Part 11 – The Dead Woman’s Clue

Maya's fingers trembled as she traced the edges of the drawing. Aditya's sister had tried to uncover the meaning of the visions—and she had died for it.

The air in the café felt heavier, like an unseen force was pressing down on them.

"What exactly was she researching?" Arjun asked, his voice sharp.

Aditya exhaled, rubbing his temples. "She kept notes—pages and pages of them. She believed there was a pattern to the visions. A way to predict when and where they would happen."

Maya's pulse quickened. If they could find those notes, maybe they could decipher the drawing before it was too late.

"Do you still have them?" she asked urgently.

Aditya hesitated before nodding. "They're at my house."

Maya and Arjun exchanged a glance. This could be the breakthrough they needed.

"Then let's go," Maya said, standing up.

Aditya gave a bitter chuckle. "You think it's that easy?"

Maya frowned. "What do you mean?"

Aditya tapped his fingers on the table. "I haven't been there in months. After she died… I couldn't bring myself to go back." He exhaled slowly. "And I'm not the only one who's been looking for those notes."

A shiver ran through Maya. Someone else?

"Who?" Arjun asked, his posture tense.

Aditya shook his head. "I don't know. But after she disappeared, I started feeling like I was being watched."

Maya's heartbeat pounded in her ears. If someone didn't want them to find the truth… did that mean the vision was a warning?

And if they went after those notes, would they suffer the same fate as Aditya's sister?

Six days.

They had no choice.

A House of Shadows

Aditya led them through the quiet, dimly lit streets to the outskirts of town, where his old house stood. The moment Maya stepped onto the porch, she felt a deep unease settle in her chest. The house was eerily silent, as if holding its breath.

Aditya pushed open the door. Dust clung to every surface, and the air was thick with the scent of old books and something faintly metallic. It felt untouched, yet strangely disturbed—like someone had been here, searching for something.

"We're not the first ones looking," Arjun muttered, scanning the dimly lit hallway.

They moved cautiously through the house. Aditya went straight to his sister's study—a small room lined with bookshelves, a wooden desk in the center. Drawers were open, papers scattered, but the chaos was deliberate. Someone had been searching.

Maya ran her fingers along the bookshelf, feeling for anything out of place. Then, she noticed it—a book slightly pulled out from the rest. She gently tugged at it.

A small, carved wooden box tumbled out from behind the books.

She picked it up carefully, turning it over in her hands. The initials "R.A." were engraved on the top.

Aditya's breath hitched. "That was hers."

Maya turned to him. "Could the notes be inside?"

Aditya took the box, his fingers shaking slightly. "Maybe. But I don't have the key."

Maya exhaled. So close, yet still missing a piece.

"Then we find it," Arjun said firmly. "Where would she have kept something important?"

Aditya hesitated, then his eyes widened slightly. "The university."

Maya's heart skipped a beat. "She studied there?"

Aditya nodded. "She had a small office in the library. If she hid anything, it would be there."

Maya looked at the locked box in Aditya's hands. They hadn't found the notes, but they had something just as valuable—a clue.

Six days left.

And now, they had a new destination.