Master Of Death

Truth

Luca sat motionless for a moment, his mind racing. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the date on his phone: May 16th, again. The dread clawed at him, but the creeping fear that usually accompanied it was absent. He swallowed, surprised at the calmness that washed over him, as though some terrible weight had been lifted. For the first time in days, he didn't feel the suffocating presence of the Reaper lurking in his shadow.

His phone buzzed, snapping him back to reality. It was Lisa, just as he had expected. The predictability of it all sent a shiver down his spine. Slowly, he connected the call, pressing the phone to his ear.

"Yes, Lisa," he said, his voice calm, eerily calm. "I'll pick you up."

He rubbed his chin, staring out the window. Everything felt off, like the world was unraveling before his eyes, one stitch at a time. He wasn't sure what to think anymore, but something deep inside told him the key to all of this—the maddening repetition of May 16th—lay with the girl who hadn't appeared in his dream this time.

He needed to find her. He didn't know why, but she was the only thread left to pull.

Driving through the quiet streets, the familiar sensation of déjà vu settled in his bones. The trees, the road, the way the morning light sliced through the shadows—it was all the same. The same day. The same nightmare.

Lisa slipped into the car with an air of urgency. "Shall I brief you on the case, Luca?"

He shook his head, eyes locked ahead. "No need," he said, his tone too cool, too certain. His mind was no longer on the case—something far darker was pulling him in.

As they drove, the streets seemed to stretch into infinity, as though reality itself was bending around them. Luca's grip tightened on the wheel. He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew, deep down, that it was watching him, waiting, just beyond the surface of his waking life.

The girl. He had to find her before the darkness swallowed him whole.

As Luca drove, the familiar tune of Oh Penne from Vanakkam Chennai began to fill the car. But this time, it didn't feel the same. The once lively song twisted into something dark, the melody dragging in an eerie, distorted tone that sent chills down Luca's spine. The haunting lyrics echoed in his ears:

"Oh penne, un kaadhalan naan..."

His breath caught in his throat as the music wrapped around him like a ghostly whisper. His pulse quickened, panic rising. Without thinking, he jerked the wheel hard, veering the car sharply to the side. Tires screeched, and horns blared as other drivers swerved to avoid him. Bikes and cars zipped past, some barely missing them. People shouted angrily, but Luca couldn't hear anything over the terrifying pulse of the song.

Lisa gasped, clutching the seat. "Luca, what are you doing?"

Luca's heart raced, his mind spinning. He slammed the brakes, the car screeching to a halt in the middle of the road. He turned to Lisa, his eyes wide with confusion and fear. "Who put this song on?!" he demanded, his voice trembling.

Lisa blinked, startled. "I... I thought you didn't want the briefing, so I figured you wanted some music. I knew this was your favourite song, Luca."

For a brief second, something snapped inside him. The frustration and fear spilled out, and he shouted at her, "Why this song?! Don't ever play this again!"

Lisa flinched, her eyes wide with shock at his outburst. Luca's hands trembled as the haunting remnants of the song lingered in the car.

After the tension in the car, the day seemed to settle into its usual rhythm. Luca and Lisa arrived at the courthouse, and everything unfolded as it had the day before. Luca handled the case effortlessly, exploiting a subtle loophole in the legal argument, and once again, victory was his. Yet, as he scanned the room after the judge's ruling, something gnawed at him.