It was late at night. The city streets were half asleep, half awake—just like Aarav. Sleep was far from his eyes; all he had were questions. And none of them had simple answers.
Once again, he stood in front of that old building. Three years had passed… yet some places exist outside of time. This was one of them.
"Why did you come back?" a voice inside him whispered.
Aarav gave a faint smile and replied to himself, "Maybe I left something behind…"
The door of the building was slightly open. As the wind blew, it creaked softly—creeek—like the beginning of an old story. Aarav pushed it and stepped inside.
Darkness greeted him. Only a flickering tube light struggled to stay alive—on, off, on, off. With every flicker, his shadow danced along the walls, as if something else was moving with him.
"Hello?" he called out softly.
No response.
Then suddenly… a sound came from upstairs. Something falling.
Aarav's heart started pounding.
"Is someone there?" he asked again, louder this time.
Silence.
But then… a faint laugh.
Aarav froze.
He had heard that laugh before.
Three years ago.
That night.
"Impossible…" he whispered.
Yet his feet moved on their own, carrying him toward the staircase. With every step, his breathing grew heavier. As if he was getting closer to the truth… or to something terrifying.
When he reached the first floor, he noticed a door slightly open. Light seeped through the gap.
And that same laugh… again.
Slowly, Aarav pushed the door open.
Inside, a girl was standing.
Her back was facing him.
Water dripped from her hair, as if she had just come out of the rain.
"So… you finally came," she said, without turning around.
Aarav's breath caught in his throat.
"You…?" his voice trembled.
The girl slowly turned.
And Aarav's world stopped.
"I'm back, Aarav."
It was Maya.
But Maya had died… three years ago.
The room light flickered once more.
And when it came back—
Maya was gone.
Only one thing remained…
A word written on the wall:
"WHY?"
Aarav stepped back, his mind unable to process what he had just seen.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
And the truth had just begun.