Of course, I missed my lecture after that. I headed straight to the library and began searching for Dr. Raghav Chakravarthy. He had countless PubMed research articles, mostly focusing on dreams and sleep. His work had earned him numerous international awards. But that's not what I saw first. What I saw first shook my insides.

14/04/2024

Dr. Raghav Chakravarthy, an eminent neurologist, was found dead in a cave near Moonstone Beach on Wysteria Isle. Two bullet wounds in his chest have been confirmed as the cause of death by forensic experts. His body was discovered first by tourists who had visited the caves for exploration. Postmortem examinations were conducted at Sovereign Medical College, 40 km from the location.

Raghav... Raghav is dead... and he was killed by  ....gunshots.

The two gun shots I had heard in my dreams played in my head. 

I quickly googled Wysteria Isle and Moonstone Beach to confirm my worst fears.

The vast beach, the towering cliffs, the cave... It was exactly what I saw in my dreams. All this time, I had been dreaming about the moments leading up to Raghav's death. And even stranger, my accident was on 13/04/2024 and his body was discovered the very next day. Also, the postmortem was done in my college.

I felt a strange coldness wrap my insides. The man I dreamt of, the one with a kind smile and a loving gaze, he.... is.... dead. 

My stomach churned. All this while, he felt so real, and I had felt him in my dreams. Before I met Mily, he had been the only person real or imaginary, that I had clung to. I can't believe at all that he is just gone forever. 

I never even got a chance to meet him. And I will never be able to meet him.

But, if whatever I saw in my dreams were true, Mily knew him. Not just that they were lovers, about to get married on the same day.  And Mily was probably there when Raghav got shot.

Everything started falling into place—Mily's sadness, the weight that dragged her down _It was Raghav's death. 

She hadn't been able to move on. It has been six months since his death.

But then, why did she kiss me? If she still loved and mourned for Raghav, why did she kiss me? Was I just a distraction from her depression? She saw that I had feelings for her and she used me as a distraction to get over her grief.

 She felt guilty... guilty about kissing me. That's why she left.

But one thing made no sense why did I ever dream of Mily and Raghav in the first place? What connection do I have with these two? Why is everything about Mily so mysterious. Why is every day bringing in a new mystery? Who are these two? What was I to them?

I was lost in my thoughts, still trying to process everything, when a voice startled me from behind.

"Aira, it's not like you to miss lectures. What's going on?"

It was Chaya.

"I had no idea. Thanks for your concern, though. Anyway, I need to go now, Chaya—sorry."
I quickly shut down the computer, not wanting her to see what I'd been researching. I stood up, ready to leave. I had no patience for a conversation about some pre-amnesia friendship drama.

"Aira, stop. I need to talk to you."

I had no idea what was going to happen, but she was blocking my way, so I had no choice but to listen.

Chaya took a deep breath, her eyes sharp with resentment. "On the night of your accident, you snuck out of the hostel without telling anyone. When Pierce got to know she yelled and wouldn't stop probing me about your whereabouts. But I had no idea.  You hadn't informed me of your sudden expedition to escape. Then the next morning you were brought in by locals saying you were found unconscious on the road to the Wysteria Isle"

Wysteria isle, that is exactly where Raghav was found murdered and the exact date even.

Chaya continued, "As soon as Pierce had the news, she came straight to me and made the dean suspend me. As if it was my fault that you disappeared. I got suspended because of you!"

Her words hit me hard. She had every right to hate me. But the bigger question now clawing at my mind was—why did I leave so suddenly that day? Why didn't I tell her, my best friend? And above all what happened in Wysteria Isle? May be whatever happened is the reason I had those dreams.

"I'm sorry, Chaya. I—"

She cut me off, the bitterness pouring out. "I came to see you in the hospital, Aira. And you didn't even remember who I was. I couldn't even yell at you or vent. Do you have any idea how that felt? I've been so pissed off at you for leaving me with nothing. I hated you, Aira. But..." her voice cracked, "what hurts more is seeing you... alone. Eating by yourself in the cafeteria, walking those hospital corridors like a ghost. It kills me every time." She took a deep breath and continued, "Yesterday when the Pierce drama happened, part of me was thinking that I will finally get revenge, but then I still couldn't tell Pierce what I saw. I realized that deep down I still care about you, Aira. I understood that you sneaked in that kitty because you felt so lonely".

"Kitty? What Kitty? There was no kitty there!" I was confused.

"Why are you speaking like Namita now, you know the other girl that Pierce asked to check. She was also saying that there was no kitty. God, was I hallucinating?"

"Wait, was it an orange kitty? A ginger?" I asked her

"Yes, it was! Where did you find it?"

I had no idea what was happening. Then Mily's words ringed in my ears.

'There are far more otherworldly things you should be concerned with'. 

This was all Mily's doing, the strange little orange kitty, the cramps that Miss Pierce had as soon as she stepped inside my room and may be even my dreams.

I looked at Chaya's face. At that instant, I knew that she was someone whom I could trust. Even though I was pretending to like loneliness, deep down I badly wanted someone, a friend. Maybe that is why I fell for Mily, even though I barely know her. I took a deep breath and told Chaya everything that I had been keeping a secret so far.

Her eyes widened with disbelief. "You know I am very skeptical about all this, witchcraft and sorceress stuff. I believe that there is a greater chance that you are turning insane, and that Mily is just your hallucination. But I am confused why no one else saw this kitty other than me. I have no explanation for that. And I heard about Dr. Raghav Chakravarthy's death too. He was brought in a few hours after your accident. All this can't just be a coincidence. You may not remember now, but we have attended his seminar before. He seemed like a nice guy, and you really liked him. I even thought that maybe you had a crush on him".

"What? Crush on Raghav?" I couldn't even imagine that, maybe she was mistaken.

"Didn't you think that I was .. um... gay?", I asked.

"No, never before the accident, but now I definitely do" she gave me a teasing look. "So how was the kiss?"

The feeling of heart break that I had been a bit distracted from, came back and I guess Chaya sensed it too.

" I am sorry. You know what we should do? Go to Bangalore find Mily and I'm going to make her regret breaking my best friend's heart. But before that now come here, come to me", she pulled me in and hugged me." I miss you, Aira. I miss my best friend.", she hugged me tight. I felt her tears wet my shoulder.

I hugged her back, tighter than I ever thought was possible. Tears flooded my eyes as I finally let go of the walls, I had built up inside me. All of it—the heartbreak, the confusion, the fear—burst out in sobs. It felt like we were both binging in all our pain and letting them out as tears, but at the same time, healing.

My tears flowed freely, mixing with hers, soaking into her shirt. For the first time since I lost my memories, I wished I could have them all back—relive every moment with Chaya. But I am happy that we rebuilt this friendship, it seemed like a good start.

But just as that fleeting thought crossed my mind, a deafening thud filled the air. I didn't even register it at first—until Chaya's body suddenly went limp in my arms.

The world around me slowed, the sound of our sobs silenced in an instant. My hands felt wet, slick with something warm—blood. Chaya's blood. I looked down in horror as she crumpled to the floor, the dark crimson pooling around her on the cold, white marble tiles. 

I barely processed what had just happened when my eyes shifted toward the shadows. A figure stood there, merging with the darkness, watching us all along. The hammer in his hand dripped with fresh blood. Chaya's blood. The blow had come from an impossible distance—how had he done it? It didn't seem humanly possible. And how had the hammer returned to his hand?

Maybe this is what Mily actually meant when she mentioned about otherworldly things.

He was wearing a black hooded cloak, and it felt like time had slowed as he began walking towards me. My heart pounded in my chest, but my body felt frozen. His slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the quiet of the hallway.
His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood, but I could feel his cold, merciless gaze on me.

A chill ran down my spine.

Even without my memories, I knew one thing for certain: We had met before.

1655 words
A/ N
Thank you so much for reading. I really hope that this story is not boring you out.
Please tell me if you find any grammatical errors. Any kind of criticism is welcome . May you have a great day ahead. Lots of love , Natur💕