Prologue

Author’s pov:-

The rain didn't fall......it attacked.

It slammed into the university courtyard like a warning, blurring the lamplight and drowning the world in shadows. Kainaat ran anyway, shoes slipping against the slick stone, breath tearing out of her lungs. The campus that buzzed with life by day felt hollow now—empty benches, locked doors, winding paths that suddenly seemed unfamiliar.

Too quiet.

Her footsteps echoed, too loud, too fast.

Instinct screamed at her to stop listening to the sound—but she couldn't. It followed her. Matched her pace.

Someone else is here.

A sharp click snapped through the rain.

Kainaat froze.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she turned slowly, rain blinding her vision. The darkness stared back—thick, watching, alive. She felt it then. That unmistakable pressure at the base of her spine.

She wasn't alone.

"Don't—" The word barely escaped her lips.

A shadow surged forward.

She gasped, stumbling back, heel skidding on wet stone. The world tilted violently. Panic exploded in her chest as gravity dragged her down.

For one terrible heartbeat, she was certain this was it.

The rain roared.

The ground rushed up.

Fear swallowed everything.

Then—

A hand caught her.

Strong. Unshaking. Unyielding.

Her fall stopped mid-breath.

Kainaat sucked in air and looked up.

Brown eyes met hers dark, steady, furious in a way that felt protective rather than cruel. Eyes that cut through the chaos like an anchor.

"You've completely lost your mind," a low voice snapped. "I told you not to go alone."

Yuvaan.

He stood between her and the darkness, rain plastering his hair to his forehead, grip firm around her wrist as if letting go wasn't an option. He looked immovable like the night itself would have to break before it could reach her.

"I—I didn't see anyone," she whispered, her hands trembling as she tried to steady herself.

His gaze swept the shadows behind her, sharp and calculating. "That's the problem."

Her stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

His jaw tightened. "Someone's been watching you. Following you. I noticed it earlier....but you made it easy tonight."

The words hit harder than the rain.

"They?" she echoed faintly.

Yuvaan's eyes flicked back to hers, something dark and dangerous flickering beneath the surface. "I don't know who yet. But I know this—" He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You're not safe. Not on this campus. Not anymore."

Fear curled in her chest but it tangled with something else. Something unfamiliar. The way his presence blocked the world from closing in. The way the night seemed to hesitate around him.

As close as she'd come to falling

As close as she'd come to losing everything.

She realized one thing with chilling clarity.

Whatever this was...

It had already begun.

And whoever was watching her from the shadows..

They weren't finished.

                        ────୨ৎ────

They were sitting on the steps behind the old lecture hall, the place students rarely used anymore. The city lights were visible from here, blurred and distant, and for once Avni wasn't tripping over anything or apologizing for existing.

She was calm.

Anirudh noticed that first.

"You're unusually quiet," he said, leaning back on his elbows.

Avni smiled faintly. "Don't jinx it."

He scoffed. "I'm enjoying it while it lasts."

She nudged his shoulder. "You're mean."

"Accurate," he corrected.

A comfortable silence settled between them the kind that didn't demand words. Avni picked at the edge of her sleeve, then said softly, "Do you ever feel like this place looks different at night?"

He glanced around. "Different how?"

"Like... it's pretending to be safe."

Anirudh straightened slightly. "That's a weird thought."

She shrugged. "I think weird thoughts."

He was about to respond when something caught his attention a flicker of movement near the trees lining the path below.

His eyes narrowed.

"Avni," he said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Don't turn around."

Her smile faded instantly. "Why?"

"Just don't."

The air felt heavier suddenly. Avni's heartbeat picked up as she sensed the change in him—the way his posture shifted, the way his gaze sharpened.

"Anirudh," she whispered, "what's wrong?"

"There's someone down there," he murmured. "They've been standing still for too long."

Her fingers curled into his sleeve without thinking. "Are they... looking at us?"

"Yes."

The word landed between them like a crack in the ground.

He slowly shifted closer, placing himself slightly in front of her not obvious, not dramatic, but deliberate.

"Okay," she said, trying to sound calm. "What do we do?"

"We leave," he replied. "Casually."

The moment they stood, the figure moved.

Not closer.

Just enough to be noticed.

Avni's breath hitched. "They're not following."

"They don't need to," Anirudh said grimly. "They wanted us to see them."

That scared her more than footsteps would have.

As they walked away, she whispered, "This isn't normal, is it?"

"No," he said. Then, after a pause, "And you're not imagining it."

She looked at him, fear swimming in her eyes. "You'll stay, right?"

He didn't hesitate.

"Yeah," he said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Behind them, the shadows remained still.

Watching.

────୨ৎ────

Inayat liked empty places.

That's why she chose the old terrace above the humanities wing—windy, cold, forgotten. No noise. No people. Just space to breathe.

She didn't expect Armaan to follow her.

"You always disappear like this," he said lightly, hands in his pockets. "One day I'm going to think you're a myth."

She didn't look at him. "You talk too much."

"True," he admitted. "But you didn't tell me to leave."

That earned him a glance. Sharp. Guarded.

"Don't read into things."

He smiled—but softer than usual. "I'm not."

They stood there in silence, the city stretching below them. For once, Armaan didn't try to fill the quiet. And that unsettled her more than his flirting ever had.

Inayat folded her arms. "Why are you being weird?"

"I could ask you the same."

Before she could respond, something shifted in the air.

Not a sound.

Not movement.

Just... pressure.

Inayat stiffened.

"Do you feel that?" she asked quietly.

Armaan's smile faded. "Feel what?"

"Like—" She searched the darkness beyond the railing. "Like we're not alone."

Armaan followed her gaze.

At first, he saw nothing.

Then a figure near the stairwell door. Half-hidden. Still.

Watching.

Armaan's posture changed instantly. The lightness vanished. "Okay," he said calmly, stepping closer to Inayat, "don't stare."

Her jaw tightened. "They're not even trying to hide."

"No," he agreed. "Which means they want us to notice."

She hated how true that sounded.

Armaan positioned himself between her and the figure not dramatic, not obvious. Just enough.

"Who do you think it is?" she asked.

"Don't know," he said. "But I know this—"

His voice lowered. "You don't like being cornered. And I don't like people thinking they can watch you."

She looked at him then. Really looked.

"You're not joking," she said.

"No," he replied. "I stopped joking the moment you tensed."

The figure shifted.

Inayat's fingers curled slightly. "We leave."

"Already planned," Armaan said.

They walked away together, slow and deliberate. When she glanced back once more, the terrace was empty.

Gone.

"That wasn't random," she said under her breath.

Armaan nodded. "None of this is."

She hesitated, then said quietly, "Thank you. For not making light of it."

He glanced at her, something steady in his eyes. "For you? Never."

The wind howled across the terrace behind them.

And somewhere in the dark, someone was already choosing their next moment.

                      ────୨ৎ────

That's it for todayy, hope you liked the prologue <3

Will start updating from 1st Jan and that too daily updates <3