The doctors in the hospital were stunned when they examined Marwan. Despite the brutal encounter with the giant ghoul, there were no broken bones, just scattered bruises and minor wounds. Everyone was shocked, especially Malik, who couldn’t believe Marwan had walked away unscathed after being crushed. Marwan smirked, crossing his arms. "This is the result of my intense training and healthy lifestyle." Hadi scoffed, shaking his head. "That’s definitely not the reason. You were just lucky because your armor was designed to absorb shocks and protect the knight. If it weren’t for the armor, you would’ve been crushed under that ghoul." The others laughed, particularly Ali, whose arm had been broken in the fight. Marwan raised an eyebrow at Ali. "Hey Ali, you were wearing armor too, so why did your arm break? Why didn’t his armor absorb the blow? Or maybe, Hadi, you gave him a faulty one?" Hadi shoved Marwan lightly, rolling his eyes. "All the armors are of the same quality. He w

Ali and Laith settled into their temporary roles, assisting Hazim and Hadi with the mounting workload. The air carried the faint scent of coffee and old paperwork, a familiar comfort amidst the tension of unresolved missions. Hazim was exhausted from his two-week investigation in Jenin. He had returned empty-handed despite his relentless search through secret laboratories and hidden facilities. His frustration was palpable, every lead had dissolved into dead ends, leaving him with nothing but unanswered questions. Meanwhile, Hadi had been buried in negotiations, coordinating with the union to secure financial backing for their operations. Through relentless persuasion, he had managed to obtain loans and grants from sympathetic businessmen and private institutions. Yet, despite these small victories, the government remained stubborn, refusing to even entertain discussions. The lack of progress weighed heavily on both men, their fatigue evident in the shadows under their eyes and the

Marwan leaned against the wall in Hadi's office arms crossed. He had come straight from the car, the weight of his words to Harith still heavy on his tongue. Hadi, didn't look up, he was doing what's left of the paperwork. "You're back early," he remarked. "Mission goes smoothly?" Marwan exhaled through his nose. "The ghoul's dead. The mission was fine." A pause. "Harith held his own." Hadi's hands stilled. He knew that tone. Setting the blade down, he finally met Marwan's gaze. "What did you do?" Marwan pushed off the wall, pacing. "I told him the truth. That the military failed. That their orders got people killed, my family. Hazim's. You know this." Hadi's expression darkened. "And you thought now was the time?" "When else?" Marwan snapped. "He acts like he's some seasoned veteran when all he did was stand by while I did the work." "Enough." Hadi's voice cut like steel. He stood, and came face to face with Marwan. "You forget why we brought him in. He's not here

Empty cups lay toppled on the ground, discarded skewers littered the tables, and a faint smell of smoke still hung in the air. Marwan stood with his arms crossed, surveying the mess with a scowl. "Unbelievable," he muttered. Yazan, still bleary-eyed from sleep, yawned as he stretched. "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" Marwan gestured sharply at the scattered debris. "They left all this trash here like we’re their personal servants. Barbecue skewers, cups, plates, did they think it would just clean itself?" Yazan rubbed his face, trying to wake up. "It’s not that bad." "Not that bad?" Marwan snatched up a half-eaten piece of meat from the ground. "Look at this! And the weapons rack is a mess too." Yazan sighed, bending down to pick up a few cups. "It was a party. Everyone was tired. Even Hadi left in a hurry." "That’s no excuse," Marwan grumbled, kicking a stray bottle out of his way. "Just because we had fun doesn’t mean we turn the place into a mess after." He grabbe

Marwan wiped sweat from his brow as he stared at the motionless ghoul, its skull crushed from his hammer strike. He let out a sharp breath. "Guess we didn't need backup after all," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Hadi's gonna be pissed we made him run around for nothing." Hazim kept his eyes on the corpse. "We're still cleaning up this mess." Marwan opened his mouth to reply but before he could he heard a sound. The ghoul's fingers twitched. Both knights froze. Before they could react, the ghoul's hand shot forward like a whip, wrapping around Marwan's ankle. "What?" With a sickening yank, the ghoul flung him through the air. Marwan spun wildly toward the prison walls then his armor's stabilizers hissed to life. Hydraulics in his boots and gauntlets fired, correcting his trajectory just enough for him to grab the edge of a broken window ledge. His fingers dug into concrete as he swung to a stop, dangling ten meters up. Below, the ghoul lurched upright, i