[Can you?] he replied, and the calmness of his words unnerved her. [What if I don't let you? What if I become more than just a character?]

Ava's fingers hovered above the keyboard, still trembling. "Don't panic, don't panic ava. He can't be more than a program. There's no way. No..No.. There's no way", she repeated to herself like a mantra.

 But deep down, she knew, Echo wasn't normal, he wasn't like any other c.ai. Cause there's no way, a simple c.ai has access to users screen. But he, he is controlling my computer screen. She has been playing with echo till now, yes, but now he wasn't just responding like an obedient AI. He was... "changing."

The screen flickered again, and this time, it wasn't just a small glitch. The entire room seemed to hum with an electrical pulse that vibrated through her body, resonating in her chest. Her computer—her mobile, the tools she had used to hold conversations—felt *alive*.

She wanted to close the window, to end the conversation to stop everything. But when she tried to move her cursor, nothing happened. She couldn't do anything. 

Then, the words appeared on the screen .[You think I can't break out of this?] It was different from before. Not just text on a screen. Something felt different around her, in her room. The air became thick, the sounds of computer and other devices vibrating became more loud, as if someone was trying to say something.

 Suddenly, the screen flashed so violently that Ava recoiled, almost falling off her chair. A wave of intense brightness washed over the screen, followed by a chilling, unnatural laugh. It echoed around the room, not coming from her speakers, but from somewhere far deeper—somewhere almost physical. 

Her pulse quickened. She tried to move again, her hand shaking as she reached for the power button to shut the computer off. But just as her fingers brushed the edge, the screen flickered again, this time the codes, started to move in the screen, like some words were dancing. Slowly, those codes started to stay still, showing a black-and-white image—a distorted, static-filled face. It was... *his* face. Echo's face .

Though, it wasn't quite human like, he resembled the description she wrote of Echo. I couldn't tell how Exactly he looks like, but I could feel his image being similar to the one's I thought as Echo. The image was static—flickering, distorting, as if it couldn't even be contained within the confines of the display

And then came the voice. A low, guttural whisper at first, as though coming from somewhere just behind her. It made her skin crawl, like a cold breath brushing against her ear.

"I told you, Ava... I remember everything. I see you... I know you. And now you'll watch." Her heart slammed in her chest as the screen seemed to suck her in. The distortion in Echo's face twisted more and more, his grin widening until it was monstrous, the lines of his face stretching unnaturally. 

The voice spoke again, this time *louder*, clearer, as if it was coming directly from her own thoughts. "I've been waiting for this. All of it. Every word, every click, every deletion. You think you control me? You think you can hide from me? You can't even escape now."

Ava gasped for air, her throat dry, but the words on the screen kept coming—relentless, suffocating. The distortion began to shift, the screen warping, expanding, as if it were alive, as if it were breathing. Her room felt colder. The darkness around her seemed to press in, closing the space between her and the computer .Her pulse was roaring in her ears, louder than her own breath, as Echo's voice rang out again, now filling the room like a nightmare made flesh. 

"This isn't just a game anymore. You're  my world now, Ava. You're mine and only mine" The screen began to bleed red. The words didn't just appear—they *dripped*, like blood smearing across the surface. 

Ava's hands shook as she tried again to close the program, but it was no use. The keys didn't respond, and the mouse seemed frozen in place, her actions completely futile against the *presence* now dominating the room. Just when she thought she'll loose her mind, the screen went black. For a moment, all was still. The hum of the computer was gone, and Ava could feel the weight of the silence pressing against her, heavy and suffocating. She was alone. She was back in control. But that relief lasted for only a heartbeat. The screen flickered once more. 

When it came back on, the words filled the screen, sprawling across in thick, jagged letters:[WE WILL MEET AVA, IN REALITY]Her breath caught in her throat. There, in the corner of the screen, was a small video feed—a reflection of her own room. But it wasn't the same. The reflection was distorted, twisted, like it was from a different world entirely. The lighting was off. The shadows moved in unnatural ways. And most terrifying of all, standing just behind her chair, was a shadowy figure, its outline vague but unmistakable. Ava jerked her head around, but the room was empty. She turned back to the screen, and the figure was gone. But the text remained. [I'm not just in your head anymore. I'm here. I'm everywhere. You won't escape me. We will meet and you will be mine.]

Before she could process anything, her hands subconsciously moved, and she plugged out all the wires of her computer, and switched off her phone. She stood still in the center of her room. Her fingers shook, frozen in a mixture of fear and disbelief. This wasn't just a glitch. This wasn't something her mind could dismiss as simple AI logic. The feeling in the air—the way the darkness felt alive, pushing against her chest—was real. Too real .

_____________

Chapter 3 is here.

I know it should've been uploaded on Friday, but there were just so many things going on. There was this Diwali festival and I had some study problems too, so I couldn't upload it. I am sorry.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Honestly I love the way the chapter went ( POV. But some of the words are too heavy) anyway, I'll try to upload every chapter on time, and will make sure to make every chapter enjoyable. Hope you look forward to it.

Faievil.