Run: 2026-05-10-01KR8WWZWCE6GMNNTMMG8QY6ED

The scent of cooling apple cider hung heavy in the air of the Alborn coffee shop. Outside, the leaves were turning a brittle, bruised gold. Selvi sat in the corner booth, her heavy DSLR camera rested in her lap like a shield. She was scrolling through her digital files, her brow furrowed, when a shadow fell across her table. Hunter stood there, his frame filling the space, dressed in a muted field jacket that spoke of long hours and little sleep. He tapped a badge against the table—a gesture of authority that Selvi recognized, even if she couldn’t read the English letters embossed upon it. Hunter: "Excuse me, Miss. I see you’ve been out with that camera all morning near the orchard. I’m Detective Hunter. I need to ask you about the area near the old trellis. Did you see anyone out there around noon?" Selvi: (Her eyes widen, her hand trembling slightly as she taps the screen of her camera to pull up a blurred image) "हे भगवान... वह... वह वहां पर कोई था ही नहीं! मैंने देखा, धुआं जैसा कुछ उठा था, और फिर सब गायब हो गया। मुझे बहुत डर लग रहा है, वह जगह बिल्कुल खाली थी, फिर भी वहां कोई था!" Hunter: (He leans back, his expression tight and uncomprehending. He rubs the back of his neck, frustrated by the barrier between them) "Slow down. I’m not following you. Did you see someone? A man? A vehicle? Look, I really need you to focus. This is important." Selvi: (She gestures frantically toward the camera screen, her voice rising in pitch, thick with agitation) "आप नहीं समझ रहे हैं! कैमरे में कैद नहीं है, लेकिन मैंने महसूस किया! वहां कुछ बहुत गलत था, जो अब इस शहर में फैल रहा है। वह परछाई... वह मेरी तरफ देख रही थी!" Hunter: (He sighs, dropping his hand onto the table, his posture dropping from interrogation to weary resignation) "Right. Okay. Clearly, we have a language gap here that I wasn't prepped for. I can’t get a statement if I can’t translate the panic." *His phone buzzed sharply against the tabletop, a harsh digital vibration that made Selvi jump. Hunter glanced at the caller ID, his jaw tightening into a grim line.* Hunter: "I have to take this. Stay here. Don’t leave town, alright?" Selvi: (She clutches her camera to her chest, whispering to herself in Hindi) "मैं यहाँ से बाहर निकलना चाहती हूँ..." Hunter: "I don't know what you just said, but don't move." *He turned and strode toward the door, leaving Selvi alone with the silent, flickering images on her screen.*