**Ankhush reaches the end of the chapter.**
His eyes remain glued to the screen, his fingers frozen.
His heart **thunders** in his chest.
For several seconds, he just **stares**, trying to process what he just read.
Then—**realization dawns.**
A cold chill **creeps up his spine.**
**Ankhush's breath quickens.**
His chest **rises and falls rapidly**, his hands **clammy** against the phone screen.
His mind races.
**Ankhush (thinking):** *If something like this happened in real life… No… No, it's just a novel… right?*
But—
A **cold, gnawing feeling** settles in his gut.
A feeling that tells him otherwise.
**His body tenses.** His heartbeat pounds **louder.**
Then—**panic crashes over him.**
Before he even **realizes it**, he's already **moving.**
His feet **slam against the ground** as he **dashes toward the school building**, pushing past students in the hall.
His vision blurs—**but he doesn't stop.**
The moment he reaches the staff room, he **throws the door open** with a loud **bang.**
The sudden noise startles the teacher inside.
She jerks up from her seat, eyes **wide with surprise.**
For a brief moment—**silence.**
Then—
**Ankhush (shouting):** *"Where is my mom?!"*
The teacher **blinks.**
She **pauses.**
A beat of hesitation.
Then, finally—she speaks.
**The teacher furrows her brows.**
**Teacher:** *"She just left. What's wrong? You look stressed."*
Ankhush doesn't respond.
His body moves on its own.
**He spins on his heels and bolts out the door.**
His thoughts **swirl chaotically.** His pulse **pounds against his skull.**
**Ankhush (thinking):** *If this story is real, then—Mansh!*
**His stomach drops.**
*Kokoro's real-life counterpart!*
A surge of **dread** shoots through him.
**Ankhush (thinking):** *He'll be in danger too!*
Mansh is **strong.** He's tough. **He can fight.**
But—
The kidnapper is nearly **twice his age.**
Twice his **strength.**
Twice his **danger.**
Ankhush's breath **hitches.**
His **legs burn**, but he pushes himself **harder.**
**Ankhush (thinking):** *My mom must have my phone!*
*I can track it!*
He **grabs** his brother's phone, **fingers trembling** as he rushes to log into his email.
His breath **shudders.** His chest **tightens.**
**Come on… come on…**
Seconds feel like **hours** as the screen **loads.**
Then—
A **ping.** A dot on the map.
His phone's **location.**
**Ankhush (shouting):** *"FOUND IT!"*
**His heart slams against his ribs** as he bolts toward the abandoned building.
The world around him blurs—he doesn't care.
His legs burn. His lungs scream. **But he doesn't stop.**
As the building looms ahead, something makes him **stagger to a halt.**
His **blood runs cold.**
Mansh lies **motionless** outside.
Bruised.
Bleeding.
Unconscious.
A sharp **pain stabs through Ankhush's chest.**
His **hands shake. His jaw clenches.**
**No time to think.**
He **grits his teeth**, **digs into his pocket**, and dials the police.
Then—
His gaze **snaps to the ground.**
A **glass shard.** Broken. Jagged.
He **grabs it**, his grip so tight his palm stings.
His **breath steadies. His eyes harden.**
And then—
He **sprints inside.**
Inside, the dim light casts eerie shadows across the room.
And there—
**Ankhush freezes.**
The kidnapper looms over his **unconscious mother.**
A **suffocating rage** ignites in his chest.
His breath **sharpens.** His grip on the **glass shard tightens.**
**His vision tunnels.**
Nothing else exists.
Only **this moment.**
With a raw, **uncontrolled roar,** he lunges forward.
The shard **plunges into flesh.**
**Once.**
Twice.
Four times.
**Six.**
**Sixteen.**
His body moves on **instinct.** His mind drowns in **fury.**
Everything **fades.**
His hands feel **wet.** His breaths grow **ragged.**
The world **tilts.**
Darkness **swallows him.**
And then—
A distant wail of **sirens.**
**Ten minutes later.**
The police storm the building.
The **kidnapper—arrested.**
The **injured—rushed to the hospital.**
A/N: And that concludes this intense chapter! Things are escalating quickly, and the lines between fiction and reality are blurring even more. What do you think will happen next? How will Ankhush deal with what he just did?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Also, if you noticed any mistakes or have any feedback, feel free to point them out—I appreciate every bit of it.
Don't forget to save this to your library and drop some gems if you're enjoying the story! The next chapter is going to be even wilder. Stay tuned!