Arjun was replacing the car's tire on the side of the road.
He and his friend had been driving home when the tire suddenly punctured midway. With the help of the jack, he crouched beside the wheel, loosening the nuts carefully.
Footsteps approached.
"How long is it going to take?" she asked.
Arjun looked up briefly.
"Half an hour," he said, returning to the tire. "I've got it under control."
She crossed her arms, scanning the empty road.
"If you do, then hurry. This place doesn't look safe."
She began pacing around the car while Arjun kept working.
After a moment, she wandered back toward him, clearly bored.
"You know what? I might sit down for a bit."
Arjun didn't react much.
"I'm not stopping you."
She gave him a look.
"I know you're not."
Arjun exhaled heavily as he worked the wrench.
"My legs are feeling a bit heavy," he muttered. "That's why I'm slowing down."
She frowned, studying him more closely.
"Did something happen to you while you were working?" she asked.
Arjun froze.
For a split second, something flickered in his mind—
—and his eyes snapped open.
The night was almost completely dark. Only pale moonlight cut through the smoke-filled air.
A cold wind moved through the ruins.
Arjun's ears were ringing.
Dust was slowly settling around him when the pain finally registered — a heavy section of wall had collapsed across his lower body. He was trapped.
Somewhere nearby, he heard someone struggling… a low, strained grunt.
"Imran…?" Arjun called hoarsely. "Is that you?"
Imran appeared beside him almost immediately.
"Shh," he whispered sharply. "Don't shout. Not if you want to stay alive."
Arjun stared at him, confused and shaken.
"Just—get me out of here," he pleaded.
"I'm trying," Imran said, already examining the slab. "But we can't make too much noise."
Arjun didn't understand what was happening, but the urgency in Imran's voice was enough.
"…Fine. Just get me out."
Imran positioned himself against the broken wall.
"I can't lift this alone," he said quickly. "You'll have to help. When I say push, push upward with everything you have. If we move it even a little, you can slide your legs out."
Arjun nodded tightly.
He braced his hands against the underside of the slab. Imran gripped the side.
"On my count," Imran said.
Arjun waited, breath shaking.
"Go."
They pushed.
The slab shifted—just barely.
Arjun felt the pressure on his legs loosen slightly. Gritting his teeth, he began dragging himself backward, forcing his body through the narrow space.
Pain shot up his legs, but he didn't scream.
Halfway out, he froze.
Imran immediately stopped pushing.
"What happened?" he whispered urgently. "If we don't move, we're dead."
Arjun's eyes widened.
"Dead? By who?"
Imran leaned closer, voice low and tight.
"Just… get out first."
Arjun swallowed and nodded.
They pushed again—harder this time.
With a strained grunt, Arjun forced his legs free and rolled clear of the rubble. He collapsed forward, breathing hard.
Imran quickly helped him up.
"Careful."
Arjun stood unsteadily and looked around.
Dust.
Smoke.
Broken structures everywhere.
His chest tightened.
He turned back to Imran.
"…Where are the others?"
Imran's voice was low.
"I don't know," he said.
A beat.
"…but they're probably dead."
Arjun stared at Imran, shock still on his face.
"They're… dead?" he asked quietly. "What are you talking about?"
Imran looked back at him, his expression grim.
"Let's just try to find anyone who's still alive," he said. "That's the only thing that matters right now."
Arjun nodded slowly.
He paused, then said, "Before that… I need to find my meds."
Imran raised an eyebrow.
"If we can find them," Arjun added quickly.
Imran gave a short nod.
"Fine. But hurry."
They moved back toward the ruins of the hotel.
Inside, everything was dark and broken. Arjun began searching through what remained of their room, pushing aside debris and dust.
Imran came up behind him.
"Listen," he said quietly. "If you find any lights or flashlights, take them. We'll need them."
"Got it," Arjun replied.
A moment later, Arjun found his pill container buried among his belongings.
"Okay," he said with relief. "I have them."
"Good," Imran said. "Then we move."
They started heading out of the room when Imran suddenly stopped.
"Oh—wait," he said. "Let's grab our phones too. We might still be able to contact someone."
Arjun nodded.
"Yeah. Good idea."
He turned to leave the room, then noticed something half-buried in the rubble.
"Hey."
Imran stopped.
Arjun picked it up and wiped the dust off.
"It's Raghav's binoculars," he said. "And the best part—these switch to night vision."
He looked at Imran.
"This might actually help us."
Imran sees this "yeah your are right now let's hurry".
Both of them step out of the destroyed hotel and begin heading deeper into the jungle.
Seeing this, Arjun asks, "Where are we actually going?"
"Keep your voice low," Imran says quietly. Then he replies, "We're trying to find the ones who are still alive. They all ran deep into the forest."
Frustrated, Arjun asks, "Who are they?"
Imran looks at him. "I don't know. They all looked human… but crazy."
Arjun, confused, says, "If they looked human, then they must—"
Imran cuts him off.
"No. I know they weren't. In the dark, they react to voices."
Imran continues, "Also, Raghav and Aman both ran into the forest. I told them to hide, but they didn't listen."
Arjun asks, "When did this happen?"
Hearing this, Imran answers, "Shortly after the airstrike. Everything turned to dust. Many were killed, and some were trying to take care of each other when—"
Imran's eyes fill with fear.
"—they all came out of the forest and started attacking. They began killing everyone. In defense, everybody ran into the forest… but they were completely overpowered."
"Now turn on your flashlight and stay with me. If you see any movement, don't react immediately—quietly tell me first, okay?" Imran says to Arjun before they enter the jungle.
Arjun nods.
Both of them switch on their flashlights and slowly step inside.
Arjun notices something on the ground. "Hey, look… footsteps. We can follow them."
Imran looks down. "Yes… you're right. We can track them using these footprints."
Seeing this, they begin following the trail.
It hasn't even been a minute when they hear a woman praying.
Both of them freeze in shock. They move slowly, hiding themselves behind the bushes, glancing at each other.
"This can't be a woman praying this loudly," Arjun whispers to Imran.
Imran is also shocked after hearing the prayer. "Let's check it out. It might be a survivor… and if not, we'll slowly back away."
Arjun nods. "Yes."
Terrified, they begin approaching the voice. The prayer grows louder as they get closer.
"Oh Lord… your kindness and mercy have protected me all these years. I never knew you would help us this way. I should never have doubted you. My Lord, please guide me back so I can serve you with all my gratitude."
Arjun and Imran stare in shock and fear.
A woman stands ahead of them, covered in blood. A dagger rests tightly in her hand as she looks up toward the sky, praying to her god.
"May your mercy and kindness shine upon others as it has shined upon me. I will forever remain in your debt."
Imran signals Arjun to move back as quickly and quietly as possible.
They slowly turn and begin retreating.
Suddenly, a bush rustles.
The woman instantly stops praying.
"Who's there?" she shouts.
She rushes toward the bush to investigate.
Getting closer, she swings the dagger—but no one is there.
"I heard that noise. I know someone is here!"
Her footsteps echo through the jungle as she moves deeper into the darkness.
Both are also running far away from her , Arjun ask "is she the one you are talking about".
While running imran also answers "yes, yes but I… I didn't a woman is also here to kill us"
Both stopped at distant far away from the place scared and terrified after what seeing.
"I didn't believe she heard that small rustle" Arjun says this to imran. Continue "now imran what do we do?".
Gasping imran replies "I don't know but we have to keep safe and alert until help arrives".
"Let's go, before she catches us," Arjun says, already moving.
Seeing him, Imran quickly follows. Both of them push deeper into the jungle.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the jungle…
A group of friends has lost their way while running deeper into the forest.
One of the boys, breathing heavily, whispers, "This… this feels like a nightmare."
Another boy, trembling and groaning in pain from the run, says, "I just… I just want to go home already… if this is… a dream."
"Shut up… you're scaring everyone," a girl snaps—though her voice shakes with fear.
"No one can run that fast… especially with a huge hammer in his hand," another boy says, panic creeping into his voice.
"It's inhuman," the girl replies quietly.
The boy leading the group suddenly turns. "Shhh… stop making noise."
They fall into uneasy silence, but their fear hangs heavy in the air.
Then—
A shadow moves.
Fast. Silent. Hunting.
The boy at the front notices something shifting in the darkness. "Is… something coming?"
His eyes widen in terror.
"RUN!"
But it's too late.
The shadow lunges forward.
A brutal force crashes into them—skulls shatter, bodies drop, screams cut short before they can fully escape.
Within seconds… it's over.
Silence returns.
The shadow fades back into the jungle… as if it was never there.
Hours before Arjun woke up…
Anuj's residence.
Anuj receives a call.
"It's me."
The person on the other end speaks quickly, "I heard the Corporation Director was summoned, and the new order—"
Anuj cuts him off. "Get to the point. Who is this, and what do you want?"
A brief pause.
Then the voice replies, calm and sharp, "Straight to the point… always your style. The Corporation will fall after the new order. For your information, I'm Jaffar from the CBI."
Anuj freezes for a moment. Shock flashes across his face, but he quickly silences everything around him.
"How can I help you, sir?" Anuj asks, now polite and controlled.
"The Indian Navy has detected two warships in the Bay of Bengal operating without authorization," Jaffar says, his tone serious.
Anuj responds carefully, "They had permission… from the Director of the Corporation."
Jaffar senses something off. "And what exactly are they doing there?"
"Training exercises," Anuj replies, choosing his words cautiously. "As warships, they need to be tested for operational readiness. Nothing more."
Jaffar pauses, then presses further. "Oh, really? Then—"
"Sir," Anuj interrupts, "any further questions can be addressed tomorrow… directly with the Corporation."
A moment of silence.
"Fine."
The line disconnects.
Anuj remains seated, lost in thought.
"Junior," he calls out.
A young officer walks in. "You once asked me when you could take my position, didn't you?"
The junior nods.
"There are two ways," Anuj says calmly. "First—if I retire. That will take time."
A faint grin forms on his face.
"And second… if I die."
The junior stiffens, trying to process his words.
"I was once a junior like you," Anuj continues. "Serving under my senior. But one day, he was found dead… shot in the chest. No one ever found the killer."
The junior frowns. "But sir… if a high-ranking officer was killed, why didn't the Corporation find the murderer?"
Anuj lets out a quiet laugh. "Who knows why? After his death… I took his position. His power."
The room grows heavier.
"Why are you telling me this, sir?" the junior asks.
Anuj looks directly at him.
"Because something is coming… and one day, you'll have to take my place."
A slow smile spreads across Anuj's face.
"For now, the case is in the CBI's hands… and that's a real problem," Anuj adds.
He picks up the telephone and dials a number. The line rings for a few seconds.
A woman answers.
"Hello."
Anuj replies, "Yeah… hello. It's me—CAKE."
The woman on the other end responds, "CAKE. How can we help you?"
"The CBI Inspector, Jaffar, is showing interest in the Corporation," Anuj says calmly. "As a cabinet member, I'm issuing an order—eliminate him as soon as possible. And investigate this matter before it gets worse."
Anuj waits patiently for a response.
After a brief pause, the woman replies, "CAKE, your request has been recorded. You will receive a message shortly."
She continues, "Thank you."
The line disconnects.
Meanwhile, in the jungle… present time.
Four tourists wander through the forest, lost and exhausted.
Then—
They hear it.
A woman… praying.
Slowly, they begin moving toward the sound.
In the darkness, the prayer echoes softly through the trees. One of the tourists switches on a flashlight.
The prayer stops.
The light falls on her face.
It's the same woman… the one who was chasing Arjun and Imran.
"Found you."
She pulls out her dagger and sprints toward them.
The tourists panic and start running, screaming, "NO!"
But they're too slow.
In the blink of an eye, she's already upon them.
Too fast.
Too precise.
One by one… she stabs them. None of them manage to escape.
Silence returns.
She stands there, breathing heavily, her hands dripping with blood.
Then, she looks up.
"Oh Lord… please accept this sacrifice. This is my offering… my gratitude for letting me live this long."
Her voice softens into a whisper.
"Oh Lord…"
Her prayer echoes through the woods as the night deepens, the bright moon watching from above.
The forest listens.
And something… listens back.
—END—