Aarohi didn't reply.

She simply stared at the message.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Who is this?

She typed it.

Then deleted it.

She typed again.

Deleted it again.

Finally, she switched off her phone.

Maybe it was a prank.

Maybe someone from school had gotten her number.

Maybe Meera was behind it.

She almost smiled at the thought.

But Meera wouldn't do something like this.

Would she?

The next morning, Aarohi reached school earlier than usual.

Meera was already waiting.

“You're quiet.”

“I didn't sleep properly.”

“Why?”

Aarohi hesitated.

Then she showed her the message.

Meera's expression changed immediately.

“This isn't funny.”

“I know.”

“Who sent it?”

“I don't know.”

Riya joined them.

“What happened?”

Neither girl answered.

Meera showed her the phone.

Riya read the message.

Then she looked at Aarohi.

“Did you stay at school yesterday?”

Aarohi nodded.

“For how long?”

“Until around five.”

Riya's face became serious.

“Are you sure?”

“Why?”

“Because someone saw you near the old corridor.”

Aarohi felt cold.

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

Before Riya could explain, the bell rang.

They went to class.

But Aarohi couldn't concentrate.

During the second period, she noticed something unusual.

Her science notebook was missing.

She searched her bag.

Nothing.

She checked under her desk.

Nothing.

Then she remembered.

She had left it in the laboratory.

Again.

She went there during recess.

The laboratory door was open.

Her notebook was on the table.

But something had changed.

The folded note was gone.

Someone had taken it.

Aarohi immediately checked the notebook.

A new sentence had been written on the last page.

You were warned.

Her heart started beating faster.

She shut the notebook.

Someone was watching her.

She was sure of it now.

That afternoon, she told Meera everything.

Together they tried to figure out who could have sent the messages.

There were too many possibilities.

A classmate.

A senior.

Someone playing a prank.

A teacher.

Or someone who had actually been following her.

Then Meera asked the question Aarohi had been avoiding.

“Why would someone care whether you stayed after school?”

Aarohi didn't know.

But later that day, she discovered something that gave her a possible answer.

Her art project was missing.

The same project she had planned to finish after school.

She went to the art room.

The door was locked.

She asked a teacher for the key.

Inside, her project was sitting on the table.

Beside it was another piece of paper.

This time there were only three words.

Look in the library.

Aarohi didn't move.

She knew she shouldn't go.

But curiosity was stronger than fear.

She walked toward the library.

The librarian had stepped away.

Aarohi entered quietly.

She searched the shelves.

Nothing.

Then she noticed a book lying on the floor.

It wasn't a library book.

It was an old school diary.

She picked it up.

The cover had no name.

Inside, most of the pages were blank.

Except one.

A sentence had been written in faded ink.

Tuesday. 7:15 p.m.

Aarohi's hands went cold.

The date was from years ago.

But the time was the same.

7:15.

She turned the page.

There was another sentence.

If she finds this, everything starts again.

Aarohi heard footsteps outside.

She quickly closed the diary.

Someone entered the library.

Aarohi hid behind a shelf.

The footsteps came closer.

Then stopped.

She waited.

Nothing happened.

After a few seconds, the footsteps moved away.

Aarohi came out.

The library was empty.

She looked at the diary again.

There was something written on the final page.

A name.

Meera.

Aarohi froze.