The room felt quieter than before.
Not peaceful.
Empty.
Aarav stood still, staring at his hand.
The mark had dimmed.
Not gone.
But weaker.
"…Something's wrong," he said.
The girl didn't reply.
She was watching him carefully.
Too carefully.
Like she was waiting for something.
🧠 The First Loss
Aarav frowned slightly.
"…What was I thinking about just now?"
Silence.
He tried again.
"…I was just—"
Nothing.
Blank.
A strange feeling crept into his chest.
Not panic.
Not yet.
Just… confusion.
"…Did I say something?" he asked.
The girl looked down.
"…You did."
Aarav waited.
"…What did I say?"
She didn't answer.
And that's when it hit him.
"…I forgot," he whispered.
⚠️ Escalation
The man leaned against the wall again.
Watching.
Silent.
"…It's starting faster than expected," he said.
Aarav turned sharply.
"…Fix it."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"…That's not how this works."
"Then explain it better!" Aarav snapped.
Silence.
Then—
The man sighed.
"You're trading memory for stability," he said.
A pause.
"The more you force her to exist…"
He glanced at the girl.
"The more your past disappears."
💔 The Second Loss
Aarav froze.
"…My past?"
The man nodded.
"Small things go first."
A pause.
"Then the important ones."
Aarav laughed nervously.
"…That's not funny."
No one laughed.
Silence filled the room.
Then—
Aarav blinked.
"…Wait."
His expression changed.
"…What was my school's name?"
The question came out suddenly.
Unplanned.
Aarav frowned.
Trying to remember.
"…It was…"
Nothing.
His breathing stopped.
"…No," he whispered.
He tried again.
Harder.
"…I studied there for years… I should know this…"
But the memory—
Was gone.
💥 Panic
"That's not possible!" Aarav shouted.
He grabbed his head.
"…Why can't I remember something so simple?!"
The girl flinched.
"…Because you chose me," she said softly.
The words hit harder than anything else.
Aarav looked at her.
Eyes shaking.
"…Don't say it like that."
🩸 The Truth Hurts
She stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"You need to understand," she said.
"If you keep doing this…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"…you'll forget everything."
Silence.
Aarav's chest tightened.
"…Everything?"
She nodded.
"Your childhood."
A pause.
"Your family."
Another pause.
"Yourself."
🧩 Identity Fracture
Aarav stepped back slightly.
"…That won't happen."
But his voice—
Was weaker now.
"…Right?" he added.
No one answered.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
👁️ The Breaking Point
A strange feeling hit him again.
Sudden.
Sharp.
A memory.
A face.
Smiling.
"…Mom?" he whispered.
Then—
Gone.
Just like that.
Aarav froze.
"…No."
His hands trembled.
"…No, no, no…"
He tried to remember again.
Her voice.
Her face.
Her name.
Nothing.
💔 Emotional Collapse
"…I can't remember her," he whispered.
The realization hit slowly.
Then all at once.
"I can't remember my own mother…"
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Crushing.
The girl looked away.
She couldn't face him.
⚡ The Choice
Aarav stood there.
Broken.
Confused.
Then—
Slowly—
He looked up.
At her.
"…You're still here," he said.
She froze.
"…Even now…"
His voice steadied.
"…I can still see you."
A pause.
"…That means it's working."
The girl's eyes widened.
"…Stop."
Aarav shook his head.
"No."
Tears formed in his eyes—
But he didn't look away.
"I don't remember anything about my past…"
A pause.
"But I remember you."
Silence.
"And right now…"
His voice dropped.
"That's enough."
🧨 Final Reveal
The man watched him carefully.
"…You've crossed the first threshold," he said.
Aarav frowned.
"…What threshold?"
The man's eyes darkened slightly.
"The point where you stop being human."
Silence.
Aarav didn't react immediately.
Then slowly—
He looked at his hand again.
The mark.
Now glowing faintly once more.
"…Then what am I becoming?" he asked quietly.
The man didn't answer.
But the girl did.
Her voice barely a whisper.
"…Something that shouldn't exist."