Harsh: The Shadow Protocol

The Mirror Whispers

In the pitch-black shadows of the dense forest, after the hooded figure vanished into thin air, the injured girl—Natasha—staggered forward, her body trembling from absolute exhaustion and severe pain.

Deep, bloody lacerations slashed across her back and leg where the monster’s razor-sharp talons had torn through her flesh. She managed to take only a few agonizing steps before her vision blurred, dizziness overwhelmed her, and she collapsed unconscious onto the muddy forest path.

Sometime later, local residents passing near the forest edge discovered her motionless body. Horrified by her blood-soaked clothes and terrifying wounds, they immediately dialed emergency services. An ambulance rushed her to the city's central hospital.

Natasha remained unconscious throughout the night. When the senior attending doctor arrived in the emergency ward to treat her wounds, he gasped in shock. The gashes on her body weren't inflicted by any human weapon or common wild animal—they were 5-inch-deep claw marks left by a massive, monstrous beast.

The doctor whispered nervously to the nurse: "These wounds are terrifying... What kind of monstrous creature is roaming near our city? And more importantly—how on earth did this girl survive such a lethal attack?"

Amidst endless medical tests and mounting tension, the night slowly passed.

At exactly 5:00 AM, Natasha’s eyes snapped open!

"MAH

AKAAL!" she screamed, bolting upright in her hospital bed. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs, her skin drenched in cold sweat.

Her father, sitting vigil by her bedside, immediately stood up to gently comfort her. "Natasha... my child, are you okay? Don't be scared, you are safe in the hospital." He supported her shoulders, helping her sit comfortably.

Moments later, her mother burst into the room, tears streaming down her face, and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Soon, doctors, nurses, and police officers gathered in the room for questioning. The doctor re-examined her vital signs—her pulse, blood pressure, and ECG reports were surprisingly stable. The doctor assured her emotional parents that while the wounds were severe, she was out of danger.

That very morning, at Harsh’s apartment, another strange event unfolded.

Harsh woke up from yet another blurry, unsettling nightmare. This time, the dream felt different. Everything was shrouded in a thick fog—a distant voice was calling out to him, and within swirling violet flames, the faint silhouette of a face was forming.

TRING-TRING-TRING!

The 7:00 AM alarm blared loudly, snatching Harsh back to reality. He rubbed his aching forehead, deeply unsettled, wondering whose face was trying to manifest within his mind.

A knock sounded at his front door. It was his close friend Varun, looking anxious and rushed.

Varun needed to take his elder sister, Nirmala, to the hospital for a routine check-up as she was pregnant. "Harsh, get ready quickly, we need to accompany Di to the hospital."

Harsh quickly dressed, accompanying Varun and his sister to Aniket Hospital. They submitted the medical slip at the OPD counter and sat down in the crowded waiting lounge.

After a short wait, the nurse called out over the intercom: "Nirmala Devi... Nirmala Devi... Cabin number 4."

Harsh stood up, retrieved the medical file from the nurse, and walked toward the doctor's cabin alongside Varun and his sister.

At that exact moment... walking down the opposite side of the hallway was Natasha. Heavy bandages wrapped around her neck and forehead. Accompanied by her tearful parents and a team of medical staff, she was being escorted toward the CT Scan unit.

As Harsh stepped into the doctor's office, his eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of Natasha walking past the corridor.

Harsh froze for a brief second. A strange, phantom flash resonated deep within his subconscious—Have I seen her somewhere before? But his wiped memory offered no answers. Natasha, consumed by her own pain, didn't notice him either. Both of them walked away, completely unaware of their shared, blood-stained past.

Three to four days passed without incident.

During these days, Harsh suffered no nightmares. Everything felt calm, quiet, and completely normal. Harsh began to convince himself that the strange occurrences were merely symptoms of academic stress and exhaustion.

However, on the night of the fifth day...

At around 1:30 AM, Harsh woke up feeling parched. He stepped out of his bedroom, walking down the dim hallway toward the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Hanging on the hallway wall was a large, decorative mirror. As Harsh walked past it on his way to the kitchen, he didn't notice—but his reflection in the mirror suddenly stopped moving, remaining frozen on the glass surface.

Harsh poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

As he walked back down the dark hallway toward his bedroom, his eyes casually drifted toward the wall mirror.

His blood ran cold. His lips trembled in absolute terror.

The reflection in the mirror wasn't his own! Standing inside the glass frame was that terrifying, shadowed warrior shrouded in raging violet flames! But even more horrifying—the fiery orange Trishul emblem blazed on its forehead, and within the swirling shadows behind the reflection, the screaming face of that hospital girl (Natasha) and the horrific visage of the reptilian monster flickered violently!

The reflection inside the glass slowly pressed its hand against the mirror surface, its voice echoing directly inside Harsh’s mind without moving its lips:

"You cannot run from what you are, Harsh......."

Terror paralyzed Harsh's limbs! Overwhelmed with panic, he scrambled backward, lost his footing, and crashed hard onto the cold floor!

​He lay on the floor panting heavily, sweat soaking his clothes, staring in pure horror at the silent mirror.

What horrifying truth did Harsh witness in the mirror that sent him crashing to the floor in terror? Why did the screaming face of the hospital girl (Natasha) appear within his shadow's reflection... and has Harsh's own reflection turned into his worst nightmare?

To uncover the chilling secrets, keep reading —

Episode 5!