Night had fully taken over.
The city still moved.
Cars passed.
People talked.
Lights glowed.
But Aarav could feel it—
Something beneath all of it.
Waiting.
He sat beside Meera at the empty bus stand.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Aarav kept checking the time.
11:47 PM.
"Stop doing that," Meera said calmly.
"…Doing what?"
"Watching the clock like it's going to warn you."
A pause.
"It won't."
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"…What happens at 12:03?"
Meera didn't answer immediately.
She looked out at the road.
At the people.
At the world.
"…Everything becomes honest," she said finally.
Aarav frowned.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means," she said quietly,"…the world stops pretending to be normal."
A chill ran down his spine.
11:59 PM.
The air shifted.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
The noise around them—
Felt distant.
Muted.
12:01 AM.
The streetlights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
People didn't react.
They kept walking.
Talking.
Living.
12:02 AM.
A dog started barking in the distance.
Then suddenly—
Stopped.
Silence.
Aarav's heartbeat began to rise.
"…Meera…"
She stood up.
"Stay close," she said.
12:03 AM.
Everything stopped.
Not slowed.
Not paused.
Stopped.
A man mid-step—
Frozen.
A car—
Still.
A falling leaf—
Suspended in air.
Aarav's breath shook.
"…What is this…"
Meera didn't answer.
Because now—
The world changed.
The colors drained.
The warm lights turned cold blue.
The shadows—
Deepened.
Stretched.
Moved.
Aarav stepped back.
"…This isn't real…"
"It is," Meera said.
"…This is their world."
A sound echoed.
Soft.
Familiar.
Tap…
Aarav's body locked.
"…No…"
Tap… tap…
Behind him.
Meera grabbed his arm.
"Don't turn."
The footsteps grew closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Aarav's breathing became uneven.
"It's here…" he whispered.
"They're always here," Meera replied.
Another sound—
Not footsteps this time.
Whispers.
All around them.
Layered.
Broken.
"…look at me…""…you left me…""…why are you ignoring me…""…turn around…"
Aarav covered his ears.
"Make it stop—"
"You can't block it," Meera said sharply.
The whispers grew louder.
Closer.
Inside his head.
Then—
A figure appeared ahead.
Standing in the middle of the frozen road.
Aarav's breath stopped.
"…That's…"
Him.
His double.
But different.
More… complete.
Its eyes glowed faintly.
Its smile sharper.
Its presence heavier.
"…You came," it said.
Its voice echoed.
Not just from its mouth—
But from everywhere.
Aarav stepped back.
"…Stay away from me."
The thing tilted its head.
"…Why?"
A pause.
"I've been living your life perfectly."
Meera stepped forward.
"Don't talk to it."
The thing's eyes shifted to her.
"…You're still alive?"
A flicker of interest crossed its face.
"That's rare."
Meera didn't react.
"…He's not yours yet," she said coldly.
The thing smiled.
"…Everyone becomes ours eventually."
The shadows around them began to move.
Not like normal shadows.
They peeled off surfaces.
Stood up.
Took shape.
Aarav's heart pounded violently.
"…There's more…"
Meera nodded slightly.
"…This is just the surface."
Dozens of figures.
All different.
All wrong.
Some had no faces.
Some had too many.
Some looked almost human—
Until you looked longer.
"They're the ones who failed," Meera whispered.
Aarav's stomach dropped.
"…Failed what?"
"To stay themselves."
The main double stepped closer.
Each step heavier than reality.
"You don't understand yet," it said softly.
A pause.
"But you will."
It raised its hand.
And pointed—
At Aarav.
"You already belong here."
Suddenly—
The world cracked.
Like glass.
A loud, sharp sound.
Everything shattered—
Aarav gasped.
The world snapped back.
Cars moved.
People walked.
Noise returned.
12:04 AM.
Gone.
Everything gone.
Aarav dropped to his knees.
Breathing heavily.
"What… was that…"
Meera looked down at him.
Her expression serious now.
No calm.
No control.
"That," she said quietly—
"…was the real world."
Aarav looked up.
Fear filling his eyes.
"…Then what is this?"
She didn't hesitate.
"…The fake one."
🔥 END OF CHAPTER 6