Bishnupriya_Parida

Aarav awakens in a world that defies logic—a place where time distorts, shadows move on their own, and the walls seem to whisper secrets. He doesn’t remember how he got here, but he knows one thing: he is not alone.

Then he sees her. A girl with piercing golden eyes who speaks in riddles and seems to understand the chaos surrounding them. She warns him—this place is not just a prison, it’s a test. And those who fail? They vanish.

As unseen forces close in, Aarav must navigate a labyrinth of shifting corridors and cryptic messages. Every step brings him closer to the truth, but also to something darker—a secret buried within himself, waiting to be unlocked.

The rules of reality no longer apply. If Aarav doesn’t escape soon, he won’t just lose his life—he’ll lose himself.

The Reflection Paradox

Aarav's body slammed into cold, damp metal as they landed inside a narrow tunnel beneath the chamber. The air was thick with the scent of rust and something rotting. He coughed, his mind still reeling from what he had just seen.

The girl—who still hadn't told him her name—was already on her feet, scanning their surroundings. "We don't have long before they come after us."

Aarav sat up, shaking. "That was me… they were all me!"

The girl shot him a sharp look. "And you still don't get it. Those things aren't you. They never were."

Aarav swallowed hard. "Then what the hell are they?"

The way she said it sent a shiver down his spine.

Something above them creaked. A shadow passed over the metal grates lining the ceiling. Aarav froze, expecting the Smiling Ones to come crashing down. But instead…

A voice whispered through the tunnel.

It wasn't loud. It wasn't angry. But it was wrong.

The girl grabbed his wrist. "Move. Now."

The tunnel stretched on endlessly, its metal walls damp with something thick and black. With every step, the whispering grew louder.

Aarav's breathing turned ragged. It wasn't an echo. The whispers weren't bouncing off the walls. They were coming from ahead of them.

Aarav barely managed to halt before crashing into her. "Why did you—"

The tunnel ended. But it didn't end in a wall.

Aarav's own reflection stared back at him, illuminated by a flickering red light. But something was off.

The reflection wasn't copying his movements.

The girl whispered, "That's not you."

The reflection's grin widened, eyes dark and knowing. "Are you sure about that?"

The mirror began to ripple, the glass warping like liquid.

The girl shoved Aarav backward. "Run!"

But he was frozen, watching as the thing that looked just like him pulled itself into their world.

Aarav could see that it wasn't quite right.

Its eyes were too dark. Its skin was too smooth. And its smile—

Its smile didn't belong to a human.

The girl grabbed Aarav's arm and yanked. "You want to live? MOVE!"

But as they fled down the tunnel, he could feel it watching him.

The One That Speaks