Aarohi's breath trembled as she stared at the unfamiliar world around her.
The ground beneath her feet was dark—almost like it was made of shadows. The sky above shimmered in deep shades of purple, with no sun, no stars… just an endless, eerie glow.
"This… this isn't possible," she whispered.
Her voice echoed strangely, as if the air itself was alive.
A sudden rustling sound broke the silence.
Aarohi froze.
Slow, steady footsteps approached from the darkness ahead.
Her heart pounded louder with each step.
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice barely steady.
No answer.
But the footsteps didn't stop.
Out of the shadows, a figure finally appeared.
A boy.
He looked around her age, dressed in black, his expression cold and unreadable. But what caught her attention the most… were his eyes.
They glowed faintly.
Not normal. Not human.
Aarohi instinctively stepped back.
"Stay away from me," she said, fear slipping into her voice.
The boy stopped a few feet away, studying her carefully.
"You shouldn't be here," he said, his tone calm but sharp. "Humans don't survive in this place."
Aarohi swallowed. "I didn't come here on purpose… I just walked through a door and—"
"Door?" he interrupted, his eyes narrowing slightly.
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then he took a step closer.
"That means… it's finally happening."
Aarohi frowned. "What is?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze dropped to her eyes… and something in his expression changed.
Shock.
"No way…" he murmured.
"What?" Aarohi asked, confused.
He looked back at her, his voice lower now.
"You have the shadow mark."
Aarohi's heart skipped a beat.
"The… what?"
"It means," he said slowly, "you don't belong to the human world."
A cold chill ran down her spine.
"Then where do I belong?" she whispered.
The boy held her gaze.
"Here." 😈✨