Amisha didn't speak for the rest of the class.
Not because she didn't want to.
But because every word felt… unreliable.
Like even her own voice might not belong to this version of reality.
---
This isn't your first timeline.
The sentence kept echoing in her head.
Over and over.
Relentless.
---
"Amisha."
Sonali nudged her again.
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Disappearing."
---
Amisha forced a small smile. "I'm here."
"No, you're physically here," Sonali corrected. "Mentally? Somewhere in another dimension."
---
Amisha flinched.
Another dimension.
If only Sonali knew how close that was to the truth.
---
The bell rang again, signaling lunch break.
Relief should have come with it.
But it didn't.
Because Amisha knew—
She couldn't avoid him forever.
---
"Let's go," Sonali grabbed her hand.
---
The cafeteria was loud, crowded, alive.
Too alive.
The kind of normal that feels fake when your world is falling apart.
---
They sat at their usual table.
Varun joined them almost immediately, dropping his bag dramatically.
"I'm starving. If I don't eat now, I might actually die."
"You say that every day," Sonali rolled her eyes.
"One day it'll be true."
"Hopefully soon," she muttered.
---
Amisha barely heard them.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Searching.
---
And then—
She found him.
---
Darshit Dubey.
Sitting alone.
Near the window.
---
Of course he was.
---
"He always sits there," Varun said casually, following her gaze.
Amisha blinked. "What?"
"You were staring," he smirked. "Don't worry, I won't judge."
"I wasn't—"
"You were."
---
Sonali leaned in. "Okay, now I'm convinced. Something's going on."
---
Amisha exhaled slowly.
"Do you ever feel like… something isn't right?"
---
Varun raised an eyebrow. "Define 'not right.'"
---
"Like… things repeating," she said carefully. "Or… happening differently than they should."
---
Silence.
---
Sonali and Varun exchanged a glance.
---
"Amisha," Sonali said gently, "nothing is repeating."
---
"It is," Amisha insisted, her voice low but firm. "You just don't notice it."
---
Varun leaned back, studying her now.
Not joking.
Not teasing.
Actually thinking.
---
"Okay," he said slowly. "Let's say you're right."
---
Sonali turned to him. "You don't actually believe—"
"Relax," he waved her off. "I'm just listening."
---
He looked back at Amisha.
"What exactly have you seen?"
---
Amisha hesitated.
Then—
"The chalk falling," she said. "Sir dropping it. You making that exact joke."
---
Varun frowned slightly.
"I mean… I would make that joke."
---
"That's not the point," Amisha said.
---
Sonali sighed. "This is getting weird."
---
"Also," Amisha continued, ignoring her, "I saw Darshit in the corridor."
---
Varun glanced toward him again. "He's always around."
---
"No," Amisha shook her head. "Not like that. He was… far away. And then suddenly he was right behind me."
---
Silence again.
---
This time—
It lingered.
---
Varun's expression shifted.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
---
"Okay," he said finally.
"That's… a little strange."
---
Sonali looked between them. "Are you both serious right now?"
---
Amisha leaned forward slightly.
"There's more."
---
But before she could continue—
---
A voice interrupted.
---
"You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand."
---
All three of them looked up.
---
Darshit.
---
Standing there.
---
Close.
Too close again.
---
Amisha's heart skipped.
---
"You were listening?" Varun asked, slightly annoyed.
---
"I didn't need to," Darshit replied calmly.
---
Sonali crossed her arms. "Then don't interrupt."
---
"I'm not interrupting," he said.
"I'm preventing a mistake."
---
Amisha stood up.
---
"What mistake?"
---
Their eyes met.
---
That same intensity.
That same… knowing.
---
"Thinking you're the only one noticing," he said.
---
Her breath caught.
---
"So you admit it?" she whispered.
---
Darshit didn't answer directly.
---
Instead—
He pulled a chair and sat down.
At their table.
---
Varun blinked. "Oh. So we're doing this now?"
---
Sonali whispered, "I don't like this."
---
Amisha didn't sit.
She stayed standing.
Like she needed control over something.
Anything.
---
"Tell me the truth," she said.
---
Darshit looked up at her.
---
"What do you want to know?"
---
"Everything."
---
"That's not possible."
---
"Then start with something."
---
Silence.
---
For a moment—
It felt like he might refuse.
---
But then—
He sighed.
Softly.
---
"You're not imagining it," he said.
---
Amisha's chest tightened.
---
"The repetitions. The glitches. The visions," he continued.
"They're real."
---
Sonali shook her head. "This is ridiculous—"
---
"Then explain this," Darshit cut in.
---
He picked up a glass from the table.
Held it mid-air.
---
And dropped it.
---
The glass fell—
---
Halfway—
---
And stopped.
---
Mid-air.
---
Frozen.
---
Sonali gasped.
Varun leaned forward, eyes wide.
---
Amisha didn't react.
---
Because she had already seen this.
---
"Time isn't stable," Darshit said quietly.
---
The glass dropped.
Shattered on the floor.
---
The noise snapped everything back.
---
Around them—
No one reacted.
---
Like it never happened.
---
"They didn't see it…" Sonali whispered.
---
"They never do," Darshit replied.
---
Varun stood up slowly.
---
"Okay," he said.
"Now I'm interested."
---
Amisha's voice was barely audible.
---
"Why is this happening?"
---
Darshit's expression darkened slightly.
---
"Because something broke."
---
"What?"
---
He looked directly at her.
---
"You."
---
Silence.
---
Amisha felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.
---
"That's not funny," Varun said sharply.
---
"I'm not joking," Darshit replied.
---
Amisha shook her head. "How is this my fault?!"
---
"It's not your fault," he corrected.
"It's your existence."
---
Her hands trembled.
---
"What does that even mean?!"
---
"It means," he said slowly,
"You're not supposed to remember."
---
Her vision blurred slightly.
---
"But you do."
---
A pause.
---
"And that's what's breaking everything."
---
Sonali grabbed Amisha's arm.
"Okay, we're leaving."
---
"No," Amisha pulled away.
---
Her eyes locked onto Darshit's.
---
"Then fix it."
---
Something flickered in his expression.
---
"If I could," he said quietly,
"…we wouldn't be here again."
---
Again.
---
That word.
---
"Again?" Amisha whispered.
---
Darshit stood up.
---
For a moment—
It felt like he might say something more.
Something important.
Something that would explain everything.
---
But he didn't.
---
Instead—
He turned away.
---
And walked off.
---
Leaving behind—
---
Silence.
---
Confusion.
---
And one terrifying realization in Amisha's mind—
---
She wasn't just seeing the multiverse.
---
She was the reason it was collapsing.
---
🌌 END OF CHAPTER 3