Andhera said, switching to English for the punchline. “It’s the real monster.”

A shape peeled from the corner—tall, fluid, made of starlight and shadow. It had eyes like dying embers.

The Dark sighed. It switched to slow, broken Hindi: “Main… Andhera. Tum… darpok.” (I am Dark. You… coward.)

When dawn came, Andhera began to fade.