Eternal Hunt

The Predator's Eyes

By now, all the employees had arrived at Namah's house. It was a very high-class party; people were mingling, drinking, and enjoying the lavish spread. Suddenly, a car pulled up, and a couple stepped out. As they made their entrance, everyone in the room turned to look. Namah turned around as well, only to see Aadi and Shreya walking into the party, their hands locked together.

They looked so breathtakingly beautiful together that the entire room was left in stunned silence. Namah, too, found himself completely frozen, his eyes glued to Shreya. She looked so gorgeous that he simply couldn't look away. But the moment Namah saw Shreya look up at Aadi with a warm smile, a sharp pang of jealousy hit him. He quickly masked his emotions and regained his composure.

Namah approached them and shook Aadi's hand. When he turned to greet Shreya and their hands touched, a strange, electric feeling coursed through her once again. Namah looked incredibly handsome, but he had a raw, wild aura about him—his hair styled slightly messy, almost like a beast's mane. The proximity left Shreya feeling emotionally overwhelmed and off-balance.

Aadi, Namah, and Shreya moved to get some drinks. Shreya didn't drink, but she held a glass just to join in.

Namah: "Shreya, you were at the college that day..."

Shreya: "Yes, sir. You remember?"

Namah: "Of course. You have quite a striking personality."

Shreya blushed slightly at the compliment.

Aadi: "So, Namah, is there no one with you tonight?"

Namah: "I'm still looking for the right girl."

Shreya: "You are very rich and handsome. I'm sure you will find someone eventually."

Namah: "Perhaps. But I have a very particular choice."

Shreya: "That's classic."

Aadi: "It's a beautiful party, Namah. Thanks for inviting us."

Namah: "My pleasure."

As the party went on, Aadi and Shreya stuck close together. Seeing this, Namah subtly sent one of his female assistants over. The assistant struck up a conversation with Aadi and cleverly guided him to the side, separating them. The moment Shreya was left alone, Namah walked over to her.

Namah: "Where is Aadi?"

Shreya: "I don't know, he must be around here somewhere."

Namah: "So... are you two a couple?"

Shreya: "No. We're still figuring things out."

Namah: "You are very beautiful, Shreya. You remind me of a person who is very close to my heart."

Shreya: "Who?"

Namah: "A lost friend... who is no longer in this world."

Shreya: "I'm so sorry."

Namah: "Yeah."

Trying to keep the conversation going, Shreya asked, "Tell me something about yourself. What do you like?"

Namah: "I really like nature. I prefer spending most of my time there; it brings peace to my mind."

Seizing the opening, Shreya brought up the recent college trip. She told him how they had gone camping near the ruins, how she was attacked in the palace, and how her friend was brutally killed and eaten by something.

Namah: "What is happening in our town? That palace is very old... it must hold many dark secrets." He feigned sympathy for her friend's death.

Shreya then pulled out her phone and started showing him photos from the camping trip. Namah watched patiently. Suddenly, Shreya swiped to a photo of the ancient script they had found. She closely observed Namah's eyes. As he looked at the picture, it was obvious his eyes were scanning and reading the lines. His facial expressions subtly shifted—he recognized the context. Shreya didn't ask anything right away.

Then, she swiped to a picture of the mysterious journal Aadi had found. Namah stared at it for two full minutes before suddenly snapping to high alert, realizing that Shreya had shown him these pictures deliberately.

Namah: "What is all this?"

Shreya: "Nothing, sir. We found this diary in the library, but we don't know what script this is."

Namah: "Yes... it is quite old."

Shreya: "Do you know what is written here?"

Namah: "My family has lived in this town for centuries. They knew many ancient languages, so maybe this is one of them. But I haven't lived here much, so I have no idea."

Shreya immediately understood that Namah was on his guard. Changing the topic smoothly, she said, "Maybe you know someone who could translate this for us?"

Namah: "What exactly are you trying to prove by translating this?"

Suddenly, Aadi appeared beside them. He looked Namah dead in the eye.

Aadi: "There is someone out there killing the people of our city."

Namah: (smirking) "So, you are the savior?"

Aadi: "No. But I want justice for those who have lost their lives as soon as possible."

Namah: "There is no justice in nature."

Aadi: "But God always delivers justice. I trust Him."

Namah: "So, you are a believer."

Then, Shreya looked closely at him. Driven by his rising anger toward Aadi, Namah's eyes slowly began to glow with a faint, terrifying red light. Shreya froze. She recognized that glow instantly. They were the exact same eyes that had stared down at her when the masked attacker had her pinned in his brutal grip during the camping trip.

Suddenly, she was paralyzed with fear as all the dots connected in her mind. Oh my god... he is the predator. The horrifying realization made her incredibly anxious and visibly uncomfortable. Namah immediately noticed her sudden shift in demeanor. Gathering whatever courage she had left, Shreya quickly blurted out, "I need some fresh air."

Aadi immediately took her hand and guided her outside to a terrace with a breathtakingly beautiful night backdrop. Inside, Namah stood completely still, his eyes burning with jealousy and rage as he watched them leave together.

As soon as they were completely alone, Shreya frantically tried to tell Aadi her terrifying discovery. "Aadi, it's him!" she rushed out, her voice trembling in panic. "He's the one!"

Aadi tried to calm her down, speaking gently. "Relax, Shreya. Nothing is going to happen."

But Shreya was in full panic mode, repeating it over and over. "Aadi, you don't understand, it's him! I saw his eyes! I swear it's him!"

Aadi held her shoulders, trying to ground her. "Shreya, listen to me. I know. I know exactly what you are thinking, but you need to—"

She wouldn't stop. She kept stammering frantically, completely consumed by the terror of standing in the monster's own house. Finally, to cut through her panic—and driven by the overwhelming, unspoken tension that had been building between them all night—Aadi pulled her firmly against him and suddenly crashed his lips onto hers.