Case Zero : The Awakening (#1 Paranormal Agents Series) |Ongoing|

NINTH

I squinted my eyes open, revealing a room bathed in the soft, orange glow of the setting sun. I blinked, momentarily disoriented, as my surroundings gradually came into focus.

The room had a simple grace, with few furnishings but each in its place. There was a sturdy cupboard with open doors displaying the emptiness. Next to it, is a study table. Someone had neatly kept a chair, giving the impression that this room had been unused for long. Nonetheless, the room remained serene and peaceful, a haven of quiet joy.

The organization assigned her this room. It was easier than she had expected. When she asked for it, they just gave her the keys to this room.

My attention drifted to the bed I had awoken on. It was a large, inviting structure, covered in a quilt that bore the familiar scent of detergent. I sat up, the covers sliding off me, and my bare feet touched the cool, polished marble floor. My fingers brushed against the quilt, feeling its softness.

This place wasn't too bad.

As I walked into the room, I couldn't help but notice the soft, warm light that filtered through the sheer curtain. The rays cast intricate patterns on the floor, while dust motes danced lazily in the air. I felt a sense of calm wash over me as I took in the tranquillity of the moment.

I thought, "This place has so much potential." With a deep breath, I got up from the bed and went to the window. As I pulled back the curtain, I was greeted with a breathtaking view of the world beyond. The sky was painted in hues of pink and blue, with wispy clouds catching the last light of the day.

I heard a knock on the door as I was enjoying the view. I swiftly walked towards the door. Not that the room was big. The opened door revealed a spiling Layla.

"I heard you asked for a room, so I came to welcome you." Her smile reached her ears.

"Would you like to come over to my room?" she asked to which I happily followed her.

As I entered Layla's room, we were welcomed with a scent, which was a mixture of clean linen and vanilla. It was slightly bigger than the one assigned to me. It was two connected rooms.

The walls were painted powder blue with delicate white flowers decorating the walls. The curtains were sheer white with fairy lights hanging along them. She had a couch adjoining the window. The bed was decorated with big fluffy pillows and a fluffy duvet took centre stage.

Soft, plush rugs cover the floor, providing a cosy surface underfoot. There was a big television in front of the Bed. We took a seat on the bed. It was comfy and soft. Layla went in to get some snacks. As I sat there scrolling through my TV.

Layla decked out her room pretty well.

Layla came with a big bag of chips and a soft drink. We chatted along munching chips. It was quite a peaceful evening till I realised what time it was.

"Shoot, I need to rush back," I panicked. It was already past 7, and I could feel the urgency to reach home quickly.

" I'll ask someone to drop you," Layla smiled. I thanked her for her help.

As we waited for the escort to arrive, "Won't your parents get worried?" I asked Layla. In response, she stayed silent. Her eyes lost the usual shine.

"Oh, they know about you working?" I assumed. "My parents would never allow me to do such a dangerous job," I kept on blabbing.

"I don't have parents," came a quiet voice. I was taken aback. I looked at her, her smile still lingering on her lips, but her eyes lacked the spark of joy. Her shoulders drooped, a departure from her usual straight posture.

I looked at her, the words on the tip of my tongue, but they refused to be spoken just as the driver arrived.

"Kaya you should hurry," she sent me off. The Layla I had known for a month. The girl who always smiled did not have a family. I had talked to her the most out of everyone at the organisation, yet I did not know about it.

At the moment, maybe I should have embraced her or said something, at least rather than looking at her.

***

The hot steam from the food combined with Mumbai's hot and humid weather made my kitchen feel like a sauna. Wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts didn't help. Swiftly moved my palm up and down, trying to cool myself down. I found myself absent-mindedly staring at Layla, dressed in a white crop top and tracks. She looked as joyous as ever. I couldn't help but think about Layla's parents. A lot of questions are on my mind. Should I ask them? Can I ask them?

"Whether my parents are alive or dead doesn't concern me, so don't overthink my words from yesterday."I looked at her.

"I was just worried"

"Don't I am being taken care of pretty well" Layla looked at me with her usual smile and with a swift motion of her finger a fresh breeze blew.

Ahh a relief.

That lasted for a minute. Layla recommended that I go cool down in the hall and join her later.

"but will you manage?"

"Of course. " she looked at me with confidence.

We had a bad experience baking cookies together last time, but this time it was Maggie. No one can mess that up. Can they?

(A\N: Maggie is a popular instant noodles brand in India.)

I took a seat beside Andrew, who was in his usual shorts and a t-shirt. and Rihan, who was wearing tracks with a polo shirt on the couch. Andrew was busy scrolling through Netflix, searching for a good movie. While Rihan was busy on his phone going through the news.

My family was out and would be coming home late today so I invited the gang over. A good bowl of hot Maggie with takeout crispy spicy chicken and a bottle of cold coal was the best hangout snack.

Do you like your Maggie soupy or dry? Imma judges you if I add anything to your Maggie.

As I was getting comfortable, I could smell something burning."Do you smell ....."Andrew looked at me. Then we both looked towards Rihan, who could also smell it. Something was burning. What could that be?

"Kaya, where is Layla?" Rihan looked at me. To which we dashed towards the kitchen. There Layla was looking at the noodles. I switched the gas off. God I shouldn't have left her.

"You sure underestimated our Layla, Kaya. " Andrew looked at me while I was checking how much those noodles were burned. Not much, just a bit.

"It happens... " I just looked at them with a smile, Layla looked disheartened. The doorbell rang and Rihan went to collect Chiken.

I poked Layla's cheeks with my finger. "Aye, there is nothing Crispy Chilli Chicken couldn't fix. "

"It definitely can't fix Layla's cooking.....ouchhh" I twisted Andrew's ear.

"Let's head out before the food gets cold. " I distributed the noodles in plates and took a big bowl for chicken and added out. Andrew with the glasses and Cola and Layla held the hot plates. As we headed to the hall, Rihan came with the takeout chicken and helped Layla with her plates.

We sat on the ground food and drinks with us.

"How bout we play a game? " I suggested.

"We share one fact about ourselves and others have to guess if it's the truth or not."

"Kaya, just tell me you want to know more about me. No need to play such games." I glared at Andrew.

"But we were going to watch a movie," Rihan objected.

"You've known each other forever. I'm new and I want to befriend you all"

"Colleges don't need to be friends."

"Rihan, come on!"

"That's why you are here at my house to hang out. " I knew I had crossed the line.

"Well then, excuse me." as Rihan got up.

"Hey buddy, stop being a buzz kill." Andrew caught him in a chokehold.

"Rihan please," Layla said. He finally sat down.

"I'm sorry Rihan, I was at fault. Let's just drop that and watch a movie instead."

"Gladly!" Rihan said, looking towards me. Why does He sound so much like Dev?

Speaking of which, I haven't seen him in a while.

Andrew seemed disappointed. We went ahead with our plans to watch the movie. There is nothing a plate of Crispy Chilli Chicken can't fix. Especially my mood.

I watched as Layla and Andrew cried during the sad parts. Then, Rihan, He was looking at me? As our eyes met, he darted away.

Things went well for the rest of the evening until my parents arrived. They left soon after, despite my parents insisting they stay over for dinner.

A/N; Hello hope you have enjoyed the story till now. This is the last chapter I'm gonna put up this month. I'll be posting weekly updates from November. Thank you to all the people reading this. I still don't have a solid reader base who follow me but to those who are sticking around I'm grateful. If you are reading and enjoying this story please don't forget to vote and comment on your favorite parts. Please share it with your friends if possible. THANKING YOU!