Ali tightened his hold on his sword, his expression grim. "We need to go," he said, turning to Laith. "Where’s your brother?"Laith’s gaze flickered toward the distant ruins where they had last seen Hazim. "He and the Black Knight were fighting that tall ghoul when it suddenly appeared. The last time I checked the ghoul fled, and they chased after it."Ali frowned. Without another word, he scaled the nearest staircase, leaping onto the rooftop to scan the area. The wind howled around him, but there was no sign of Hazim or the Black Knight. After a long moment, he dropped back down beside Laith. “We have to go back,” Ali said firmly. “Your brother is strong; there’s no need to worry about him.” Laith hesitated, then nodded. "You’re right. Let’s go check on the others."When they reached the headquarters, both of them froze. The building was in ruins, walls scorched black, equipment shattered, the entire structure resembling a haunted house. Ali’s breath caught in his throat. "Wha

The white lights of the hospital hallway hummed softly as Hazim hurried through the automatic doors. Nurses and doctors moved past him, their voices hushed but urgent. He approached the ward where the injured newbies had been admitted. Inside, the scene was shocking, bandages, slings, and the occasional groan of pain filled the space. Badir lay motionless in the far bed, his chest rising and falling steadily, but his eyes remained closed. The others some with arms in casts, others with bruised faces, looked up as Hazim entered. Hadi, seated near Badir's’s bed with a stack of books piled beside him, stood when he saw Hazim. His face was weary, dark circles under his eyes betraying hours of research. "How are they?" Hazim asked, his voice low. Hadi exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Alive, thankfully. Fractures, concussions, deep bruises, but they’ll recover. Karim’s still in a coma, though. The doctors say it’s too early to tell when he’ll wake up." Hazim’s jaw tightened. "How did

Ali and Laith dragged Professor Riyad down the creaky wooden stairs. The old aunt, her wrinkled face twisted in suspicion, stood at the top, gripping the railing. "Who are these boys, Riyad?" she demanded, her voice sharp. Before the professor could answer, Ali flashed a grin, though his eyes remained cold. "We’re his old friends, Auntie. He promised to play with us in the global gaming championship FIBA football. But then he forgot all about us." He clapped a heavy hand on Riyad’s shoulder, making him flinch. The aunt narrowed her eyes. "This doesn’t sound right. Riyad, is this true?" The professor’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. Ali’s grip tightened subtly, a silent warning. "Y-Yes," Riyad stammered. "It’s true. I... I forgot. We were just joking around." The aunt wasn’t convinced, but before she could protest further, Laith stepped forward, his voice smooth but firm. "Don’t worry, we’ll remind him properly." With that, they pulled Riyad into the room and locked th

Ali stared at Professor Riyad, his fists clenched at his sides. His voice came out low and dangerous. "You expect me to believe any of this?" Ali shook his head in disgust. "None of it makes sense. Who gave you the right to risk my life? If you wanted to help humanity fight ghouls, why didn't you test the chip on yourself first? Why kidnap a child under the pretense of creating some 'perfect knight'?" Professor Riyad sat slumped in his chair, the ropes digging into his wrists. He met Ali's gaze without flinching. "You're right," he said quietly. "I knew this day would come. That you'd hold me accountable. I don't expect your forgiveness, Ali. But you demanded answers, and I've given them to you." Laith stepped forward, his expression grim. "Enough. That's it. We need to take him to headquarters to Hadi and Hazim. They'll deal with him." Ali exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You're right. Go get the car ready. I'll be right out." Laith nodded and turne

Malik was heading out because it was his turn today, and unfortunately for him, Marwan was bored and alone at the base. All the new recruits he used to torment were injured, so there was no one left for him to bully, train, or vent to. So, he tagged along with Malik and went out with him. The whole way, Malik was trying to focus, but Marwan kept begging him to buy him pizza. Malik told him no, asking, "Since when do you even like pizza? Your thing is meat and protein." Marwan replied that today, he suddenly craved pizza. Malik teased him, "Don’t you work at a bakery? Why can’t you ask the old man to make you one?" Marwan explained that he’d fought with the old man and quit the shop, so he had no money at all right now. Malik told him, "Find another job. Who’s stopping you?" Marwan said, "I can’t bring myself to leave Abo Sameera, it’d be a sin. He has no one else. No sons to help him, just young daughters. I’m waiting for him to reconcile with me because I’m always the one who apo