Part 23 – The Last Witness

Maya, Aditya, and Arjun left the orphanage with their minds racing. The sky had darkened, and the town was eerily silent.

"We need to find Leela Sharma before it's too late," Aditya said, his voice tense.

Maya checked the files again. There was an old address listed. "She lived in the outskirts of town."

Arjun sighed. "Let's hope she's still alive."

They hurried to Arjun's car and drove through the deserted streets. The address led them to a small, isolated house on the very edge of town. The porch light flickered weakly.

Aditya knocked.

No answer.

He knocked again, harder. "Mrs. Sharma? We need to talk!"

Silence.

Maya pressed her ear against the door. Then—a faint shuffling sound.

"She's in there," Maya whispered.

A moment later, the door opened a crack, and a frail old woman peered out, eyes clouded with fear.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice weak but sharp.

"We found the adoption records," Maya said quickly. "We know about Dr. Malhotra. We know about the scars."

Leela Sharma's grip on the door tightened. Her lips quivered. "You… you have the marks?"

Maya nodded. "Please, we need to know what happened to us."

The woman hesitated, then slowly stepped aside, letting them in.

Inside, the house was cluttered with old books and newspaper clippings. Dust covered every surface. It smelled of stale air and forgotten time.

Leela sank into a chair. Her hands trembled as she gestured for them to sit.

"You shouldn't have come here," she murmured. "It's too late now."

Maya leaned forward. "Too late for what?"

Leela's hollow eyes met hers. "For the truth."

Aditya clenched his jaw. "We don't have much time. Please, tell us everything."

Leela took a deep breath. Then she began.

"This orphanage… it wasn't just a home for children. It was an experiment."

Maya's blood ran cold.

Leela continued, "Dr. Malhotra… he believed that some children—chosen children—had a special connection to time itself. He thought they could see beyond reality. So he conducted… tests."

Maya's stomach twisted. "What kind of tests?"

Leela's face darkened. "The scars on your necks? They weren't accidents. They were placed there."

Maya gasped. Arjun's fists tightened.

Aditya's voice was sharp. "Why?"

Leela hesitated, then reached for an old wooden trunk beside her chair. She pulled out a tattered notebook and placed it on the table.

"This belonged to Dr. Malhotra. It holds the truth."

Maya opened the book with shaking hands.

Inside were detailed records of every child who had ever been adopted from the orphanage. Notes on their dreams, their visions… and a list of names under the title:

"The First Dreamers."

Maya traced her finger over the words. "What does this mean?"

Leela's eyes filled with sorrow. "It means… that your visions aren't a curse. They're a message."

A chill ran down Maya's spine.

Aditya flipped through the pages. Then he froze.

There, at the bottom of the last entry, were two final sentences.

"When the last dreamer remembers, time will reset."

"The gate must never be opened."

Maya's breath hitched. She had seen the gate in her vision.

Her hands clenched into fists.

Something terrible was coming.

The words on the page sent a shiver down Maya's spine.

"When the last dreamer remembers, time will reset."

"The gate must never be opened."

She looked up at Leela, her voice barely a whisper. "What does this mean?"

Leela shook her head slowly. "I don't know everything. But I do know that every dreamer before you—everyone on that list—was searching for the same answer."

Arjun crossed his arms. "And what happened to them?"

Leela hesitated before answering. "They all disappeared."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Maya swallowed hard. "And the gate? I saw it in my vision. I walked through it."

Leela's frail hands trembled. "Then you must stop. If the gate is opened in reality… there will be no going back."

Aditya, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "What if that's the only way to end this?"

Leela's eyes darkened. "Or it could be the way everything begins."

Maya shut the notebook, her mind racing. "We need to find out where this gate is. If we're meant to stop it, we need to know what we're dealing with."

Leela hesitated, then sighed. "There's one place that might have answers."

She pointed at an old photograph on the wall. It was faded, but the image showed a grand, abandoned estate covered in vines.

"This was Dr. Malhotra's private research center. It's where the tests were conducted. If there are any clues left, they'll be there."

Maya's heart pounded. This was it.

Aditya stood up, determination in his eyes. "Then that's our next destination."

Arjun, still tense, glanced at Maya. "Are you sure about this?"

She met his gaze. "I don't think we have a choice."

Leela's voice was quiet but firm. "Be careful. If the gate truly exists… some things are meant to stay forgotten."

Maya exhaled sharply.

And now, they had their final destination.