The sun dipped low on the horizon, staining the sky with shades of crimson and gold. Ariv walked alongside Neel, Vaishnavi, and Rohit, their chatter soft and scattered after a long day at school. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly along the empty street of Dharavanar.
For a while, it felt almost peaceful. Almost.
Then Ariv felt it—a strange weight pressing down on the air, like a storm waiting to break. He slowed instinctively, his breath catching for reasons he couldn't explain.
"Why'd you stop?" Rohit asked, half-smiling.
Ariv didn't answer. His eyes were fixed ahead, and soon the others noticed it too.
A figure stood at the far end of the road. Still. Silent. Watching.
The fading sunlight cast long shadows behind him, but even from this distance, they could see the sharp outline of his presence—a tall man draped in a long, dark coat, its edges swaying with the evening breeze. His silver hair glimmered faintly, and something about him felt… otherworldly.
The street grew quiet, unbearably quiet. No rustling leaves. No distant honks. Nothing.
The man began to walk toward them. Slow. Deliberate. Each step echoed like a drumbeat in their chests. The closer he came, the heavier the air felt—as though gravity itself had turned against them.
Rohit whispered under his breath, "Who… who is that guy?"
No one answered. Vaishnavi clutched her bag tighter, her knuckles white. Even Neel—always calm, always collected—looked tense, his eyes narrowing with silent recognition.
Ariv's heartbeat thundered in his ears. His legs refused to move.
Finally, the man stopped just a few feet away. His presence swallowed the world, and his piercing eyes—glowing faintly in the dusk—locked onto Ariv.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then he spoke. His voice was deep, calm, and chillingly certain.
"What is your name?"
Ariv's breath hitched. The words felt heavy, as though they carried a weight he couldn't yet understand. His lips parted, but no sound came.
The stranger's gaze didn't waver, and in that stillness, Ariv knew—this wasn't a coincidence. This man… was here for him.
And nothing would ever be the same again.