Episode 5: The File That Shouldn't Exist

Episode 5: The File That Shouldn't Exist

The old library had been silent for decades.

Yet tonight, it felt alive.

The flickering lights cast long shadows across the dusty shelves, making every corner seem darker than before.

Areeba and Zayan stood frozen in front of the unlocked cabinet.

Inside, dozens of old files rested untouched by time.

But only one file caught their attention.

A black file.

Simple.

Dust-covered.

And written across its cover in faded silver ink were two words that made Areeba's blood run cold.

Areeba Khan

She stared at it in disbelief.

"This... this doesn't make any sense."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I've never been here before this year."

Zayan looked equally confused.

"Then why would your name be inside an abandoned library?"

He carefully reached for the file.

Just before his fingers touched it...

A loud creaking sound echoed from downstairs.

Both of them froze.

Someone had entered the library.

The footsteps were slow.

Deliberate.

Almost as if the person knew exactly where they were.

Zayan quickly closed the cabinet.

"Turn off your flashlight."

The room fell into darkness.

Only the pale moonlight slipping through the broken windows lit the old library.

The footsteps grew louder.

Closer.

Closer.

Then...

Silence.

Areeba could hear nothing except her own heartbeat.

Suddenly, a beam of light swept across the hallway outside the room.

Someone was searching.

Zayan leaned closer.

"Don't move."

The flashlight paused outside the half-open door.

For a terrifying moment, Areeba was certain they had been discovered.

But after several seconds...

The light disappeared.

The footsteps slowly faded away.

Only then did both of them breathe again.

"I think we're safe."

"No," Zayan replied quietly.

"We're only lucky."

Once the silence returned, Zayan reopened the cabinet.

This time, he carefully lifted the black file.

It felt surprisingly heavy.

Years of dust covered its surface.

He wiped it gently before opening the first page.

Areeba leaned closer.

The page contained only one sentence.

'This file must remain hidden until the rightful owner returns.'

Below the sentence was a date.

May 17, 2001.

Areeba frowned.

"I wasn't even born when this was written."

Zayan slowly turned the page.

Inside was an old birth certificate.

Both of them stared without speaking.

The child's name had been torn away.

But one detail remained perfectly clear.

Mother's Name: Aamna Farooq

Areeba's hands began to shake.

"Aamna..."

She whispered the name as if hearing it for the very first time.

Could this be the same woman from the photograph?

The same woman whose voice they had heard on the old recorder?

Zayan continued reading.

The father's name had been covered with black ink.

Someone had intentionally hidden his identity.

Whoever prepared this file wanted the mother's name to remain visible...

But not the father's.

"Someone erased it."

Zayan spoke quietly.

"They wanted to protect him...

Or hide him."

Areeba couldn't stop staring at the page.

For years she had believed her life was ordinary.

Now every answer only created more questions.

A folded envelope slipped from between the papers.

Unlike the others, this one looked newer.

It hadn't aged as much.

Across the front was written:

Open only when the truth begins.

Areeba carefully unfolded it.

Inside was another handwritten letter.

"Dear Areeba,

If this letter has reached you, then you have already found the diary.

You are closer to the truth than anyone has ever been.

But remember... not everyone standing beside you is your enemy.

And not everyone smiling at you is your friend.

Trust your faith before you trust people.

The answer you seek is not hidden inside this library.

It is waiting inside your own home.

Go to the attic.

The blue wooden chest has been locked for twenty-five years.

Inside it, you will find the first piece of your real story.

Do not let anyone see this letter.

They are watching.

There was no signature.

Only one familiar letter.

H

Areeba looked at Zayan.

"It says the answer is in my house."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Then that's where we need to go."

"But who is H?"

"I don't know."

"For now."

As they prepared to leave, Areeba suddenly noticed something strange.

The back cover of the black file seemed thicker than the rest.

She gently pressed it.

A hidden compartment opened.

Inside was an old silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon.

On its back were tiny engraved words.

Hope Never Dies.

The moment Areeba touched the pendant, she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Almost as if she had held it before.

"But... I've never seen this."

She looked confused.

Zayan studied the pendant carefully.

"This wasn't hidden by accident."

Before he could say anything else...

A loud alarm echoed throughout the building.

Red emergency lights began flashing.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Zayan answered.

"But someone has activated the security system."

The old library doors slammed shut one after another.

The sound echoed through the empty halls.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Areeba's heart pounded.

"They've locked us inside."

"No..."

Zayan looked toward the staircase.

"They've trapped us."

Then, through the crack beneath the door, a folded piece of paper slowly slid into the room.

Neither of them moved.

After several seconds, Zayan carefully picked it up.

Only five words were written on it.

"Leave before midnight... or die."

The room fell completely silent.

Areeba slowly looked up.

For the first time since finding the mysterious letter...

She realized this was no longer just about uncovering a family secret.

Someone was willing to kill to keep the truth buried.

To Be Continued...

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