Chapter 15: Echoes of the Unseen
"The voice of the Author".
What would happen if…
A person didn't just remember horror—
He could walk through it.
Every step. Every scream. Every mistake—perfectly mapped inside his mind.
Scene shifts to reality.
Vaibhavi tells one part of Vansh's past to Yash and Ritika.Vaibhavi sits on a park bench and says to Yash and Ritika,
"Well, actually, Vansh has a mental cognition of eidetic memory, spatial memory, and a cognitive map."
Ritika says in a confused tone,
"What??… Ei…di?? I didn't understand."
Vaibhavi smiles teasingly and squeezes Ritika's cheeks,
"Yeah, yeah… your parents thought their daughter would become a neurosurgeon… but she can't even pronounce a scientific term?"
Ritika's face turns frustrated. She pushes Vaibhavi's hand away.
"You!! You're getting personal again."
Vaibhavi says,
"Well, if I explain it simply—Vansh's memory doesn't just store images. It stores positions… distances… entire environments.
Like his mind builds a map every time he looks at the world."
Yash face looks thoughtful and says,
"Like photographic memory?"
Vaibhavi smiles,
"Not exactly… but it's cooler than photographic memory."
Ritika and Yash's eyes widen in surprise.
Vaibhavi continues,
"But normal information—he can forget in around 3 to 4 months.
But… scary and horrifying scenes take around 1 year to fade. That's why I've been worried about him lately."
Their eyes widen even more.
Meanwhile.Arav, Ayush, Sakshi, and Saavi are playing football.
Evening fades into night.
Time passes.
Everyone is eating dinner in the cafeteria.
Vansh finishes his meal, washes his hands, and walks toward his room.
Meanwhile, everyone else is still eating.
Ayush says cheerfully,
"Whatever… this palace food is amazing."
Arav smiles.
Meanwhile, Kartik is in his room.
sending information about today's events to Raj Singh Yadav (Chief).
A message pops up from Raj Singh Yadav:
"Well, interesting… keep an eye on them. I want clearer information, especially about that Vansh. I feel like he is not normal. Give him four days to prove himself—that they ran away from that place where children are used as labor."
Kartik replies:
"Yes, sir."
Raj Singh Yadav texts again:
"And yeah, I have a mission for you, Siddharth, and Vaishali…"
Scene shifts to Vansh.Vansh walks through the hallway casually, hands in his pockets, looking down thoughtfully.
"Well… I only have four days left. I have to prove myself to Kartik sir and also get admission into J.W. High School… that's a lot of work… damn it."
He glances out the window. Rain begins falling slowly, thunder echoing across the sky.
He keeps walking.
In frustration, he kicks the door open.
Suddenly, thunder roars louder, rain intensifies—and the electricity cuts out.
The hallway and room sink into darkness.
"Damn it… why does the power always go out like this in this area?"
Vansh grabs the door and uses the wall for support as he moves toward his bed.The room temperature drops. It feels unnaturally quiet—even with the storm outside.Vansh ignores it, but his body goes on alert. He is about to lie down—
Suddenly, a sound from the bathroom.
Spl… plop… plop… tap… spl…
Vansh stops and looks toward the bathroom. His expression sharpens.
"Whenever I'm alone in this room, something horrifying or a vision happens… so what is it this time?"
Spl… plop… plop… tap… spl…
He gets off the bed and walks toward the door—he doesn't want to experience it again. Using the wall and furniture for support, he moves forward.
Suddenly—
"Yaaaooow… mrrr… row…"
Vansh freezes.
His eyes narrow as he looks back toward the bathroom.
Spl… plop… plop… tap… spl…
"A cat? Here?"
He hesitates.
Then slowly turns and walks toward the bathroom.
"That dripping sound…?"
"m… eow… Yaaaooow… mrrr… row…"
The cat's voice sounds weak… strained… almost painful.
Vansh reaches the bathroom door.
His body relaxes slightly—but not completely. Something still feels wrong.
"Is… that cat in pain?"
He grabs the handle.
A smell hits his nose—
blood.
Spl… plop… plop… tap… spl… spl… tap… tap… plop…
He enters.
To the left—a wide mirror stretching across the wall. Below it, dry sinks.
To the side—a small bathing and toilet section. Straight ahead—a closed window.
Again, the cat cries—louder, more disturbing.
"m… eow… Yaaaooow… mrrr… row…"
Vansh takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He steps forward cautiously.
His heartbeat quickens.
Drip… THUMP… THUMP… Drip… THUMP… THUMP…
The bathroom feels unnaturally silent.
Too silent. Too cold. A faint air brushes past him—
It smells of blood… and meat.
His heart stutters.
He turns right and hesitantly grabs the toilet stall door. He opens it slightly—
Then suddenly, his mind clicks:
"Wait… the bathroom door was locked… and the window is closed… then how did a cat get in here?"
"Yaaaooow… mrrr… row!!"
The sound grows louder. More painful. More unnatural. His heartbeat races.
His blood feels both hot and cold.
He slowly pushes the door open.
Vansh's eyes widen in shock… fear… horror.
His heart jolts like electricity.
Goosebumps rise across his arms and neck
His lips part—but no sound comes out.
His breathing turns uneven.
In front of him—
A headless black cat stands near the toilet. Blood pours from its neck. Its head lies inside the toilet seat—blood dripping from it.
Spl… plop… plop… tap… spl… spl… tap… tap… plop…
That dripping sound—
It wasn't from the sink.
It was from this.
The cat's severed head—its dark green eyes
staring directly at Vansh.
"Yaaaooow…"
Vansh inhales sharply.
As he exhales, his breath trembles.
He notices—
The cat's eyes are widening.
It is smiling.
Vansh swallows.
He slowly steps back.
He moves out of the stall.
The cat goes silent.
It looks at Vansh…
Then looks above him.
Vansh feels a presence overhead.
His breath stops. He doesn't move for a few seconds.
Then—
He slowly looks up—
Nothing.
His body relaxes slightly.
He looks back—
And suddenly stumbles backward in shock, falling to the floor.
In front of him
A female black figure, holding the cat's head.
Again "Yaaaooow… mrrr… row!!"
The figure walks toward him slowly. Her head tilts—crack sounds echo—but she doesn't stop.
A creepy smile spreads across her face.
Vansh screams, shutting his eyes tightly.
"AAAAAAHHH!!"
A drop falls.
Tap.
He slowly opens his eyes.
Right in front of him—
The cat's head.
Still bleeding.
Still smiling.
Still staring.
Vansh crawls backward in panic until he hits the wall.
His breathing becomes erratic.
He slowly stands, eyes locked on the head.
His pupils shift left .The window.
The rain has stopped—but thunder continues.
His heart pounds again.
He slowly looks upward—
And freezes.
On the wall
The female figure.
Clinging without support.
A flash of lightning reveals her face
Wide eyes.
Messy hair. A stretched, unnatural smile reaching her cheeks… wider… and wider.
She speaks in multiple demonic female voices:
"Come… play with me…"
A cold sensation runs through Vansh's body.
His spine chills.
He steps back—
Still staring.
Her eyes turn completely hollow—
And she screams.
Vansh runs toward the bathroom door.
His mind screams—
"F**k… F**k… Damn…!"
The figure leaps from the wall—
Chasing him, laughing.
"Hahahahaha!! Playing a running game? I like it!"
Vansh turns—panic and desperation in his eyes
"That motherf**ker thinks this is a game!"
He reaches the door
Opens it
Slams it shut behind him.Breathing heavily.
He steps back.
Silence.
Then—
Taak… Taak… Taak…
He swallows.
Breath shaking.
Taak… Taak… Taak…
The door slams from inside.
Then—
Tap… tap… tap…
Vansh freezes.
That sound—
Isn't from the bathroom anymore.It's coming from inside the room.
He slowly looks up—
Above him—
The cat's body and head are stuck to the ceiling fan—
Blood dripping.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
He runs toward the room door—
Into the darkness.
Chapter End.