Part 24 – The Longest Night

The weight of their discovery hung in the air as Leela quietly cleared the table. The dim yellow light cast long shadows across the old house, making it feel smaller than it was.

"We'll leave at sunrise," Aditya finally said.

Leela nodded. "There's a guest room, but it's small. One of you can sleep there, the others will have to stay in the living room."

Maya hesitated. "I'll take the guest room."

Arjun quickly added, "I'll sleep on the couch."

Aditya smirked slightly. "Guess that means I'm stuck with the floor."

Leela brought out a few blankets and pillows before retreating to her own room. The house settled into silence, except for the occasional creak of the wooden floor.

Maya lay on the small bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was restless—visions, lost memories, the cryptic message in the notebook. What did "resetting time" mean? Could they actually stop this, or were they just following the same doomed path as those before them?

A soft knock on the door broke her thoughts.

She sat up as it opened slightly, revealing Aditya. "Can't sleep?" he whispered.

Maya sighed. "Too much to think about."

Aditya leaned against the doorframe, his face unreadable. "Me too. Mind if I sit?"

She hesitated, then nodded. He stepped inside and sat at the edge of the bed. The room felt smaller with him in it.

After a long pause, he spoke. "You keep looking for answers, but are you ready for them?"

Maya frowned. "What do you mean?"

Aditya turned toward her. "What if we find out something we wish we hadn't?"

She swallowed. She had thought about that, but… "I have to know."

A shadow of a smile crossed his lips. "That's what my sister used to say." His voice softened. "And it got her killed."

Maya's chest tightened. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, but his eyes darkened. "If this ends like it did for her, I just—" He stopped himself, exhaling.

Maya hesitated before reaching out, placing her hand over his. "I won't let that happen."

Aditya looked at their hands, then at her. Something unspoken lingered between them.

Then, the door creaked.

They both turned to see Arjun standing there. His face was unreadable, but his clenched fists said everything.

"You should get some sleep," he muttered before walking away.

Maya pulled her hand back, guilt twisting in her chest.

Aditya sighed. "And here I thought I was the jealous one."

She didn't reply. Three of them. One mission. And too many feelings between them.

Tomorrow, they would face whatever truth awaited them.

For now, all they could do was wait for the morning.