The night refused to end.
Even after escaping the alley, Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed.
This wasn't just a warning anymore.
They had tried to take him.
Back in his room, the silence felt heavier than ever.
Ryan closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, his breathing finally steady.
His shoulder still hurt from the attack.
But the pain didn't matter.
His mind was focused on something else.
"We collect."
Those words echoed again.
Ryan walked toward his desk and pulled out the file he had taken from the hidden room.
The list of missing people.
The symbol.
The word "Transferred."
And at the bottom—
Aarav Verma.
His brother.
Ryan stared at the name for a long moment.
Then slowly, he opened his laptop.
If Aarav was alive…
There had to be something.
Anything.
A trace.
Hours passed.
Search after search.
Nothing.
Dead ends.
Deleted records.
Hidden files.
It was like Aarav had been erased completely.
Ryan leaned back slightly, frustration building.
"That's not possible…"
Then—
A small detail caught his attention.
A hidden log.
Buried deep within an old database connected to the missing cases.
Most of it was corrupted.
Unreadable.
But one entry remained.
Just one.
Ryan opened it.
The screen flickered.
And then—
A single image appeared.
Grainy.
Dark.
Taken from what looked like a security camera.
Ryan froze.
His eyes locked onto the screen.
The image showed a long corridor.
Dim lights.
Metal walls.
And in the center—
A person.
Standing still.
Ryan leaned closer.
His heartbeat slowed.
The figure's face was partially visible.
Older.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
Aarav.
For a moment, Ryan didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
His brother wasn't just alive.
He had been seen.
Recently.
Ryan's hand tightened on the edge of the desk.
"Where are you…?" he whispered.
Then he noticed something else in the image.
Behind Aarav, on the wall—
The symbol.
Clear.
Dark.
Marked like a sign.
And below the image, a small line of text appeared.
Almost hidden.
"Subject stable. Phase 3 complete."
Ryan's expression darkened.
Subject.
Not a person.
Not a name.
Something they were using.
Suddenly—
His phone buzzed.
The sound broke the silence.
Ryan picked it up quickly.
Unknown number.
Again.
He answered.
"Where is he?"
No hesitation.
No greeting.
Just the question.
A soft chuckle came from the other side.
Low.
Controlled.
"You learn fast."
Ryan's eyes hardened.
"What have you done to him?"
A pause.
Then—
"Nothing he wasn't meant for."
Ryan's grip tightened.
"You took him."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then the voice spoke again.
"No."
A slight shift in tone.
Almost… amused.
"He came to us."
Silence.
Heavy.
Impossible.
Ryan's mind raced.
That didn't make sense.
Aarav would never—
"If you want answers," the voice continued, "follow the path."
The call ended.
Ryan stood there, unmoving.
One thought repeating in his mind.
He came to us.
That changed everything.
Outside, the first light of morning slowly touched the edges of Blackwood.
But for Ryan—
The darkness had only just begun.
Because now the mystery wasn't just about finding his brother.
It was about understanding…
Why Aarav had chosen to disappear. 🌑📖