Vikram sat behind the steering wheel, both hands resting firmly on it.
A few moments earlier, he had seen Johnny Albert in his rearview mirror.
But how was that possible?
Johnny Albert had died years ago after falling into a swimming pool. Then why did Vikram see him now—so clearly, so real? What kind of mystery was this?
Vikram turned his head and looked at the back seat.
There was no one there.
He let out a slow breath.
"I think I'm thinking too much about Johnny sir," he said to himself. "Maybe it's just an illusion. I need some rest."
Trying to calm himself, Vikram restarted the car. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and drove forward, leaving the strange moment behind—at least for now.
Elsewhere
2:00 A.M. – Hong Kong, Dragon Hotel
The night was quiet.
At the reception, a few hotel staff members were sitting on sofas, scrolling through their phones. Some were chatting softly. A few staff members—both male and female—were resting in their rooms.
Maria was one of them.
Suddenly, the elevator doors on the third floor opened by themselves.
A man stepped out.
Only the sound of his shoes echoed across the empty corridor.
The third floor was completely silent. That night, only one guest was staying there. The man looked mysterious—dressed in a black suit, black boots, and his face hidden behind a mask.
He walked slowly and stopped outside Room 309.
He raised his hand and knocked hard on the door.
Again.
And again.
Inside the room, the man sleeping on the bed was suddenly disturbed. Irritation flashed across his face.
"These hotel staff are useless," he muttered angrily as he got out of bed. "All they know is how to earn commission. Now they've ruined my sleep."
Furious, he walked toward the door and pulled it open.
The moment he saw who was standing outside, fear spread across his face.
The man outside smiled slightly.
"Happy journey, Tony," he said coldly.
Before Tony could react, the stranger shoved a hand over his mouth and pulled out a knife.
In seconds, the knife struck Tony's stomach—five… six times.
The blade remained buried in his body.
Tony collapsed to the floor.
Dead.
The masked man stood there for a moment, looking at the lifeless body. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Then, calmly, he turned and walked away. His footsteps echoed again as he reached the elevator. He pressed the button for the ground floor.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened.
He stepped inside.
The doors closed.
The Black Shadow disappeared.
Next Morning
11:00 A.M. – Vikram's House
Vikram sat in his study room, resting on his chair. Books were scattered across the table. His laptop was open, scriptwriting software glowing on the screen.
But the screen was blank.
Vikram stared at it, lost in thought.
What should my next film be?
A suspense thriller?
A crime thriller?
Or a horror film?
He didn't know.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Vikram looked at the wall clock.
"Eleven already? Who could it be?" he murmured. "Maybe Sofia."
He stood up, walked downstairs, and opened the door.
Sofia was standing there.
"Sofia? Is everything okay?" Vikram asked.
She didn't answer. She simply walked inside.
Vikram closed the door and followed her.
"What happened? You didn't say anything. Is there a problem?"
"No," Sofia replied gently. "There's no problem. I just wanted to see you. Am I not allowed to come and meet you?"
Vikram smiled softly.
"Of course you are. Come, let's sit."
They sat together on the sofa in the hall.
Sofia looked at him and asked,
"Have you started writing?"
Vikram hesitated.
"No. Not yet. I'm a little confused."
"Confused?" she asked. "About the story? Every director goes through that."
"No," Vikram said quietly. "It's something else. But I don't want to talk about it right now."
Sofia nodded.
"Okay. But don't worry. Start writing soon. In two weeks, we'll go to Hong Kong together. Once we reach there, you'll start shooting."
She placed both her hands gently on Vikram's cheeks.
"If there's ever a problem, you can tell me."
Vikram smiled. He felt comforted by her care.
Meanwhile
Dragon Hotel – Third Floor
Hotel manager Daniel was walking toward Room 309.
He didn't know that the guest had already checked out of this world.
As soon as Daniel entered the room, his body froze.
There was blood.
A dead body.
For a moment, Daniel couldn't breathe. Panic rushed through his mind. If he informed the police, the hotel's reputation would be destroyed—and so would his job.
He took a deep breath.
"Calm down, Daniel," he whispered to himself. "Think carefully."
He looked around. The third floor was empty.
Slowly, he dragged the body and pushed it under the bed. Then he took out his handkerchief, soaked it in water in the bathroom, and wiped away the blood stains from the floor.
After several minutes, the room looked clean again.
He left the handkerchief behind in his haste.
Daniel stepped out, locked the door, and kept the key with himself.
He whispered firmly,
"From today, the key to Room 309 will stay with me. This room will never be opened again. Never."
The corridor fell silent.
But the murder had already awakened something dark inside the Dragon Hotel.
And the Black Shadow had only begun to move.