Glass crackled under Ravi's boots as he pulled Feriha behind the sofa.
Another bullet tore through the curtains, embedding itself in the wall with a violent thud.
"Stay low," Ravi ordered. 📌
Feriha's hands shook uncontrollably. She could barely breathe, barely think. Her apartment,her safe little world;had turned into a trap within seconds.
"Who's shooting?" she whispered, voice trembling. 🔫
Ravi peered toward the broken window and answered in a grim, controlled tone:
"Someone who wants you dead before you remember more."
Another shot.
Ravi grabbed her wrist and pulled her across the floor toward the hallway.
"Move!"
Her knees scraped against the wooden floor as she crawled behind him. The air smelled like dust, gunpowder, and fear.
"How did they find me so fast?" she whispered.
"They were already watching you," Ravi said. "Last night wasn't a warning—it was a countdown." ⏳
He reached the corner and paused, listening.
Silence.
Too much silence.
Ravi's jaw tightened. "They've stopped firing. That means they're coming inside."
Feriha's blood ran cold.
"Inside? How? We didn't hear—" 🛠
A loud metallic click echoed from the living room.
The front door lock.
Someone was picking it.
Ravi's eyes met hers.
"We go out the back," he whispered. "Now."
He pulled her to her feet. Her legs barely held her up, but adrenaline forced her forward. They moved down the narrow hall to the kitchen, where a small back door opened to the fire escape staircase.
Ravi twisted the handle.
Locked.
"No, no—" Feriha panicked. "I never use it. I didn't think—" 🔊
He didn't waste a second. He slammed his elbow into the small glass panel near the handle, reaching through to twist the inside latch.
The door swung open. 🔏
But before they could step out, Feriha heard it:
Footsteps inside her apartment.
Slow.
Heavy.
Measured.
Someone had entered. 👣
Ravi whispered, "Go. Don't look back."
She stepped onto the iron staircase. Cold air hit her face like a slap. She grabbed the railing to steady herself as Ravi closed the door softly behind them.
They descended quickly.
Halfway down, a voice drifted from the broken window above them;a calm, emotionless voice.
"Feriha," it called.
As if speaking to a child.
As if they'd known her forever.
She froze on the steps.
Ravi tightened his grip on her arm. "Don't listen. Keep moving."
But she couldn't move.
The voice continued:
"You opened the file yesterday. You weren't meant to. That was mistake number one." 🚩
Ravi pushed her gently but firmly. "Feriha. Now..."
They reached the bottom of the fire escape and ran through the narrow alley behind her building.
The voice echoed again, faint but clear:
"Mistake number two… trusting him." 🚩
Ravi stiffened, glancing back. "Keep running."
They reached his car—a battered black sedan with faded paint. He shoved the key into the ignition as Feriha collapsed into the passenger seat, breaths coming in broken bursts. 🚗
The engine roared to life.
Ravi sped out of the alley.
Feriha clutched her seatbelt with shaking hands.
"Who was that?" she whispered.
Ravi didn't answer immediately. His eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, jaw tight, knuckles white around the wheel.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and dark.
"That wasn't just a hitman," he said.
"That was The Echo."
Feriha blinked. "The… who?" 😵
"A killer who leaves no evidence, no fingerprints, no mistakes." Ravi swallowed hard. "He's the one the Glass Circle sends when they want someone erased permanently."
Feriha felt her heart drop into her stomach.
"So he's after me?"
Ravi shook his head.
"Not just after you."
He turned sharply, speeding toward the edge of the city.
"He's hunting both of us." 👫