A girl with long black hair, her round glasses resting on her nose, stood frozen. Her uniform was messy from earlier talks of disappear people, but her eyes were fixed ahead, watching as three boys cornered another student—a boy with black hair and black eyes—just as he tried to leave the cafeteria.
Her friends sat nearby, murmuring, but she couldn't look away.
The boy with fiery orange hair leaned in, whispering something to the black-haired boy. His words made the other boy tremble.
She knew all of them too well.
The trembling boy—Shiv Upasak—quiet, always alone, always avoided, yet always the center of commotion.
The orange-haired boy—Vansh—with ember-like eyes, arrogant and dangerous.
The two of them were her classmates.
Beside Vansh was his friend Raju, taller than most students, his shirt buttons straining against his belly, his fists quick to find weaker targets.
And then there was Sam—the one with messy long brown hair, bangs covering his right eye, his posture lazy but his cruelty sharp when it surfaced.
All three were troublemakers. Bullies. And today, their target was Shiv.
Her eyes flicked between them, unease crawling up her spine.
"You cursed him."
Vansh's voice cut through the cafeteria like thunder, echoing off the walls.
Her breath quickened. What… what is he saying? Her eyes widened behind her glasses.
"Did you hear that? I've always known sooner or later he would do something," her friend muttered, standing up from his chair.
"You really think he could do something like that?" she asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
"I don't just think—I believe. I've seen that look in his eyes. It gives me creeps," another added, his tone trembling.
Her stomach twisted. Surely they didn't believe this nonsense. How could that boy possibly…
Smack!
Her thoughts broke at the sound. Raju's heavy fist connected with Shiv's jaw. The sound echoed in the cafeteria. Shiv's body hit the floor hard, a scream of pain escaping his throat.
The girl's hand shot to her mouth, muffling her gasp.
Blood trickled from Shiv's busted lip. He tried to rise, but his breath came shallow, ragged, and he collapsed again.
"You should just disappear, Shiv the curse bearer."
The words dripped with venom. She stared at the backs of the three as they walked away casually, laughing as though nothing had happened.
Her eyes returned to Shiv. His lips moved faintly, forming words too weak to hear, his breath labored.
The cafeteria froze for a moment, students watching the broken boy on the floor. But soon, many turned away, whispering—or worse, ignoring him completely as they returned to their meals.
The girl with round glasses took a hesitant step forward, pity rising in her chest. Her heart ached at how no one—no one—moved to help him.
Another step. Her gaze fixed on his bloodied lips, on the pained expression on his face.
And then—
A faint glint.
Something caught her eye. On the dusty floor, just inches from Shiv's face, lay a small, delicate shape. Clear, round, curved like the inside of a shell.
A contact lens?
Her steps froze. Slowly, her gaze moved from the lens to Shiv. Their eyes met.
Her breath stopped.
His left eye was black as always. But his right—without the lens—was a chilling white. A hollow, unnatural white.
"Wh… white…" The word slipped out before she could stop herself.
Her blood ran cold. She stared, frozen in horror, her terrified reflection reflected in that pale eye.
All the old stories she had heard from family, from neighbors, from whispers late at night—flooded her mind. And one story in particular screamed louder than the rest.
The White Calamity.
Her knees gave up, her body trembling. She collapsed onto the floor, her friends rushing to her side.
. . .
Shiv blinked, looking at the terrified girl in front of him. Confusion plastered on his face.
"White…"
"White?" he muttered under his breath. His chest tightened. Did she… see?
Her lips trembled, her words shaky but clear enough for others nearby to catch fragments: "Wh… white… curse…"
Then he noticed it. Her gaze wasn't on him anymore—it was on the contact lens lying on the floor.
"Shit…"
She saw it. She saw my eyes.
Panic surged through him. This shouldn't be happening. Not here, not now.
He grabbed the lens quickly, shoved it into his pocket, and stood to his feet. Without looking back, he left the cafeteria, his heartbeat rising until he could hear it in his ears.
.
.
.
.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the last class.
"Finally," Raman groaned, stretching. "I almost fell asleep."
"Why do they always put history last? It's torture," his friend Ramesh muttered.
"I know, right? I was barely holding on."
"Hey, did you hear what happened in the cafeteria?" Ramesh whispered, leaning closer.
"No, I wasn't there. What happened?" Raman asked.
"Do you know Maya? Our class monitor?"
"Yeah, of course."
"She suddenly collapsed—and her face went pale, as if she'd seen a ghost."
"What?! That's why she didn't come back after lunch?"
"Exactly. And do you know who was near her when it happened?" Ramesh's voice lowered, his eyes darting toward the back of the class.
Raman followed his gaze. His stomach sank when he saw Shiv sitting alone at the last bench, head resting on his arms.
"No way…" Raman whispered. "You don't think…?"
"At first I thought people were just joking. But now… man, just looking at him gives me creeps," Ramesh said, his voice trembling.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here before… you know."
Shiv lay still, listening. Every word pierced him deeper than any punch. Around the classroom, more whispers spread like wildfire.
Some cursed under their breath.
Some spat cruel comments loud enough for him to hear.
None bothered to hide their malice anymore.
His chest ached. I should wait a few minutes before leaving. I don't want to run into them again. He closed his book slowly.
One by one, students left until the classroom was empty. Silence pressed down on him. After a while, he rose and walked out.
.
.
At the crosswalk, the light turned green. Shiv stepped onto the road, his thoughts heavy.
Across the street, he noticed three familiar figures—Vansh, Raju, and Sam.
They were heading toward a secluded alley.
Shiv frowned. What are they doing? Did they already forget the warnings from the teacher?
He sighed. "Whatever. I should go. Usha will be waiting for me at her school." He turned away, but then something caught his attention, something moved in the corner of his eye. He froze.
"Hm… what the…"
.
.
.
Puff…
"Do you have another cigarette?" A boy with a military haircut asked. His shirt barely fit his body, buttons straining as he took a big puff from his remaining cigarette.
"Dude, how many are you gonna smoke?" said the boy who sat on the ground, his hair long and messy, covering his left eye.
"Can you guys stop smoking? Cough… cough… it's making it hard for me to breathe," the boy said, his body leaning on the wall behind him. His orange hair and ember eyes contrasted the dark alley as he fanned his hand in front of his nose, trying to disperse the smoke.
"Come on… it's because you don't smoke, Vansh. Just take a puff, it'll help you breathe," Raju said, taking a large drag.
"Leave it, man. If he doesn't want to, then he doesn't want to," said the messy-haired boy. "Say, do you have anything planned for the day? If not, why don't we go to the game parlour? It's just up ahead next to that building."
"I didn't know there was a gaming parlour this close to the school?"
"Same, Vansh, I also didn't know. Hey, Sam, when did you find out about it?"
"Oh… just a few days ago, when I was walking on the street. Some people were talking about it," Sam said. "So, are you up for some gaming?"
"Well, I don't have anything better to do anyway. What about you, Raju?"
Puff…
"I am always ready for some gaming, and I need to push my rank in Apex anyway."
Inhaling the last drag, Sam stood and crushed the cigarette under his shoe. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's g—"
"If I were you, I wouldn't go there."
They turned toward the voice that had just interrupted them.
"Shiv!!"
"Looks like you've forgotten what happened in the cafeteria, so you came for more," Raju said, irritation clear in his voice.
"Hey dude… just scram if you don't want to die," said Sam, waving his hand dismissively. "We don't want to see your face. Now move on."
"I think you shouldn't go there. Did you forget what the teacher said at school?" Shiv said, looking at the trio.
"Hehe… guys, looks like he really wants to die," Vansh said, walking toward him, venom dripping from his words.
Like a speeding bull, Raju charged at Shiv and slammed his knee into Shiv's stomach.
"Aaghh…" Shiv clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground in pain. A kick landed on his face, and a scream escaped from his mouth.
A few more kicks rained down on him. He tried to form words but failed, and before he could say anything, he passed out.
.
.
.
"Ugh… my head hurts…" Placing his hand on his forehead, he slowly woke up. "Damn those bastards. I should have just ignored them."
"Shit, how long have I been passed out? Usha will be waiting for me at her school."
Slowly standing, Shiv looked back at the alley where the trio had gone before he passed out.
"I should hurry, and it's not like I didn't try," he muttered, turning back toward the alley.
I hope nothing happens to them, he told himself.