A Masked Detective

The photo on Aarav's phone flickered under the dim light—

A two-headed doll.

One head smiling. The other weeping.

Both stitched together with black thread.

Inspector Ratan stared at it, frowning deeply.

He turned to the Masked Detective, who stood behind him, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

> Two heads... What does it mean?

Another victim? A warning? Or... a truth we've ignored?

Ratan's mind spun with possibilities.

Could Aryan still be alive?

Was Aarav hiding something deeper? Something even he didn't understand?

He snapped out of thought and called one of his constables.

"Take Aarav home. Make sure he's not left alone. Post two guards outside his house."

"Yes, sir."

As the constable led Aarav out, Ratan sat heavily in the metal chair in the interrogation room, his eyes never leaving the phone.

He finally asked, voice low:

"Do you have any idea what this photo means?"

The Masked Detective stepped forward, studying the image again.

"…No," she admitted after a pause. "But it could be another victim. Or…"

She glanced at Ratan.

"Or maybe… Aryan isn't dead. Maybe he's alive somehow. Maybe… Aarav is connected to him in ways he doesn't even know."

Ratan rubbed his temples.

"Aarav said Aryan died in that crash. But the doll with two heads… that symbol—it's not just a clue. It's personal."

He stood.

"We're running in circles. We need to talk to the school principal again. And then, the teachers."

The Detective nodded.

"Before that, I want all students and staff under protection. If the doll is choosing names… the final victim could already be marked."

---

Later that evening…

At Taraniketan Institution, clouds loomed heavy above the campus. A cold wind rushed through the deserted corridors.

In the principal's office, Ratan and the Detective faced the remaining staff members.

"From tonight," Ratan said firmly, "no student is allowed to stay back after hours. Every classroom and hallway must be patrolled. And teachers—if you know something, now is the time to speak."

The teachers exchanged anxious glances.

Jayasree Mukherjee was not among them.

"Where is Jayasree?" the Detective asked.

No one answered.

A sudden power flicker made the lights buzz and dim.

Then a phone rang. One of the teachers answered, and their face turned white.

"Sir…" they whispered. "There's something written on the bathroom mirror near the junior wing."

They all rushed down the corridor.

The words were written in red:

> "One lives in shadow.

One hides in light.

But both are bound.

And only one… will rise."

Beneath it, drawn in smudged chalk—

> The doll again.

But this time… one head was gone.

To Be Continued...