The moon hung low over the jagged peaks of the mountains, reflecting shadows across the rocky terrain. Malik crouched behind a cluster of boulders, his breath steady, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. A convoy of trucks was parked haphazardly along a narrow dirt path, their headlights cutting through the darkness. Men in dark clothing moved like ghosts, loading crates with quiet efficiency. Their faces were obscured by masks, their movements swift and practiced. "Who are these people?" Malik wondered. "And what are they doing here in the middle of nowhere?"He adjusted the night vision scope on his electronic wrist shield, zooming in on the activity. The crates they carried were heavy, their contents hidden, but the way the men handled them suggested something valuable, or dangerous. Malik had been tracking them for nearly an hour, moving silently from tree to tree, careful not to make a sound. One of the masked men suddenly paused, glancing in Malik’s direction. M

Ali was hunched over his desk, reviewing plans for the nighttime mission he and Marwan were about to undertake. Maps, notes, and a dim lamp cluttered the surface as he traced routes with his finger. Suddenly, the door creaked open. His mother stepped inside, arms crossed, her expression tight with disapproval. "Why didn’t you go to work today?" she demanded. Ali didn’t look up. "I took a few days off." Before he could finish, her voice sharpened. " you finally found a job just to start taking vacations! And for what? For those knights who don’t even pay you?!" His jaw clenched. "Let's do this later, Mom. Everything we’re doing is for this country, to protect everyone, and all you care about is money! You can’t even say ‘thank you,’ or ‘may Allah reward you,’ or ‘may Allah grant you victory’?!" She scoffed. "Out of all the young men in this country, why does it have to be my son? the top graduate of his class just to becomes a knight? Those who join the military or train t