Lost but Not Forgotten

PART 45

As days passed, a series of mishaps began to unfold, each one eerily coinciding with the cryptic threats Rohit had received. The air was thick with tension, and while everyone else shrugged off these incidents as mere accidents, Rohit was acutely aware that something sinister was at play.

One afternoon, Rohit was in the living room, scrolling through his phone, when a message popped up that made his blood run cold:

"Ishan's next. You can't save him this time."

Rohit's heart raced. He shot up from the couch, instincts kicking in. Just as he was about to rush out, he remembered that Ishan was at the training ground practicing batting. With a quickness born from desperation, he grabbed his keys and bolted out the door.

Upon arriving at the training facility, Rohit spotted Ishan, who was practicing his shots with intense focus. Just then, Rohit noticed a figure lurking behind the bleachers, watching Ishan intently. Panic surged within him, but he kept a calm exterior.

"Ishan!" Rohit shouted, rushing toward him. "Get down!"

Ishan, confused, turned to look, but before he could react, a heavy piece of equipment fell from the bleachers, narrowly missing him. The sound of metal clanging against the ground echoed in the air as the trainers and other players rushed over.

"I was just going to get that fixed!" a trainer exclaimed, looking at the fallen apparatus in shock. "It shouldn't have been loose."

"Coincidence, right?" Ishan said, trying to shake off the fear in his voice, but Rohit saw the unease in his eyes.

Rohit's gaze remained fixed on the bleachers, knowing that this had been a deliberate attempt to hurt Ishan. But he couldn't say anything. He needed to protect them from the truth.

Days later, Rohit received another message:

"Shubman will be next. Can you keep them safe forever?"

Once again, a knot twisted in his stomach. Rohit knew he had to act swiftly. He rushed to the stadium where Shubman was supposed to have a practice session with the team.

As he arrived, he spotted Shubman practicing his bowling in the nets. Rohit's heart sank when he noticed that the netting seemed to be coming loose, the supports not properly secured. He felt a growing sense of dread, but it was too late; the support finally gave way, causing part of the netting to collapse directly onto Shubman.

"Shubman, watch out!" Rohit yelled, sprinting forward.

Rohit reached him just in time, pulling him out of harm's way as the netting fell with a loud crash. Other players rushed over, looking shocked and confused.

"Are you okay, Shub?" Rohit asked, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Shubman replied, glancing back at the wreckage. "What the hell just happened?"

Rohit glanced at the others, who were murmuring about the accident. "Just a freak accident, right?" someone joked, trying to lighten the mood. But Rohit knew it wasn't a coincidence.

It seemed the danger wasn't going to stop. A few days later, as Rohit was about to leave for practice, he received yet another chilling text:

"Rishabh is on the list. You can't save them all."

This time, Rohit's heart dropped. Rishabh was known for being impulsive and carefree; Rohit had to get to him quickly. He raced to the gym where Rishabh was lifting weights, determination fueling his every step.

As Rohit entered the gym, he noticed that the weights were carelessly stacked near the bench where Rishabh was about to start his workout. Rohit's instincts kicked in. "Rishabh, don't—!"