The storm began the night the sky turned red.
Anika Sen had always believed that storms were beautiful. Living in a quiet coastal town near the Bay of Bengal, she grew up listening to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. But that night, the wind did not sing. It screamed.
At exactly 9:17 PM, the electricity went out.
Anika was sitting by her window, her notebook open, trying to finish a scholarship essay. The room went dark, except for the strange crimson light leaking through the curtains. She frowned and pulled them aside.
The sky wasn't orange.
It wasn't pink.
It was blood-red.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
"Leave your house. Now."
Anika's heart skipped. She almost laughed. Probably some idiot prank.
Then her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
"They are not coming for everyone. They are coming for you."
The wind outside grew violent. The trees bent like they were bowing to something invisible. The sea roared louder than she had ever heard before.
Her grandmother's voice echoed in her memory:
"When the sky turns red, the sea chooses someone."
As a child, Anika had thought it was just a story. A village myth. But tonight, the air felt heavy—charged with something unnatural.
Another message.
Unknown Number:
"You have 10 minutes."
The glass window cracked.
That's when she saw it.
Out in the ocean, beyond the furious waves, a column of swirling darkness rose into the sky. It looked like a tornado made of shadows. Lightning struck it again and again, but it did not disappear.
It was moving.
Toward her house.
Her breathing became shallow. This wasn't a prank. This wasn't normal weather.
Her phone vibrated once more.
A final message appeared:
"Run to the lighthouse."
The old lighthouse had been abandoned for years. No one went there after sunset. People said it was cursed.
But right now, it felt like the only place that might have answers.
The house shook violently. A photo frame fell from the wall and shattered.
Anika grabbed her hoodie, her notebook, and ran downstairs. Her parents were out of town. The house was empty. The wind slammed the front door open before she could even touch it.
Rain hit her face like needles.
She ran.
The streets were deserted. Streetlights flickered. Dogs howled in fear. The sky flashed again, illuminating the terrifying red clouds swirling above.
Halfway to the lighthouse, she heard footsteps behind her.
Not human footsteps.
Something heavier.
She didn't dare look back.
The sea waves had begun flooding the lower road. Water soaked her shoes. The lighthouse stood ahead on a small cliff, tall and dark against the violent sky.
Another lightning strike.
For a split second, she saw something inside the storm.
A shape.
Tall.
Humanoid.
Watching her.
Her legs almost gave up.
"Why me?" she whispered, tears mixing with rain.
The storm answered with thunder.
She reached the lighthouse door and pushed it open. It creaked loudly but didn't resist. Inside, it was surprisingly dry.
The moment she stepped in, the wind outside stopped.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Her phone screen lit up one last time.
"No turning back now, Anika."
Her name.
They knew her name.
The lighthouse door slammed shut behind her.
And from the top of the spiral staircase, a faint blue light began to glow.
Anika swallowed.
Whatever was happening, it had chosen her.
And the storm wasn't outside anymore.
It was waiting above.