The Visitor

A month after Priya’s disappearance, Varanasi was abuzz with whispers. Locals spoke in hushed tones of her vanishing, weaving it into the fabric of the city’s myths. For most, it became just another story, swallowed by the timelessness of the ghats. But for Rhea, Priya’s best friend, it was an open wound.

Determined to find answers, Rhea retraced Priya’s last steps. She walked the ghats, questioned vendors, and even visited Professor Rao, but nothing concrete emerged. Yet one detail struck her: multiple people had mentioned the sound of anklets near the river the night Priya disappeared.

Driven by an unshakable instinct, Rhea ventured into the forest where the tourist had claimed to see the woman in the red sari. The place felt alive, as if it breathed history. The rustle of leaves, the distant sound of flowing water, and the occasional bird call felt strangely amplified. As she ventured deeper, she stumbled upon something unexpected: a bracelet, simple yet elegant, lying on the forest floor. She picked it up, her heart pounding. It was Priya’s.

The Vision in the Mirror

Determined to uncover the truth, Rhea remembered Priya mentioning a strange shop "Kaalchakra: Curios of Time". She spent days scouring the alleys until, against all odds, she found it. The shop seemed to appear out of nowhere, its sign swaying in the breeze like a ghostly beckon.

Rhea stepped inside. The air was thick and still, just...