[Scene: A quiet, cozy bakery in Chennai. Warm lighting, the scent of cardamom and vanilla in the air. Students chatting, rain tapping lightly on the glass.]

Agilan (18), slender, introverted, hair a bit messy, eyes sharp but tired, sits at a table nervously tapping his fingers. His best friend, Vinod, pats his shoulder encouragingly. A small gift box lies on the table — a simple bracelet he made himself.

Vinod: “Bro… it’s now or never. You’ve been crushing on her since the first semester. Just… tell her.”

Agilan: (softly) “What if she doesn’t feel the same?”

Vinod: “Then you’ll walk away like a hero. Not like a coward who never tried.”

The bell rings. Shalini enters — bright, graceful, laughing with her friend. She spots Agilan, walks over with a smile.

Shalini: “Hey! You called me? What’s up?”

Agilan hesitates. His hand trembles as he pushes the gift box toward her.

Agilan: (barely audible) “I… I like you, Shalini. A lot. Since forever.”

A pause. Shalini’s smile fades a little, replaced with gentle understanding.

Shalini: “Agilan… you’re really sweet. But… I already have a boyfriend. I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

Agilan nods, forces a small smile. His eyes shimmer but don’t break. He stands up, bows slightly.

Agilan: “Don’t be. I’m happy for you.”

He turns and walks out into the rain. Vinod rushes after him, but Agilan lifts a hand, stopping him. He walks alone, rain mixing with tears, a hollow smile glued to his face.

Narration (Agilan’s inner monologue):

"Turns out, when your heart breaks… it really does hurt here." (clutches chest)

"But I smiled anyway. Because that’s what quiet boys like me do."

Traffic Police: WATCH OUT!!

Agilan slowly turns 

Suddenly A Truck Crushed Agilan 

Streetlight flickers. Headlights beam. Screech of tires. A blinding impact.

---

[Scene: Hospital ER. Blurred voices. Heart monitor beeping. Emergency surgery in motion.]

Doctor: “He’s lucky we had a donor. Start the transplant. We can save him.”

Hours later, Agilan lies unconscious. Chest still open. Monitors slow.

Nurse: “Power cut?! Backup generator isn’t kicking in!?”

Everyone scrambles. In the chaos, no one notices the black mold creeping in from the corner of the ceiling — pulsing, alive. It slithers to Agilan’s body, then dives into his heart like it was meant to be there.

Narration:

"Something answered my pain."

"Something old… hungry… and waiting."

The heart monitor flatlines. Silence.

Doctor: (quietly) “We lost him…”

Suddenly — a pulse. Not from the monitor — from Agilan’s body. His eyes open wide. No pupils. A glow. Tentacles of flesh rise from the operating table, holding him mid-air as his bones crack and reform. Skin stitches itself shut with unnatural speed. He floats, then drops.

---

[Scene: Silence. Agilan lies on the floor. The lights flicker back. The doctor gasps — Agilan is breathing.]

He opens his eyes slowly. This time, pupils return… but they're not quite human. Something watches from within.

System Interface appears in mid-air:

> SYSTEM ACTIVATED

Agilan (whispers): “…What… am I?”

TO BE CONTINUED...