The cottage had gone strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
The quiet where even the air feels like it’s listening.
Tick… tick… tick…
The old wall clock dragged every second, as if it had personal issues with time itself.
And right in the middle of that suffocating silence—
Chaos.
Pure, unfiltered chaos.
Kai took the papers from the table.
And Lucas had lost his peace.
“If you don’t tell me what’s going on,” Kai said, lifting the papers higher like a trophy, “then I’m not giving these back.”
Lucas took a step forward, jaw tight.
“Give. Them. To me.”
“No.”
“Kai…”
“Nope.”
Lucas exhaled sharply.
“Stop this nonsense and hand them over.”
Kai leaned back slightly, casually flipping one page.
“Expectation is a dangerous thing, Lucas. Don’t keep it.”
The clock ticked louder.
Lucas’s fingers twitched.
“You really want to do this? Fight all day? I have work. I don’t have time for your drama. Just give them and leave. I need peace.”
Kai blinked.
Then raised the papers even higher.
And started reading.
“Ohhh… interesting…” he murmured.
“Kaiiiii…!” Lucas lunged forward.
Now, let’s pause for a second.
Because of this scene?
Visually?
Unfair.
Lucas—slim, slightly shorter, soft, long brown hair brushing his forehead, dressed in calm pink and white, like he walked out of a peaceful dream.
Kai—tall, broad, sleeveless black shirt, muscles practically screaming gym is my religion, looking like he could lift the cottage if he wanted.
So when Lucas tried to grab the papers—
He had to grab Kai first.
He clutched Kai’s shoulder, trying to pull him down.
“Kai, stop it!”
But Kai just leaned back, one arm up, reading like this was a casual Sunday newspaper moment.
“Hmm… oh wow… this is getting interesting.”
“Give it to me!” Lucas tried to jump, nearly climbing him at this point.
Meena slowly turned to me.
I slowly turned to her.
“…should we intervene?” she whispered.
Tick… tick… tick…
Lucas finally yanked harder, and for a second, Kai lost balance—
—but instead of falling, he spun, pulled the paper away again, scanned one last line—
And then— the paper fell from his hand, or he lost the grip of his hand, and the paper fell like it’s raining.
Dramatically.
“What is going on, Lucas?” Kai’s voice wasn’t playful anymore.
Silence.
Even the clock hesitated.
“As I said earlier, I want peace,” Kai added, quieter now.
“Can you give me that?”
Behind them, I waved my hand uselessly.
Even though they can’t see us, we are ghosts now.
“Um… hello? Are we also here? Anyone? Ghosts? Dead people? I’m feeling Emotional damage?”
Meena shot me a look.
“You’re still joking?”
I grinned.
“You don’t know me? I’m Lily Varma. I can joke in hell, in heaven, while alive, and even after dying. Multitalented.”
Meena took a deep breath and nodded dramatically.
“Correct. You are Lily Varma. And I am Meena Sharma. And together—”
“We are stuck,” I finished.
“Completely stuck,” she agreed.
We both nodded like this was a serious conclusion.
Meanwhile—
Reality snapped back in.
Kai’s voice cut through.
“So…..,” he said slowly, eyes locked on Lucas, “so…, you’re solving our mothers’ murders now?”
The word hit like a crack in glass.
Lucas froze.
“You think…” Kai stepped closer, “…that my mom and Meena aunty were murdered?”
“…Kai—”
“That it wasn’t an accident?” His voice sharpened.
“What are you doing? And why am I not involved? Do you not remember that Lily is not only your aunt but my mother, also? She might’ve loved you more—”
“—but she’s still my mom.”
For a moment—
Lucas didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Then slowly—
He pulled a chair.
Dragged it across the floor.
Screech.
Sat down.
Ran a hand through his hair.
Tick… tick… tick…
“…It could be nothing,” Lucas said quietly.
“My misunderstanding. My overthinking.”
Kai didn’t respond.
Didn’t move.
“Or…” Lucas continued, voice dropping, “…it could be true.”
Meena’s fingers brushed mine.
Cold as we are dead and ghosts now.
“…I don’t think it was a car accident,” Lucas said.
Silence.
“I don’t think it was an accident at all.”
Tick.
“…I think—”
Tick.
“—It was a well-planned murder.”
“What?!” Meena and I sat together.
We turned to each other.
“We died in a car accident,” I said.
“Car accident?” Meena frowned.
“Wait—what is he saying?”
I blinked.
“He said murder.”
She blinked back.
“Planned murder.”
We both paused.
“…yes, we were murdered?” I whispered.
“…apparently,” she whispered back.
I stared at Kai and Luca’s faces.
“…hey, isn’t that the mystery we need to solve for the ticket to heaven together?”
Meena crossed her arms.
“Your brain is working a little too much after death.”
“Oh, please,” I said.
“At least it’s working now. If it worked before, maybe we wouldn’t be dead.”
She opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Because—
Lucas spoke again.
And this time—Even the air leaned closer to listen.
“Kai…” he said.
And Kai—
Finally—
Went silent.
To be continued…
So, it’s a murder, but why?