The Forgotten Name

The room plunged into darkness as the door creaked open. Ravi, Raj, and Meera tensed, their breaths shallow. A shadowy figure stepped inside, its presence making the air thick with dread. The flickering light barely illuminated his face, but his silhouette was unmistakable—tall, draped in a long coat, with an air of authority. "You've seen too much," the figure whispered, his voice calm yet chilling. Aarav whimpered, his frail body shaking. Meera's fingers tightened around a small blade she had hidden in her sleeve. "Who are you?" Raj demanded, stepping forward despite his fear. The figure remained still.

Silence stretched between them, a suffocating pause before the man finally moved. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small, worn-out nameplate. He placed it on the table, his gloved fingers lingering over it for a second before he stepped back. The name on it was barely legible, the edges chipped, but Ravi could make it out clearly—VIHAN. His pulse quickened. That was the same name Darshan had mentioned before disappearing. "Vihan," Ravi murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. The man tilted his head slightly, as if acknowledging the recognition. "He's waiting," the figure finally said.

Meera stepped closer, eyeing the man carefully. "Who's waiting? Vihan?" she asked. The man's lips curled into a faint smirk. "You'll see soon enough," he replied. The lights flickered again, and in that brief moment of darkness, he was gone. Just like that—vanished. Raj cursed under his breath, rushing to the door and flinging it open, but the hallway was empty. No footsteps, no trace of movement. "How the hell did he do that?" Raj muttered, slamming the door shut. Ravi picked up the nameplate, his fingers tracing the engraved letters. "This isn't just a warning," he said. "It's an invitation."

Aarav's breathing was ragged, his fingers clutching the edge of the table. "I remember that name," he whispered, his eyes distant, unfocused. Ravi turned to him quickly. "You do?" Aarav nodded slowly. "Before I was taken… before they erased me, I heard it. Vihan. They said he was the first." A heavy silence fell upon them. The first? The first what? Ravi exchanged a look with Meera, who seemed just as shaken. "The first to be erased?" Meera guessed. Aarav's fingers trembled. "No," he whispered. "The first to survive it." His words sent a chill through the room.

Ravi exhaled sharply, gripping the nameplate tighter. "So Vihan is still out there?" he asked. Aarav hesitated before nodding. "If he's waiting for you, then he never fully disappeared." Raj ran a hand through his hair. "This just keeps getting worse," he muttered. "If Vihan survived being erased, why hasn't he come forward? Why stay in the shadows?" Meera's expression darkened. "Because he knows something we don't. And that makes him dangerous." Ravi's thoughts raced. If Vihan was real, if he had somehow resisted the ones who erase, then he was their only chance at understanding the truth.

Meera took a deep breath. "We need to find him." Aarav shook his head violently. "No. You don't understand. If you look for him, they'll know. They'll come for you." Raj crossed his arms. "They already are. We're past the point of running, Aarav." The fear in Aarav's eyes didn't fade, but he said nothing more. Ravi looked down at the nameplate. "Vihan left this for a reason. He wants us to follow." He glanced at Meera. "Where do we even start?" Meera hesitated, then pulled out the pendant she had used to track Aarav. "Maybe he left more than just a name."

She held the pendant over the nameplate, watching as the silver chain trembled slightly. A faint glow pulsed from the engraved letters, barely noticeable but unmistakable. "There's something here," she whispered. Aarav leaned back, fear clear in his eyes. "Don't do this," he pleaded. "Some things are meant to be forgotten." Ravi ignored him. "We need to know." He pressed his thumb against the metal, feeling a strange warmth seep into his skin. The glow intensified, and suddenly, the room around them flickered—just for a second. As if reality itself had glitched. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.

Raj took a step back. "Tell me you saw that," he said. Meera nodded. "Something's hidden inside this." Ravi frowned, studying the nameplate. "Maybe it's more than just an object." He turned it over, revealing a barely visible inscription. "He's in the place where time forgets," he read aloud. The words sent a shiver down his spine. Aarav let out a shaky breath. "No. No, no, no," he muttered. "You can't go there." Ravi met his gaze. "Where is it?" Aarav hesitated, his voice barely a whisper. "The Hollow District." Meera's breath hitched. "That place doesn't exist anymore."

Ravi stared at the nameplate, his mind racing. A place that no longer existed? A man erased from history, yet still waiting for them? The pieces didn't fit, but he knew they had no choice. "Then that's where we're going," he said firmly. Raj groaned. "Of course we are." Aarav looked genuinely terrified now. "You don't understand. If you step into the Hollow District… you may never come back." Ravi clenched his jaw. "Neither did Aarav. But we pulled him out." He met Meera's gaze. "We'll do it again." Meera hesitated, then nodded. "Then we leave at dawn."

As the others settled in, preparing for what lay ahead, Ravi couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was already watching them. The nameplate still pulsed faintly in his grip, as if it was alive, leading them deeper into a mystery they weren't ready for. He placed it on the table and turned away, but just before he shut his eyes, a faint whisper echoed through the room. "Find me…" Ravi bolted upright, his heart pounding. The others were asleep. The voice had come from nowhere. Or maybe, from everywhere. Vihan was calling. And tomorrow, they would answer.