The college didn't announce anything.
That was the second lie.
There were no notices. No emails. No emergency assembly. No warnings about restricted areas or safety protocols.
But by evening, the security presence had doubled.
Arav noticed it first from the library balcony.
Two guards near the main gate instead of one. Another standing near the old block, pretending to check his phone while watching students pass. A white van parked just outside campus, engine idling longer than necessary.
Not police.
Not college staff.
Something in between.
Tiku leaned beside him, squinting. "Okay, either the college suddenly cares about safety… or we've unlocked a hidden difficulty level."
Arav didn't answer.
His attention was fixed on the van.
It hadn't moved in twenty minutes.
Ira joined them a moment later, closing her notebook with a quiet snap.
"I checked the staff registry," she said. "No new hires. No external agencies listed."
"That's reassuring," Tiku said weakly. "In a deeply concerning way."
Arav felt the pressure again.
Not inside him this time.
Around.
Like the air itself had become aware of his outline.
External Attention Detected
Source : Unclassified
Intent : Observational
His jaw tightened.
This wasn't Rhea.
Her presence felt different—subtle, invasive, like fingers brushing memory.
This was heavier.
Deliberate.
"They're not here for the college," Arav said quietly.
Ira looked at him. "Then who?"
He didn't respond immediately.
Because saying it would lock it into place.
"Me," he said finally.
Tiku stared. "Wow. Hate that for us."
They moved away from the library steps together, taking the longer route toward the courtyard. The sky had darkened, clouds gathering low and heavy, pressing down on the campus lights.
Students moved faster now.
Laughter was thinner.
Rumors had shifted tone.
Something else had spread.
As they crossed the open space near the science block, Arav felt it sharply—like a line being drawn around him.
He stopped.
Ira felt it too. She turned. "What now?"
"There," Arav said, nodding slightly.
A man stood near the far edge of the courtyard, half-hidden by the shadow of a tree.
Not a student.
Too still. Too composed.
He wasn't watching the buildings.
He was watching Arav.
Their eyes met.
The man didn't flinch.
Didn't look away.
He lifted one hand—not in greeting, not in threat—but in acknowledgment.
Then he turned and walked off the path, disappearing behind the parked vehicles near the gate.
Tiku exhaled shakily. "Please tell me that was just… a weird uncle."
Ira swallowed. "He wasn't college staff."
"No," Arav said.
"And not security."
"No."
Something cold slid into place behind his eyes.
Pattern Recognition Triggered
External Observer Classification : Incomplete
Cross-Refrence Logged
Warning : Prior Records Exist
Ira looked between them. "You've felt this before."
Arav nodded slowly.
"People who watch," he said. "Not to interfere. Not yet. They wait to see how you break."
Tiku rubbed his arms. "I don't like being evaluated. I barely survive exams."
Thunder rolled distantly.
The first drops of rain began to fall, scattering students toward hostels and corridors.
The courtyard emptied quickly.
Too quickly.
Arav remained still, rain soaking into his sleeves, until Ira touched his arm.
"We should go," she said. "Before they decide to stop waiting."
He didn't resist.
As they walked away, he felt it again—that sense of alignment, like pieces moving into place without his consent.
The shadow in the classroom.
The girl in the hallway.
The administration's silence.
Now this.
Different threats.
Same direction.
At the edge of campus, the man from the courtyard paused beside the white van.
He glanced back once.
Not at the college.
At Arav.
Then he stepped inside.
The door closed.
The van pulled away.
Arav didn't follow it with his eyes.
He already knew this wasn't over.
This wasn't even escalation.
It was confirmation.
Somewhere beyond the gates of Night Ridge College, files were being opened.
Decisions reconsidered.
And names—long dormant—were being spoken again.