Chapter 35: The First Clue

The next morning, Aryan sat in the police forensic lab, staring at a blood sample under a flickering light. His eyes burned from exhaustion, but he refused to rest.

The blood used in the message on the wall had been sent for testing overnight, and the results had just come in.

Now, as he held the lab report in his hands, his stomach tightened.

This blood wasn't random.

It belonged to someone.

Someone real.

Someone missing.

Karan, Naina, and Riya stood beside him, waiting for him to speak. The tension was unbearable.

Finally, Aryan took a deep breath and read the name out loud.

"Rohan Mehta."

Karan frowned. "Who the hell is Rohan Mehta?"

Aryan placed the file on the table. "Twenty-four years old. A research student in anthropology. Went missing six months ago."

Naina's expression hardened. "Why would they use his blood?"

Aryan clenched his jaw. "That's what we need to find out."

The group split into two teams.

Karan and Riya would investigate Rohan's last known whereabouts—his university, his apartment, and his contacts.Aryan and Naina would dig into classified police files about his disappearance.

Rohan wasn't just a random victim.

There had to be a connection between him and the Pendulum of Death.

And if they could figure out what he knew…

They might finally get one step ahead of the cult.

Karan and Riya arrived at Rohan's last known residence—a small, dusty apartment in a quiet neighborhood.

The building manager was an elderly woman who didn't ask questions but was more than happy to take money in exchange for silence.

"He hasn't been here in months," she told them as she unlocked the door. "When he stopped paying rent, I assumed he ran away."

Karan exchanged a look with Riya before stepping inside.

The apartment was a mess. Papers were scattered across the desk, old coffee cups and notes covered in dust.

But one thing immediately stood out.

Pinned to the wall were maps, newspaper clippings, and crime scene photos.

It looked exactly like the kind of obsession wall Aryan had built when investigating Meera's death.

Riya exhaled. "He was investigating something."

Karan stepped closer, his eyes scanning the clippings and markings.

The articles all had a common theme.

Disappearances. Rituals. The Pendulum Cult.

He pulled a newspaper cutting from the board. "Look at this."

Riya read the headline.

"Ancient Cults of India – The Pendulum of Death and the Forgotten Rituals."

Her stomach twisted. "He was researching them."

And now, he was missing.

Karan turned back to the wall. A map was pinned at the center.

Several locations were circled in red ink.

One of them had a name written beside it:

"Sacrifice Site?"

Karan pointed at it. "This place. We need to go there."

Riya hesitated. "What if it's a trap?"

Karan's eyes darkened. "Then we walk straight into it."

Because that was the only way to find the truth.

Meanwhile, Aryan and Naina sat in a dark records room, digging through old police case files.

"Rohan Mehta," Aryan muttered, scanning the documents. "The official report says he was last seen leaving his university library at 8 PM. Security cameras lost track of him afterward."

Naina frowned. "His body was never found?"

Aryan shook his head. "No. He was classified as missing, but the case was eventually closed due to lack of evidence."

Naina tapped her fingers against the desk. "But now we know his blood was used in the message."

Aryan sighed. "Which means the cult got to him."

They kept searching, flipping through case files until Naina suddenly froze.

"Aryan."

He looked up. "What?"

She held up an old police report.

It was another missing person's case.

Aryan's stomach tightened as he read the name.

"Sameer Patel – Anthropology Student. Vanished 5 years ago. Never found."

Aryan's eyes flicked up to Naina.

Another anthropology student.

Just like Rohan.

This wasn't a coincidence.

Aryan laid the two files side by side.

Sameer Patel. Rohan Mehta.

Both were anthropology students.

Both had been researching ancient cults.

And both had vanished.

Naina exhaled. "They must have gotten too close to something."

Aryan clenched his jaw. "And the cult silenced them."

The room felt colder.

This cult wasn't just killing at random.

They were eliminating anyone who got too close to the truth.

And now, Aryan and his team were next.