Episode 22:
The week passed in a blur. Alok barely spoke, barely slept. The scratches on his hand faded, but the memory of the fight behind the school didn't.
He kept hearing that word in his head.
Run.
And so he did. He avoided crowds, avoided staying late, avoided people. Yet fate never let him hide for long.
The school festival arrived. Bright banners, music, food stalls it was supposed to be fun, but Alok couldn't shake the feeling that the colors were too bright, as though mocking the darkness inside him.
"Hey, Alok, come on!" His friend Rihan pulled his arm, dragging him toward the game stalls. "You always look dead, man. At least smile today."
Alok forced a laugh. He wanted to be normal. Just once.
But as evening fell and lanterns lit the grounds, he felt it again the prickle at the back of his neck.
The shadows stretched unnaturally. Whispers slithered through the noise of laughter.
And then he saw it.
A masked figure stood at the edge of the festival, still and silent. Not moving, not breathing.
Its birdlike mask tilted, watching him.
Alok's blood turned cold.
Suddenly the lights flickered. Music distorted. People kept laughing, eating, playing games yet for Alok, the world was slipping into a nightmare.
The festival stalls twisted into broken shapes, the lanterns burned with pale flames.
The creature stepped forward. Its talons gleamed.
No one else saw it. Only him.
Alok stumbled back, whispering, "N-no… not here…"
The pendant around his neck began to hum, faintly glowing. He grabbed it, trying to rip it off, but it wouldn't move.
The masked beast lunged.
"Alok!!" Rihan's voice cut through the chaos, but Alok barely heard it. He fell backward, arms raised.
And then his hand ignited with light. Not the pendant this time. His own magic.
A small burst of fire shot from his palm, crashing into the creature's chest. The impact pushed it back, making it screech in a sound like breaking glass.
Alok stared at his own hand, horrified.
"…I… used magic?!"
But it wasn't strong. His flame flickered like a candle. The beast recovered, rushing at him again.
Chains of light tried to erupt from the ground, the same as before yet this time, they shattered before binding the monster. The ghostly guardian's presence flickered in the corner of Alok's eye, weaker, almost fading.
For the first time, Alok stood alone.
Rihan shouted, shaking him:
"Alok!! What's going on?! Who are you fighting?!"
But Alok couldn't answer. He raised his hand again, trembling, sparks of flame forming. His voice cracked with desperation:
"Stay away from me!!"
The fire burst again larger this time, wild and uncontrolled. It struck the masked creature, blasting it into the wall of a stall. The wood cracked and splintered, though the crowd didn't seem to notice.
The beast hissed, smoke rising from its mask. Slowly, it retreated into the shadows, vanishing as though it had never been there.
Alok collapsed to his knees, gasping. His hands shook violently.
He had fought back… but it wasn't victory.
It was fear.
And now his best friend had seen something he wasn't supposed to.
The festival lights returned. The laughter, the music, the smell of food all normal again.
Rihan crouched beside him, eyes wide.
"Alok… what the hell was that? What are you hiding from me?"
Alok clutched the pendant, heart pounding.
"…I don't know," he whispered, though deep down he knew this lie wouldn't hold for long.
Somewhere beyond the stars, in a realm he could not imagine, eyes were watching.
And they were not pleased.