The Sawafin's seal

Chapter 6: The piercing bird

Before the jailer walked away again, Saber called out,

“Why?! Why can’t I get any food?!”

Saber knew the jailer was just a servant, obedient to the orders of the dark Sawfin of Oblivion. Still, he wanted to buy more time to confirm his suspicions and fears.

The jailer stepped closer to the iron bars and shouted in Saber’s face violently,

“You only get what you’re given. If you don’t like it, I’ll take back the water bottle too!”

Saber was shocked by what he saw. That cursed being had managed to reach his beloved brother. It was Saleh. His worst fears were true. That creature had targeted his family. But how did it reach his brother?

“Saleh… my God! Since when have you been here?! Damn it… Saleh, you have to remember me. You must regain your memory. You can't stay under that monster’s control!”

Suddenly, Saleh’s eyes ignited with a burning red rage. He screamed at Saber with such force that Saber’s body was flung against the wall, crashing to the ground. Then he spoke in a monstrous voice that sounded nothing like Saleh.

“If you want to stay alive, stay silent. Saleh is no longer here.”

Saber looked up in pain at his brother, whose eyes had dimmed again, and who now turned and walked back slowly to his corner.

Saber sat in stunned silence, trying to gather his strength and thoughts. How could he get his brother out before it was too late? And Taymour could he be connected to the theft of the seal from the museum? Could he be the one who unleashed those symbols?

How did the Sawfin of Oblivion reach him and his family if he wasn’t possessed by someone? The only person who could control the seven Sawafin was the one who freed them from the seal.

Could Taymour be behind it all?

---

At Officer Mohamed’s Office

Sarah sat tensely in Officer Mohamed’s office after being urgently summoned. She was nervous and scared about what he might tell her but hoped the police had located them.

Mohamed entered the police office and noticed her tension out of the corner of his eye.

“Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

She quickly shook her head.

“Nothing, thank you. Just tell me have you found them?”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“I don’t want to discourage you, Miss Sarah… but all our investigations and research have confirmed that your brother and uncle had no enemies. And your father, as you told me earlier, suddenly developed Alzheimer’s and left the house. The truth is… we haven’t found a trace of them. Our investigations have led nowhere.”

Sarah frowned as anger began to build.

“You called me urgently just to tell me this?! Is that all you can do?! So what am I supposed to do now?! What do I tell my mother and sisters… that the police failed and we should move on like they never existed?!”

She ended her words with a furious outcry, barely believing what she was hearing. It felt like the man sitting before her had lost his mind.

Mohamed summoned the assistant and asked for two cups of coffee. Then, to avoid making her feel inferior, he walked around the desk and sat in front of her, trying to choose his words carefully.

“Miss Sarah… please listen carefully. I have some questions, and I want you to answer honestly if you want them to return safely.”

She nodded in confusion.

“Can you be a bit clearer, please?”

He could see the strain she was under to keep from exploding at him and appreciated her restraint.

“Please, calm down… and answer my questions clearly.”

Sarah exhaled in surrender.

“Go ahead… I’m listening.”

“Good… From my investigation into your uncle, I learned that he was conducting research on the past and on other worlds.”

She nodded, so he continued calmly,

“I found several scraps of paper in his lab, covered with symbols and what appeared to be incantations. The writing was completely incomprehensible. Do you have any information about this?”

She rolled her eyes in frustration. Were the rumors about her uncle resurfacing now?

“I don’t understand what this has to do with their disappearance.”

The assistant entered with the coffee, and once he left, Mohamed continued, seeing her patience wearing thin.

“Sarah… it’s possible they’ve been taken to another world. That’s why we haven’t found any trace of them.”

She shook her head and let out a sarcastic chuckle.

“Captain, you’re an educated man… how can you believe such nonsense?”

Mohamed turned to his computer and played a video for her. It showed Maher entering the lab, but there was no footage of him leaving, even after many hours. He informed her that the lab had been locked from the inside when they opened it. There were no signs of anyone leaving or being harmed, which strongly suggested they had been transported to another time or dimension through the experiments her uncle had been conducting.

Sarah swallowed hard, trying to grasp what he was saying, but refusing to believe in such “fairy tales.” If it were true, bringing them back would be nearly impossible.

---

With Lian

Lian watched her mythical bird with pride. It was unlike any ordinary bird, as if it combined several species in one. It was as large as an ostrich, with a slightly long neck covered in silky, shimmering feathers that transitioned from deep blue to white at the tips of its vast wings wings so large they could block out the sun, if the sun ever appeared in this dark world.

Its eyes glowed like the moon with a pale bluish hue, turning fiery red during combat. Its beak was long and sharp like an eagle’s, while its face had the gentle, soft features of a phoenix. Its long legs ended in sharp talons strong enough to carry any weight.

She stroked its feathers joyfully. It was her bird. It obeyed no one but her, which made her feel a bit superior to Maher. From the moment she touched the bird, she no longer needed Maher’s glowing orb. The bird’s power granted her the ability to see in the dark, and now she was used to it.

She whispered as the bird let out a soft, content sound from her touch.

“I wonder what happened to this world… why is it so completely dark?”

“It’s the parallel world to our own.”

She quickly turned toward the voice, seeing Maher returning with some edible wild fruits.

“Here, eat this and feed your little beast. If you need water, there’s a nearby stream I can take you there.”

Lian smiled as she fed her bird happily.

“Don’t call him a beast! I think he understands what you say and he gets upset. I want him to have a name.”

He laughed sarcastically as he sat beside her, leaning against a tree trunk.

“Really? What will you call him? My Loyal Slave? My Faithful Guardian? My Pet Dog? The names are yours pick whatever you like.”

She glared at him angrily and snapped,

“I don’t understand why you don’t like him, even after he saved your life. Could it be that… you’re jealous of him?”

He scoffed in disbelief.

“Him?! Saved me? Please… he was enjoying the sight of me battling the beasts alone. If you hadn’t asked him to help, I’d be dead now.”

She shook her head.

“You’re exaggerating. He’s here to protect me, yes but we’ll both benefit from his strength. I’ll save my brother, and you’ll save your uncle, and everything will go back to normal.”

Maher sighed. Maybe he should tell her the truth about what they were truly facing. If she bore the mark of the Guardians, and the bird had chosen her, it meant her mission wouldn’t end with just saving her brother.

Suddenly she exclaimed excitedly,

“I’ve got it! I’ll call him ‘Piercer.’ Isn’t that great?”

She turned to her bird and asked excitedly,

“What do you think, Piercer? Do you like it? When I call you Piercer, you’ll come to my aid deal?”

To her surprise, the bird nodded in agreement. She jumped up, overjoyed, while Maher watched with indifferent eyes. He muttered sarcastically,

“Piercer, huh?”

She nodded proudly and added smugly,

“Thanks to him, I no longer need your glowing orb. My vision is now piercing I can see perfectly in this darkness.”

Maher lay down under the tree, covering his eyes with annoyance, thinking about the question she’d asked earlier Could he be jealous of the bird? No way. Why would he be jealous of a giant bird? Ridiculous.

Yeah, it was ridiculous. His appearance was funny. Silly even. And surely, he wasn’t jealous. He was just annoyed that the bird was dumb enough to wait for its mistress’s command before helping. So dumb…

---

Back with Officer Mohamed

“Look at these books and the markings your uncle placed next to some sentences… He entered an unknown world, and surely your father and brother are with him.”

Mohamed had spent hours trying to convince her of what he had discovered, showing her symbols and evidence to prove his words. But she was stubborn and insisted it was all fantasy.

Sarah skimmed through the lines quickly. She understood his logic and why he thought this way, but…

“Let’s assume what you’re saying is true… what do we do now? How do we help them? Or are you going to suggest we abandon them and leave them to the unknown?”

Mohamed sighed in relief.

“Now we’re talking. Listen to me carefully. There’s a scientist named Taymour who used to work with your uncle. When I asked about him, they told me he resigned and traveled abroad. Maybe if we contact him and tell him what we’ve found, he’ll help us.”

Sarah frowned. Taymour… she had heard that name before, but she couldn’t remember in what context. Still, they had no other option. She was like a drowning person clinging to a straw. Four days had passed since their disappearance, and every passing minute could mean danger to their lives.

She leaned toward Mohamed, determined.

“How do we reach this Taymour?”

Mohamed smiled triumphantly. At last, someone who believed in the existence of this hidden world.