Ritu walked back to her hostel silently.
Her mind was full of questions.
How did he know her name?
What did he mean by "target"?
And why did danger keep coming near her?
She sat on her bed and looked at her phone, but she couldn't focus on anything.
For the first time, she felt afraid of being alone.
Night came slowly.
The hostel corridor became quiet.
Lights turned off one by one.
Ritu lay down, but sleep didn't come easily.
After a long time, she finally closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a loud noise woke her up.
Her room window was shaking.
She sat up quickly.
The wind outside was strong, but something felt… wrong.
Then she noticed something strange.
The curtain was moving…
But the air inside the room was completely still.
Her heartbeat increased.
She slowly got off the bed and walked toward the window.
The moment she touched the curtain—
Silence.
Time froze again.
But this time… something was different.
The lights in the corridor outside flickered.
The air felt colder than before.
Ritu looked around.
"Where are you?" she whispered.
No answer.
She stepped back slowly.
Then she heard another voice.
"You shouldn't be able to move."
Her body stiffened.
That voice…
It wasn't his.
Ritu turned around.
A man dressed in black was standing near the door.
His face was partially hidden, but his eyes were sharp and cold.
"Interesting…" he said, observing her carefully.
"So you are the one."
Fear gripped her chest.
"Who… who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He started walking toward her.
"You don't need to know that," he replied calmly.
"You just need to come with me."
Ritu stepped back quickly.
"No," she said.
The man raised his hand, and suddenly she couldn't move.
It felt like an invisible force was holding her.
Her breathing became heavy.
Just then—
Another voice echoed.
"Step away from her."
Relief rushed through her.
He was there.
The mysterious boy appeared between them, his expression serious.
"I warned you not to interfere," the man in black said.
"And I told you to stay away from her," he replied.
The air between them felt tense.
Ritu watched, confused and scared.
"Who are you people?" she whispered.
Neither of them answered.
The man in black smirked.
"This isn't over."
In the next second, he disappeared.
The silence remained for a moment.
Then the boy turned toward her.
"You're not safe anymore," he said quietly.
Ritu's voice shook.
"That… wasn't you."
"No," he replied.
"Then who was he?"
He hesitated.
"Someone who knows about your ability."
Her heart pounded.
"My… ability?"
He looked into her eyes.
"You moving in frozen time… it's not normal, Ritu. And now they know."
Before she could ask more, he stepped back.
"I need to protect you," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
He paused for a second.
Then he answered softly—
"Because if they take you… I won't be able to bring you back."
He snapped his fingers.
Time resumed.
The wind started blowing again.
The curtain moved normally.
But Ritu stood frozen.
Now she understood one thing —
This wasn't just mystery anymore.
It was danger.
And she was right in the middle of it.