The word pierced straight through him, sharper than any blade. That voice… that face… His chest caved in as if someone had pulled the air out of the room. The warmth in her tone didn’t matter, the smile on her lips didn’t matter. All Akshat could see was the shadow of that one night, the monster who had stolen pieces of him he had never gotten back.

His throat went dry, eyes widening, not in surprise but in raw horror. His body froze,utterly still,like prey caught in the hunter’s gaze. A ringing sound filled his ears, drowning out everything else. He couldn’t even hear Vedant’s voice, Vishakha’s laugh, or Amrit’s breath beside him. Just the memory. Just her.