It's an unholy hour of the night, and Akrutij is walking through the dimly lit campus of JDWP College of Engineering. The wind howls through the trees, making them shudder as if they're alive and afraid. Akrutij shivers, pulling his jacket tighter around himself.
"Please don't rain," he mutters under his breath, glancing nervously at the clouds gathering overhead. He's not carrying a raincoat or an umbrella, but that's the least of his concerns right now. Why is he out so late anyway?
Meet Akrutij: the multi-talented president of **Coding Slayers**, the college's pride and go-to club for tech innovation. Akrutij is the kind of guy who can learn any skill in a month and do it better than most—coding, dancing, cooking, you name it. But tonight, his focus is on **Uthsava**, the biggest tech and cultural fest in the city. Hosting it is a monumental honor, one the college hasn't had in six years. As coordinator, Akrutij has been working tirelessly for weeks, coming in before sunrise and leaving well past sunset.
Right now, he's heading to find the security guard so he can return the keys to the coding lab and finally get some rest. But when he reaches the guard's usual spot, it's empty. With a sigh, he turns toward the dean's office in D-Building, hoping to find the guard there.
As he approaches, something strange catches his eye—the chemistry lab door is ajar. That's odd. He assumes Anuj, the president of the chemistry club, is working late and steps inside.
"Anuj?" he calls out, his voice echoing off the walls. No response. The lab is completely empty.
Akrutij looks around, curiosity bubbling up inside him. It's against his nature to break rules, but even the most disciplined people have their moments. Dancing in the chemistry lab has been on his bucket list for a while now. And tonight? Tonight feels like the perfect time.
He pulls out his phone, queues up *Bang Bang*, and starts dancing like his life depends on it. His moves are fluid, effortless, the kind that make people stop and stare at parties. He's lost in the rhythm, laughing at his own silliness, when—CRASH.
A rack of test tubes wobbles, and one tumbles down. Glass shatters, and a blue liquid splashes all over him.
The noise jerks the security guard awake from his nap in the physics lab. Within minutes, the guard bursts into the room, rubbing his eyes.
"What's going on here?" the guard demands, his tone groggy but stern.
"Just returning the keys!" Akrutij blurts, shoving the keys into the guard's hand before sprinting out of the lab. His heart pounds as he races back to his dorm.
When he reaches his room, his roommate Vivek is waiting, arms crossed. "What took you so long?"
"You wouldn't believe me," Akrutij says, catching his breath. He gives a quick rundown of the chemistry lab fiasco, earning a laugh from Vivek.
"Man, you're a legend," Vivek says, shaking his head.
"Yeah, yeah," Akrutij mutters, collapsing onto his bed.
The next day, the campus is buzzing with pre-fest excitement. In the canteen, Akrutij, Vivek, and Rakshit are discussing last-minute plans.
Rakshit is the club's founder and a coding prodigy. His 16 hackathon wins in a row are the stuff of college legend. But these days, Rakshit is focused on GATE exams and dreams of studying at Nalanda University, the pinnacle of academic excellence for coders.
As the trio talks, Shreya walks into the canteen. Vivek nudges Akrutij with a knowing grin.
"Look who's here," he teases.
Akrutij's eyes follow Shreya. She's wearing a white T-shirt with purple stripes and jeans, her hair tied up in a loose ponytail. She's been Akrutij's crush since seventh grade, though she's always been just out of reach. Now, she's dating Shreyash, the president of the cultural club.
"Focus," Rakshit says, snapping Akrutij back to reality.
By 2 PM, Akrutij is in an empty classroom, working on a presentation for tomorrow's event. His pen suddenly stops writing. He twists it open to check the ink level—it's half empty. Without much thought, he sucks on the refill to clear the blockage.
The taste is bitter.
Suddenly, his vision blurs. His hands feel like they're bound, his legs rooted to the ground. Panic washes over him as he realizes he can't scream, can't move. Pain shoots through his body, and tears spill from his eyes. Darkness engulfs him, and he collapses onto the floor.
Minutes later, he wakes up, disoriented and gasping for air. His head throbs, and his memories are fuzzy. He struggles to sit up when Anuj barges into the room.
"There you are! We're waiting for you in the meeting!" Anuj says, exasperated.
Akrutij blinks at him, trying to piece together what just happened. Shaking it off, he grabs his things and follows Anuj to the meeting.
The meeting is chaotic, with club presidents arguing over logistics. Akrutij clashes with Shreyash over where to set up the chemistry projects. The debate gets heated, but Akrutij, ever the coordinator, takes a step back and suggests an alternative plan.
By the time he gets back to his dorm, exhaustion weighs him down. vivek is already asleep, but Akrutij lies awake, replaying the strange events in his mind.
What happened with the ink? Was it just his imagination?
He closes his eyes, but the unease lingers as sleep finally claims him.