Arjun walked slowly down the silent corridor, his footsteps echoing faintly against the cracked walls. After a while, he stopped in front of a rusted door with a half-broken signboard that read "Basement / Storage."
A faint, eerie smile crept across his face as his eyes glowed faintly red."Looks like the other pieces… are in there," he whispered in a low, chilling voice.
With steady hands, Arjun reached for the handle. The hinges groaned as he slowly pushed the door open, revealing nothing but pitch-black darkness waiting inside. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, letting the shadows swallow him whole.
As Arjun descended the creaking stairs into the basement, strange, eerie voices began to echo from the darkness. Laughter — twisted and unsettling — bounced off the walls. He gripped a torch in one hand, its dim beam cutting through the dust and shadows.
But Arjun didn't flinch. His steps were steady, his face calm. Reaching the bottom, he stopped and slowly scanned the room.
Faint, distorted figures flickered in front of him like flashes of broken film, darting past with creepy laughter. Yet Arjun didn't even spare them a glance — he just walked forward, beginning his search.
The basement was suffocatingly old. Layers of dust coated broken furniture, cobwebs hung thickly between shelves, and cupboards leaned half-collapsed. Arjun quietly pulled drawers, checked shelves, his expression cold and unbothered.
The ghostly figures hesitated, whispering among themselves. Why wasn't this human afraid? Why did his presence feel so heavy?
One of them finally lost patience. With a shriek, it charged toward him.
Arjun stopped. Slowly, he turned his face toward the rushing figure. His eyes — glowing dark crimson — burned like embers in the shadows. The ghost faltered for a moment but couldn't stop its charge.
In an instant, Arjun's fist shot forward.
The punch landed with such force that the ghostly figure was slammed into the ground, the floor cracking under the impact. The entire basement shuddered, sending a faint tremor through the school.
Elsewhere in the school…
Sameer's eyes widened as he felt the jolt. "Bro, what was that? It's like something heavy just fell."
Rishi adjusted his camera nervously. "Maybe Aman punched someone? He's got some freaky strength."
Sameer smirked faintly. "Maybe… What do you think, Dev?"
Dev not sure expression and a flicker of unease in his eyes. "…I don't know. But something's happening."
Meanwhile, with Aman's group…
Kabir grabbed Rohit's arm. "Bro! That was no earthquake. What the hell was that?"
Rohit frowned. "It felt like a tremor… but not natural."
Kabir shook his head furiously. "Exactly, that wasn't the earth shaking… it was something else."
As they argued, Aman stood silent, his brows furrowed. His instincts screamed at him that something far more dangerous was stirring in the school.
Scene Shift – Back to Arjun
Arjun slowly straightened up, brushing the dust from his hoodie after smashing the ghost into the ground. His torchlight flickered across the basement walls, but the true light was the dark crimson glow in his eyes.
The other ghostly figures, who had once been laughing and taunting, now froze in terror. They had never witnessed such overwhelming darkness radiating from a human. His aura was suffocating — heavier than theirs, almost monstrous.
A crooked smile crept across Arjun's face. His voice was low, cold, yet sharp as a blade.
Arjun: "Where… are the other pieces?"
One ghost, shivering violently, tried to stammer a reply.
Ghost: "P-Piece? W-what… what piece?"
Arjun tilted his head slightly, his eyes glowing darker, his tone calm but filled with menace.
Arjun: "Don't play dumb. You know. You know about the Last Day… And you know what will happen… If you don't tell.... "
He slowly pointed at the cracked floor, where the first ghost's body had been smashed into dust.
The basement air grew colder. The ghosts shuddered, exchanging terrified glances. They remembered. They knew exactly which piece he was talking about.
Finally, one of them — too scared to die, its form trembling violently — stepped forward.
Ghost: "I-I'll… I'll show you. Just… just don't destroy me."
Arjun's smile widened, eerily calm. His glowing eyes locked onto the trembling ghost.
Arjun: "Good choice."
The trembling ghost led Arjun deeper into the basement, where the air grew heavier and colder. After several minutes, the ghost stopped, pointing with a shaky hand toward a cracked glass case resting on a dusty pedestal.
Ghost (shivering): "T-there… that's it. Half of the other drawing. But… but be careful. The case… it's sealed with invisible mantras. Anyone who is dead, or carries a dark aura, cannot touch it. If you try, you'll—"
Before the ghost could finish, Arjun's hand shot out and grabbed its arm. His expression remained calm, almost bored, as he lifted the ghost like a shield.
Arjun (coldly): "That's why… you'll touch it for me."
The ghost shrieked in agony as Arjun forced its arm against the glass. Smoke hissed, the smell of burning flesh and spirit filling the basement. Its screams echoed through the room as the protective barrier shattered, the glass case creaking open.
The other ghosts backed away in pure terror, too afraid to even breathe.
Arjun tossed the half-burned body of the ghost aside. Its form collapsed, disintegrating into ashes before it even hit the ground.
From the broken case, Arjun slowly pulled out the parchment — the half piece of the drawing. His lips curled into a chilling smile as he studied it under his torchlight.
Arjun (muttering): "The half piece… mine."
Then, his eyes shifted toward the corner where the rest of the ghosts huddled together, hoping he would leave them alive. His smile widened unnaturally as he stepped closer, voice dripping with cold malice.
Arjun: "Ah… and yes. How could I forget… to thank you all?"
He cracked his neck slowly, the sound echoing in the silence.
Arjun (lower, with a creepy smile): "I'll thank you… in my way."
The ghosts froze, dread sinking in as Arjun advanced, the red glow in his eyes burning brighter.
The screen faded to black.
Scene shift → Dev's group
Dev, Sameer, and Rishi were walking down a long, dark corridor. Their footsteps echoed against the cracked walls, the air heavy with dust and silence.
Dev walked calmly, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. Rishi, meanwhile, held up his camera, recording everything — the shadows stretching across the floor, the eerie corners, the faint whispers the microphone picked up.
Sameer, however, was trembling. His shoulders stiff, his eyes darted nervously into the darkness with every step.
Dev glanced at him, smirking.
Dev: "Bro, you look so nervous… it's like you've got an interview lined up. With a ghost."
Sameer's eyes widened.
Sameer: "What the heck, bro? You're still joking at a time like this?"
Dev chuckled faintly.
Dev: "I'm just trying to cut the tension. What exactly are you so afraid of?"
Sameer's voice cracked slightly.
Sameer: "Everything. Everything in this school."
Rishi lowered his camera for a moment, his tone softer, almost nostalgic.
Rishi: "But bro, this school… it was one of the best places for us. Have you forgotten already?"
Sameer sighed, looking around with dread.
Sameer: "I know, bro. I know it was the best… but after that last day incident, everything changed. And now… look at it."
The camera light flickered as Rishi panned across the walls — broken windows, decayed posters, eerie stains.
Sameer (low voice): "This place isn't our school anymore. It's just… horror."
After sometime of walking Dev stopped and asked the other two to stop and said—Bro don't you hear a sound coming from ahead? Looks like something is ahead.
Sameer and Rishi stopped and listened carefully.Rishi whispered, "It sounds like… something crawling. And… breathing heavily."
Sameer froze for a moment, fear written all over his face. "Bro… do you know what that is?"
Dev smirked and replied, "You dumb creature, how the hell would I know? It's pitch dark—you can't even see your own shadow."
Sameer and Dev kept bickering in low voices, their tension filling the corridor. Suddenly, the moon slid free from the clouds. Its pale light spilled into the hallway—not bright, but just enough to push back the suffocating dark.
Slowly, the shadows thinned… and something began to take shape at the far end of the corridor.
At first, it was just a warped silhouette. Then the figure crept into view—a ghostly form crawling on both hands and legs, its body bent at unnatural angles. The joints looked broken, twisted, yet it moved with disturbing speed. Its face… disfigured, bent so far it seemed almost upside down, with a grin that didn't belong on anything human.
Rishi's eyes widened. He instinctively lifted his camera, whispering, "Guys… look. What's that…" The red light on his camera blinked as it recorded every second.
Dev and Sameer turned their gaze slowly toward the figure. Sameer's breath caught in his throat, his legs trembling. Dev's smirk faded into a grim expression.
"…Move back. Slowly," Dev muttered, his voice low and steady, but his eyes locked onto the crawling horror.
As they shuffled backwards, hearts pounding, the creature suddenly let out a distorted screech and lunged forward with inhuman speed.
"RUN! Stay together!" Dev screamed.
The three bolted down the corridor, but the thing was faster. With terrifying agility, it leapt ahead and blocked their path, its twisted body looming under the dim moonlight.
Rishi froze, his camera trembling in his hands. Sameer's legs nearly gave out. Dev, however, tilted his head, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Well, well," he said coolly, locking eyes with the monstrosity. "Don't you have any manners? Your parents never taught you not to stalk people? That's bad manners, bro."
The creature's grotesque grin faltered, confusion flickering across its warped features.
Sameer leaned toward Rishi, whispering in panic, "What the heck is Dev doing? Does he… think it'll listen?"
Before either could react, Dev raised a finger skyward. "Oh, by the way… look at that."
The creature's head snapped up toward the sky.
In that instant, Dev yanked Rishi's sleeve and turned. "Now—RUN!"
They sprinted. But when Dev glanced back, he noticed Sameer staring up too, trying to see what Dev had pointed at.
SMACK! Dev slapped the back of his head. "You absolute dumbo! It was a distraction, not sightseeing time!"
Sameer winced. "O-Oh—right!"
The three dashed through the corridor, their footsteps echoing. Behind them, the creature still twisted its neck, searching for whatever Dev had pointed out.
Then Dev, unable to resist, shouted over his shoulder:"Hey ugly! I was talking about the moon! Pretty, isn't it?"
The creature froze for a split second, realization dawning—then its face contorted in rage. With a guttural snarl, it launched forward again, tearing across the floor after them.
Sameer shouted between breaths, "Dev, you IDIOT! Now it's chasing us!"
But Dev only grinned, running faster. "Exactly! Don't you get it? When humans see danger, their stats double in no time. And thanks to me, we've got a head start. Now we just need a place to hide—or plan something smart."
The three of them dashed deeper into the school, the distorted screeches of the creature echoing closer and closer.
The screen fades back to the basement.
Arjun brushed the dust from his sleeves with deliberate, calm movements, his expression unshaken. Around him, the air was thick with a sickly haze—what remained of the ghosts he had slaughtered. Their forms continued to crumble into ash, scattering across the cracked floor.
Clutching the half-piece of the drawing, he let a chilling smile creep across his face.
"Now…" his voice was low, almost a whisper, "…I'm closer to my goal."
His eyes burned crimson, glowing brighter in the darkness before fading back to black. He slipped the fragment into his pocket with a casual motion, as though it were nothing more than a scrap of paper.
Without a second glance at the carnage, Arjun turned and began his slow ascent out of the basement, the sound of his footsteps echoing hollowly against the concrete as the scene faded to black.
The scene shifts back to Dev's group.
The three were still sprinting through the corridor, but their breaths were now ragged and heavy. Sameer clutched his chest, gasping."I… I can't run anymore, bro. I'm exhausted!"
Rishi stumbled to his side, nodding weakly. "Same here…"
Dev, though just as drained, masked his exhaustion behind a forced smirk. "Don't quit now. Just a little more… I'm thinking of something."
Above them, the moon slipped once more behind the clouds, plunging the corridor into suffocating darkness. Still, the two reluctantly pushed themselves forward.
Their pace slowed. Behind them, the distorted creature closed in—its limbs cracking and twisting as it crawled unnaturally fast. Its distorted breathing echoed in the hallway.
Suddenly, a voice cut sharply through the darkness—calm yet commanding:"Bend down!"
Without hesitation, Dev, Sameer, and Rishi dropped to the floor.
The creature lunged at them with a guttural shriek—only to be met by a sudden burst of light. From the shadows, Aman emerged, his fists glowing with a fierce aura.
With a single, devastating strike, he drove his fist into the creature's face. The impact thundered through the corridor.
The creature's body launched backward, colliding with a stone pillar so hard the walls cracked. Its twisted form writhed, then began to crumble, disintegrating into fragments of ash.
Dev let out a low whistle. "Wow bro… you're kinda cool."
Aman smirked, brushing dust off his knuckles. "I'm always cool."
Rishi, still catching his breath, was glued to his camera. He whispered, "Got it all recorded…" as the red light blinked, capturing every frame.
Sameer's eyes, however, were fixed on Aman's still-faintly glowing fist. "Bro… what is that? How's your hand glowing?"
Aman raised his fist, the holy thread tied around his wrist faintly shimmering in the dim moonlight. "It's because of the Rakashasutra—given to me by my grandmother. It glows whenever dark auras or creatures are nearby. It's a holy thread in Hinduism."
Sameer blinked, half-impressed, half-bewildered. "Oohh… okay, that's… kinda cool."
Dev crossed his arms, smirking. "But seriously, bro… how did you even find us? We can't predict where anyone is in this cursed place."
Before Aman could answer, two familiar figures emerged from the dark corridor.
Kabir's voice echoed first, dramatic as always. "Wait, bro… don't you want to meet us?"
Dev didn't even flinch. "No."
Kabir froze, his mouth wide open in shock.
Dev burst into laughter, smirking. "Just kidding, bro." He looked past Kabir at Rohit. "So… you two were tagging along with Aman?"
Both nodded. "Yep."
Kabir threw up his hands. "You won't believe what happened with us—"
Dev cut him off with a grin. "Same for us."
Kabir blinked, then shrugged. "Well, at least we heard you—your footsteps while you were running gave you away."
Dev tilted his head. "I see."
Aman stepped forward, unrolling a crumpled paper. "Anyway… look at what we found. A piece of a drawing—it's exactly one-fourth, just like the diary said."
Dev's eyes flickered. "Funny. We also found one. Same size—one-fourth."
Rohit scratched his head. "Weird. Why not the whole thing… why are the pieces scattered like this?"
"Hopefully Arjun found something," Dev muttered.
Aman's eyes narrowed. "Wait—you met him? Why isn't he with you?"
Dev smirked, shrugging. "He said he didn't wanna hang around with dumb people… so he went off alone."
Kabir's face fell. "Alone? Bro… isn't that risky?"
"For us, yeah," Dev replied dryly. "Not for him. You forget—he comes from a family that's deeply tied to mantras, old magic, rituals. Stuff like this is child's play to him. Maybe he's already two steps ahead."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Just as the tension began to settle, a new sound made them freeze.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, slow, deliberate, drawing nearer.
The squad tensed, bracing themselves.
Then, the clouds shifted—the moon broke free, casting pale silver light across the hallway.
Out of the shadows, a lone figure emerged.
Arjun.
His hood was pulled low, both hands buried casually in his pockets. His head was bowed, but his every step radiated cold authority. The moonlight slid across him piece by piece—first his shoes, then his hoodie, then his sharp jawline. His eyes stayed hidden in shadow, strangely normal this time.
The squad stood frozen, watching the most badass walk of the night.
Rishi adjusted his camera, still recording. "Bro… that's Arjun. His walking is kinda badass, na?"
Dev smirked. "Obviously. I'm the one who taught him."
Everyone—Aman, Sameer, Rishi, Rohit, and Kabir—turned and gave Dev a collective are-you-serious look.
Dev raised his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, just kidding."
Kabir tilted his head. "That walk reminds me of a character from a story."
Rohit frowned. "Which one, bro?"
Kabir hesitated, then said slowly, "…as badass as… a Villain."
The group fell silent, eyes flicking toward Arjun—who was still approaching, hood low, steps echoing.
Finally, Arjun reached them. He lifted his head just slightly, a cheerful tone in his voice. "Didn't you all forget about me?"
Dev smirked. "We were talking about you just now."
Almost instantly, Rishi, Kabir, Sameer, and Rohit swarmed around Arjun.
"Bro, where did you learn that walk?""Teach me, man!""You were so cool!"
Kabir added with wide eyes, "You were like… the villain of an anime!"
Before Arjun could answer, Dev stepped in, smirking. He patted Arjun's shoulder lightly. "Kabir, bro… you think this guy is a villain? No way. Sameer would make a better villain—if he had a little brain."
Sameer's face turned red. "Oye!"
But Dev froze for a moment. From beneath Arjun's hood, he heard a faint whisper.
"…Yes…"
Dev blinked. Did he just…?
For a moment, unease crept in. He glanced at Arjun, but the guy was just chatting casually with the others, expression calm.
Dev shook his head and stepped back toward Aman. That's when his eyes caught the faint glow of the Rakashasutra on Aman's wrist.
"Bro," Dev asked quietly, "why's your Rakashasutra glowing slightly? There's no ghost aura around."
Aman looked at it, frowning. "Maybe… it's because we're in this haunted place. But I don't really know."
Dev's smirk faded as his gaze slid back toward Arjun, still surrounded by the group's admiration.
"Maybe…" he muttered under his breath. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Or maybe not…"