Maya's phone buzzed at midnight. The glow cut across her room like a blade.
Kiran:I'm at the old factory near the railway tracks.
Her heart skipped. The factory? Nobody went there—not since the accident.
Maya:Are you insane? Alone? At this hour?
The typing dots flickered.
Kiran:Relax. I found something.
She groaned, dragging a hand through her messy hair. Kiran's "discoveries" usually meant junk.
Kiran:It lit up when I touched it. A hologram appeared.
Her breath caught.
Maya:A hologram?
Kiran:Yeah. Floating text. It said: [ECHO Protocol Activated. 72 Hours Remaining].
Maya's stomach turned cold.
Maya:Seventy-two hours until what?
Kiran:Not the worst part. The message was signed… with your name.
Her fingers froze.
Maya:Stop joking.
Kiran:Not joking. It literally said: [Authorized User: Maya Singh]. The box reacted when I said your name again.
Her pulse quickened. Before she could reply—
Kiran:The box just opened. A glowing crystal inside.
Maya:Don't touch it!
Kiran:Too late. It pulsed. My phone glitched. Your contact name just changed to… "Echo – Primary Host."
Maya stared at her shaking hands. What the hell is Project Echo?
The factory swallowed Kiran's footsteps in hollow echoes. His messages arrived in bursts—then nothing—then more bursts, like a broken heartbeat.
Kiran:The crystal's glowing brighter. It feels… alive.
Alive. The word crawled under her skin.
Maya:Put it down.
Kiran:Tried. It's stuck to my hand.
Her phone buzzed again—this time not from him.
[ SYSTEM: HOST DETECTED. AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS. ]
Maya's throat went dry.
Maya:This isn't funny.
Kiran:Maya… it knows you.
The memory of her father rose, uninvited. Aster Labs. Badges. Locked drawers. Secrets that died with him.
Another buzz. The timer appeared on her screen, jumping forward—
[ SYSTEM: TIMER ACCELERATING. 71:22:59. ]
Her blood iced. Accelerating?
Kiran sent a blurry photo. A projection filled the factory wall—dots glowing red like restless eyes. One of them was moving.
Maya:Where?
The reply came after a long pause.
Kiran:Toward your neighborhood.
Maya bolted upright, blanket sliding to the floor. The clock on her phone ticked down. 7:15. 7:12. 7:09.
They're coming here.
Her curtains were drawn, but she peeked through a seam anyway. The street below was empty. Too empty.
Her phone vibrated again, cold text etching across the screen:
[ SYSTEM: SECONDARY ACCESS UNLOCKED. ]
"Secondary access?" she whispered.
Kiran:It's linking to you. Try a command—say, "show target details."
Maya swallowed. "Show target details."
Her phone obeyed.
[ SYSTEM: VECTOR 3. ETA 00:07:15. OBJECTIVE: ACQUIRE HOST. ]
Host. The word turned her veins to ice. The timer dripped down: 6:59… 6:58…
She double-locked her door, pressed her ear to the wood. Nothing. Silence heavy enough to crush.
Kiran:Maya… someone's outside your window.
The tap came then—soft, deliberate—on the glass. Once. Twice.
Maya's reflection stared back in the seam of the curtains, pale and terrified. Behind it, a darker shape gathered, patient, waiting.
The timer slid to 2:00.
The silhouette leaned closer—five pale fingers pressing against the glass.
[ SYSTEM: VECTOR 3 — ETA 00:01:45. OBJECTIVE: ACQUIRE HOST. ]