Back in the classroom, the atmosphere was tense. Apurva and Swarali quickly connected the broken phone to a power bank using an old charger Akshada had brought from home—just in case.
The screen flickered… and turned on.
"It works!" Apurva whispered, eyes wide.
There was no password. Just one wallpaper—a photo of a girl in a school uniform, standing alone near the old tree on the back field.
"That's Niyati," Prajwal said, her voice soft.
Swara opened the gallery. "There are videos… the last one is dated two days before the 'accident'."
"Play it," said Srushti, arms folded but clearly anxious.
The video started.
It was shaky and looked like it was recorded secretly. It showed the classroom. Niyati's voice was faint but clear.
"You think I'll stay quiet?" she was saying. "You'll regret this."
Another voice replied sharply, "No one will believe you, Niyati. I'll make sure of that."
"Wait… was that Meenal?" asked Rutuja.
Anushka nodded slowly. "Sounds like her."
The girls watched in silence as the argument grew intense. The video ended suddenly—cut off mid-sentence.
Akshara sat back, goosebumps all over. "She was scared. And… she knew something."
Swarali scrolled through the phone again and gasped. "There's a voice note sent to someone named 'R'. Listen to this."
The voice note played. Niyati's voice came through—quieter this time.
"If anything happens to me… it wasn't an accident. I think Meenal's hiding something. I'm going to the library basement tomorrow. I'll record everything."
Silence.
The girls all looked at each other, stunned.
"She went there willingly… to find proof," said Prajwal, piecing things together.
"And she never came back," Akshada whispered.
Suddenly, the classroom lights flickered. The fan slowed down and stopped.
BOOM!
The door slammed shut without warning.
The girls screamed.
Akshara grabbed Anushka's arm. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Srushti got up quickly and tried to open the door—but it wouldn't budge.
Swara's voice trembled, "Guys… I think she knows we've found her phone."
The room grew cold. Too cold.
Then… a whisper.
Right behind them.
"Find the truth… or join me."
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