The small dog trembled in Isha's hands, its fragile body so light that it barely felt real. Its ribs were slightly visible, its fur dusty, and its breathing uneven, like every breath required effort.
For a moment, everything else faded.
Aarav missing.
The warning message.
The danger outside.
All of it blurred into the background.
Right now, there was only this small, living creature… and the strange connection Isha couldn't explain.
She slowly knelt down and placed the dog gently on the table, her movements careful, almost instinctive.
"Easy…" she whispered softly.
Karan stood a few steps away, arms crossed, watching the entire scene with confusion written all over his face.
"Isha, we don't even know if it's safe to touch it," he said. "What if—"
"It's not dangerous," she interrupted quietly.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried certainty.
Karan paused.
"How do you know that?"
Isha didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was… she didn't know.
She felt it.
And that feeling was becoming harder to ignore.
The dog shifted slightly, letting out a weak whimper. Its eyes flickered open for a second, meeting Isha's gaze before dropping again.
That moment…
Something changed.
Not outside.
Inside her.
A faint pressure formed at the back of her mind.
Not painful.
But noticeable.
Like something trying to push through.
Her fingers moved gently over the dog's head, brushing away dust.
"It's okay…" she murmured again.
And then—
A flicker.
So quick that she almost missed it.
A feeling that wasn't hers.
Fear.
Raw. Sharp. Sudden.
Isha's hand froze mid-motion.
Her breath hitched.
"What happened?" Karan asked immediately, stepping closer.
She blinked rapidly, trying to process it.
"I… I felt something," she said slowly.
"What do you mean 'felt something'?"
She shook her head slightly, still staring at the dog.
"Not my own feeling."
Karan frowned. "You're not making sense."
"I know."
But she wasn't wrong.
That fear…
It hadn't come from her.
The dog's body trembled again, slightly more this time.
Isha leaned closer.
Her heartbeat started to sync with something else… something weaker.
Something unstable.
"Stay calm…" she whispered, though she wasn't sure who she was saying it to.
The dog.
Or herself.
She closed her eyes slowly.
Not fully.
Just enough to block distractions.
To focus.
The room fell silent.
Not empty silence.
Heavy silence.
Every small sound felt distant.
Every movement… irrelevant.
There was only one thing left in her awareness.
The dog.
Its breathing.
Its presence.
And that faint connection.
For a few seconds… nothing happened.
Then—
Another flicker.
Stronger this time.
Not just fear.
Movement.
Running.
Darkness.
A sudden noise.
Isha's eyes snapped open.
Her breath came out uneven.
Karan stepped forward immediately. "Isha, what's going on?"
She stared at the dog, her expression no longer confused.
Now it was intense.
Focused.
"It saw something…" she whispered.
Karan blinked. "What?"
"This dog… it saw something important."
He let out a frustrated breath. "You're guessing."
"No."
She looked at him directly.
"I'm not."
There was something in her eyes.
Something different.
Not panic.
Not confusion.
Something stronger.
Karan opened his mouth to argue… then stopped.
Because for the first time…
He wasn't sure she was wrong.
The dog shifted again, trying weakly to lift its head.
Isha immediately supported it.
"Careful…"
Her fingers moved gently along its neck.
And again—
That connection.
Clearer.
Deeper.
A flash.
A dimly lit space.
Metal.
Voices.
Anger.
Isha flinched slightly.
This wasn't imagination anymore.
This was memory.
But not hers.
"Karan…" her voice dropped, almost to a whisper. "This isn't normal."
"No kidding."
She ignored the sarcasm.
Her mind was racing.
Connecting things faster than she could control.
"The dog was there," she said.
"Where?"
"I don't know exactly… but wherever Aarav is…"
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Real.
Karan's expression hardened slightly. "You think they took him there?"
Isha didn't answer.
But her silence was enough.
The whisper returned again.
Soft.
Distant.
"Not yet complete…"
Her jaw tightened.
"I know," she murmured.
Karan frowned. "You keep saying things under your breath. That voice again?"
She nodded slightly.
"What is it saying now?"
"That I'm not ready yet."
"For what?"
She looked at the dog again.
"For this."
The dog's breathing had steadied a little now.
Still weak.
But not as unstable.
It didn't flinch under her touch anymore.
Instead…
It stayed still.
Almost like it trusted her.
That was new.
Isha noticed it immediately.
"It's calmer," she said.
Karan leaned slightly closer. "Yeah… it is."
He paused.
"Maybe because you're not freaking out anymore."
She gave a faint smile.
"Maybe."
But she knew it was more than that.
Much more.
The connection flickered again.
Not strong.
Not clear.
But present.
Like a thread slowly forming between them.
The dog suddenly tensed.
Its ears twitched.
Its body stiffened slightly.
Isha felt it instantly.
"What is it…?" she whispered.
A sudden wave hit her.
Fear.
Alert.
Something coming.
Her eyes widened.
"Karan…"
Before she could finish—
A faint sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Not random.
Not hurried.
Deliberate.
Karan turned toward the door immediately, his expression serious. "We need to leave. Now."
Isha didn't argue.
She carefully picked up the dog again, holding it close.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
They moved quickly but quietly.
Every step controlled.
Every movement careful.
The footsteps outside grew closer.
Not chasing.
Not rushing.
Walking.
Like whoever it was…
Knew they were inside.
"…they're here…"
The whisper came again.
Colder this time.
Sharper.
Isha's grip tightened around the dog.
Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her chest.
Karan moved to the back exit and opened it slightly.
He looked back at her.
"Go."
She nodded.
They slipped out silently, closing the door behind them without making a sound.
The outside air hit her face.
Cool.
Sharp.
Real.
They didn't stop.
Not until they were far enough.
Only when the building disappeared from sight did they slow down.
Both breathing heavily.
Karan bent slightly, hands on his knees. "This… is getting worse."
Isha looked down at the dog.
It was calmer now.
Still weak.
But not afraid.
Not like before.
Almost like…
It knew she wouldn't let anything happen to it.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
This connection…
It wasn't just power.
It was something else.
Something deeper.
She adjusted her hold slightly, making the dog more comfortable.
Karan straightened and looked at her.
"You're changing."
She didn't deny it.
"I have to."
Silence followed.
But it wasn't uncomfortable this time.
It was understanding.
Slow.
Growing.
Isha looked back toward the direction they had come from.
Her eyes sharper now.
Focused.
"Whatever it saw…" she murmured softly.
"I'm going to find out."
The dog shifted slightly in her arms.
And again—
That faint connection flickered.
This time…
Not fear.
Not pain.
But something else.
A pull.
A direction.
Unclear.
Faint.
But real.
Isha's breath slowed.
A small, determined smile appeared on her lips.
"Good…"
she whispered.
"We're getting closer."
And somewhere deep inside…
Something was waking up.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough to change everything.