The Midnight Jackal

1. The Legend of Kalpur

The desert town of Kalpur was ancient, crumbling slowly under the weight of its own secrets. It was a place of shifting sands, forgotten graves, and whispers carried by the wind. At night, the townsfolk locked their doors and drew their curtains, for something prowled the empty streets—something they dared not name out loud.

They called it The Midnight Jackal.

Old tales spoke of a creature with glowing eyes and a human mind. Some believed it was a cursed soul, wandering to atone for unspeakable sins. Others said it was a guardian, protecting the innocent from something darker that once lurked in Kalpur’s heart.

But to Inspector Rahim, it was just a myth. Until the disappearances began.

2. A Trail in the Dark

Five people, gone without a trace. All vanished near the edge of the old quarter—the part of Kalpur that had been abandoned decades ago. Locals refused to enter that area, calling it “the sleeping ground of the cursed.”

Rahim, however, believed in justice, not jinns. He followed the trail of clues—scattered belongings, faint footprints, and an old map that led to a cluster of decaying houses swallowed by sand and silence.

On the fifth night, as the clock struck twelve, Rahim stood alone under a starless sky. His flashlight flickered as he stepped into the forgotten lanes. The air grew colder. The town seemed to hold its breath.

Then he saw it—a figure crouched in the shadows, watching him.

The jackal.

Its eyes glowed amber, not with rage, but with strange, sorrowful wisdom. It turned and trotted silently down a narrow path, pausing only to look back.

Rahim followed, against every instinct.

3. Into the Forgotten House

The jackal led him through the maze of ruins to a house with shattered windows and a rusted iron door. It slipped inside and vanished into the darkness.

Inside, Rahim found walls scorched by time and dust covering every surface. A stairwell led downward, into a hidden basement.

He descended slowly, the air thick with decay and something worse—despair.

There, bound and frightened, were the five missing people. Gagged but alive. He rushed to free them, whispering reassurances, but something in the corner caught his eye: a cracked, floor-length mirror, rimmed with strange carvings.

In its reflection, Rahim saw more than just himself.

Behind him stood a man.

4. The Man Behind the Curse

Tall, hollow-eyed, with a face both familiar and ghostly. When Rahim turned, there was no one. But in the mirror, the man remained, gazing back.

He recognized the face—it was Dr. Tameer Hussain, once Kalpur’s most respected psychologist. A decade ago, he had treated the town’s most disturbing criminal cases. But after one child died during a failed therapy experiment, Tameer vanished, blamed by many.

Some believed he took his own life. Others claimed he went mad and disappeared into the dunes.

Now, it seemed, he had returned—not as a man, but as something else.

The jackal emerged from the shadows. It stood beside the mirror, its golden eyes locking with Rahim’s. For a heartbeat, the reflection changed—the jackal turned into the man.

Then it faded.

The jackal gave a final look to the rescued captives, then turned and walked back into the night.

5. The Truth and the Legend

By morning, the town buzzed with news. The victims were safe. Rahim had become a reluctant hero. But he told no one of the jackal, or the mirror, or the man who had guided him through the dark.

The official report blamed a deranged kidnapper who had fled before Rahim arrived. The truth was more complicated, harder to explain.

Rahim often returned to the abandoned quarter, but the jackal was never seen again. Still, he left food and water on the outskirts—just in case.

6. Echoes of the Past

Some nights, when the wind howls and the moon hangs heavy over Kalpur, townsfolk still hear a lone cry in the dark. Not quite an animal. Not quite human.

A guardian? A ghost? Or simply a symbol of guilt, grief, and redemption?

No one knows for sure.

But they still whisper its name.

The Midnight Jackal.