wooden chair. “But the darkness doesn’t let go easily. It is bound by blood”.

Raghav frowned. “Blood? What do you mean?”

The man nodded solemnly. “The pact was sealed with the blood of the firstborn. Aarav is tied to it because of that. But there is a way to sever the connection.”

Raghav leaned forward, his pulse quickening. “How?”

The man’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light. “You must perform a final ritual. One that requires sacrifice of your own blood. Only by offering yourself in place of Aarav can the pact be broken.”

Raghav’s breath caught in his throat. “My blood?”

The man nodded. “It is the only way.”

Raghav’s mind raced. He would do anything to protect Aarav, even if it meant giving up his own life. But was he truly ready to face the darkness again?

The night of the ritual arrived faster than Raghav had anticipated. He stood at the edge of a clearing in a forest, the same forest that surrounded the ruined temple. The old man had given him specific instructions, mark the ground with a circle of salt, light the candles, and speak the incantation.

Aarav, thankfully, was safe at home with a friend. Raghav had told him it was just for one night, but deep down, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever return.

As Raghav began the ritual, the wind picked up, howling through the trees. The candles flickered, casting long shadows around the clearing. The air was thick with anticipation.

Then, from the darkness, a figure appeared.

Sneha.

Her form was clearer now, more solid, and her eyes burned with fury. She stepped closer to Raghav, her voice cold and venomous. “You think you can end this? You think you can take my place?”

Raghav stood his ground, clutching the small dagger the old man had given him. “I’m ending this, Sneha. Once and for all.”

Sneha’s laugh echoed through the clearing, a sound that sent chills down Raghav’s spine. “You can’t escape the darkness, Raghav. It will take you too.”

Raghav didn’t waver. He raised the dagger, cutting his palm and letting the blood drip onto the ground, completing the circle. As blood hit the earth, the shadows around him began to twist and writhe.

Sneha screamed, her form distorting as the darkness tried to pull her back. But Raghav didn’t stop. He chanted the words the old man had given him, his voice growing stronger with each syllable.

The ground shook, and the wind roared, but Raghav kept going.

Finally, with one last scream, Sneha’s form dissolved into the shadows, and the darkness around him disappeared.

It was over.

Weeks later, Raghav stood on the balcony of his apartment, watching the sunset over the city. The air felt different now; lighter, freer. The sense of impending doom that had followed him for so long was gone.

Aarav was inside, playing with his friends, laughing without a care in the world. For the first time in years, Raghav felt at peace.

The darkness was gone, and Sneha’s spirit had been laid to rest. The pact had been broken, not just for Aarav, but for Raghav as well.

He had faced the shadows of his past and emerged victorious.

But as he stood there, staring into the fading light, Raghav knew that some shadows could never be fully erased.

They would always be a part of him, watching, waiting, lingering at the edges of his memory.

But now, he was ready to move forward. Ready to live again.

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