Timeline of Events [2005]

Maya's POV:

I had come too far to turn back now.

The days blurred together as I delved deeper into the enigma of QuanDatum. Every lead I pursued seemed to raise more questions than it answered. My life outside of work began to unravel — I was losing sleep, distancing myself from friends, and constantly looking over my shoulder, haunted by the feeling that someone was watching.

I felt like a shadow of my former self — once confident and sure, now constantly second-guessing every decision. The tension was starting to affect my relationships. Friends would ask if I was okay, but I couldn't bring myself to explain.

How could I tell them that I was tangled in something so sinister, something so dark that it could put their lives at risk too?

Out of the blue, I found an envelope waiting for me at my doorstep. It was plain and unmarked as if it had appeared out of thin air. My heart raced as I picked it up, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of my neck.

I tore it open with trembling hands. Inside was a single sheet of paper, with a message scrawled in bold, red letters:

"Leave it behind Maya, or it will destroy you." 

The words seemed to burn into my mind, each one a nail in the coffin of my investigation. I read it over and over, my breath hitched in my throat.

'They know.'  The thought echoed in my mind.

Whoever was behind this, they were watching me, and they were willing to do whatever it took to keep their secrets buried.

For a moment, I considered the possibility of leaving everything behind and disappearing into the ether. But the thought felt hollow, almost cowardly.

How could I walk away from the truth? From the people who had already been hurt by whatever was happening at QuanDatum?

But then again, how could I continue, knowing that I was putting myself in the crossfire of something far bigger and more dangerous than I could ever handle alone?

I stared at the paper in my hands, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me.

The idea of changing my identity, of becoming someone else, crossed my mind briefly. Running away had never been my way. And besides, I couldn't just erase Maya, couldn't just pretend that everything I had built, everything I had fought for, didn't matter.

I walked to the nearest telephone booth and after making sure no one was following me, I dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time. "Sofia? It's Maya. Listen, I need a favor."

I tried to piece together my plan: We both work at NexaTech, so even if anything went wrong, we'd still have each other. Her family lived nearby, and her father was a cop. Yes, she was simply a colleague, but I didn't know who else I could rely on. It was only a temporary agreement, after all. It'd probably be okay in a few days. Only a few days till I devise another scheme on my own.

Sofia's voice cut through my thoughts, her warm and soothing presence filling me with a brief sense of comfort, a lifeline in the chaos. "Maya? What's going on? You soun—"

"Please," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. "No questions. I just need some help. Can I stay with you for a while? Just until I sort some things out."

There was a pause, then a soft sigh. "Of course, you can. Whatever you need."

I exhaled, relief washing over me.

I put the phone down and observed the ongoing traffic around me.

Another thought crossed my mind this time, 'What if they knew her too?'

No, that couldn't be. I had to believe in my plan. It will work out.

That night, I packed a small bag with my essential stuff and left my room, hoping it'd give the impression that I was only going away for a few days. I wasn't vanishing, but I was making myself invisible, at least for now.

I glanced around one last time and after ensuring that I wasn't being followed, walked away into the night. As long as I kept my head down and stayed under the radar, I still had a chance to uncover the truth — without losing myself in the process.

But a nagging suspicion remained:

Were things really the way I had imagined them to be?

Riddhi's POV:

Were things really the way I had imagined them to be?

I hovered my mouse over the chats in The Haven.

Everyone was friendly and wholesome so far. I even introduced myself and they greeted me warmly.

Yet, there was this nagging thought that didn't leave me: What if it was all a trap?

The thought echoed in my mind as I scrolled more. Despite the welcoming atmosphere and the seemingly genuine conversations, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

I decided to dig deeper, clicking on profiles and reading past conversations.

I noticed a subtle pattern – certain users seemed to always divert discussions away from personal topics or shared too much information about their own lives, almost as if they were trying to distract others from asking too many questions.

As my suspicion grew, I made a mental note to tread carefully in this online community. Perhaps it was just my overactive imagination, but I had to be careful, regardless.

Then, a familiar name appeared: Rohan Sharma. The sight of it sent a rush of memories flooding back — college pranks, shared secrets and the way we'd drifted apart without really knowing why.

I hesitated for a moment before clicking on his profile. It had been a year since we last spoke and I wasn't entirely sure if he'd even remember me.

After taking in a deep breath, I finally hit enter.

"Hey, it's been a long time."

❛The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat.❜
— Edgar Allan Poe