A Day That Felt Too Quiet
The sun shone brightly over Dharavanar, casting warm light over the familiar streets. For anyone else, it was just another normal day. But for Ariv, the world felt heavier—like the air itself carried a secret it refused to tell.
At the school gate, three familiar faces waited. Neel waved lazily.
"Bro, you look like a zombie."
Ariv forced a smile. "Didn't sleep much."
"Same here," Vaishnavi muttered, adjusting her bag. Her voice carried something more than tiredness—something uneasy.
Rohit joined them, yawning. "Guess we all had a rough night, huh?"
They walked into class together, but the silence between them felt louder than the chatter of students around.
---
The Tiffin Break Truth
By lunchtime, none of them could hold it in any longer. They sat at their usual spot under the old neem tree, opening their lunchboxes half-heartedly.
It was Vaishnavi who spoke first. Her voice was low, almost trembling.
"Guys… something happened yesterday."
Ariv looked up. Neel and Rohit froze.
She swallowed hard.
"At my home… something attacked me. It wasn't human. It was… like a shadow, with glowing eyes."
Neel's eyes widened instantly.
"You too?! I thought I was losing my mind!"
Rohit leaned forward, voice tight.
"It happened to me near the river a few days ago. I didn't tell anyone because… who would believe that?"
Ariv's heartbeat quickened. His grip tightened on his locket under the table, its metallic surface cold against his palm.
Neel spoke quickly, his words tumbling out.
"That thing… it wasn't normal. Black smoke, eyes like crescents, and that… pressure. Like it was crushing the air around me."
Vaishnavi nodded, her face pale.
"Yes… exactly that. And… I felt something. Like heat inside me. Burning, like something wanted to break free."
Neel added, his voice shaking,
"When it almost got me, there was this… flash. Light. From my hands. Just for a second. I don't know how or why."
Silence settled for a moment. Rohit finally spoke.
"When I was attacked, some guy appeared. Tall, with strange clothes and a sword. As soon as he showed up, the thing vanished."
Vaishnavi's eyes widened.
"You saw him too? I thought… I imagined it."
They all turned to Ariv.
"What about you?" Rohit asked.
Ariv hesitated, then said quietly,
"…I saw one of those things. At the river. But… no man. Just the creature."
He left out the part where he killed it with his aura… and the fact that his mother gave him a strange locket afterward.
The bell rang before they could say more. They packed their boxes in silence, each drowning in their own thoughts.
---
When Night Falls
That evening, Ariv sat by his bedroom window, staring at the sky. The constellation Galaxy Zenith shimmered faintly above the horizon—its glow visible only to him.
His fingers brushed the locket resting against his chest. It felt… warm. Almost alive.
A chill crept into the room.
The lights flickered once. Twice.
Ariv froze. Slowly, he turned his head toward the window.
There it was.
A figure stood outside in the moonlight—a Kalarak. Its body was pure shadow, its crescent eyes glowing like icy blue flames.
It didn't move. Didn't attack. It just… stared.
Ariv's breath caught in his throat.
And then, without a sound, it melted into the darkness and vanished.
Ariv sat frozen, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest.
"Why… why is it just watching me now?" he whispered into the silence.