Chapter 6: The Inferno

 PRUTHVI’S POV

I reached the dorm room around 8 p.m. Antariksh was an early sleeper. But when I entered the room, there she was, still awake, sitting at her desk with her head in her hands, staring at the book in front of her. The room was dim, the soft glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows on the pages she wasn’t really reading.

I felt a pang of guilt—her exhaustion was so palpable it almost felt like it was pressing down on me too.

“Hey,” I said gently, my voice hesitant. She didn’t respond. Didn’t even look up. She just huffed, as if the sound of my voice was something she had to endure.

I walked closer, trying to figure out how to approach her. “You need to sleep, you know?” I added, my words almost a question. I remembered she’d woken up around 3 a.m. that day, right when I was finally heading to bed. She hadn’t gotten any real rest since then, and it was clear she wasn’t taking care of herself.

I watched her for a long moment, waiting for some sign that she’d heard me, but she didn’t budge. Her shoulders were slumped, her hands still at her sides. She wasn’t even looking at me, her gaze fixed on the textbook in front of her. The pages were turned, but I didn’t think she was reading them. She was pushing through, but I could see it—whatever fire she had left was slowly dimming, replaced by something darker, emptier. Something I couldn’t name.

“Antariksh,” I said softly, my voice quieter now as I crossed the room to sit beside her. “You’re burning out. This… this isn’t helping you.”

For a moment, there was silence. I could feel the weight of her stillness before she slowly turned to face me. Her eyes—red, exhausted—narrowed at me, and I saw something flicker behind them, something sharp.

“Oh…” she scoffed, her voice thick with sarcasm, “So now you notice me? After spending the whole day with Jwala, you come here to tell me to stop studying? Wow, Pruthvi, just wow…”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. They were like knives, sharp and cutting, full of hurt and something I didn’t want to face. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm, even as a wave of guilt and frustration churned inside me.

“I’m not ignoring you,” I started, my voice trembling a little despite my efforts. “But you’re pushing yourself too hard. You need to take a break.”

“Oh, right.” Antariksh’s laugh was bitter, almost hollow. “You’re so concerned now, Pruthvi. After abandoning me for Jwala, now you’re the caring friend? Nice timing.”

I winced at her words. They hit me harder than I expected, stinging more than I wanted to admit. She was right, in a way. I had been distant. I had let the weight of everything else—Jwala, the science fest, my own frustrations—push her to the background. I’d been so wrapped up in trying to stay afloat that I hadn’t noticed how much she was sinking.

But, I had my own struggles too. I couldn’t always be the one holding everything together. I couldn’t carry her problems when I was barely holding onto my own.

“Oh my God, Antariksh…” I began, my voice sharp with frustration, but there was something raw underneath it. “You know what? I don’t have to do this. I’m allowed to have friends other than you, alright?”

The words hung in the air, a thin thread of anger and hurt.

That shut her up. Her eyes flickered with a mix of shock and something else I couldn’t quite place. She scoffed, slammed her notebook shut, and flicked off the lamp light with a force that made the room feel colder. Without a word, she got into bed, turning her back to me, her body rigid with unspoken tension.

I stood there for a moment, breath caught in my throat. I hadn’t meant to say it like that. I hadn’t meant to push her away, but it was as though the weight of everything finally broke free, and now I wasn’t sure if we could fix it.

The silence between us felt like a chasm.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. 

—-----------

ANTARIKSH’S POV

Talking to Agni in the cafeteria had given me a new sense of resolve. Pruthvi was an idiot. If she wanted to ignore me, fine—I’d ignore her too. I didn’t care anymore.

I wasn’t as smart as her, and I needed to work harder. She could go around goofing off, but I didn’t have that privilege. If I was dumb, then so be it. If I didn’t deserve to be Pruthvi’s friend, so be it.

Agni had said I didn’t belong in remedial classes. That meant something, didn’t it? Yes. That was it. I wasn’t dumb. I was just different. I needed to find my own way, to work harder, to fight my way out of this storm on my own.

So, I dropped all my remedial classes. I sat in my dorm, determined, books sprawled around me. And Agni had been right—when I studied with a lighter heart, when I stopped drowning in doubt, I actually started to understand things.

Maybe, just maybe, I could do this.

But the motivation started running out in a week.

After spending about three hours—daydreaming, blanking out, managing to solve only 5-10 questions—I pushed the books away and got up. I wasn’t hungry or anything. My feet carried me around campus, my mind numb. I was wearing an oversized hoodie, the fabric swallowed me, and I pulled the hood over my ears, trying to block out the noise in my head.

I reached the fifth floor of one of the buildings and looked out over the horizon. A lot of second-years were roaming around—classes had been canceled. Agni still wasn’t well. I sighed, watching the students wander aimlessly, the world moving forward without me. What was I going to do?

My leg twitched. Weird? I lifted my trouser leg to check my ankle. It looked fine. I frowned.

Just then, I heard it. Scathing laughter.

“She’s such an attention-seeking, nervous freak!” The voice was unmistakable. Jwala.

“Totally!” That voice, too. Pruthvi.

My heart turned to stone. The world seemed to shift around me as the laughter echoed in my mind, freezing me in place. The sound of their words was like a physical blow. It felt like something inside me cracked open, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t bring myself to turn around and face it.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I was still, my back turned to them, hoping they wouldn’t notice me. But I felt the weight of their words, heavy and suffocating, pressing in on me. I stood there, frozen, like my feet were glued to the ground, my entire body trembling with the effort to stay still.

The wind whipped past me, but it couldn’t shake the cold that had settled in my chest. I finally let out a shaky breath, but the tension didn’t leave. It clung to me, thick and choking, as I felt the heat of tears pricking at my eyes.

I was seething with anger and helplessness. It wasn’t a good mix. Because that kind of frustration doesn’t just stay inside. It spills out, and it leads to tears—tears I refused to let fall.

I blinked quickly, wiping my face with the back of my sleeve as if the motion could push the feelings away. But it didn’t work. I could feel my hands shaking, and my heart pounded in my chest. My throat felt tight, like there was no air left for me to breathe.

I couldn’t deal with this. Not right now.

I turned on my heel and ran back to the dorm, my footsteps echoing in my ears. I didn’t know where I was going—only that I needed to get away, needed to escape. Everything felt impossible. Like I was suffocating under the weight of it all.

In that moment, I hated Pruthvi. I didn’t know how else to feel. I hated her for laughing. For calling me that. For saying something so awful about me.

I hated how everything felt so out of reach. I wasn’t able to keep up with my studies. I wasn’t able to make anything work. I wasn’t able to keep it together. And I sure as hell wasn’t able to fix this.

I slammed the door to the dorm behind me, my breath coming in shallow gasps, and collapsed on the bed, curling up into a tight ball.

What was I supposed to do?

—--------

PRUTHVI’S POV

Jwala was mean, but she was also fun. At least she wasn’t constantly wrapped up in her own struggles, and I could always count on her for a good laugh. She had a lot of friends, and I fit in quickly, like I’d always been part of the group. I was starting to realize just how much I missed this—just hanging out without the weight of responsibility I felt around Antariksh all the time.

“Man, this chemistry is killing me!” Jwala groaned, exaggerating the dramatic flair I’d come to expect from her.

“Yeah, same here… I don’t know how Antariksh manages to score so well... that too, only in this subject!” I laughed, the sound feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

Jwala imitated our substitute chemistry teacher in her high-pitched voice mimicking, “Oh my gosh! You’re so smaaaart, Antariksh! Look at Antariksh! Her demonstration is PERFECT!”

I giggled, shaking my head. “Honestly, I think the only thing our teacher’s good at is making us all feel like idiots.”

“Definitely.” Jwala snorted. 

“Come on, let's get some food. Food solves everything.”

“ food is always the answer to all your problems, right?” she smirked at me.

“Yep!” I agreed, and we walked out of the classroom, my thoughts momentarily drifting away from the heavy weight of everything.

Jwala kept ranting, not missing a beat. “Honestly, this chemistry teacher can’t handle a group of second years. The other day, I saw her running after Agni, trying to ask him how to solve some chemistry equation involving math!”

“She’s such an attention-seeking, nervous freak!” Jwala added, rolling her eyes.

“Totally,” I agreed, but it wasn’t the first time I’d heard Jwala talk like this, and I just nodded along, even though part of me felt uneasy. But it was easier, wasn’t it? Just to laugh along with Jwala.

—------

Jwala and I decided to sign up for chemistry remedials together. Oddly, Antariksh wasn’t there. I didn’t think much of it at the time—after all, she had a tendency to bury herself in her studies when she was struggling.

I had dinner with Jwala and walked back to the dormitory afterward. The halls were quiet. It was 9 p.m. The lights were off in our room, and I sighed softly. Antariksh must have gone to bed early.

I swiped my student ID, and the security system scanned my retina. The door slid open, and I stepped into the room. At first, it seemed like everything was fine. But then, I saw her.

Antariksh was in her bed, but she wasn’t sleeping. She was shaking. Twitching, more like it. Her breathing was uneven—shallow gasps—like she was struggling to breathe. Was she crying? I froze for a moment, but then she jerked again, and the sudden motion startled me. My heart skipped a beat.

“ANTARIKSH!” I shouted, rushing to her side, immediately flicking on the light. She was curled up in a tight ball, her body jerking violently, her breathing ragged, strained with each shallow gasp. Yes, she was crying.

I didn’t hesitate. I sat beside her, reaching out instinctively, but she flinched away from me, her whole body stiffening as if my touch was a threat.

“Get away from me!” Her voice cracked, full of anger and fear, raw with frustration. The words hit me like a slap, and for a second, I couldn’t move. I was taken aback, stunned by the force of her rejection. Her face was twisted in pain, but it was anger that flared in her eyes—something I didn’t recognize.

“Antariksh, please—what’s happening?!” I said, my voice soft, but my chest tight with panic. The tremors in her body, the ragged gasps for air—everything was spiraling so quickly, and I didn’t know how to stop it. She was scaring me.

But instead of responding with vulnerability, she snapped.

“Stop it, Pruthvi!” She shoved herself upright, her voice jagged and sharp, like a blade meant to cut. “You don’t have to pretend like you care! Because I know you don’t! You hate me, don’t you?! I hate you too! Please! Why are you trying to confuse me like this?! I have enough to deal with... I can’t deal with you!”

The words hit harder than I expected, and a surge of anger flared up inside me. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t keep trying to fix this when it felt like she was pushing me away at every turn.

I grabbed my things, hands trembling with the weight of it all. “I can’t deal with you either, Antariksh!” I spat the words out before I could stop myself.

She scoffed bitterly, shaking her head. “Yeah? What else do you have to deal with anyway? You’re smart, you get awesome grades, your life is perfect! Doesn’t mean everyone’s life works that way!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t let it go. “Oh, please, Antariksh... Do you seriously think you’re the only one struggling?!” My voice broke as the words left my mouth, frustration and guilt mixing with the exhaustion I’d been carrying for weeks.

I picked up as many of my things as I could manage, my hands shaking. It felt like everything was slipping through my fingers, and I just wanted to escape. To get away from the suffocating weight of this conversation, from everything that was falling apart.

Without another word, I turned toward the door.

“I... I can’t do this,” I muttered under my breath, my voice barely audible. I couldn’t handle her right now. I couldn’t deal with the constant weight of trying to hold everything together when she didn’t even seem to care.

I didn’t want to be here, in this room, where the air was thick with anger and resentment. I just... needed space.

I walked fast. I didn’t look back. The cold night air stung my face as I made my way toward Jwala’s dorm. My chest felt tight, my hands still shaking from the argument. I clenched my fists, trying to push down the frustration bubbling in my throat. By the time I reached Jwala’s door, I hesitated. Should I even be here? But I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t go back. Taking a shaky breath, I knocked.

Jwala answered almost immediately, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “Oh? To what do I owe this midnight visit?” she smirked, stepping aside to let me in. I walked in, dropping my bag near her desk and letting out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

Jwala flopped onto her bed, raising an eyebrow. “So… what’s up? Did you and Antariksh finally kill each other?”

The words sent a fresh wave of anger through me. I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Something like that.”

Jwala sat up a little straighter. “Oh?”

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the small space of her dorm. “I can’t deal with her anymore, Jwala. I just can’t.”

Jwala tilted her head, watching me with that same sharp amusement, but I didn’t care. “She acts like I’m the villain. Like I just abandoned her! But she never sees what I go through. She thinks she’s the only one struggling!” My voice cracked slightly, but I ignored it.

Jwala hummed thoughtfully, leaning back on her pillows. “Sounds exhausting.”

“It is exhausting!” I snapped. “I’ve tried to be there for her, I’ve tried to help, but it’s like… like I’m just supposed to carry her through everything. And when I finally take a step back? She lashes out at me! Like I’m the bad guy!”

Jwala let out a low whistle. “Yikes. And let me guess—she made it all about her?”

I clenched my jaw. “…Yeah.”

Jwala smirked, shaking her head. “That’s the thing with people like her. They don’t actually want help—they just want someone to drag down with them.”

I didn’t say anything. Somewhere deep inside, I knew it wasn’t that simple. Antariksh wasn’t just trying to drag me down. She was hurting. But I was hurting too, and she didn’t seem to care. I flopped onto the spare mattress Jwala had on the floor, staring at the ceiling. My body was still tense, my mind still racing, but exhaustion was quickly creeping in.

Jwala nudged me with her foot. “So, what’s the plan? You crashing here for the night?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “I’m switching dorms in the morning.”

Jwala’s grin widened. “Oh? Finally breaking free, huh?”

I exhaled. “Yeah. I think I am.”

—---

I woke up early. My body felt heavy, but my mind was clearer than it had been in weeks. Jwala was still asleep, sprawled across her bed. I got up quietly, stretching before grabbing my things.

The walk to my old dorm felt weird. Like I was walking through the final remnants of something I no longer belonged to. The door slid open.

Antariksh was there, sitting at her desk, staring at a book. She didn’t look up. Didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch. I exhaled sharply and stepped inside.

I expected her to say something. Maybe another argument. Maybe a bitter, sarcastic remark. Maybe a demand to know why I was leaving.

But she just… stayed silent. Acted like I wasn’t even there.

I grabbed the rest of my stuff, shoving it into my bag with more force than necessary. The air between us was thick with something unspoken, something heavier than words.

I waited. Just for a second. But she never looked up. I clenched my jaw, my throat tightening, but I didn’t let myself hesitate any longer. I turned and walked toward the door.

Nothing. No “goodbye.” No “why are you leaving?” No anything. Just silence. As if I had already disappeared. As if I had never been there to begin with.

—--------

AGNI’S POV

I showed up for classes almost a week later. The fever had passed, but the exhaustion still lingered in my bones. I didn’t particularly want to be here, but skipping another day would just mean more work piled up.

I walked into the lecture hall, barely glancing up as I made my way to the front. But then, something caught my eye. Antariksh.

As always, she was in one of the front benches, her posture stiff, her eyes glued to her notebook as if she was actually paying attention. But something was… off.

It took me a second to place it. Pruthvi wasn’t next to her. That was unusual. Those two were practically attached at the hip. Even when they bickered, even when they had their little cold wars, they always ended up right back next to each other.

I let my gaze sweep over the room until— There. Pruthvi. At the back of the class. With Jwala.

I frowned. That was… new. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. A few others had thrown glances at Pruthvi too, like they were trying to figure out what had changed.

And then I looked back at Antariksh.

Her expression didn’t waver.

Didn’t even flicker.

She sat there, staring down at her book, fingers loosely curled around her pen like she wasn’t really holding onto it. Like she wasn’t really there. Not once did she turn to glance at the back. Not once did she acknowledge that Pruthvi was missing.

I exhaled through my nose, setting my papers down on the podium. "Alright," I muttered. "Let’s get started."

But as I began teaching, my mind kept drifting back to the two of them. Something had definitely happened. And whatever it was, it was big.

I pushed the thought aside—for now.

Most of the syllabus was already covered. The annual science fest was in two weeks, and after that, the students would have a full month to prepare for the FAEAU. A critical time.

I wrapped up the last chapter of the semester, setting the screenpen down. “Alright,” I said, scanning the class. “Since we’re done with the syllabus, the next two weeks will be revision sessions. I’ll be keeping short tests in class, so you can gauge where you stand before the break.”

A few groans echoed through the room. Typical.

“Don’t look so miserable,” I added flatly. “This is your last chance to figure out what you don’t know before the real exam. Unless, of course, you enjoy failing.”

That shut them up quickly. As the class settled back into focus, I found my eyes straying once more toward the front.

Antariksh sat still, her notes open in front of her, but she hadn’t written anything down in the last ten minutes. I followed her gaze. Her eyes were fixed on the page, but not reading. Just staring, unmoving, like she was trying to look busy.

I let my gaze drift to the back.

Pruthvi was whispering something to Jwala, her lips twitching into a smirk as Jwala whispered something back. She looked… normal. Not upset, not tense, not angry. Like nothing was wrong. Like nothing had changed.

As the class emptied out, my gaze flitted back to Antariksh. She was packing up her things, moving with the same mechanical precision she always did—until something went wrong. Her cyborg hand jerked. Not just a small twitch—this was a sharp, uncontrolled movement.

Her fingers spasmed, her grip faltering. In an instant, her bag slipped from her grasp, and her datapads and virtual books scattered across the floor with a loud clatter.

A few remaining students turned their heads—then laughed.

Antariksh froze. For a second, she just stared at her hand, as if willing it to stop. As if she wasn’t sure if it was even part of her body anymore.

The laughter wasn’t cruel—just thoughtless. The kind of laughter that came from people who didn’t understand, who saw an awkward moment and found it funny because they didn’t think to look deeper.

But I did. I saw the way her shoulders locked up, the way her breathing hitched just slightly. The way she clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to react.

A slow, creeping realization settled in my chest. She wasn’t just embarrassed. She was scared. Not of the laughter. Not of the people watching. Of herself.

I stepped forward instinctively, but before I could reach her, she moved—abrupt, stiff motions, grabbing her things with trembling fingers. She shoved the datapads into her bag, but I could see it.

The hesitation. The moment of doubt. Like she wasn’t sure if her own hand would obey her.

One of the students nearby muttered something under their breath, another snicker followed. I shot them a glare. The laughter died immediately.

Antariksh’s head remained down. She slung her bag over her shoulder and strode out of the classroom without looking at anyone. Without looking at me.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. Something was wrong. I made up my mind to speak to her about it during the lunch break. I wasn’t good at this kind of thing—checking in on people—but this wasn’t something I could just ignore. 

When I got to the cafeteria, I scanned the room automatically, my eyes landing on our usual spot. Empty. For a second, I just stood there, staring at it.

It had once been filled with loud conversations, Pruthvi’s dramatic storytelling, Sameer’s bad jokes, Neer’s dry sarcasm, and Antariksh’s occasional hesitant laughter. Even when there were tensions, we all sat together.

But now? Sameer and Neer were gone. Pruthvi was with Jwala. And Antariksh… wasn’t here at all.

I sighed to myself, rubbing the back of my neck.

Fine. If not lunch, I’d talk to her in remedial class. She had to show up for that.

Except she didn’t.

The classroom was half-full when I got there, students dragging their feet, dreading another extra session. But Antariksh’s seat—front row, always—was empty. My eyes lingered on it for a second longer than necessary. She never missed remedial classes. She needed them.

—-----------

PRUTHVI’S POV

Jwala and I were finishing up on our model for the annual science fest. We had gotten selected. The project was coming along great—efficient, clean, and, honestly, way less stressful than I thought it would be. It was nice, working with someone who wasn’t constantly drowning in anxiety. We were fine-tuning some of the last-minute calculations when the door slid open.

“Hey.” I glanced up. Agni. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as usual.

“Have you seen Antariksh?” I barely hesitated before shaking my head. “No.”

The bitterness in my voice was subtle, but it was there. I liked pretending I didn’t know Antariksh. It made things easier. Agni studied me for a moment, then sighed. “Well, if you see her, let her know I want to talk to her, alright?”

I nodded, already turning back to my work. “Sure.”

He lingered for a second longer before walking out. As the door shut behind him, I turned to Jwala—only to find her still staring after him, completely struck dumb.

I blinked. “Jwala?” Nothing. She didn’t even register my voice.

I burst out laughing. “I can’t believe it! I always end up making friends with people who have a thing for Agni! Jeez, what do you and Antariksh see in him, seriously?”

Jwala’s gaze snapped toward me, her eyes sharp with sudden interest. “Wait… what?” she said slowly. “Antariksh likes him?”

Crap. My stomach twisted. My face burned.

Antariksh didn’t exactly like him—not anymore, at least. She always denied it. But over the summer, when it was just the two of us, she had admitted—hesitantly—that she used to like him. Before he became our physics professor.

And now I had let it slip. To Jwala.

I swallowed, trying to play it off. “No, no, she doesn’t. Not now, anyway. I mean, she used to, like… a long time ago. But it was just a stupid crush, nothing serious.” Jwala leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers against the desk thoughtfully. “Huh.”

I hated that look in her eyes. Like she had just learned something very interesting.

I forced out a laugh. “Anyway, not like it matters. She hates him now.” Jwala smirked. “Oh, yeah?” I regretted everything.

She stretched her arms behind her head, grinning. “Damn. No wonder she’s so weird around him.”  I tried to shake it off, but as we went back to our project, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just made a huge mistake.

—---------

I sat in the cafeteria with Jwala and her friends for lunch. They were honestly so much fun to be around. They knew all the gossip, which could have been because they were the ones starting it, but I shrugged it off. It didn’t matter. I was glad to be away from the tension back in the dorm, even if I couldn’t escape the nagging sense that something wasn’t quite right with Antariksh.

“So, Pruthvi, spill some tea! You’re always such a quiet nerd!” one of Jwala’s friends chimed in, her voice teasing but friendly.

I laughed, shaking my head.

 “Actually, you won’t believe what pruthvi told me in the lab the other day!” Jwala perked up. I froze, my stomach tightening. I shot her a quick glare, trying to get her to shut up, but it was too late.

“Antariksh likes Professor Sarp!” Jwala said dramatically, lowering her voice into a whisper, her eyes wide with mock shock. Her friends giggled, and I tried to join in, but my stomach felt like it had turned to lead.

“Well, that’s not exactly news, is it, Jwala?” Another one of her friends spoke up. “You like him too... and so do so many other girls!”

Jwala turned pink, mumbling almost dejectedly, “Yeah, that’s true…” Before I could respond, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

“Pruthvi,” Agni said, directly addressing me.

All of Jwala’s friends immediately fell silent, staring at him. It was like the room had shifted into slow motion as they swooned, eyes wide and hearts racing. I didn’t even have to look to know what was going on. They were all completely captivated by him.

“Where’s Antariksh?” he asked. I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t noticed her either, to be honest. “I… I don’t know,” I replied, shrugging.

“Well, if you see her, please let me know,” Agni sighed, his tone still calm, though there was something underneath it—concern? “It’s been two days, and she hasn’t shown up for anything.”

I nodded, my throat tightening a little. “Tell her I want to meet her and speak to her,” he added, looking over his shoulder before turning to walk away.

As soon as he left, all the girls in the group leaned in, eyes wide, some of them practically whispering. “Ooooh, well, well, well…” Jwala smirked. “You ought to have told us, Pruthvi!”

“What do you mean?” I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my growing discomfort.

Jwala grinned. “Agni likes Antariksh too!” she snickered, nudging her friends, who all joined in, laughing and whispering amongst themselves.

“That’s absolute crap, Jwala,” I said flatly, feeling the irritation bubble up. It was too much. The last thing I needed was rumors flying around about something that wasn’t even true. But I could already see it—the wheels turning in Jwala’s head. She was going to spread this. And I wasn’t sure if I could stop it.

—---------

AGNI’S POV

On the third day after Antariksh's absence, she finally showed up. She was sitting in the front row. She looked weary but at least she was back. Relief, warm fluttering relief settled in my stomach. I smiled at her. She blinked. “Good morning students…and Antariksh?”I said, looking at her. Her eyes widened as she was put on spot. “So nice of you to join us today!”, I said with a smirk. “Did you finally remember the real world?” she turned a nice shade of pink. “Honestly, where were you?”I asked her. “W-well….i-i…i wasn't well”, she managed to stammer. “You gotta take care of yourself”, I said, shrugging.

—-----

ANTARIKSH’S POV

The class moved on, but my ears burned. I could still feel the weight of Agni’s words lingering in the air.

I wasn’t well. That was true. But I hadn’t expected him to ask, much less in front of the entire class. His smirk had been playful, not mocking. Yet, the moment passed too fast for me to react properly. I ducked my head, gripping my pen a little too tightly. The students around me whispered, and I swore I heard my name mixed in with hushed giggles. My stomach twisted. I forced myself to focus on the lesson, but the air felt heavier than usual.

Then, as I flipped my page to take notes, I noticed it—subtle glances, tiny smirks, the way some of the girls near the back exchanged looks. My name was muttered again. I swallowed hard. What was going on?

The realization came slow, creeping into my mind like a sickness. They weren’t whispering about my absence. They were whispering about me and Agni.

—--

AGNI’S POV

Now that Pruthvi had distanced herself, Antariksh and I started spending more time together. Not intentionally—at least, not at first. It was practical. She struggled with physics, and I had the time. Simple.

But then, over lunch breaks and quiet tutoring sessions, I found myself learning more about her than just how badly she sucked at integrals.

She was reserved but not cold. Awkward, but only because she thought too much before speaking. And when she did speak—when she really spoke, not just answering a question but actually saying something—it felt rare. Valuable. Like something not many people got to hear.

She was like me.

Not in the obvious ways. Not in the way she walked or talked or handled things. But in the way she belonged nowhere. She was an orphan, in a sense. Not legally, not in the way people pitied. But she had no real memory of her mother. Just an absence. A presence that had never been there to begin with.

I understood that. I wanted to be the Professor Garud in her life. The person who made her feel like she wasn’t alone.

—-------------

The moment I heard the words from the faculty meeting, my blood ran cold. “There are concerns regarding a student’s unauthorized cybernetic enhancements.”

I knew. I knew immediately who they were talking about. I was on my feet before I even thought about it. “What concerns?” I demanded.

The director glanced at me, unimpressed. “There are legal issues regarding Dr. Sanki’s modifications. We are deciding whether further investigation is necessary.”

No. No, no, no. I clenched my fists. “This is ridiculous.”

“It’s procedure.”

“She had no control over what happened to her.”

“That doesn’t change the situation.”

I gritted my teeth. Antariksh didn’t deserve this. She didn’t ask for this. And now, because of rumors, because of whispers, she was being dragged into something dangerous.

I stormed out of the meeting.

I had to find her. Now.

—--------

PRUTHVI’S POV

Jwala leaned in across the cafeteria table, grinning as she scrolled through her tablet. “Well, well,” she smirked. “Antariksh finally showed up today. And guess what? Agni totally had a moment with her.”

I froze, my drink halfway to my lips. “What?”

Jwala rolled her eyes, waving her hand. “Oh, come on. He totally called her out in class, but in that way, you know? And you should’ve seen his face when she walked in.”

I forced a laugh. “You guys are reading way too much into this.”

Jwala smirked, tapping a finger against the table. “Am I? Or is there something you know that you’re not telling me?”

Something cold settled in my stomach. I should have never let it slip that Antariksh used to like him. Now it was a wildfire, and I had no way to put it out. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

The worst part came when I let something far more dangerous slip. I don’t even remember how it started. It was during the science fest, we were talking about the projects, and somehow, somehow, I mentioned that Antariksh’s cyborg limbs weren’t exactly legal.

And Jwala, being Jwala, ate it up.

—--------

JWALA’S POV

The moment Pruthvi said it, I knew this was gold.

Dr. Sanki. The lunatic scientist. That was the guy who had worked on Antariksh’s limbs? And illegally?

Oh, this was way bigger than I thought. Of course, I had to share. Not immediately, not recklessly. But in whispers, in careful conversations, letting the information slip just enough to make people curious.

And then, finally, it reached the university board. And suddenly, Antariksh wasn’t just the subject of some stupid crush rumor. She was a problem.

—-----

ANTARIKSH’S POV

I was heading to my dorm when I heard my name.

“Antariksh.” I turned—and froze. Agni. He looked furious. Not the usual exasperated kind, but real anger, simmering just beneath the surface.

“What—” I started, but he cut me off.

“Come with me.”

I blinked. “W-what?”

“Just—” He ran a hand through his hair, visibly restraining himself. “You need to come with me. Now.”

Something in his voice made my stomach drop. Wordlessly, I followed him.

—-------

AGNI’S POV

I brought her to a quieter part of campus, where no one would overhear. She crossed her arms, clearly nervous. “What’s going on?”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to say it. But she had to know. “The university board is looking into your cybernetic modifications.” Her face drained of color. I continued before she could panic. “They think Sanki’s work was illegal. If this escalates, they might call in external authorities.”

She swallowed hard, her hands clenched at her sides. I exhaled sharply. “I’ll handle this.” She looked up at me, startled. I wasn’t sure why I said it.

—------

The next morning, I overheard it. The rumors. The students whispering in the halls. “Did you hear? Agni defended her against the university board.” “Oh my god, they’re basically a thing now.” “He cares about her.” “you should see the way he looks at her in class!” “thats nothing, they even spend lunch together!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. Something in my chest lurched. No. This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t—I forced myself to keep walking, my expression blank, my posture composed. I didn’t acknowledge the glances or the hushed giggles that followed in my wake. I had learned long ago how to ignore things that didn’t matter.

But this—this mattered.

I didn’t go straight to the cafeteria. Instead, I walked. Not anywhere in particular, just… away. Away from the noise, away from the suffocating stares, away from the sick feeling curling in my stomach. I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. This wasn’t just some baseless gossip. It wasn’t just something I could roll my eyes at and move on from.

Because the worst part was—They weren’t entirely wrong.

I clenched my jaw. At first, it had been nothing. A passing concern for a student who was clearly struggling. I had seen myself in her, and maybe, just maybe, I had wanted to help in the way that no one had helped me when I was younger. It was simple. It was rational.

But then, the quiet lunches. The conversations. The way she looked at me when she was thinking, her brows furrowed, eyes distant. The way she relaxed around me—not completely, but enough that I could tell. The way I found myself waiting for her to speak.

And now this. This was exactly what I didn’t want. I wasn’t supposed to be caught up in things like this. I wasn’t supposed to let a student get too close. And yet, somehow, I had.

The realization hit like a slap. I had been careful my entire life. I had kept my distance from people, from emotions, from anything that could weigh me down. And now?

Now, I had let my guard slip. And it terrified me. I had to stop this. I had to shut it down before it got worse. Before she got hurt. Before I did something even more reckless.

I turned around and walked away from the cafeteria. Antariksh would be waiting for me. But I wasn’t going to show up. Not today. Not anymore. This had to end.

—-------------

ANTARIKSH’S POV

I waited.

At first, it wasn’t a big deal. Agni was late sometimes—he’d get caught up grading papers or stuck in a conversation with another professor. I stirred my spoon absently in my soup, glancing at the entrance of the cafeteria every now and then, expecting to see him walk in, looking vaguely irritated but still sitting down across from me like he always did.

But he never came.

The minutes stretched. My food turned cold. I swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as I realized people were watching me. A few girls near the back were whispering, eyes darting toward my table with knowing smirks.

I didn’t need to hear them to know what they were saying.

“She’s waiting for him.”
“Maybe they had a fight.”
“Poor thing, she looks so lost.”

I clenched my fists.

No. Agni wasn’t the type to care about rumors. He was blunt, sarcastic, and completely indifferent to what people thought of him. So what if people were talking? He wouldn’t let something so childish change the way he acted.

Right?

I bit the inside of my cheek, suddenly feeling exposed under the weight of their stares. I grabbed my tray and stood up quickly, pretending I wasn’t affected, pretending like it didn’t matter.

Maybe he was busy. Maybe this was nothing. But the next day, he ignored me. And the day after that.

He still showed up for class, still taught with the same sharp efficiency, but he didn’t look at me. Not once. Not in the usual way, not in the passing glances when he called on me, not in the brief moments after class when he’d remind me to turn in my assignments.

It was like I had become invisible.

I tried to talk to him once. After class, when everyone was packing up, I lingered by his desk. My palms were sweaty, my voice uncertain. “Agni….i-i m-mean….Professor Sarp?” He looked up, eyes unreadable. My throat felt tight. I hesitated, but then forced the words out. “Can I talk to you?”

A pause. Something flickered across his expression—something almost like regret—before it vanished behind a layer of practiced indifference.

“I’m busy,” he said shortly, stacking his papers. “Whatever it is, it can wait.”

And then he walked out.

I stood there, frozen. That was it. That was all it took to know. It wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t my imagination. Agni was distancing himself. Because of the rumors. Because of me. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t know whether I felt more humiliated or hurt.

—-------------

When people describe negative emotions, they usually mention the big five—anger, sadness, anxiety, jealousy, and disgust.

But no one talks about dread. Dread isn’t like anxiety. Anxiety is sharp, frantic—it makes your heart race, makes your thoughts spiral. But dread… dread is slow. It lingers. A weight in your chest, a tight pull in your stomach, a quiet whisper that never truly leaves. It’s knowing something bad is coming. It’s the kind of fear that settles in your bones and refuses to let go.

And I hated it.

Two more weeks until the FAEAU. All classes had stopped. The university halls, once buzzing with voices and movement, now felt eerily silent, save for the occasional murmurs of students cramming last-minute revisions. Every excruciating second of those two weeks stretched longer than it should, and yet there still wasn’t enough time—there was never enough time. I couldn’t cover the syllabus fast enough. My focus was slipping. My brain felt full of static.

So I stopped going out. I didn’t want to see anyone. I didn’t want to hear the whispers or the laughter. I didn’t want to see him.

I spent most of my time in the dorm, curled up at my desk, my datapads glowing dimly in front of me. The numbers, the equations, the diagrams—I stared at them for hours, but they didn’t sink in. The words blurred together, shifting, twisting, rearranging themselves into things they weren’t supposed to be. I blinked hard, shaking my head, forcing myself to focus.

It wasn’t working.

I gritted my teeth, pressing my palms against my temples. I needed to study. I needed to keep going. But the weight in my chest wouldn’t leave.

It wasn’t just the exam stress. It was everything. The rumors had probably died down by now. Or maybe they hadn’t. I wouldn’t know—I had made sure not to find out. I had faded into the background again, slipped back into being invisible.

It was better this way. Because I was pretty sure if people looked at me, they’d expect something.

To pass with flying colors.
To be strong.
To not let anything get to me.

But I wasn’t sure I could meet those expectations. And the worst part? I knew I’d be letting people down.

Professor Garud.
Sameer.
Neer.

And Agni. Especially Agni.

I swallowed, gripping my pen tightly. I needed to stop thinking about him. I needed to erase whatever stupid attachment I had formed. Because it was obvious now. Agni had let me go. And I needed to do the same. But the problem was—I didn’t know how.

I was scared. Horribly scared.

I wasn’t studying. Not really. I wasn’t doing anything, either. I wasn’t eating properly. I wasn’t sleeping. The exhaustion sat deep in my body, like lead in my veins, like my limbs weren’t really mine anymore.

And then—Then it started. The hallucinations.

At first, they were subtle. Flickers in the corners of my vision. The feeling of someone standing behind me when I was alone. The sensation of movement where there was none.

I could handle that. I could ignore it. But then, the voices came. Soft at first. Just whispers. My name. Faint murmurs slipping through the cracks of my mind. Then louder. Clearer. Familiar.

“You don’t belong here.”

I shut my eyes tightly.

“Failure.”

My breath hitched.

“You’ll let them down.”

I gripped the edges of my desk, my cyborg fingers pressing into the metal, the cool surface grounding me. This wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.

But my body didn’t know that.

The room felt smaller. The walls were pressing in. The numbers on my datapad warped and twisted into words that weren’t supposed to be there.

You’re wasting your time.
You’re not going to pass.
You think he cares?

A sharp breath left my lips. No. No, no, no.

I tried to stand up. My legs didn’t feel stable. The world swayed slightly, like the gravity in the room had shifted, like I wasn’t tethered to anything anymore.

I needed to get out. But where would i go?!

—--------

The final week. I had lost all sense of time.

My cyborg hand jerked. Then another spasm. Then my leg twitched violently beneath me. I tried to steady myself, but my body wouldn’t obey. My mind was blurry, sluggish, drowning under the weight of something I couldn’t name. I didn’t know what was going on anymore.

I was passing out and waking up in the same place. The dorm. Over and over again. I had never been so scared in my life. I was screwed. I was a goner. Nothing made sense. The dorm walls felt too close, pressing in like they were trying to swallow me whole.

And then—I saw him. In the doorway.Agni. I gasped. My heart lurched. He was here. He came back.

“Antariksh,” he said. His voice was deep, steady. Like it had always been. Like nothing had changed. I reached forward, desperate—desperate for what, I didn’t know. Maybe for an explanation. Maybe just for proof that I wasn’t completely alone.

But then—His expression darkened. His eyes, once sharp with intelligence, burned with something else entirely. His mouth twisted. And then he yelled.

“FAILURE.”

The word echoed like a gunshot, piercing straight through me. I recoiled, my breath catching in my throat.

No.

No, no, no.

He wasn’t real. Crap. I collapsed onto the bed, my body limp, staring up at the ceiling. The world spun. I felt so small. So unbelievably small. I squeezed my eyes shut, curling into myself. It wasn’t real. He wasn’t here.

My hands and feet twitched violently. I needed help—this had gone too far. My breath came in short, ragged gasps as I fumbled for my comm. My fingers barely obeyed me, shaking too hard to press the right buttons. I didn’t even know who I called. Didn’t know who picked up.

A voice. “Hello?”

I swallowed, my throat raw. My vision blurred at the edges. “Help…” My voice was barely a whisper. “Please… help me.”

And then, everything went black.

—-----------

When I awoke, I was strapped to a chair. Cold metal pressed against my arms. A screen flickered in front of me, its glow blinding. My head ached. Something heavy sat on top of it. A helmet?

I blinked, trying to move—but my body wouldn’t respond. My fingers. My legs. Nothing. A cold plunge of fear rushed through me. And then, I noticed something worse.

My vision was wrong. Flat. Distorted. Two-dimensional.

No. No, no, no.

I gasped sharply, my stomach twisting. I couldn’t see from one eye.

Panic shot through me as I struggled against my restraints. What the hell was happening?!

And then I saw him. A figure stood a few meters away, calmly adjusting some equipment. My breath caught in my throat. As my vision focused, recognition hit me like a slap.

“Dr. Sanki?!” My voice came out hoarse, panicked. I tried to move, to rip myself free, but my body refused to obey. I couldn’t feel anything. Dr. Sanki turned to me. His movements were slow, deliberate. His face unreadable.

He walked toward me, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes studying me carefully. His voice, when he spoke, sent a shiver down my spine.

“Antariksh.” He said my name gravely. Softly. That was wrong. He never spoke like that.

“You’re not well,” he continued. “I’m your father. Your creator. And no matter what you believe, I do care.” My chest tightened. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t real. Dr. Sanki placed a hand on the side of the helmet, his touch unsettlingly gentle. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I’m fixing you.”

What?! My pulse spiked. “F-fixing me?! What are you—” Before I could say another word, darkness swallowed me whole.

AGNI’S POV

I sat in my office at Astralis, submitting the final revisions of my research paper. My résumé and profile had already been sent to IGRO—the Inter-Galactic Research Organization. If all went well, I’d be out of this infernal university soon, free from all the nonsense that came with it.

Today was also the day of the FAEAU. Every second-year student was taking the most important exam of their life.

I sighed. I didn’t care.

Sameer and Neer had called in, checking on the students through a video projector. Some of the old Plutonian students had spoken to Professor Garud as well. He was healing slowly.

Oddly, Antariksh hadn’t shown up.

Professor Garud asked for her. Sameer and Neer asked for her. I shrugged it off.

The rumors about her were still floating around, lingering like an ugly stain that wouldn’t wash out. But it didn’t matter. If I got the job at IGRO, I’d be gone soon. A whole new solar system. A whole new life.

Pruthvi had come by earlier, asking for "blessings." Jwala had even asked for an autograph—which was odd. A few other students had done the same, snapping pictures with me. Somehow, they had all figured out that I might be leaving Astralis.

And yet, Antariksh hadn’t shown up. I wanted to ask Pruthvi, but I couldn’t gather the courage. I hadn’t seen her in almost a month now. Maybe I’d go see her after the exam. She had a right to be angry—I hadn’t contacted her at all.

I leaned back in my chair, glancing at the clock on my desk. The exam would be over by now. Parents were likely gathering their kids from the exam centers. My thoughts drifted back to Antariksh.

Would Dr. Sanki have shown up?

I frowned. Maybe I should—No. I would.

I stood up, pulling on a fresh white shirt. I added a bit of ice to my flaming hair to keep it under control and slipped on a black formal pant. Just as I was packing a burn ointment—BANG. BANG. BANG.

A frantic pounding on my door. No one had knocked on my door before. I swung the door open—Pruthvi was standing outside, breathless, face flushed with panic.

“Antariksh didn’t show up for the exam!” she blurted out in a single breath, her words crashing into each other. I stared at her. “What?”

Wait—how did she even find the professor’s quarters?

“Pruthvi, what—”

“AGNI, IT’S AN EMERGENCY! I YELLED AT THE ROBOT SECURITY SYSTEM AND PUNCHED IT, THEN THE UNIVERSITY DIRECTOR SHOWED UP AND GUIDED ME HERE!”

I blinked. Sure enough, the university director was now standing behind her, looking both concerned and mildly exasperated.

“Antariksh is missing. She’s nowhere.” Pruthvi’s voice was shaking now.

A cold weight settled in my chest. This wasn’t just an absence. This was something else. Something was very, very wrong.

—--------------

PRUTHVI’S POV

Agni and I sprinted toward the dorms. My heart pounded—not just from running but from sheer panic. As we ran, I filled him in on everything.

Antariksh hadn’t shown up for the exam. No one had seen her in a week. I had knocked on her dorm room, banged on it, called her name—but there was no answer. That’s when I panicked.

I had rushed straight to the professor’s quarters, screaming at the robot security system to let me through—but the stupid thing didn’t understand urgency. So, in my frustration, I punched it. That got the university director’s attention.

And now, here we were. I glanced at Agni. His face was unreadable, but his pace wasn’t slowing down. If anything, he was running faster.

Something was wrong. Something was really, really wrong. And we were running out of time.

—----------------