— Hey, Niket! Do you hear me? Alloo ...
asked Adair sharply, waving his hands in front of the frozen Niket's face, when he noticed that he seemed petrified, frozen in the middle of a conversation, his gaze drowned somewhere in the distance.
Niket slowly came back to reality when he heard his name. He turned to the sound and saw Adair sitting in front of him with an expression of concern on his face.
— Aah, what? I'm sorry, what were we just talking about?... Niket's voice sounded sleepy and confused,
Adair looked anxiously at Niket's face, imbued with his appearance, as if reading every feature of his tired face. Then I looked at his hair, untidily scattered, and at his clothes, which looked like they hadn't been ironed in weeks.
— When was the last time you slept? You look terrible as a zombie! Maybe you should take a couple of days off or even take a vacation? We can do it without you. Your health is more important than Niket's job.
Adair said, his voice full of concern, as if he already guessed that he hadn't slept in a couple of days.
Niket smiled slightly, but his eyes were tired:
"Ha, do you want to get rid of me so much?
He said it trying to make a joking accent, but his voice sounded tired.
Adair looked at Niket with deep emotion, showing seriousness:
— No, seriously Niket. I know I'm not the most caring person, but right now I insist that you take the weekend off and rest. Watching you suffer is just terrible.
His words were full of genuine concern for his friend.
Niket and Adair were in a spacious office owned by Adair, where he held the position of manager in a small company. The office was comfortably furnished with modern furniture and table lamps, creating an atmosphere of comfort and business style. The curtains on the windows were open, allowing the light of the spring sun to enter.
Adair took his usual place at the desk, sitting in a comfortable leather armchair, and Niket took the chair opposite.
Niket sat across from Adair, tired, his eyes tired, and his shoulders slumped from the strain. He slowly raised his eyes, meeting the gaze of a friend who expressed concern and understanding and said,
"I think you're right. It seems worth taking the weekend off.
Hearing this, Adair felt relieved, knowing that his friend Niket would finally be able to take a break from work. With a smile, he said,
"Since you're my best friend, I'll give you a whole week off!"! Usually others get just one or two days off.
— And now go home and rest, get a good night's sleep. I want you to look strong and full of energy when you come back.
Hearing such warm and caring words from Adair, Niket, despite his fatigue, he could not help but smile back.
— Thanks a lot, Adair, I really appreciate it.
Adair saw Niket, sleepy and tired, thanking him, immediately said:
— Hey, now go home, rest!!
Niket left Adair's office, closing the door behind him with a light click. Walking down the corridor.
This moment became a symbol of the end of the working day and the beginning of the well-deserved rest that he had been waiting for for so long.
And as he wearily descended the stairs, Niket felt each step getting heavier under his tired feet.
Suddenly, Niket felt that someone was following him. At first, Niket thought that the person following him was just an ordinary employee. He didn't pay much attention to him, mistaking him for one of his colleagues.
But a whispering voice made Niket suddenly stop:
— Hi Niket! Don't you want to get rid of your insomnia?
These unexpected words about insomnia filled Niketas with fear. After all, no one from his entourage should have known about his problems with insomnia.
When Niket was about to turn around to see who said it, he suddenly felt himself being abruptly pushed down the stairs. His body lost its balance.
At the moment of the fall, when Niket felt that time had slowed down, he seemed to see a devil, a black Shadow resembling the silhouette of a man.
Niket couldn't take his eyes off the shadow. Despite the absence of a face, the Shadow seemed to be laughing mockingly and carelessly. And she continued to stand motionless, watching from above.
The collision with the ground interrupted his consciousness, and he plunged into darkness