Chapter 7

Alok stumbled down the hallway, his legs trembling, his breath shallow. The image of the lifeless principal haunted his mind. As he turned a corner, Aman suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Alok, what's wrong?" Aman asked, noticing his pale face.

Alok opened his mouth, but no words came out. He simply grabbed Aman's arm and tugged him toward the principal's room.

"Hey, wait! What's going on?" Aman said, following him.

When they reached the room, Alok hesitated before pointing inside. Aman peered through the doorway and froze. The principal lay on the ground, lifeless and motionless.

"What the—?" Aman whispered, his voice filled with shock. After a moment, he snapped out of it. "Alok, go! Inform the teachers now! I'll alert the others. Hurry!"

Alok nodded and ran off without a word. Aman, however, stayed behind. His eyes narrowed as he stepped inside the room and approached the principal's body.

He crouched down, noticing something in the principal's hand—a golden coin. Carefully, Aman pried it from his cold fingers, examining it closely. His lips curled into a sly smile as he slipped the coin into his pocket.

"I'll deal with this later," Aman muttered before quickly leaving the room .

The news spread like wildfire, and soon all the students and teachers gathered in the principal's room. A heavy silence hung in the air as everyone stared at the lifeless body on the floor.

The vice principal entered, his face grim. He knelt beside the principal, examining him closely. After a long pause, he stood and faced the crowd. "I'm sorry to inform you all," he said solemnly, "your beloved principal is no more."

Gasps and murmurs filled the room. At the back, Rupali wiped her tears, her face pale. Priya placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rupali, are you okay?"

Rupali shook her head. "No, I'm not… He was such a kind person," she said, her voice trembling.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Priya pulled her into a comforting hug. Anika approached and gently placed a hand on Rupali's arm. "Don't cry," she said softly. "We'll get through this together."

Meanwhile, Madhav's gaze drifted to the principal's face. Blood trickled from the corner of his eyes, an eerie sight that made Madhav's stomach churn. He glanced at Rohan, his face pale with unease.

Without a word, Madhav turned and hurried out of the room. He raced to his jacket, hung neatly in his room, and checked the pocket. His heart sank when his fingers touched cold metal—the golden coin was still there.

Madhav's mind raced. If the coin is here… what's going on?

The ambulance sirens faded into the distance, leaving a heavy silence over the villa. The students and teachers were gathered in small groups, their faces etched with sorrow and disbelief.

In his room, the old man, Mr. Gaurav, reclined on a chair, his hands trembling slightly. He called for the vice principal, who entered moments later, his expression unreadable.

"Beta," the old man began, his voice low but firm, "cancel the rest of the trip and take the students back to your college. This kind of tragedy… it's not good for them."

The vice principal sighed and shook his head. "Uncle, I understand your concern, but it was just an accident. There are only four days left. I've worked hard to plan this trip, and I need to show the students how well I can manage it."

"But, son—" the old man started again, worry creasing his face.

"Uncle," the vice principal interrupted gently but firmly, "please don't think too much about it. I'll handle everything. You should rest and leave this to me."

The old man hesitated, his eyes heavy with unease, but he finally nodded. "Alright, beta. Just… be careful."

The vice principal smiled faintly. "Don't worry, uncle. Everything will be fine." He stood and left the room, his mind already racing with plans to keep the trip on track.

Aman sat alone in his dimly lit room, the golden coin gleaming faintly in his hands. A sly smile spread across his face as he whispered to himself, "I finally have it. This coin is mine. I won't give it to anyone."

The room felt eerily still, the silence pressing in around him. Suddenly, a cold touch brushed against his back. Aman froze, his heart pounding. He spun around and gasped.

Standing before him was… himself.

"What the—how is this possible?" Aman stammered, staring wide-eyed at his mirror image.

The other Aman's face was streaked with tears, his voice trembling. "Help me," the doppelgänger whispered.

Aman blinked in confusion. "Help you? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The doppelgänger wiped his tears and pointed to the coin. "I don't like one person," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I want them gone. Forever."

Aman's breath hitched. "You want me to… kill someone?"

"Yes," the other Aman said with a haunting smile. "Do this for me, and I won't take the coin."

Aman's hand instinctively moved to his pocket, clutching the coin. He hesitated, his mind racing. After a long silence, he nodded.

"Alright," Aman said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do it."

The other Aman grinned, his tears vanishing as he stepped closer. "Good," he said. "We'll be free, together."

In the dimly lit room, Priya placed a comforting hand on Rupali's shoulder. "Please don't cry. We're all sad because of what happened, but we'll get through this together."

Anika walked in, holding a cup. "Here," she said gently, offering it to Rupali. "Drink some hot water. It'll help."

Rupali took the cup, her voice soft. "Thank you, Anika."

After a while, Rupali lay down, her eyes heavy with sleep. Priya, however, felt restless. The walls of the room seemed to close in on her. She quietly slipped out, heading toward the garden.

The night air was crisp, the stars scattered across the sky like glittering jewels. The moon shone brightly, casting a serene glow. Priya took a deep breath, trying to calm her uneasy mind.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound broke the silence. She turned quickly, scanning the area. "Who's there?" she whispered, her voice trembling. But the garden remained still.

The moon disappeared behind a veil of clouds, plunging the night into darkness. A chill ran down Priya's spine as she felt an overwhelming sense of unease. She decided to head back but froze when she saw a figure emerging from the shadows.

"Madhav?" she said, her voice shaking.

The figure stepped closer, and Priya's blood ran cold. It looked like Madhav, but his eyes were completely white, his face twisted with sharp, monstrous teeth. In his hand gleamed a knife.

"No... this can't be," Priya gasped, her heart racing. She turned and ran, the figure pursuing her silently. The sound of her own frantic footsteps echoed in her ears until she tripped, falling hard onto the ground.

"Help me!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Priya!" a familiar voice called out. She opened her eyes to see Meera running toward her. The monstrous figure stopped in its tracks, then vanished into the shadows.

Meera knelt beside Priya, concern etched on her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I saw someone," Priya stammered, her voice barely audible. "He looked like a person but... with white eyes and a knife."

Meera glanced around, her brow furrowed. The moonlight returned, illuminating the garden. "There's no one here, Priya. It's just you and me."

Priya shivered, her face pale. "I need to go back to the room," she muttered, getting to her feet.

"Alright," Meera said softly. "Go and rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

As Priya hurried back toward the villa, Meera stood still, her eyes scanning the garden carefully. The night seemed peaceful again, but her gut told her something was off.

Priya returned to her room and quietly shut the door behind her. The dim light illuminated Rupali, who was sound asleep, and Anika, lying in her bed but restless.

Priya approached Anika's bed and whispered, "Anika, are you awake?"

Anika turned slightly, her eyes half-open. "No, just trying to sleep. What is it?"

Without a word, Priya suddenly hugged her, tears streaming down her face.

She, startled, asked gently, "Priya, what happened? Why are you crying?"

Through her sobs, Priya replied, "I went to the garden to clear my head, and... and I saw someone. He was standing there, coming toward me. When I looked closely, it was Madhav... but his eyes were white, and he had a knife. He was chasing me, Anika! I felt like... like I wouldn't survive. It was terrifying."

Anika frowned, her voice calm but firm. "That doesn't make sense. When I went to get hot water earlier, I saw Mr. Nikhil.

He told me all the boys were in their rooms and sleeping. He even warned me to go down quietly. No boy is allowed to leave their room at night. But for some reason, they let us girls walk around since they think we're feeling more emotional."

Priya's tears slowed, but her fear lingered. "Then how... how could it be Madhav?"

Anika patted her shoulder. "I don't know, but you're safe now. Let's not think too much. Go to sleep, Priya."

Priya nodded hesitantly. "Okay," she whispered, wiping her eyes. She climbed into her bed, trying to push the chilling memory out of her mind.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window as Rohan sat in a chair in his room, deep in thought. Madhav sat beside him on the bed, the weight of the past few days heavy on both of them.

Rohan broke the silence. "I still can't believe it—our principal is gone. Just like that."

Madhav nodded slowly. "Yeah, it happened so suddenly. It's hard to process."

Rohan leaned forward, his voice lowered. "Do you think... this has anything to do with that ghost we saw in the forest, near the waterfall?"

Madhav shook his head. "No, I don't think so. That was something different entirely."

Rohan exhaled in relief. "Good, because honestly, I've been feeling scared of the dark lately. Even the smallest shadow makes me jump."

Just then, Raj burst into the room, his face pale and anxious. "Have you heard the news?"

Madhav looked up, startled. "What news? What happened now?"

"It's Aman," Raj said breathlessly. "He's not waking up. Some students found him this morning with a knife in his hand, cutting into his other hand. There was so much blood…"

Rohan stood abruptly, his voice filled with alarm. "What? How did that happen?"

Raj shook his head. "I don't know. The vice principal has already sent him to the hospital. No one knows what's wrong with him."

Before anyone could respond, a knock came at the door, and a staff member stepped in. Her face was calm but firm as she said, "A student named Madhav?"

The three boys exchanged wary glances before Madhav stood. "Yes, that's me."

The staff member nodded. "Mr. Gaurav Arya has requested to see you in his room immediately."

Raj frowned. "What now? What does he want with you?"

Madhav shrugged, his expression unreadable. "I guess I'll find out." He turned to the staff member. "Okay, let's go."

Madhav and Raj followed the staff girl down the corridor. Raj, frowning, whispered, "I want to go too. This could be serious."

Madhav glanced at him. "Mr. Gaurav specifically asked for me, Raj. You don't have to come."

The staff girl turned and smiled lightly. "It's fine. Both of you can go."

Reluctantly, Madhav nodded, and they continued.

As they neared the room, Meera noticed them Her brows furrowed with curiosity as she watched Madhav and Raj walking with the staff girl toward Mr. Gaurav's room.

Once they arrived, Madhav knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," Old man Mr. Gaurav's voice called out.

Madhav pushed the door open, and he and Raj stepped inside. The old man sat in a large chair by the window, his face pale but composed.

"Hello, sir," Madhav greeted him, his tone respectful.

Raj followed with a cheerful, "Good morning, sir. Are you feeling better now?"

Mr. Gaurav gave them a faint smile. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Have you had your breakfast?"

Both nodded. "Yes, sir, we have," they replied in unison.

The old man's expression turned grave as he leaned forward. "I know what happened to your principal… and now to your friend Aman. It's my fault. This is all because of me."

Madhav stiffened. "Sir, don't say that. It's not your fault," he said quickly.

Raj chimed in, "Yes, sir, you've done nothing wrong. Don't blame yourself."

Old man Mr. Gaurav's weary eyes locked onto Madhav. "I know you have the golden coin."

Madhav froze, his heart skipping a beat. "What?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.