I freeze. The cold air feels like it's biting into my skin. Did I really just see him?

My heart skips a beat, and I stare into the corridor ahead, the dim light flickering as if mocking my uncertainty. My mind whirls. Varun Verma—it couldn't be. But the shadow... the way he moved. Something inside me tugs, pulling me toward the figure I just saw.

I can still feel the lingering chill from my encounter, my breath heavy and uneven as I take a cautious step forward. The marbled floor beneath me feels colder with each footstep, like the temperature's dropping as my mind plays tricks on me. Was that him? No... that doesn't make sense. He's gone, disappeared. But what if...? The thought makes my palms clammy.

Am I really losing it? The thought pulses through me like a drumbeat, growing louder with each step I take. I push forward, my eyes scanning the silent hallway desperately, searching for something—anything—to anchor me. Every shadow seems to stretch longer, like fingers reaching out to grasp me, and the air is thick with a kind of tension I can't shake, as if the very walls are holding their breath. The path splits ahead of me, a fork in the alley where each side seems to whisper its own echoes of story, drawing me in with a mix of promise and uncertainty. On one side, there's a warm, almost inviting glow, the polished floors catching the light of delicate hanging lamps. It looks familiar, like the heart of the school, safe and open.

But the other side... it feels different. Darker. Forgotten. The floor underneath me is rough cobblestone, leaving behind the polished white marbles at the beginning of this fork alley. The enclosed walls shrieked pleading for help, the surrounding looked as if the builders just gave up pathway through, leaving this spot raw and barbed. There's a chill to the air, different from the warm and refreshing ambience in the other parts of the school. I feel that same pull, the same urge that I felt when I saw that symbol engraved on Varun's diary, even though every rational part of me is screaming I shouldn't. But, I couldn't help but take my heavy steps towards the moving shadow.

The urge inside me felt like a pull from these unfamiliar walls ahead of me, as if they were trying to tell me something—something that I was longing to find the answers to my never-ending questions. The Echoes of the Missing were calling me.

Ahead, through the half-built wall, trees stretch up like shadows, their branches tangling in a dense thicket that feels all too close. The forest lies just beyond, silent and still, yet brimming with something I can't quite place. A shiver ripples down my spine, but my feet move forward anyway, carrying me toward the darkened path. The familiar hum of fear thrums in my chest, but there's something else beneath it—curiosity, perhaps? Or maybe it's hope, fluttering like a moth drawn to a dimly lit bulb, desperate to find its way through the darkness.

I stop, my breath catching in my throat. My heart pounds against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat that drowns out everything else as I glance back, uncertainty biting me like a hungry demon. What am I doing here? Did I really see him, or am I just chasing shadows in this maze of old ruins? Come on, Vani! Pull yourself together! This isn't who you are.

Suddenly, a voice pierces the heavy silence, cold and unyielding, like ice cracking beneath my feet. "Ahem... What are you doing here?"

It's the Vice Principal, her tone slicing through the air, sharp enough to make my heart drop. I jump, spinning around as my heart races widely in my chest, thudding like a mad drummer against my ribs, each beat echoing in my ears. The Vice Principal stands there, her eyes narrowed and icy, dissecting me with a look that seems to bore straight through every layer of my frozen body, pumping oxygen through my veins as if fighting to keep me alive under the weight of her scrutiny.

"I—I uh..." My voice falters, and I feel my face flush as I scramble for words. Come on, Avantika, think of something, anything! My thoughts tangle together, but I manage to latch onto something plausible. "I was... looking for the restroom," I say, my voice a strained attempt at nonchalance. "This school is so big, I mean... it's like a maze. Ha-ha! I guess I got lost." I force a laugh, but even I can hear how hollow it sounds.

Great Avantika! Great way to make your first impression on the first day of school.

Her perfectly arched eyebrows rise in disbelief, and I can see the skepticism etched on her face. "Is that so?" She steps closer, narrowing her eyes even more. "This area is off-limits, especially for newcomers. I know the first day can be overwhelming, but consider this your first and only warning." She leans in slightly, her voice lowering, almost as if she's delivering a threat disguised as concern. "You need to learn the school's rules quickly, Miss Khanna. After all, we wouldn't want our school topper getting... lost."

The word seems to hang in the air, heavy and foreboding twisting my stomach into knots. What does she really mean by that? I swallow hard, heat pickling up the back of my neck and face. "I—I'm sorry ma'am," I manage to say, nodding quickly, almost too eager to escape her piercing gaze. My palms feel clammy, and a bead of sweat trickles down my spine, the chill sinking into my bones like icy fingers wrapping around me, tightening with every breath. Does she know? No, there's no way she knows. It was just a stupid slip. "I'll be more careful."

Her eyes linger on me for a moment longer, the tension thick between us, before she finally steps back. "As you should. Now, get back to where you should be."

I give a silent nod and turn on my heel, heading towards the familiar path, towards the administration offices and away from that dark, unfinished corridor. But my mind is still back there—on the cold cobbles, on the jagged walls leading to the forest. On Varun.

Was it really him?

The Vice Principal's words echo in my mind as I try to steady my breathing. Lost. That word sticks with me, wrapping itself around my thoughts like a warning. Maybe I am getting lost—in more ways than one.

I shove the thoughts aside, focusing instead on the flickering lamps overhead and steady click of my shoes on the smooth floor. I need to find the administration office, get my timetable, and focus on what I came here for. But a part of me, the part still standing at that crossroads, feels like I'm being pulled towards something much bigger than a timetable. Something deeper.

Why do I have this nagging feeling that Varun Verma isn't the only one missing at Blackthorn?

***

After the unsettling run-in with the Vice Principal, I finally manage to get my timetable and catch up with Sumi. We wander through the corridors, her light-hearted chatter a welcome distraction from the eerie encounter I can't quite shake off.

Sumi, bubbling with excitement, has introduced me to a few other girls from our classes. They're friendly, even eager, and it feels... nice. Normal, for once.

"So," Sumi says, dragging me toward a display in the main hall, "I have something to show you! You're going to love this."

I let her pull me along, still half-listening to the other girls sharing funny stories about classes and teachers. Being here with them feels odd, like I've entered another world where the darkness from earlier doesn't exist; it is just tucked away. Or maybe it was all just in my imagination...

"Look!" Sumi beams in excitement, her sheer happiness contagious as she points to a polished wooden board etched with rows of names in elegant, gold letters. "The Wall of Excellence. Every scholarship student who got into Blackthorn Academy is on here! It's, like, the ultimate badge of honor."

My eyes scan the board, landing on my name first: Avantika Khanna. She beams at me proudly. "See? That's you! I am so glad that you got in here." The light gleaming under my name—reminded me of every second of my hard work I put in to get into here.

Just below mine is Abhimanyu's name. I can't help but roll my eyes, imagining his smug face if he were here. Looks like even 'stupid noodles' found his way here. I can't help but smile a little.

Just as my mind wandered off toward a lighter note, a two-word name crumbled it and pulled me back to the dark, unfinished cobbled pathway—Varun Verma. His name is right there, staring back at me, almost taunting me. He was last year's intake. I swallow, the chill from earlier creeping back up my spine. He was here. Just like me. And now he's... gone.

Sumi notices my change of emotion, and scans the name I was fixated on and continues by leaving a soft sigh. "Varun Verma. He was something else. So smart, but weirdly quiet. Everyone thought he was in some sort of substance, you know, when they found... under his bed. And then..." She trails off, not meeting my gaze. There's a heavy silence.

I look away from the board, trying to shake the prickling feeling in my chest. "What... what happened to him?" I ask, my voice almost a whisper.

Sumi bites her lip, her gaze drifting for a moment as if searching for the right words. "No one really knows," she says slowly, choosing her words with care. "One day, he was just... gone. It's like he never existed at all." She leans in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "I've heard rumors that he ran away to join a cult... or maybe something worse."

"Worse?" I repeat, my mind racing back to that dark path and the half-built ruins. If he is really gone... what made me think I actually saw him? The Varun Verma! Am I really losing it?

Sumi shrugs, shaking off the tension with a half-smile. "Well, who cares, right? The police tried their best, but no luck. I'm just happy that you're here now, and I have got a best friend. We'll make memories that no one will ever forget." She links her arm with mine, grinning brightly.

I nod along, trying to mirror her enthusiasm, but that uneasy knot in my stomach tightens, refusing to let go. The name "Varun Verma" weighs on my chest like a heavy stone, thickening the air around me and making it hard to catch my breath. Why can't I shake this feeling? It's as if the echoes of his absence wrap around me, leaving me feeling trapped in a fog that I can't see through.

Who were you, Varun? And why does it feel like I'm chasing your ghost?

A u t h o r's   N o t e

Hey, blueberries! 🍓 You there???

Or are you lost in the echoes, just like 'you-know-who'? 

Did you enjoy this chapter? I hope it left you curious and eager for more! Your thoughts mean the world to me, so please take a moment to share them. 

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