Ayaan stared at them. "You've seen it, haven't you?"
Areeba nodded slowly. "The Shadows. The dogs. The… killings."
Ayaan exhaled sharply, rubbing his face. "It's happening again."
Zoya crossed her arms. "Then tell us what's really going on."
Ayaan hesitated. Then, finally, he spoke.
"The alley isn't just cursed." His voice was hoarse. "It's a hunting ground."
Sana shivered. "For what?"
Ayaan's eyes darkened. "Not what. Who."
He pointed to the walls—where old, scratched symbols covered the paint.
"They are not ghosts. They are not demons."
He leaned forward, his whisper cold as death.
"They were once human."
The room went silent.
Areeba's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"
Ayaan's fists clenched. "Decades ago, a group of men and women made a deal. They wanted power, control, wealth. But they had to give something in return."
Sana whispered, "Sacrifices."
Ayaan nodded. "They became something else. Shadows. Hungry things. They don't just kill… they consume. And they always need more."
Zoya's voice was barely audible. "How do we stop them?"
Ayaan's eyes locked onto hers.
"You don't."