The storm over Blackwood raged through the night.
Rain poured heavily as Ryan stepped out of the Verma Mansion, his mind filled with questions.
The missing photograph.
The message—"Too late."
And the voice from the recording.
Someone wasn't just watching him.
They were guiding him.
Or playing with him.
Ryan got into his car and sat still for a moment. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the files he had taken from the hidden room.
He opened it.
Inside was a list of names.
Missing people.
Dates.
Locations.
All connected by one thing—
The same symbol.
But one name made Ryan's hand freeze.
At the very bottom of the list…
"Aarav Verma."
His breath slowed.
That name wasn't unfamiliar.
It was his older brother.
A brother everyone believed had died years ago.
Ryan stared at the file, his mind racing.
No.
That wasn't possible.
He remembered the day clearly. The silence in the house. The way his father had refused to talk about it ever again.
They had said it was an accident.
They had said Aarav was gone.
But this file said something else.
Missing. Not dead.
Ryan's grip tightened on the paper.
"So… this is the truth," he whispered.
Everything suddenly started connecting.
The mansion.
The hidden room.
The recordings.
The symbol.
It wasn't random.
It was all connected to his family.
And someone wanted him to find out.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
An unknown number.
Ryan stared at the screen for a moment before answering.
"Who is this?"
For a second, there was only static.
Then a voice spoke.
Calm.
Low.
And disturbingly familiar.
"You finally found it."
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
A short pause.
Then the voice replied—
"Someone who knows the truth about your brother."
The call ended.
Silence filled the car.
Outside, lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the empty road ahead.
For the first time, the mystery wasn't just about Blackwood anymore.
It was personal.
And Ryan had just uncovered the first truth—
His brother might still be alive. 🌑📖