The five of them stood in front of the principal's office like excited schoolchildren waiting for a bell to ring. The hallway of Bright Pen College was unusually quiet, filled only with the ticking of the dusty old wall clock and the rustle of ceiling fans spinning lazily. Jai, the brightest student in the college, adjusted his spectacles and looked over at the others—Harley tapping his foot impatiently, Rita chewing her lip, Swathi looking calm as always, and Ravi with his arms crossed, already certain they'd be denied.
"Jai, it's now or never," whispered Rita. "Just show him that smile of yours. You're his golden boy anyway."
Jai gave her a sideways glance, then knocked on the door.
"Come in," the principal's deep voice called.
Inside, Principal Surya sat behind a thick wooden desk, papers strewn all over it. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly combed, and a steaming mug of tea sat next to a half-written letter.
Jai stepped forward, greeted him with respect, and explained their wish: a one-week trip, a break before the term exams and final project submissions.
The principal rubbed his chin, eyes moving from Jai to the others. "Seven days only. Not a day more. I'm trusting you, Jai. You're responsible for them."
Jai's heart leapt. "Thank you, sir!"
The room lit up with excitement. Rita clutched Swathi's hand; Harley gave a low whistle, and even the usually-stoic Ravi cracked a grin.
As soon as they stepped out of the office, Harley threw his hands in the air. "Yessss! Pack your bags, people. We're going to be legends."
They all bolted back to their hostel room like a storm, laughing, jumping on their beds, tossing pillows, and shouting out destination names. After a debate that turned into a mini-wrestling match between Harley and Ravi, they finally settled on a small off-beat town nestled by hills and a river—Kondari. Quiet, scenic, and just mysterious enough to feed their thirst for thrill.
That evening, their room turned into a packing battleground. Bags were thrown open, snacks stuffed, portable speakers and cards buried under socks. Swathi, the most organized of them all, kept repacking her bag while Rita kept sneaking things into everyone else's bags. Jai folded his clothes with precision, careful and thoughtful, while Harley casually stuffed everything into a single backpack that looked ready to burst.
As the moon rose higher, casting silver patterns through the hostel windows, they decided to take a short walk before bedtime. The campus was deserted, most students having already turned in. The lanes were lit dimly by flickering sodium lights.
They strolled through the front gates, down the empty road outside. The night was cool, and the air held a faint scent of mango trees and rain-drenched earth. Dogs slept by the roadside, cows tucked near compound walls, tails flicking lazily in their sleep.
Then—thud!
A small rock flew and hit a dozing dog.
Harley laughed. "Bulls-eye!"
The dog yelped and barked before curling again.
Swathi frowned. "Seriously, Harley? That's not funny."
"Relax, it's just a joke."
Another stone flew, this time landing near a sleeping cow. The cow grunted but didn't move. Rita giggled nervously.
"Come on," Jai stepped forward. "Don't harm animals for fun."
Harley shrugged. "It's just boredom. Tomorrow we'll be surrounded by rivers and forests. I'm saving my sanity."
"Still," Swathi said firmly. "Weak ones don't deserve cruelty."
Their walk continued, quieter now. Stars stretched across the sky in patterns only poets cared to name. The five of them eventually returned to their room, one by one slipping under blankets, giggling, whispering future plans. All except Jai.
Jai lay awake, staring at the ceiling. A strange unease settled in his chest. The silence around him seemed heavier than usual, like it was waiting for something.
Then—
A deep, thunderous ROAR echoed in his mind.
His body stiffened. His eyes widened as the room around him began to shift—not physically, but in that surreal, dreamlike way.
The ceiling melted into darkness. Wind howled around him. From that black void stepped forward a pair of glowing golden eyes.
A lion.
Majestic. Fierce. Silent.
Then came a voice—not the lion's, but something deeper, older, eternal.
> "Dear Jai… I have watched you."
> "You are the only one among your friends who still carries purity in heart."
> "And so I offer you a test… and a reward beyond imagination."
Jai tried to speak, but his lips wouldn't move.
> "If even one of your friends survives the coming seven days… all of you shall receive a gift greater than heaven itself."
> "But if not… your fate is sealed."
Suddenly images burst forth in flashes:
— A coin flying through a fiery explosion.
— A massive tree swarming with bees, buzzing angrily.
— Waters churning with crocodiles snapping their jaws.
— A lion's face transforming into fire, roaring into the sky.
Jai screamed.
He bolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat, heart pounding.
"Jai!" Rita sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"What the hell happened?" Harley asked, jumping up.
"Dude, you look like you saw a ghost," Ravi said, switching on the light.
Swathi rushed to his side, her calm demeanor cracking. "Are you okay?"
Jai looked around, breathing heavily. Their faces—all worried, confused, sleepy.
He wiped his forehead. "Nightmare."
"A nightmare?" Harley repeated. "Man, you screamed like someone set you on fire."
Rita sat on his bed. "Tell us. What did you see?"
Jai hesitated. That voice still echoed in his head. That lion. The test. The coin in the blast. He couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just a dream. It felt too real.
But he forced a smile.
"Some random stuff… A lion roaring. Explosions. Crocodiles. You know, horror film type dream."
Harley laughed. "Were we in the dream too?"
"Yeah," Jai said quietly.
"Oh no! Don't tell me I got eaten by a lion while Ravi drowned!" Harley joked.
Swathi shook her head. "Sometimes dreams mean something. It might be your mind warning you."
Jai looked at her, startled. He didn't expect her to say that.
"I think it was just nerves," Rita said. "We're going away tomorrow, maybe it's excitement or anxiety."
Ravi yawned. "Let's not turn this into a horror story. Let's just sleep."
As the lights were turned off again, Jai sipped water from the steel tumbler next to his bed. His hands still trembled. The dream… or vision… it was too vivid.
He lay back down, trying to convince himself it was just his imagination. That no lion had spoken to him. That his friends weren't about to walk into a nightmare wrapped in the disguise of a vacation.
But somewhere, deep in his chest, a small chill stayed.
And outside, far beyond the campus walls, in the wild forests of Kondari, a pair of golden eyes blinked in the dark.