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

His palms scraped against rough stone as he tumbled into the dark passage. The girl landed beside him, rolling smoothly to her feet. Behind them, the shattered mirror knitted itself back together—sealing the tunnel shut.

Aarav gulped air, his heartbeat still hammering from what he had just seen. "What the hell were those things?!"

The girl didn't answer right away. She was scanning the tunnel, her eyes sharp and calculating.

"Aarav," she finally said, voice low, "have you ever heard of echoes?"

She shook her head. "No. I mean the other kind. The ones that don't just repeat what you say."

A chill crawled up Aarav's spine. He didn't like where this was going. "What do they do, then?"

"They remember what you could have been."

The girl continued, "This place… it creates reflections, shadows, echoes. Versions of you that never existed—but could have. If you make the wrong choices, if you hesitate, if you let fear take over…" She trailed off.

Aarav shuddered. "And that… thing back there? That was one of my echoes?"

She nodded. "And if it catches you, it won't just take your place."

A lump formed in his throat. He shook his head. "We need to get out of here. Now."

The girl nodded, turning to move—

Ahead, the tunnel stretched into blackness. But a figure stood in the distance.

At first, it looked like a shadow cast on the wall. But then—

Aarav's skin crawled. "Who… who is that?"

The girl's grip tightened around the metal rod she carried. "We need to go back."

Aarav glanced behind them. "Back where? The mirror's—"

The sealed mirror… was no longer sealed. The glass shimmered, rippling outward.

And from it, something stepped through.

Aarav knew it wasn't his reflection this time.

The figure ahead stopped. A voice echoed through the tunnel—deep, distorted, but familiar.

His stomach twisted. "Who are you?"

The girl grabbed his wrist. "Don't listen to it!"

The echo of himself stepped forward—

And Aarav felt something pull inside him.

Like a thousand voices whispering at once.

Like a hundred different versions of himself—

The Man Who Speaks in Echoes