Back at Nightvill’s station, the team had returned with the little girl, Piya. She sat quietly on a chair, holding a small cloth doll with one eye missing. Her face looked lost—like her mind was far away.

  Steven brought her a cup of warm milk.“Here, sweetheart. You must be tired.”

  She looked at it, then at him.“Uncle, I don’t get tired.”

  He paused, confused. “What do you mean, dear?”

  She blinked slowly. “I don’t sleep… I just wait.”

  Steven felt a strange chill crawl up his spine.

  He sat across from her. “Wait for what?”

  Piya looked up, her eyes glossy.“For papa. He coming soon. He said… everyone who hurt me will sleep forever.”

  Before Steven could ask more, the station lights flickered. The computer screens blinked on and off. A cold wind brushed through the room—even though all the windows were closed.

  One of the junior officers walked in, worried.“Sir… something’s wrong. All the files from the old archive are showing up by themselves on the system.”

  Steven got up. “Show me.”

  They went to the backroom where the oldest crime files were stored. On the screen, an old case number fshed repeatedly:

  CASE 206 – CLOSED / UNRESOLVED.

  Steven frowned. “Case 206… that’s the number for the current case. But it’s showing as an old file.”

  He opened it.

  Inside were scanned photos of a small girl—same face as Piya. Happy pictures. Birthday cake. Pying with a wooden horse.

  Then the photos turned dark. Police images of a crime scene. A small body… broken, hurt, gone. The report said:

  “4-year-old girl. Raped and killed in a vilge farm. Suspect unknown. Case closed due to ck of evidence.”

  Steven’s heart stopped.

  “W-What is this…?”

  He scrolled further.

  Suddenly, the screen turned bck. Then words began to appear.

  “You covered it. You all did. You all let him live.”

  The room’s light went out completely.

  Piya’s voice came from the hallway.“Uncle… papa is angry.”

  Steven ran to her. She was standing still, looking straight ahead.

  Behind her, the wall began to drip something thick and red. It wasn’t paint. It was blood. And carved into the wall by something invisible were more words:

  “ONE BY ONE, THEY WILL PAY.”

  A scream echoed from the front room.

  They rushed in.

  One of the high-ranking officers was on the floor—eyes wide open, blood dripping from his ears. No signs of a wound. But he was dead.

  No attacker. No struggle. Just… dead.

  Steven stood still.

  Something was very wrong.

  And it had started long ago.

  {Chapter 03: Complete}