Chapter 1: The Watch That Ticked Backwards
Arjun never believed in fate—until the night time itself seemed to fold in his hands.
It started with a watch.
Not just any watch, but an old, rusted piece he found in his grandfather's wooden trunk, hidden beneath yellowing letters and black-and-white photographs of a world long gone. The watch was heavy, its glass cracked, and its hands… moving backward.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Backward.
"Probably broken," Arjun muttered, strapping it onto his wrist anyway. Something about it felt alive—like it had a story to tell.
That night, as rain lashed against his window in Kolkata, the power went out. Darkness swallowed the room, leaving only the faint glow of lightning.
And then the watch began to hum.
Not tick—hum.
A low vibration spread through Arjun's arm. He tried to pull it off, but it tightened around his wrist like it had chosen him.
"What the—?"
A flash of blinding light exploded.
And everything went silent.