A Promise in the Shadows

You have to get out of here, Zoya. This place… it’s not for you.” His voice trembled, and a strange fear danced in his eyes.

I tried to pull my hands free from his grip. “Rehan, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong? Why do you seem so strange?”

He stepped closer, his hands resting on my shoulders, and he shook me gently. “There’s no time, Zoya. Just trust me. I want to save you.” There was a pain in his voice, as if he were afraid to reveal some heavy secret to me.

But then, his words suddenly fell silent. His face dropped forward, and his breathing seemed to stop. I reached out in panic to hold him, but before I could do anything, a shadow emerged from behind me.

“Sorry, Ms. Zoya. Rehan might need some rest.” The voice was calm, but it carried a chill that sent a shiver down my spine. I turned around—it was Aisha, Rehan’s sister. In her hand was a small device, its blue light still glowing faintly.

“What… what was that?” My voice quivered.

Aisha smiled and slipped the device into her pocket. “Nothing, just a minor glitch. He’ll be fine soon. Go home, Zoya. I’ll take care of him.” She gestured toward the door, but there was something hidden in her eyes—a secret she didn’t want me to know.

I stepped back slowly, my heart pounding. “Thank you, Aisha. I… I’m going.” But as I left, my gaze fell on Rehan, lying motionless on the floor. His face was still beautiful, but his eyes were closed, as if he had slipped into a deep sleep.

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When I got home, I sat in my room. My mind was spinning with confusion. Rehan was everything to me. We had spent months together—sitting on the rooftop at night gazing at the stars, laughing as we got drenched in the rain, and making each other’s dreams our own. He was my first love, a story I never imagined would enter my life.

But today, there was a strange intensity in his words. “I want to save you”—what did that mean? And Aisha… why was she stopping him?

I picked up my phone and reread his last message. “Zoya, if anything ever happens to me, just run. Don’t look back.” It was from last night, when he came to see me. The same fear I saw today had been in his eyes then.

My heart started beating faster. Was he really in danger? Or… was I the one in danger?

There was a knock at the door. I jolted and looked up. “Who’s there?”

“Zoya, it’s me.” It was Aisha’s voice.

I opened the door, and she stepped inside. She was holding the same small device. “I need to tell you something,” she said, but the coldness in her voice was gone now. She looked pained—a sister worried for her brother.

“Rehan loves you, Zoya. But he couldn’t tell you who he really is. He… he’s part of a secret our family holds. And now that secret has reached you.”

“What do you mean?” My breath caught in my throat.

Aisha took a deep breath. “For generations, our family has upheld an ancient promise of protection. Rehan was chosen to carry it forward. But when he fell in love with you, he decided he wanted to keep you away from it. He wanted to set you free. But now… now the people behind that secret have found you.”

I pressed my hands to my mouth. “So… he was trying to save me?”

“Yes. And now it’s my turn.” Aisha grabbed my hand. “We don’t have much time. Before Rehan wakes up, you need to run. I’ll handle him. But promise me—you’ll never forget him.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. I hugged her, then grabbed my bag. Rehan was my love, my everything. And now, for his sake, I had to leave him behind.

I started running—toward a new life, but my heart would always stay with him.