Nobody moved.
Bruno's barking echoed through the apartment, louder than before. The usually friendly golden retriever stood in front of the main door, fur raised and teeth exposed.
Something I had never seen before.
Kabir swallowed hard.
"Bruno never reacts like this."
Another knock.
Slow.
Calm.
Not threatening.
Almost patient.
"Mr. Kabir?"
The elderly voice spoke again.
"You don't have much time."
Meera's grip around my hand tightened.
"Don't open it."
Kabir nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
But the old man continued.
"Three years ago, I promised Aisha I would protect the three of you."
My heartbeat stopped.
Three of you.
Not two.
Not me.
Not Meera.
All three.
Me.
Meera.
And Aisha.
"Mr. Kabir,"
the voice continued,
"I know about Project Echo."
Silence.
"I know about Room 309."
My pulse quickened.
"And I know why Arjun forgot."
Meera looked toward the door.
"How…?"
Then came the sentence that froze us all.
"And I know who killed Aisha."
Bruno stopped barking.
Complete silence filled the apartment.
Kabir slowly approached the peephole.
I stood beside him.
Outside stood an elderly man in his seventies.
White hair.
Simple clothes.
A walking cane.
And tired eyes.
Very tired eyes.
He wasn't alone.
Beside him stood a young woman wearing a black coat.
Perhaps twenty-five years old.
Her face looked familiar somehow.
Too familiar.
Meera frowned.
"I know her."
"What?"
"I've seen her before."
"Where?"
Meera slowly whispered,
"In Aisha's dreams."
I turned toward her.
"What?"
But before she could explain, the elderly man spoke again.
"Please."
His voice sounded exhausted.
"If I wanted to harm you, you would've already been dead."
Kabir frowned.
"That's not comforting."
Unexpectedly, the old man chuckled.
"Good."
"Aisha always said you joke when you're scared."
Kabir froze.
Completely froze.
Because nobody knew that.
Nobody except—
"Aisha."
Tears filled Kabir's eyes.
Slowly, he opened the door.
"Who are you?"
The old man's eyes became moist.
"My name is Professor Dev Anand."
"And I was Aisha's grandfather."
Silence.
Meera gasped.
My mind went blank.
Grandfather?
Aisha never mentioned family.
Professor Dev entered slowly.
The young woman beside him bowed politely.
"My name is Sara."
She looked directly at me.
And smiled sadly.
"We finally meet, Arjun."
Something about her voice made my head hurt.
Just for a second.
Like a memory trying to surface.
Kabir noticed immediately.
"Are you okay?"
Before I could answer, Sara spoke softly.
"You still react like that."
I looked at her.
"Do I know you?"
She looked away.
A strange sadness appearing in her eyes.
"No."
Then she smiled weakly.
"At least, not anymore."
One Hour Later
The rain outside had become lighter.
Tea sat untouched on the table.
Nobody felt like drinking.
Professor Dev quietly observed the photographs from Room 309.
His expression darkened.
"They found you faster than I expected."
Meera looked at him.
"Who?"
The old man became silent.
Too silent.
Then he answered.
"People who should've disappeared three years ago."
Kabir crossed his arms.
"Okay."
"Enough mystery."
"We deserve answers."
Professor Dev nodded.
"You're right."
Then he looked at me.
"Arjun."
"Do you remember meeting Aisha?"
"Not completely."
"Do you remember loving Meera?"
I looked toward her.
"Yes."
"Very much."
The old man closed his eyes.
Pain flashed across his face.
"As I feared."
My heartbeat quickened.
"What does that mean?"
Professor Dev looked toward Sara.
She hesitated.
Then took something from her bag.
An old photograph.
Yellowed with age.
She placed it on the table.
And the world stopped.
It wasn't Aisha.
It wasn't Meera.
It wasn't Kabir.
It was me.
Three years younger.
Smiling.
Standing beside—
Sara.
My arm wrapped around her shoulders.
And both of us were laughing.
Behind the photograph someone had written:
"Summer Festival – Two Months Before The Accident."
My breathing became uneven.
No.
No.
No.
Because I had never seen this girl before.
Had I?
Sara's eyes had already become red.
"I knew this would happen."
Her voice trembled.
"You don't remember me."
I stared at the picture.
Then at her.
Then back again.
And suddenly—
A memory flash exploded inside my head.
Fireworks.
Summer night.
Someone laughing.
A girl's voice.
And my own voice saying—
"Don't worry, Sara."
"I'll never leave you."
The memory vanished immediately.
I stood up abruptly.
"No…"
My head hurt.
"No!"
Meera rushed toward me.
"Arjun!"
But I barely heard her.
Because for the first time since this nightmare began—
I felt something terrifying.
Not grief.
Not confusion.
Guilt.
Overwhelming guilt.
Because the tears in Sara's eyes…
Looked exactly like Meera's tears.
Exactly like Aisha's tears.
As if—
I had broken promises to all three of them.
And before anyone could speak—
My phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
Another message.
This time—
A photograph.
Taken twenty seconds ago.
Inside Kabir's apartment.
Showing all six of us.
Me.
Meera.
Kabir.
Professor Dev.
Sara.
And—
Standing in the corner behind the sofa—
A shadowy figure.
Wearing a silver ring.
Beneath the image were five words.
"He remembers you now."