The night was deep, the air thick with laughter as the group lounged under the moonlight. Hazim and Marwan lingered slightly apart, their usual quiet vigilance keeping them on the edges of the gathering. Laith, ever the center of warmth, grinned at some joke, until the crunch of gravel underfoot cut through the chatter. A man in a drenched yellow raincoat emerged from the shadows, his face obscured by the hood. Without invitation, he sat beside Basil, his voice a hollow rasp. "I’m sad." Silence. Every eye locked onto the stranger. Basil blinked. "Who… who are you?"The man’s head tilted slightly, rainwater sliding off his coat. "Someone who lost his brother today. He… died."A beat. Then Basil, ever polite, murmured, "May Allah give you patience. But, tell me, what’s your name? And who killed him?"Hazim’s fingers twitched. Marwan’s posture stiffened, something was wrong. The man's body detonated, a shockwave of flesh and fury. Basil barely had time to flinch before Laith blur

The three men found themselves back in the living room, unchanged, as if nothing had happened. The same family photos hung on the walls: a mother, a father, and their two young children. The same children they had spoken to upstairs. The same children who had vanished. Then, suddenly, an old man appeared, he paralyzed weak looking, white hair and a pale face. The very same one they had seen when they first arrived on the island. He was alone in the house, cooking for them as if nothing was amiss. The one Ali handed the note with the phone number, Laith and Ali froze in shock. "How did you get here?" Laith demanded. The old man simply smiled, unbothered. Marwan frowned, looking between them. "You know him?"Ali swallowed hard. "We saw him… the moment we stepped onto this island."--The old man began to laugh, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "I welcomed you at first so you wouldn't suspect me, so I could study your abilities. But now I regret it." His grin twisted. "I

Hazim drove his sword into the Ghoul’s flesh five times already each strike was precise, brutal. The creature howled, its dark eyes widening in pain before it turned and fled, disappearing into the shadows. It would seek its master now, desperate for healing. With a growl, Hazim gave chase, his boots pounding against the cracked earth. He wouldn’t let it escape. As they reached the end of the woods Hazim decided to launch at the ghoul with all the strength he has left to finish the ghoul in a single strike, suddenly he found himself standing before an old man, a frail figure wrapped in tattered robes, his face wrinkled with age. The old man smiled gently, his voice calm but laced with something unreadable. "What are you doing here, old man?" he asked, tilting his head. Hazim frowned, scanning the barren landscape. "I’m hunting a Ghoul. It came this way, it's dangerous here you should get away." Before he could finish, the ground beneath him erupted. A massive, clawed han

The island was finally safe. Ali and his companions had slain the last of the ghouls that had plagued the land. Now, with the battle over, they summoned peacekeeping forces, police, some volunteer teams to sweep the island, clearing the remnants of the chaos and preparing for the return of the displaced residents. As the group boarded the boat to leave, Malek as the stern but dedicated teacher he is grew restless. He checked his watch and cursed under his breath. "We need to move faster," he snapped, pacing the deck. "The exam is tomorrow, and if we’re late, I swear I’ll jump into the sea and swim the rest of the way!"Marwan rolled his eyes and nudged Ali. "Look at him, he's gone mad! While we were busy fighting ghouls, he was scribbling exam questions for his students!"The others chuckled, shaking their heads as the boat sailed on. Malek ignored them, muttering equations under his breath while gripping the railing. As the shoreline of their city came into view, Malek’s patie

The car was packed, the family was buzzing with excitement, and Ali stood on the doorstep, arms crossed, scowling. The annual family camping trip was his personal nightmare. His mother, hands on her hips, fixed him with a glare. "I swear, Ali, if you don’t come this time, I’ll never forgive you! Everyone has to be there, no excuses!"Ali rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course. Because this trip isn’t really about ‘family bonding’ it’s just your chance to show me off like some prize cow. Except, oops, your son’s still unemployed. Maybe spare yourself the embarrassment and let me stay home?""Enough!" she snapped. "You’re coming, and that’s final!" "No! I'd rather not waste my time. I'd rather stay home to look for jobs or at least train." His mom was strangely quite, but he knew she was still not convinced so he carried on "You know why I hate these family gatherings so much? You see while mothers brag about their kids, fathers on the other hand show off their skills at humiliating their