ahhh!
The morning had been ordinary—bright sunlight, crowded roads, the familiar walk to school. She adjusted her bag as she walked, lost in thought, until two girls caught up to her.
"Hi, Priya. I barely see you these days," one of them said.
"I've been busy," Priya replied with a small smile.
Nothing felt wrong. Not yet.
By the time she reached her classroom and took her seat, the noise of students settling down filled the room. Moments later, Ravi sir walked in.
Tall, calm, dependable.
He was her favorite teacher. After her mother's death, he had been the one adult who never treated her like she was fragile. He listened. He helped. He stayed.
Priya felt safe when he was around.
That safety shattered in an instant.
The classroom window exploded inward.
Glass rained across the floor as a man crashed through, landing in the center of the room. He was of average height, but nothing about him felt human—his eyes glowed red, claws extended from his fingers, and his face was twisted into something monstrous.
The room froze.
No one screamed. No one moved.
Ravi stepped forward despite the fear in his eyes.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where did you come from?"
The man said nothing. He only stared.
"Get out!" Ravi shouted.
In the blink of an eye, Ravi's head was in the man's hand.
Blood dripped onto the floor as Ravi's body collapsed.
The silence broke into screams.
Priya couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her mind screamed one thing clearly—
This man can't be fought.
Some students ran for the door. Others panicked and tried to attack him.
They died instantly.
The man moved through them like a dancer, heads falling, bodies collapsing, blood painting the classroom walls.
Priya forced her shaking hands to move and called the police.
The man wasn't finished.
He began scanning the room, eyes moving slowly… carefully.
Then they stopped.
On her.
A sadistic smile spread across his face.
He's looking for me.
Sirens wailed outside. The police burst in and opened fire.
The bullets did nothing.
When the shooting stopped, the man slaughtered them as easily as the students.
Blood covered his face as he turned back to Priya.
He leapt.
Someone stepped in front of her.
The girl she had met on the road that morning.
She died instantly.
Something inside Priya snapped.
Fear turned to rage.
Her vision flooded with white light.
The classroom vanished.
When the light faded, a girl stood where Priya had been—green hair, green eyes, calm presence.
"Hi," she said softly. "I'm Bhumi."
Then she looked around.
Her smile disappeared.
Vines erupted from the ceiling, wrapping around the murderer and crushing him in place. Bhumi drew a blade glowing red-hot, pulsing with power.
One strike.
She tore his heart from his chest.
Silence returned to the classroom.
Bhumi turned to Priya's unconscious body, lifted her gently, and walked away.
The world had changed.
Priya just didn't know it yet.