Sequence Of Shadows

Vikram sat in his house, silent and shaken. He had seen the horrific scene with his own eyes—his own scream still echoed in his mind, the one that had drawn people out of their homes.

"What I feared the most has happened… It's the sixth house from the left. That means the last target was our house!"

A shiver crawled down his spine. Placing a hand over his mouth to stifle the nausea, he rushed to the bathroom sink, struggling to hold back the vomit.

"Ugh…!" He gagged, clutching his stomach as he hunched over. His body trembled, and with a violent heave, he vomited. "This is bad… This is really bad… What should I do? What should I do?" His breath came in ragged gasps between panicked murmurs.

Behind him, his grandmother watched in silence. A flicker of worry softened her gaze. Without a word, she turned and walked into the hall. There, she reached for an old yet meticulously crafted box, her wrinkled hands steady as she opened it.

Inside the box lay a tamrapatra—a copper plate inscription, rough yet well-preserved, as if time itself had forgotten it while it remained unchanged.

"Should I give it to him?" she wondered, her gaze lingering on the box, lost in thought.

"It was meant for his eighteenth birthday—to bestow fortune and good luck upon him."

After a long pause, she gently closed the box. Turning away, she walked toward Vikram, her mind firm.

"Traditions must be upheld."

Vikram stepped out of the bathroom. The energetic, humorous Vikram was gone—now, he was just a shadow of himself. His face had lost its glow, his eyes dull and lifeless. Anyone would feel this way after witnessing something so horrific.

His grandmother walked up to him and gently took his hand. "Are you alright? Should I call your parents?"

Vikram looked at her and forced a small, fake smile, trying not to make her worry. "Nah, don't worry. I'm fine… just a little shaken."

But his grandmother saw through the act instantly. "You can't fool me. We're going to the hospital, and I'm calling your parents."

Vikram's face tensed with distress. "No! Don't call them. They're already at the police station… answering questions on my behalf."

---

At Amrut Town police station, Anu and Aditya sat across from Samradh, the officer handling the case.

"Mr. and Mrs. Anant, what exactly did your son see in the Desai family's house?"

Aditya exhaled, his expression grim. "When he opened the door, everyone had already been killed. All that was left behind were body parts... and that baby."

A heavy silence filled the room. At the mention of the baby, even Samradh and the officers around them went quiet.

Taking a deep breath, Samradh sighed. "We are tightening the security of the remaining houses and relocating the family from House No. 5 to a different location."

Hearing that, Aditya's brows furrowed. The gruesome brutality of the crime lingered in his mind. "But are you sure that will stop this?"

Samradh's lips tightened. "Even if we can't stop it, we'll do everything we can."

He glanced at his officers working in the station, their quiet determination filling the room. A gentle smile flickered across his face.

He let out a sharp exhale. "I'm scared."

Aditya stared, caught off guard. Samradh held his gaze and nodded. "Yes, you heard me right. I'm scared—of this thing, of dying. I want to see my daughter again… My wife took her when she left, and I—I just want to watch her grow, see her go to school…."

A heavy silence settled between them. Aditya and Anu exchanged uncertain glances.

But then Samradh straightened his posture, took a deep breath, and steadied himself. "Still, I have to fight. I'm Samradh, a cop—it's my job to protect people. Even if it costs me my life. So just go about your daily routines—go to the bank, send him to college—"

Aditya hesitated, then spoke. "Maybe we should let him stay home for a while."

Anu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if he goes to college now, everyone will bombard him with questions… and that'll only make things worse for him."

---

At Vikram's college, a group of students huddled together, whispering about the recent tragedy in his neighborhood.

"Hey, did you hear about what happened near Vikram's place?" one student whispered.

"Yeah, I heard the 'Feathered Nightmare' has started his countdown. The seventh house is—"

Before he could finish, a sharp voice cut through the air.

"What about the seventh house?"

The group turned in surprise to see Vinayak and Vinash standing nearby.

Vinayak stepped forward, his tone firm. "I'll ask again—what about the seventh house?"

One of the boys hesitated, forcing a nervous smile. "I mean… you know, the killer's pattern."

Before he could say more, Vinash grabbed him by the collar.

From the upper floor, Anita, who had been watching, saw the confrontation unfold.

Vinash's voice was low but threatening. "If I hear any of you talking like that again, I'll throw you off this building."

The boy, clearly terrified, stammered, "S-Sorry! I won't say anything, I swear! Just let me go!"

Vinash released him, and the boy hurried off to class without looking back.

Vinayak sighed in frustration. "What the hell is wrong with that guy? And why the hell isn't Vikram answering our calls?"

Vinash frowned. "Maybe we should go to his house."

Vinayak nodded, but before they could leave, they froze.

Standing on the upper floor, staring straight at them, was Anita.

"So, that's the case..."

Vinash told her everything, even though Vinayak didn't want to say a word. But she had threatened them—threatened to post a secret recording of her and Vinash kissing in the college's official WhatsApp group.

Her expression softened, shifting from sharp caution to genuine concern. Her gaze lingered on them before she whispered, "Vikram..." Then, looking at Vinash, she asked, "Hey, listen, give me his contact info and home address."

Vinayak clenched his fists, exclaiming, "Idiot! What will his parents think if—mhh mhh—"

Before he could finish, Vinash quickly covered his mouth. With a soft smile, he said, "Don't take his words seriously. But even if you threaten me, I still can't tell you his address."

Anita watched them—Vinayak struggling to free himself, Vinash holding him back—and a gentle smile formed on her lips. Admiring them, she murmured, "He's lucky to have friends like you, you know? I'll delete the video from my phone."

Vinash sighed in relief, excitement bubbling over as he released Vinayak. "Really?!"

A single tear slid down Anita's cheek, yet her smile remained. The boys stepped back, a bit surprised. Then, she continued, her voice laced with an eerie mix of pain and resolve.

"I like to experience new things... After all, my father gave me a whole night's worth of an experience on my ninth birthday—one I could never explain."

Silence.

"Vikram is the one who showed me true kindness," she added.

Tears welled in her eyes, but this time, her smile shifted into one of determination.

"Please, tell me his address and contact info. I want to help him, no matter what."

Vinayak and Vinash exchanged glances, then gave in.

"Okay," Vinayak sighed. "But promise me you won't ruin his reputation just by standing with him."

Anita's face lit up. "Yeah! I promise I won't!"