The Hollow District

The morning air was thick with an eerie stillness as Ravi, Raj, Meera, and Aarav stood before the rusted gates of what had once been the Hollow District. The city maps showed nothing but empty land here, yet in front of them stood remnants of a place forgotten by time. Crumbling buildings leaned against each other, their windows hollow and lifeless. "This shouldn't exist," Meera murmured, gripping the pendant tightly. Aarav shifted uneasily. "It doesn't. That's the problem." Raj scoffed. "Then why are we standing here?" Ravi ignored them, stepping forward. The gates groaned open as if expecting them.

Inside, the air grew heavier, thick with something unseen but deeply felt. Footsteps echoed unnaturally, stretching longer than they should. "This place is wrong," Raj muttered. Ravi glanced around, noticing faded signs with names that seemed familiar yet distorted. The letters rearranged themselves when he looked away. "It's like reality here isn't stable," he whispered. Meera traced a finger over a street sign. "Vihan is here. Somewhere." The pendant around her neck pulsed faintly, its glow leading them deeper into the ruins. Aarav hesitated. "If we go any further, they'll know." Ravi clenched his jaw. "They already do."

The deeper they walked, the stranger the Hollow District became. Buildings seemed to shift when they weren't looking. Doors vanished and reappeared elsewhere. "This place is alive," Raj muttered, unnerved. Meera paused at an alleyway where the pendant glowed brightest. "This way." They stepped in, only to find themselves back where they started. Aarav's breathing grew erratic. "It's looping. We're trapped." Ravi's mind raced. "No. It's testing us." He turned back to the alley and closed his eyes. "Don't look. Just walk." Meera hesitated, then grabbed Raj's hand. One by one, they followed Ravi blindly into the unknown.

The sensation was like stepping through liquid air. A cold shudder passed over them, and when they opened their eyes, they were somewhere else. A narrow street stretched ahead, lined with buildings that looked untouched by time. A single streetlamp flickered above a lone doorway. The pendant stopped glowing. "This is it," Meera whispered. The nameplate they had found now burned hot in Ravi's pocket. He pulled it out, and the moment he did, the door creaked open. A voice, deep and hollow, drifted from inside. "You finally came." The four exchanged glances before stepping through the doorway together.

Inside, the air was thick with dust and age. The walls were covered in old newspapers, their words faded and unreadable. A figure sat at a wooden table, half in shadow. He looked up slowly, his face gaunt yet sharp, his eyes holding centuries of secrets. "Vihan?" Ravi asked cautiously. The man smirked. "So they sent children to find me." Raj scoffed. "Not exactly sent." Vihan chuckled, the sound hollow. "You don't belong here." Aarav stepped forward. "Neither did I. But they found me." Vihan studied him before nodding. "Then you already know what this place is. What it does."

Meera crossed her arms. "We came for answers. How did you survive being erased?" Vihan leaned back. "Survive? No one survives erasure. I just refused to fade." Ravi narrowed his eyes. "How?" Vihan tapped his temple. "Memory. That's all erasure is—removal from memory. But if someone, somewhere, still remembers you… you remain." He glanced at Aarav. "You were lucky. They came for you before you fully disappeared. But me? I've been here too long." Aarav swallowed. "So you can't leave?" Vihan's smirk faltered. "Not without help." His gaze settled on Ravi. "And I think you're just the help I need."

Raj scoffed. "Oh great. Another mysterious mission." Vihan ignored him. "You've seen them, haven't you? The ones who erase?" Meera tensed. "The faceless ones." Vihan nodded. "They are the keepers of forgotten things. And they don't like loose ends." Aarav shivered. "They'll come for us again." Vihan's expression darkened. "They already have." As if on cue, the walls around them flickered. Shadows stretched unnaturally. A deep, guttural whisper echoed through the room. "You should not be here." The temperature dropped instantly. The door slammed shut on its own. Vihan stood, his voice calm but firm. "They've found us."

The room distorted, stretching and twisting. Shadows pooled together, forming something more solid. "Get behind me," Vihan ordered. The group hesitated, but the growing darkness left them no choice. A figure emerged—tall, faceless, its presence pressing against reality itself. "You do not belong," it intoned. Meera gripped Ravi's wrist. "We have to run!" Vihan's eyes flashed. "No. We stand." The faceless figure raised a hand, and the room darkened completely. A wave of pressure crashed over them. Vihan took a step forward. "I refuse to be forgotten." His voice thundered through the space. The shadows recoiled. The fight had begun.

Ravi clenched his fists. He had seen Vihan's name erased from records, had watched people forget him, yet here he was—defying oblivion. Could they do the same? The faceless figure lunged, and for the first time, Ravi felt something stir within him—a force he didn't understand. "Remember me," Vihan whispered. The shadows wavered, and for the first time, the faceless figure hesitated. Aarav gasped. "It's working." But then the shadows surged forward again, more aggressive. Vihan turned to them, his eyes sharp. "We have one chance to end this. And it starts with you, Ravi."