The Revenge

Chapter 16 - Flaring Ire.

Kabir practically reached the last block to his dorm, the image of Faith's frightened eyes imprinted on his retinas. He slammed the door shut, the sound echoing in the cramped room like a gunshot. His phone vibrated in his pocket, Jude's name flashing on the screen. Jude, his tech-savvy friend, had been a lifeline during the darkest days following the betrayal. Kabir answered with a rasp, "Jude, what do you have?"

"Whoa, slow down there, man," Jude's voice crackled through the receiver. "Alright, listen. I ran a scan on those messages you forwarded. Here's the thing" Jude's voice trailed off, a hint of unease creeping in. Kabir held his breath.

"They originated from Faith's phone number."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The carefully constructed narrative in Kabir's mind, the months of simmering anger, all threatened to boil over. "What the hell are you talking about?" he roared, his voice raw with disbelief."Hold on, Kabir," Jude pleaded. "It doesn't mean what you think. There could be a million explanations. Maybe her phone was hacked or"

Kabir cut him off, his voice dripping with icy fury. "Don't make excuses for her, Jude. Just don't." He slammed the phone shut, the plastic cracking slightly under the force. The anger, the cold, hard anger he thought he'd buried, roared back to life, a monstrous beast clawing its way out of its cage.

*****

Faith stared at the ceiling of her dorm room, the white paint a harsh contrast to the churning in her stomach. Sleep, had vanished. Every time she closed her eyes, Kabir's worried face popped back in, making her feel something she could not quite decipher.Exhaustion tugged at her, but her body felt like a coiled spring. The open textbook mocked her with its neat rows of blurry words. The silence, a change from the usual dorm racket, pressed in on her. Just as she gave up on sleep, a sound sent shivers down her spine.

A tiny creak, like a whisper, came from the door. Her heart hammered in her chest. Maybe it was just the building settling, but her mind raced with scary possibilities. Then, oh so slowly, the doorknob started to turn. A sliver of light peeked in, showing a bit of movement outside. Panic flooded her. Before she could scream, the door creaked open a crack, and a shadowy figure slipped in. Something shiny glinted in the dim light.A scream died in her throat as a cold hand clamped over her mouth. Fear locked her body in place. She could only stare, wide-eyed, as the figure came closer. Just as it raised its arm, Faith jolted awake with a gasp.

Sweat dripped down her face, and her heart pounded like a drum solo. It was just a nightmare, a scary dream. But the room felt heavy with silence.Disoriented, she fumbled for the lamp on her nightstand, blinking away blurry remnants of the nightmare. The silence was broken by a sharp, insistent ringing - the doorbell. Her blood ran cold. Who could it be at this hour? Fear, a cold snake, coiled around her heart. She crept towards the door, every muscle taut with tension. Should she answer? The bell rang again, more insistent this time. Taking a deep breath, Faith reached for the doorknob, her hand trembling. She peeked through the peephole, heart leaping into her throat. It was Kabir.

( Seven Months ago)

The second year started with sickening sweetness. Kabir's phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number, the message a playful tease: "Hey there, looking lonely ;) Up for some fun?" He ignored it, a bad feeling prickling his skin. But the messages kept coming, escalating in suggestiveness. Then, a photo arrived. Kabir's stomach lurched.

Over the next few days, a twisted narrative unfolded.

*blurry photo**

"in college,sorry for sending it late..."

*blurry photos **

"sent the way you wanted"

*blurry photos**