Episode 15:
Morning crept in with the same heaviness. Alok woke up earlier than usual, staring at the cracked ceiling above him. His father hadn't returned again. On the small dining table sat two plates one with his mother's portion, another with a small piece of roti for him.
His mother forced a smile. "Eat before you go. You'll need your strength."
Alok nodded, though the bite in his mouth tasted more like sand than food. He hated how much his mother had to endure, hated himself for being powerless to change anything.
At school, the cycle continued.
"Oi, pendant boy!" one of the boys sneered. "Still dreaming you'll be someone great? With that shiny rock?"
Laughter erupted. Alok lowered his gaze and gripped the pendant tightly. He wanted to scream back, to prove them wrong but the silence was safer. Silence was survival.
But today felt… different.
Rihan was watching.
When the bullies scattered, Rihan approached. "Why don't you fight back?" His tone wasn't mocking it was genuine curiosity.
Alok's lips trembled. "…If I do, they'll just find another way to crush me. I can't… I can't risk it."
Rihan studied him carefully, then smirked faintly. "You're wrong. There's more inside you than you know."
Those words stung not like an insult, but like a truth Alok didn't dare believe.
That night, lying in bed, he held the pendant tightly. The faint pulse returned, stronger this time. His vision blurred and he saw something.
A golden chain stretching into the sky. At its end was a door, locked and glowing faintly, waiting for him.
Alok gasped and sat up, sweat dripping down his forehead. The pendant was burning hot.
Why me? he thought. Why show me this?
Before he could gather himself, his phone buzzed with a late message. It was from Rihan.
"Meet me at the back gate tomorrow. There's something I need to show you."
Alok stared at the message, his heart racing. Rihan wasn't normal that much was clear.
And for the first time, Alok wondered…
Was Rihan connected to the pendant's secret?