EPISODE THREE: the truth and the fall

The next morning, Ishaan couldn't stop thinking about the photos. Someone had secretly taken pictures of him and Aarohi and sent them to Rudra.

Something felt wrong.

"I have a bad feeling," Ishaan said while sitting with Nitin, Daksh, and Arnav.

Daksh opened his laptop.

"Then let's find out the truth."

For hours, they searched through social media posts, security camera footage, and student accounts. Finally, Daksh found something.

A blurry camera recording showed a familiar face standing near the basketball court on the day the photos were taken.

Rudra.

The classroom fell silent.

"So it was him all along," Arnav said angrily.

Ishaan clenched his fists.

"I knew it."

But before they could make a plan, Ishaan's phone suddenly rang.

It was Aarohi.

"Ishaan..." she whispered fearfully.

"Aarohi? What's wrong?"

Before she could answer, the call ended.

Ishaan immediately tried calling back, but her phone was switched off.

A terrible feeling filled his heart.

Minutes later, an unknown message arrived.

"If you want to see Aarohi again, come alone."

Below the message was a location.

An old bridge near a river outside the city.

Without wasting a second, Ishaan rushed there.

The wind howled as dark clouds covered the sky.

Standing on the bridge was Rudra.

And beside him was Aarohi.

Her hands were tied.

"Aarohi!" Ishaan shouted.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Ishaan, don't come closer!"

Rudra laughed.

"So you finally came."

"Let her go!" Ishaan yelled.

Rudra smirked.

"You took away the one thing I wanted. Now I'm taking away yours."

Ishaan stepped forward.

"This is between you and me."

"Oh, it is," Rudra replied.

Suddenly, he pushed Aarohi toward the edge.

Everything happened in seconds.

Aarohi lost her balance.

She screamed.

And then she fell into the raging river below.

"NOOOOO!"

Ishaan ran to the edge.

The powerful current carried her away into the darkness.

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see her anymore.

His heart shattered.

Tears filled his eyes.

For a moment, the world felt empty.

Rudra laughed from behind him.

"Looks like you lost."

Something inside Ishaan broke.

His sadness turned into pure rage.

He turned around slowly.

His eyes burned with anger.

"You'll pay for this."

Thunder roared across the sky.

Dark clouds gathered above the bridge.

Then suddenly...

A strange beam of light shot down from the heavens.

The light struck Ishaan directly.

The entire bridge shook violently.

Rudra stepped back in fear.

"What is happening?!"

A powerful energy surrounded Ishaan's body.

He felt pain.

Then silence.

Everything went black.

Hours later...

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Ishaan slowly opened his eyes.

White walls.

Bright lights.

A hospital room.

"You woke up!" Nitin exclaimed.

Arnav and Daksh rushed toward him.

"What happened?" Ishaan asked weakly.

"You collapsed near the bridge," Daksh explained.

"We brought you here," Arnav added.

Suddenly, Ishaan felt something strange.

A powerful energy moved through his body.

His hands began glowing faintly.

He could feel every heartbeat in the room.

Every sound seemed louder.

Every movement seemed slower.

"What... is happening to me?"

The room lights flickered.

Machines started malfunctioning.

A cold wind rushed through the hospital.

Then—

BOOOOOM!

A massive explosion echoed somewhere outside.

The entire building shook.

Doctors and nurses screamed.

Everyone froze.

Ishaan stared toward the window.

For some reason, he felt connected to the blast.

And deep inside, he knew one thing.

This was only the beginning.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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