The boy didn't turn.
Not fully.
Not yet.
His body trembled.
Every instinct screaming—
Don't.
"…It never ended."
The whisper lingered behind him.
Soft.
Patient.
His breath became uneven.
"…Who's there?"
No answer.
Just silence.
Then—
His phone buzzed again.
The screen glowed in the dark.
Another message.
"Rule 2:"
His hands shook as he opened it.
"…If you feel like you've been here before…"
The text flickered.
Distorted.
Then completed—
"…you have."
A cold wave ran down his spine.
"…No…"
His mind raced.
This doesn't make sense.
I've never seen this before.
But something—
Deep inside—
Disagreed.
A faint image flashed.
A hallway.
Dark.
Blue light.
Footsteps.
A voice—
"…don't turn…"
The boy grabbed his head.
"Stop—"
The memory vanished.
Gone.
Like it was never there.
"…What was that…?" he whispered.
Behind him—
A shadow shifted.
Not moving.
But growing.
Elsewhere—
Meera stood still in the middle of the street.
Her phone still in her hand.
"…Don't forget."
Her heart pounded.
"…Forget what?"
A face flashed in her mind.
Blurred.
Broken.
But familiar.
"…A…" she whispered.
The name—
Wouldn't come out.
Her head throbbed.
Pain sharp.
Like something was pushing—
From inside.
"…Why does this hurt…"
The world around her flickered again.
Just for a second.
But this time—
She saw it.
A crack.
In the sky.
Thin.
Barely visible.
But real.
"…No…" she whispered.
Her breathing became uneven.
"…It was gone…"
Her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
"Rule 3:"
Her fingers trembled.
She opened it slowly.
"…If you remember him…"
The screen glitched violently.
Like something resisting.
Then—
"…don't say his name."
Silence.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"…Why?"
Because deep down—
She already knew.
Saying his name—
Would bring him back.
Back in the dark room—
The boy finally moved.
Slowly—
He turned.
Just a little.
Enough to see—
Nothing.
Empty darkness.
He exhaled sharply.
"…See? Nothing—"
Then—
The light flickered.
For a split second—
He saw it.
Standing behind him.
His own face.
Smiling.
The light came back.
Gone.
The boy stumbled back.
"…No… no, no—"
His phone buzzed again.
Final message.
"Rule 4:"
His hands trembled violently now.
"…You are not the first."
Silence.
The boy's breathing stopped.
"…What?"
The screen flickered one last time.
Then—
"…You are next."
Across the city—
Meera fell to her knees.
Her head pounding.
The name—
Forcing its way back.
"…Aa—"
She covered her mouth.
Eyes wide.
Tears falling.
"…I can't say it…"
Because if she did—
Everything would start again.
The sky cracked.
Just a little more.
And somewhere—
In a place that didn't exist anymore—
Something smiled.
🔥 END (OR BEGINNING)