Morning sunlight entered through the curtains. Suryavanshi sat on the sofa, wearing a loose white kurta. He was reading the newspaper slowly, a cup of tea sitting next to him on the table.
Suddenly, the phone started ringing.
Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring...
He picked it up.
As he listened to the voice on the other end, his face changed. His calm expression turned serious. Without saying a word, he ended the call.
He called out loudly:
> "Sharma! Get the car ready. We are going to the Commissioner's office."
From the kitchen, his wife came rushing in.
> "Wait! The doctor said you need to rest for three more months. Where are you going?"
But Suryavanshi didn't answer her.
He slowly stood up, picked up his coat, and walked toward the door. He was still recovering, and the movement caused him some pain, but he didn't stop.
His wife looked at him with worry. She knew once Suryavanshi made a decision, nothing could stop him.
The door closed behind him.
Outside, the car was already waiting. Suryavanshi got in, and the car drove off through the city streets — heading towards something serious and unknown.
As the car moved through the busy morning roads, Suryavanshi leaned back and looked out the window. But his mind was far away.
"It's been five months since Rohan died…"
The thought struck him hard.
A very talented young boy, he reflected silently. Brave. Smart. Always asking questions. Always ready to face danger. Maybe I shouldn't have made him the leader so soon…
His jaw tightened.
He closed his eyes briefly and let out a slow breath.
Raju is resting now… Sent back to his village after everything that happened. He'll be back in two days. I hope he's better… He saw too much too soon.
Then his thoughts shifted.
These cases… they're not stopping. There's something deeper. Something we still don't understand.
Suddenly, Suryavanshi opened his eyes and shook his head slightly.
No. Stop thinking. Focus.
He looked ahead. The Commissioner's office was only a few minutes away.
Something serious was waiting for him.
One Week Later – Manali
The car pulled into the driveway of a beautiful hillside hotel. Mahi stepped out with her three college friends—Pratiksha, Rachna, and Ammu. The air was cold and fresh, and snowy mountains stretched far into the distance.
They entered their room—a spacious suite with a private swimming pool and large glass windows offering a stunning mountain view.
Pratiksha dropped her bag and said with a grin, "It's been five years we've been planning this Manali trip…"
Rachna laughed, "And we finally made it!"
Ammu was already searching around, "Where's my phone? I just had it!"
Suddenly, Mahi screamed jokingly, "Ammu! Look at that big bug near your bag!"
Ammu froze, jumped back, and shouted in panic, "What!? Where!?"
Rachna walked over calmly, picked it up, and smirked, "It's a rubber toy, you fool."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Pratiksha joined Ammu in looking for the lost phone while Mahi and Ammu moved toward the bed area, excitedly exploring every corner.
Soon, a playful pillow fight broke out between the two. Feathers flew, and the room filled with laughter, echoing with joy and the warmth of old friendship.
As laughter echoed through the hotel room, behind the large glass window, something faint shimmered in the light.
It was Rohan.
His form was barely visible—like a fading shadow pressed against the glass. Transparent, ghostly. He stood there, silent, watching the girls joke and play.
He looked embarrassed, unsure where to keep his eyes. The pillow fight continued inside, the joy too loud, too alive.
Rohan thought to himself, This... this is what I'm supposed to protect?
He frowned slightly, unsure of his purpose. His body had died, his soul was in limbo, and yet… here he was.
The cold wind passed through him. He didn't move. Just watched.
What am I saving them from? he wondered.
After a full day of fun—eating, exploring the hotel, enjoying the swimming pool—the girls finally went to sleep. The clock showed 11:35 PM. The night was calm, the mountain air cool.
Outside, above the hotel roof, Rohan hovered in the air. Quiet. Lost in thought. He kept thinking about the pact, the shadow soul, and what it all meant.
Suddenly, a voice called out behind him.
"Hey, do you ever sleep or not?"
Rohan turned around slowly. It was Mahi.
He didn't look surprised. Gently, he floated down and stood on the ground beside her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Mahi smiled. "This trip was planned for five years. We were just waiting for the right time to come."
Rohan frowned slightly. "But we still haven't found the soul that disappeared. Did you forget about that?"
Mahi walked past him slowly, her eyes on the bright full moon. She stood at the edge of the rooftop, the wind lifting her hair.
"I didn't forget," she said quietly. "But... there's something else."
Rohan turned to her.
"There's another case I've been following," Mahi said, now facing him. "You're always serious, and I act carefree... but remember—we're both under the pact."
Rohan's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that.
"Before I met you, I was already chasing a murder case," she continued. "A woman was stabbed four times near a river. That's when I found a small hidden temple with photos. I thought Kadambari was behind it at first… but I was wrong."
Rohan listened carefully, his focus sharp.
"She wasn't doing those murders," Mahi said. "Kadambari was just a trapped soul… she wanted Sakharam's body. That's all."
Rohan stayed silent.
"But the soul of the murdered girl told me something before it disappeared," Mahi added. "She said someone called her to that place. Threatened her. Forced her to come. The phone number was fake, untraceable. And now, the clues… they point to Manali."
She turned back to the moonlit mountains.
"That's why we're really here," she said.
Rohan asked, "So… that murder case brought you here?"
Rohan's thoughts:
I thought she wasn't serious about the pact or the power she holds. But after hearing all this… she's more focused than I expected. I'm actually pretty impressed.
---
Five days ago..
In a dark forest, the sound of echoing mantras filled the cold night air. The chanting grew louder… then stopped.
Silence.
Suddenly, a flash of light lit up the forest. A sky-blue soul hovered in the air, glowing softly.
From behind a tree, an old man slowly stepped forward, using a wooden stick for support. His face remained hidden under a dark hood. He stood beside the floating soul.
Reaching into his cloth bag, he placed an empty glass bottle inside.
Then, in a deep voice, he gave the soul an order:
"Find the place… the one hidden for thousands of years. I want it."
--
The sun was beginning to dip behind the dense green hills, casting long golden shadows across the narrow road cutting through the forest. A silver SUV cruised gently through the winding path. Inside, a family of three was on vacation—a man in his mid-30s drove with one hand on the wheel and the other tapping along to the rhythm of a lively song playing on the radio. Beside him sat his wife, enjoying the cool breeze from the half-open window, admiring the view of the thick woods.
In the backseat, their 4-year-old son played joyfully with a toy car, making sound effects and occasionally laughing to himself. The family shared smiles, unaware of the growing chill in the air or the stillness creeping into the trees.
As dusk fell, the road became lonelier. The last few rays of sunlight disappeared behind the mountains. A strange quiet took over the surroundings—no bird calls, no rustling leaves, just silence.
Later That Night –[The Crime Scene]
Red and blue emergency lights pierced through the thick darkness of the forest. Police vehicles lined the roadside. Press vans and local media gathered behind barricade tape, shouting questions no one wanted to answer.
The SUV was crumpled against a tree—its front caved in, smeared in blood. Windows shattered. The roof dented. The wreckage looked like it had been attacked, but there were no clear signs of what caused it.
Police officers moved carefully, combing the area for clues. A trail of blood led away from the car and vanished deep into the woods, as if someone—or something—had dragged the man away.
Then came the discovery.
Not far from the car, near the roadside, the bodies of the woman and the child were found.
The boy still held a broken piece of his toy car. His lifeless eyes stared upward, frozen in fear. The woman's clothes were torn, her hands bruised, her face locked in silent terror.
Both were dead.
The forest had claimed them.
Suryavanshi's Arrival
Senior Inspector Suryavanshi stepped out of his jeep with a grim expression. His arm was still in a plaster cast, but he ignored the pain. He scanned the scene in silence.
A constable approached, trying to steady his voice.
Constable:
"Sir... the car's torn up. But it's not a normal accident. We found claw marks—big ones—across the hood and doors."
Suryavanshi:
"Animal attack?"
Constable:
"Seems like it. But... no animal prints nearby. And locals claim they saw a white glow in the forest just before the crash."
Suryavanshi (quietly):
"How many times has this happened?"
Constable:
"This is the third case in two months, sir. Same area. Tourists. Same kind of claw damage. No confirmed predator."
Suryavanshi:
"Any survivors?"
Constable:
"Negative. The woman and child died on spot. The man's body is missing. There's a trail of blood... but it just stops inside the forest."
Suryavanshi (tense):
"Prepare a silent report. No leaks to media. I want total blackout on this one."
(He stares into the woods)
"This isn't just wildlife. Something else is moving in there."