The library suddenly felt too small.

Too crowded.

Too loud.

Every whisper sounded suspicious now.

Every glance felt loaded.

Siya's fingers tightened around the note until the paper crumpled in her hand.

Aaru leaned closer. "Okay. New rule. We trust nobody."

"That sounds unhealthy."

"That's because your life is unhealthy."

Around them, students continued studying normally, completely unaware that Siya's sanity was dissolving in aisle seven between Modern Indian History and Economic Reforms.

Who was leaking her schedule?

Her classmates?

Someone from college staff?

...Aaru?

The thought appeared for one horrible second before Siya immediately crushed it.

No. Never.

Aaru would sell her kidney before betraying her.

Probably not the left one though. She was emotionally attached to it.

"Don't spiral," Aaru warned, somehow reading her face perfectly. "Your overthinking has subtitles."

Siya exhaled shakily.

Then her phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number.

> Don't look nervous.

The person watching you is near the fiction shelves.

Siya's stomach DROPPED.

Against all common sense, her eyes darted toward the far corner of the library.

A boy wearing a college hoodie immediately looked away.

Another girl pretended to read.

One guy sneezed aggressively for no reason.

EVERYONE looked suspicious.

"This is horrible," Siya whispered.

Aaru grabbed the phone. "Okay enough. I'm texting him."

"No!"

Too late.

Aaru typed furiously.

> Dear Batman Criminal Sir,

Respectfully, stop traumatizing my best friend.

Also if you're rich rich, pay our tuition.

Regards,

A tired student.

Siya slapped a hand over her face. "We're going to die."

The typing indicator appeared instantly.

Aaru gasped dramatically.

Then the reply came.

> Your attendance is 42%.

Worry about that first, Aarushi.

Silence.

Pure silence.

Aaru slowly lowered the phone.

"...Siya."

"...yeah?"

"HE KNOWS MY GOVERNMENT NAME."

Both girls screamed.

The librarian stood up furiously. "OUT! BOTH OF YOU!"

5:10 PM - Outside College Gate

Rain clouds gathered again over Delhi.

Students flooded out of campus in noisy groups while autos honked endlessly outside.

Siya and Aaru stood near the chai stall arguing over whether mysterious emotionally unavailable men were attractive or dangerous.

"He literally stalks you," Siya whisper-yelled.

"And yet," Aaru said thoughtfully, sipping chai, "he knows electrical systems, your meal timings, and apparently my attendance. Efficient king."

"You're unbelievable."

A black Thar suddenly stopped across the road.

Both girls froze.

The window rolled down slowly.

Kabir sat inside wearing sunglasses despite the cloudy weather.

"...why do all of you enter scenes dramatically?" Aaru whispered.

Kabir ignored her and looked directly at Siya.

"Get in."

"No."

"Please."

"Still no."

Kabir sighed like a man exhausted by life choices. "Ma'am, if I return without you, sir will personally turn my week into psychological warfare."

"That sounds like a YOU problem."

"Agreed," Kabir said instantly. "Unfortunately I enjoy having employment."

Before Siya could reply-

SCREEEEECH.

A bike sped past the college gate too fast.

A phone flew from the rider's hand-

And landed directly at Siya's feet.

Everyone jumped.

The biker vanished into traffic immediately.

"What the hell?!" Aaru yelped.

The phone screen lit up.

Video file playing automatically.

Static filled the screen first.

Then-

Siya's blood turned to ice.

It was CCTV footage.

Of her.

Sleeping in class yesterday.

Another clip.

Feeding stray dogs this morning.

Another.

Her balcony last night.

Someone had been recording her.

Not Shashwat's surveillance feeds.

Different angles.

Different cameras.

A final text appeared on screen.

> You should've chosen the monster carefully, Siya.

Some monsters don't protect what they love.

A cold silence settled over the street.

Kabir's expression changed instantly.

Gone was the tired sarcasm.

Gone was the casual attitude.

Now he looked dangerous.

He grabbed the phone from Siya's trembling hands.

"...that wasn't us," he said quietly.

For the first time since all this started-

Siya believed him immediately.

abir pressed something in his earpiece.

"Sir."

A pause.

Then his jaw clenched hard.

"Yes," he said grimly. "It's started."

Thunder cracked overhead.

And across the street-

A man stood beneath a black umbrella watching Siya.

Smiling.

Not Shashwat.

Someone else.

Someone whose eyes held none of Shashwat's strange devotion.

Only hunger.

The stranger lifted two fingers in a mock salute-

Then disappeared into the crowd.

Siya's breathing became uneven.

"Aaru..." she whispered weakly.

Aaru grabbed her hand tightly.

Kabir opened the car door.

"This isn't a request anymore," he said. "Get in the vehicle. Now."

Meanwhile - Unknown Location

Shashwat watched the footage replay on his monitor.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The glass in his hand shattered suddenly under the force of his grip.

Blood dripped across the marble floor.

But he didn't react.

His eyes remained fixed on the paused frame of Siya sleeping peacefully in class while someone zoomed the camera closer.

Too close.

A slow smile spread across Shashwat's face.

Not sane.

Not human.

Terrifyingly calm.

"They to

uched what's mine," he murmured softly.

Kabir's voice crackled through the speaker. "Sir... orders?"

Shashwat wiped the blood from his knuckles without looking away from the screen.

"Lock the city down."

And somewhere in Delhi-

Someone realized too late-

That they had just become prey.