She began to fade, green light leaking from her edges.

She had Meera’s face. Not a copy, but an echo. Same round cheeks, same stubborn chin. But the eyes were ancient, and filled with a grief so total it felt like a physical smell—mothballs and rain-soaked earth.

“From the Sethi mansion auction,” Ravi said, wiping his brow. “Only two hundred rupees. A bargain.”