5:42 A.M. – Abandoned Mental Health Facility
The wind was biting, but Vashti barely felt it as she and Shabd continued their search. Every shadow in the building felt like it was watching them, closing in on them. The words on the wall echoed in her mind, but she couldn't stop now.
She was too close.
"Vashti," Shabd called softly, his voice strained. "Come here."
Vashti followed his voice, heart racing. She rounded the corner into a small, cramped room.
There, in the far corner, was an old filing cabinet. The drawers were half open, their contents scattered across the floor—yellowed papers, old photographs, records.
And then, she saw it.
A photo of Vivek Dhiman—her father—holding a young girl in his arms.
But the little girl wasn't her.
Her breath caught. The girl's eyes were hauntingly familiar. Same sharp eyes. Same defiant stance.
Her mother. Miafel.
"Shabd..." Vashti whispered, reaching for the picture. "This… this can't be real."
He stood beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "What are you seeing?"
"This… this is my mother's past. She knew him too."
Shabd didn't say anything for a long moment, the weight of the revelation hanging heavily between them. Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet. "Your father never disappeared. He was taken."
---
In another part of the building
Nurse S. was moving swiftly down the hallway, her footsteps silent on the cracked tile. She pushed through a hidden door—one no one had seen for years—and entered a cold, sterile room.
At the center, on a medical bed, lay Vivek Dhiman.
Still unconscious.
Monitors beeped quietly, connected to his fragile form.
Nurse S. ran a hand over the data-filled tablets in front of her. Her gaze shifted to the large window, through which the view of the moonlit stars could be seen.
A shadow crossed the glass.
She froze. Someone had found them.
---
Back in the facility's basement
Vashti and Shabd were hurrying down the narrow corridor when the door at the far end of the hall creaked open.
There he was.
Dr. R.
"You thought you could just waltz in here and uncover my past?" he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
Vashti stepped forward, fury in her eyes. "You took everything from me."
Shabd stood in front of her, protective. "Step aside, Dr. R."
Dr. R laughed darkly. "You think you can stop me? You think you know who's behind all this? Let me show you the truth."
With a snap of his fingers, the lights flickered, and a hidden compartment in the wall slid open.
Inside: an old, dusty MRI machine. But the machine was no ordinary one—it had wires and tubes, connecting to a pale, still figure lying motionless.
Vashti's heart skipped a beat.
Her father.
His body was frail, his face pale, but it was unmistakably him. Vivek Dhiman.
"No!" Vashti screamed, rushing forward.
Dr. R stepped aside, watching with an air of amusement. "You see, dear girl? Your father is the key to everything. His research, his knowledge—it's all here, waiting for the right mind to unlock it."
Shabd clenched his fists. "You're sick. This isn't science. This is torture."
Dr. R shrugged. "Call it what you want. It's the future of medicine. The future of the human race."
Vashti ran toward her father, hands trembling as she reached out to touch his cold hand. "Dad…" she whispered, fighting back tears. "Dad, please wake up."
And then—he moved.
Just the slightest twitch of his fingers.
---
Outside the building
Vashti's mother, Miafel, stood hidden behind the rusted gates, watching the facility from a distance. Her face was pale, filled with regret and fear.
A phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out, hands shaking as she read the message.
"We know where he is. Come to us. The time is now."
She didn't hesitate. Her eyes hardened, and she started walking.
---
Inside the facility
Vashti was still gripping her father's hand, her voice breaking. "Wake up… Please, Dad. You need to wake up."
Dr. R stepped forward, watching them with twisted delight. "You should have let it go, Vashti. Some truths are meant to stay buried."
Shabd stepped in front of her, standing tall. "The only thing buried is your humanity, R."
A loud crash echoed through the room as the doors to the facility slammed open.
Vashti turned to see Miafel standing in the doorway, her face a mask of determination.
"Miafel?" Dr. R whispered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Miafel raised a gun.
Click.....