The morning came with a strange silence. Not the peaceful kind, but the heavy, suffocating kind that made the air feel dense. Veer hadn't slept well. His pillow was damp, whether from sweat or tears he wasn't sure. He stared at the ceiling fan, its blades spinning slower than usual. Maybe it was just him.
The metal rod rested against the wall beside his bed. He hadn't touched it since last night.
Was it all real? The dog…the man in armor…papa...
A message buzzed on his cracked phone screen. It was from Arjun, his childhood friend.
Arjun: "Oye hero, u alive? I saw news of fire near ur block. And police say a kid was rescued by a 'metal stick vigilante'. That u?"
Veer stared at it, uncertain how to even begin explaining.
Veer: "Idk bro. Things are weird. I'll tell u in person. Come over?"
Arjun: "On my way. U better have snacks."
A tiny smile cracked Veer's face. Arjun always had that effect. Still, deep down, the weight hadn't lifted. He stood up and glanced at the empty leash hanging on the wall.
He walked to the balcony. The air outside felt polluted in an unexplainable way. The sky was an odd shade of gray. A crow perched on the railing screeched and stared at him.
"Not now, dude," Veer whispered.
He went to brush his teeth. But when he looked in the mirror, something felt...off. His eyes. They weren't his. They looked sharper. More tired. More...aware. A faint voice echoed in his head: "Good job, Veer. But the test isn't over."
His hands trembled. He gripped the sink. "Shut up," he muttered.
A knock at the door snapped him back to reality. Arjun.
Veer opened it. Arjun, tall and lanky, with a mop of messy hair and mischief in his eyes, walked in like he owned the place.
"Yo. Damn, you look like crap," Arjun said, throwing himself onto the sofa.
"Love you too," Veer replied, grabbing two sodas from the fridge. He handed one to Arjun.
"So?" Arjun raised an eyebrow. "What the hell happened? News says gas leak, but I know you. You always find weird trouble."
Veer sat beside him and slowly began to narrate everything—the mute people, the bandaged man, the rescue, the burning building, the creepy armored figure who took his dad, and the dog that melted.
Arjun was silent for a long time. Then: "Okay. So either you're insane...or this is some next-level horror movie crap."
Veer snorted. "Thanks for the support."
"No, listen. I'm serious. You said you heard thoughts?"
Veer nodded. "Not all the time. Just...happens. Like I heard the neighbor's dress choice in her mind. My dog saying 'love you'. It's random."
Arjun frowned. "Dude. That's not normal. But also... not exactly supernatural. Could be trauma. PTSD. Grief hallucinations? You been to therapy since your dad disappeared?"
Veer looked down. "He didn't disappear. He was taken. I saw it."
A heavy pause.
"Alright," Arjun said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you. I mean, I believe you believe it. And honestly? With all that's been happening in this city lately... I wouldn't even be surprised if something bigger is going on."
Veer nodded, feeling a little lighter. He got up to throw the empty soda can. Just as he stepped into the kitchen, all the lights flickered. The fridge rattled. The fan stopped.
Then...
A whisper. From under the floor.
"...Veer..."
He froze.
Arjun called from the living room, "Yo, why'd the lights go out? Did you forget to pay the bill again?"
Veer didn't respond. He slowly walked to the center of the kitchen and crouched.
"...please...help me...Veer..."
The voice was faint. Familiar.
He looked down. The tiles were old and cracked. But now they were trembling. He placed his ear to the floor.
"...Veer...why did you let them take me..."
His eyes widened. "Papa...?"
Arjun entered. "Bro? You okay?"
Before Veer could reply, the floor under him collapsed. He screamed as he was swallowed by darkness.
THUD.
When he opened his eyes, it was pitch black. A faint reddish light glowed behind him. The air was cold. Metallic.
He stood, knees shaky, and turned around.
He was underground. Some kind of vast, decaying basement tunnel. Walls were covered in strange black veins, pulsing. The light came from a rusted lantern hanging in midair, swaying even though there was no wind.
A child's giggle echoed from the shadows.
"...you forgot me too, Veer..."
A little boy walked out from the dark. He wore the same school uniform Veer once wore.
Veer staggered back. "No...no... this isn't real."
The child tilted his head. "But you left me. When they fought. When they screamed. You locked the door and cried. You didn't save me."
Tears welled in Veer's eyes. He fell to his knees. "I was a kid. I didn't know what to do..."
"But now you do," the child whispered, and his eyes turned pitch black.
Suddenly, the metal rod appeared in Veer's hand.
A shadow creature emerged from the darkness behind the boy. Tall. Twisted. A mass of hands and mouths.
"Fight or Fade, Veer."
Veer screamed and charged.
He swung the rod as hard as he could. The monster screeched. The tunnel collapsed behind them.
Veer kept swinging, crying, screaming, until finally the creature dissolved into black ash.
Then... silence.
He fell to his knees, breath heaving. The lantern above him burst.
Everything went dark.
Then light.
He was in his room. On the floor. The fridge humming again.
Arjun was yelling, shaking him. "Bro! You passed out! What the hell?!"
Veer looked around. No hole. No monster. Just the rod. Still warm.
"Arjun..." Veer whispered. "Something's coming. Something big. I don't think I have a choice anymore."
Arjun helped him up, face pale. "Then we figure it out. Together."
Outside, the sky rumbled. A storm was brewing.
And far below, the black veins pulsed again.
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