Inside a tall building, Detective Kwen and Professor Ravikant were seated. Four or five computers and various scientific tools were placed around them.
Detective Kwen (To the Professor): "My men have been keeping an eye on Saru for the past week. They haven't observed any activity that would raise suspicion. According to them, Saru is currently in a normal state."
Professor: "What information did you get from the boy named Yonk?"
Kwen: "The camera he possessed is with us. It clearly shows Saru running away in fear, but the entity itself wasn't recorded. Neither were the words he was speaking. And according to Yonk, the camera's recording hasn't been tampered with."
Professor (Sighing deeply): "This means we have to struggle even more to solve the Time Travel Paradox."
Just then, Kwen's phone rang. Kwen answered, and an excited voice on the other end said: "Sir! The boy who went missing a week ago, Rikon, has returned! His family informed us. They said he is currently a little scared."
Kwen immediately told the Professor, and both left for Rikon's house to meet him.
Rikon, who had been missing for seven days, suddenly returned home and was huddled in his room. His family was a mix of joy and tears. Rikon was scared of everyone except his mother. Just then, a car pulled up outside his house.
Kwen and Professor Ravikant stepped out. A small crowd had gathered outside. Kwen pushed everyone aside and entered the house with the Professor. Rikon's older brother led them to Rikon's room.
Kwen (Looking at Rikon, kindly): "Don't be afraid, son. We are here now; we'll solve everything."
Rikon, who had been scared until now, suddenly became animated upon seeing Kwen and the Professor. He asked his mother to leave the room. After shutting the door, he looked at Kwen and said: "You were with me, right?"
Kwen and the Professor exchanged glances.
Professor (Calmly): "Don't be scared, Rikon. Tell us whatever you want, clearly."
Rikon (Nervously): "I suddenly found myself in another world. Where no one could hear or see me, and I couldn't touch anyone. There was a car accident ahead, and a dead body was lying there. And... (Rikon pointed a finger at Kwen) you were saying that another special member of your team, Rikon, had died."
Rikon took a deep breath: "I barely spent five minutes there, and everyone here is saying I've been missing for seven days."
Kwen looked at Rikon's composure and asked, slightly flustered: "Are you... sure you are 12 years old?"
Rikon, panicked by the question, blurted out: "And yes! My age at that moment was 19 years!"
Professor Ravikant (In disbelief): "You Time Traveled... you went to the future. You saw your future. This is terrible news... but you are going to die at the age of 19."
The Professor and Detective Kwen spent the evening extracting information from Rikon. Later, they returned to their office.
Evening had fallen, and it was lightly dark. Reena was cooking dinner.
Saru was in his room, thinking about the Spirit he used to see outside his school. He had ignored it many times, but tonight, he was going to face it head-on. He was tense: would Maya be able to protect him if a local spirit became active in the area?
He was lost in these complexities when Maya's voice reached his ears: "You look tense."
Saru was the only one who could hear Maya. He responded to her voice by slightly moving his finger and pupils, assuring her that everything was fine.
After this, Saru told his mother: "Mom, I am going to my friend's house."
Reena (Suspiciously): "Lying again?"
Saru (Calmly, affectionately): "No, Mom. Her house is nearby, and her name is Hinube."
Reena (With a slight smile): "It's a girl? Okay, go."
Saru left the house and checked the time on his phone. It was 9:48 PM. He walked quickly toward his Old School, with Maya floating in the air behind him. The road was illuminated by streetlights.
He arrived outside his Old School. The school premises were pitch dark, and the local Spirit he usually saw was nowhere in sight.