The next morning, students filled the school hallways, buzzing with activity as they headed to their classes. Saru, whispering back and forth with Maya (the Spirit), arrived at his classroom. Yonk was already there. He looked at Saru, flashing a mocking smile, and said:
Yonk: "I hope you haven't sold my camera, Rigunume. After all, it costs more than your dad's monthly salary." All the students in the class burst into laughter.
Saru spoke in a calm, authoritative voice: "I went to Red Rose Park last night. There was nothing there. And the video is on your camera."
With that, Saru quietly took his seat. Maya appeared behind him and whispered into his ear: "So, this is the one who sent you last night?"
The students, after watching the video, were perplexed. Saru had gone alone, but they saw him suddenly flee in terror. Yonk, trying to regain his authority, pressed the question everyone was thinking: "What did you run away from? You bolted so fast the camera footage became useless."
Saru (Composedly): "I don't recall exactly what frightened me. Maybe it was the sound of an owl, or something else... I can't say for sure. And you'd be better off if you stopped asking."
Yonk shook his head: "Fine, no problem. Just relax."
Maya's voice filled Saru's ears: "Why don't you just tell them the truth? That your pants got wet the moment you saw me!"
Saru ignored her and turned his face away. Just then, Maya reached for Saru's pen. The pen, floating mid-air, would have been visible to the other students. Before anyone could notice, Saru quickly snatched the pen from the Spirit's hand.
Saru thought to himself: "Good thing no one saw that." He angrily signaled to the Spirit not to attempt anything like that again.
After school, Saru started walking home. His attention drifted to the Neem tree, where the first Spirit he had seen was now absent. Maya kept talking non-stop, which started to annoy Saru.
Saru: "Why can't you be quiet for a minute?" He stopped and asked: "What is your name?"
Maya: "We don't have names in the Spirits Realm; we are known by our essence. But... that sorcerer used to call me 'Maya.'"
Saru: "So, your name is Maya."
Maya: "Perhaps." She floated up into the air and then returned: "Why don't you skip going home and start searching for the Threshold right now?"
Saru looked at the floating Spirit and said: "We won't succeed by searching aimlessly. We need to look with a perfect strategy. We need to gather more information first."
Maya (Tauntingly): "So, you're just making excuses?"
Saru: "Stop talking nonsense. I'm home."
A crowd had gathered outside Saru's house. His mother was talking to some people, and a few police officers were standing nearby. Saru slowly moved closer.
As Saru reached his mother, an unfamiliar voice reached his ears: "Hello, Mister Saru Rigunume."
Saru turned in the direction of the voice. Three individuals stood there: two young men, aged between 25 and 30, and an older man, aged between 55 and 60.
The three approached Saru. One of the young men introduced them: "I am Detective Kwen. And this is Professor Ravikant, whose research focuses on Science and Time Paradoxes. And this is Ritik, a Time Travel Specialist."
Saru (Frowning): "What are you trying to say? I don't understand anything. Could you please tell me what's going on and why you are here?"
Hearing Saru's words, Kwen gestured for him to move to the side. Saru walked with the three men to the edge of the street, which was cordoned off by police and security personnel.
Kwen (To Saru): "A child disappeared last night. He's 12 years old. He went to Red Rose Park before you and disappeared from his house afterward."
Saru: "Then you should check the CCTV cameras around his house."
Kwen (Smiling): "His house is surrounded by CCTV cameras, providing a 360-degree view. He didn't leave. He vanished from inside his own home. And our professor believes this incident is related to Time Travel. Missing persons cases like this are increasing worldwide. Most are labeled as kidnappings, but only the Professor can solve cases like these."
Maya's voice whispered urgently in Saru's ears: "That means... the Threshold opened there last night!"
Ignoring Maya's voice, Saru asked Kwen: "So, what do you want from me?"