"You shouldn't be here yet."
The voice echoed through the darkness.
Cold. Clear. Too clear.
Then—
RING! RING! RING!
Aarav's eyes snapped open.
He gasped and shot upright, breath uneven, heart pounding like he had just run for his life.
For a second, he didn't move.
Didn't think.
Just… breathed.
Then slowly, reality returned.
His room. His bed. His desk. Clothes scattered like they had lost a war. Morning sunlight slipping through the window.
And his phone vibrating aggressively on the table like it was personally offended.
"…What?"
His voice came out dry.
Aarav blinked a few times, trying to steady himself. Then he looked down at his hands.
Normal.
He pressed a hand against his chest—
And froze.
Pain.
A dull, deep ache spread across his ribs. Not sharp. Not unbearable.
But real.
Aarav frowned.
"…Why does my chest hurt?"
The phone kept ringing.
RING. RING.
Still dazed, he leaned over and grabbed it.
"…Hello…"
"FINALLY!"
Aarav pulled the phone slightly away from his ear.
"Dude, where are you?!" his friend shouted. "We're already at the metro station!"
Aarav slowly looked around his room again, as if confirming something.
"…Metro station?"
"Yes, metro station! School? That place where dreams go to die?"
Aarav rubbed his eyes.
"Oh… right."
A pause.
Then—
"Don't tell me you just woke up."
Aarav checked the time.
"…Maybe."
"YOU IDIOT!"
Aarav stretched lazily, ignoring the slight pain in his chest.
"Relax. I'm coming."
"You said you'd come early today! I trusted you!"
"That was your first mistake," Aarav replied calmly.
Silence.
Then—
"…You know what? Fair."
The call ended.
Aarav stared at his phone for a second, then stood up.
The moment he straightened—
Pain shot through his chest.
"Ah—!"
He grabbed his side instinctively.
"…Why does it actually hurt?"
That didn't make sense.
Dream pain wasn't supposed to carry over.
Right?
He walked toward the mirror and lifted his shirt slightly.
Nothing.
No bruises. No marks.
But the pain was still there.
Aarav stared at his reflection.
Something about it felt… off.
Not visibly.
Just a feeling.
Like looking at yourself and realizing something doesn't fully match.
"…That dream again."
The ruined city flashed through his mind.
The monster.
That impact.
The moment his body hit the ground.
The voice—
"You shouldn't be here yet."
Aarav blinked hard and shook his head.
"Nope. Not dealing with this right now."
He dropped his shirt, grabbed his bag, and rushed out.
---
At the metro station, Rohan spotted him first.
"Finally decided to show up?"
*Thud.*
A light punch landed on Aarav's shoulder.
"Ouch!" Aarav rubbed the spot. "Violence this early?"
Sameer crossed his arms. "We thought you died."
Kabir nodded seriously. "We were already planning your funeral."
Aarav raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Very emotional."
"Obviously," Sameer said. "If you die, who's going to do the homework?"
Aarav sighed. "So this is my value."
"Exactly," Kabir said.
They started walking toward school together.
Same jokes. Same chaos. Same routine.
Everything felt normal.
Almost too normal.
Aarav stayed quiet for a bit, his hand occasionally brushing his chest.
The pain hadn't gone away.
And neither had the memory.
The monster. The ruined city. That voice.
"You shouldn't be here yet."
The words echoed again in his mind.
Uninvited.
Unclear.
Uncomfortable.
---
At school, the day moved like it always did.
Slow.
Painfully slow.
Teachers talked. Students half-listened. Some slept openly.
Nothing unusual.
And yet—
Aarav couldn't focus.
His mind kept drifting.
Back to the dream.
Back to that place.
Back to something that felt… wrong.
---
During lunch break, he stood near the classroom window, looking outside.
The school yard was filled with students—talking, running, laughing.
Normal.
For a brief second—
The world flickered.
Aarav blinked.
The building across the yard—
Was broken.
Collapsed.
Its walls cracked open like something had torn through it. The ground looked uneven. Damaged. Empty.
Just like—
The ruined city.
Then—
It was gone.
Everything snapped back.
Normal.
Students. Noise. Sunlight.
Aarav didn't move.
"…Okay."
He rubbed his eyes slowly.
"I seriously need more sleep."
"Or less imagination."
A voice came from behind.
Aarav turned slightly.
Rohan leaned against the wall, watching him.
"Why are you staring outside like you just lost your entire backstory?"
Aarav sighed.
"Because my life is tragic."
Sameer appeared beside him. "Your biggest problem is being single."
Aarav looked offended.
"That is a serious issue."
Kabir joined in. "We should hold a prayer meeting."
"For your future girlfriend?" Sameer asked.
"No," Kabir said. "For whoever ends up dating him."
Aarav stared at them.
"…I need new friends."
"Too late," Rohan said. "You're stuck with us."
Despite himself—
Aarav smiled.
For a moment, things felt normal again.
But only for a moment.
---
That night, his room was quiet.
Lights off.
Aarav lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
He hadn't touched his phone.
Hadn't done anything.
Just… thinking.
The dream.
The pain.
The flicker at school.
None of it made sense.
He placed his hands behind his head.
"…What if it wasn't just a dream?"
The thought lingered.
Longer than it should have.
He exhaled slowly.
"No. That's stupid."
But even as he said it—
He didn't fully believe it.
A faint smirk appeared.
"…Unless some anime god noticed me."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"Yeah, right."
He closed his eyes.
"But if you're planning to send me to another world…"
Aarav yawned.
"At least give me something useful."
A pause.
"Not this… whatever this is."
Silence followed.
Sleep came soon after.
But this time—
It didn't feel peaceful.
And far away—
In a place that shouldn't exist—
Something stirred.
Waiting.
Watching.
Like it already knew—
He would return.
---
End of Chapter 3