By morning, no one mentioned the blackout. The staff blamed it on a transformer issue. But the air seemed heavier, as if the hotel had been holding its breath all night.
The new hotel was supposed to fix everything.
That was the whole point of moving.
New place.
New atmosphere.
New start.
And for most of the group...
It worked.
---
The next morning began with chaos.
Which meant Aryan was awake.
Unfortunately.
---
"No one appreciates my greatness."
---
"Correct."
---
"Thank you for agreeing with me so quickly."
---
Deep didn't even look up from breakfast.
"You're welcome."
---
Laughter followed.
The trip felt normal again.
At least on the surface.
Prishka walked into the dining area carrying two plates stacked with food.
Everyone stared.
Dipanshu raised an eyebrow.
"Planning to feed the entire hotel?"
Prishka sat down calmly.
"No."
"Then why do you have two breakfasts?"
She pointed at Aryan.
"One is emergency food."
"What emergency?"Aryan asked.
"In case you start talking again for hours."
Even Wick laughed.
Aryan looked personally offended.
"I am being bullied."
"Correct."Deep replied.
"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."
---
Shristi joined Everyone for breakfast, trying to shake off the unease. She could almost feel its weight against her skin even though it's just a necklace.
"You okay?" Varsha asked.
"Yeah," Shristi lied, stirring her coffee. "Just didn't sleep much."
Across the table, Prishka watched silently. She noticed the faint bluish tint under Shristi's eyes-not tiredness exactly, but something else, something drained.
The kind of exhaustion that seeps into the soul.
---
She sat quietly near the balcony while everyone argued over the day's plans.
Her eyes drifted toward Shristi.
Again.
And again.
And again.
---
Every time she looked away...
She found herself looking back.
---
Not because Shristi was acting strange.
Because something felt strange.
---
A feeling.
A pressure.
Like standing near a speaker and hearing a frequency nobody else could hear.
---
"You're staring."
---
Prishka looked up.
Shristi was smiling.
---
"Am I?"
---
"A little."
---
Prishka forced a smile.
"Just making sure you're not secretly plotting murder."
---
"Only on weekends."
---
The conversation ended.
But the feeling remained.
---
That afternoon, Wick and Aryan took the boys out for jet-ski rides while the girls stayed near the pool. Shristi sat under a large umbrella with Taniya and Kritika, sketching waves on a notepad.
"Shristi, why aren't you in the water?" Kritika teased. "You and Wick were inseparable yesterday."
She smiled faintly. "Not in the mood."
As they chatted, Prishka arrived, towel over her shoulder. She stopped mid-sentence, staring at the sketchbook.
"What's that?" she asked quietly.
Shristi blinked. "Just waves."
But on the paper, without realizing it, she'd drawn something else-beneath the waves, a pair of eyes staring upward, wide and hollow.
The pen slipped from her hand.
"Creepy," Taniya laughed, trying to lighten the moment. "You should draw that for a horror story."
Shristi forced a laugh too, but her heart thudded unevenly.
She couldn't remember drawing those eyes.
After Boys returning they go to the lighthouse.
The walk there was beautiful.
Ocean breeze.
Clear sky.
Tourists everywhere.
---
Nothing scary.
Nothing unusual.
---
Which was exactly why what happened next bothered Wick so much.
---
Halfway up the lighthouse stairs—
Shristi stopped.
---
Completely stopped.
---
Everyone kept climbing.
Talking.
Laughing.
---
She didn't move.
---
"Shristi?"
---
No response.
---
Wick frowned.
---
"Angel."
---
Her head turned slowly.
As if she had forgotten where she was.
Then she smiled.
---
"Sorry."
"What happened?"
---
She blinked.
---
"What do you mean?"
---
For a second—
Neither of them spoke.
---
Then she continued climbing.
Like nothing happened.
---
Wick watched her go.
Something about that moment sat wrong with him.
---
Very wrong.
That evening, rain started unexpectedly.
Not heavy.
Just enough to keep everyone inside
---
Which led to the worst possible outcome.
Bored people.
The group gathered in one room.
Cards.
Snacks.
Arguments.
Mostly arguments.
---
"You're cheating."
---
"I'm winning."
---
"Exactly."
---
Dipanshu pointed dramatically.
"See? Even he admits it."
Meanwhile Sonal sat near the window.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Kritika eventually noticed.
"You okay?"
---
No response.
---
"Sonal?"
Sonal was staring outside.
---
At nothing.
---
Or at least...
Nothing they could see.
---
"Do you hear that?"
—
The room went silent.
"Hear what?" Deep asked.
---
Sonal frowned.
"The singing."
Nobody answered.
---
Because nobody heard singing.
---
Only rain.
---
Sonal looked genuinely confused.
---
"You guys seriously don't hear it?"
Dipanshu stood.
"There is literally nothing outside."
Sonal slowly turned toward him.
---
And for a brief second—
Her expression wasn't fear.
---
It was disappointment.
---
As if she expected more.
---
Then it vanished.
"Forget it."
But Shristi heard it too-a low, melodic sound, faint but real. It rose and fell like breathing.
She pressed her palms to her ears. "Stop it," she muttered.
Wick leaned closer. "Shristi?"
The sound faded instantly.
"Nothing," she said. "Just I'm tired."
But when she looked down, there were tiny droplets of water on the table in front of her-cold and perfectly round, as if they'd fallen from nowhere.
---
The game resumed.
The jokes returned.
The moment passed.
But not for everyone.
---
Prishka and Wick exchanged a glance.
Both of them had noticed.
Neither of them said anything.
Not yet.
---
Later that night...
Nobody slept well.
---
Around 2:17 AM.
Prishka woke up.
No reason.
No sound.
Just instinct.
She sat up slowly.
Something felt wrong.
The room was dark.
Silent.
---
Then she noticed the balcony.
Open.
---
The curtain moved gently in the wind.
Prishka frowned.
---
She was certain it had been locked.
Slowly—
She stepped closer.
---
And froze.
Down below.
On the beach.
A figure stood near the shoreline.
A woman.
---
Long dark hair.
White dress.
---
Facing the ocean.
---
Motionless.
---
Prishka rubbed her eyes.
---
The figure was gone.
---
Only empty sand remained.
---
A chill ran down her spine.
---
And for the first time since arriving—
Prishka stopped wondering if something was wrong.
---
She knew it was.
---
To be continued…