The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a burnt orange glow across the glass walls of Faisal's new private estate — a gift from Rayyan, Malik, and Ameer to mark the beginning of their new rule.
Faisal stood at the balcony, his hands resting on the steel railing, his mind split between two worlds.
Behind him, Noora stood in the doorway, her soft presence grounding him in a reality he had almost forgotten — a world without blood, without fear, just love.
But the world outside this balcony belonged to the Council, and tonight, they were about to make sure every corner of the earth knew it.
In the grand hall of a hidden estate deep in the desert, Faisal sat at the head of a long table. On either side — Rayyan, Malik, and Ameer.
Before them, holograms projected images of politicians, military leaders, arms dealers, and corporate giants — the true power players of the world. Some were loyal, some were scared, but all of them were present.
Rayyan's Voice Was Thunder.
"We are no longer just the shadow behind the throne. We are the throne."
Malik's Fists Were Steel.
"Every street, every port, every weapon that moves — it moves through our hands."
Ameer's Eyes Were Fire.
"Every secret whispered in any corner of the world — we hear it before the echo fades."
And then, Faisal stood.
His voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.
It carried the weight of every step they had taken to reach this moment.
"Daniel built a kingdom from fear. We built an empire from nothing. And now, we are the law."
The screen flickered, showing a live feed from 12 countries, leaders standing in silent acknowledgment. Not out of respect — out of survival.
The Age of the Council had begun.
While the world obeyed on the surface, deep in the shadows, the Unseen Council — the ancient families who controlled the global balance long before Daniel — watched with cold eyes.
Ameer's networks picked up whispers — the Unseen Council was testing them. Small disruptions in supply lines, contracts suddenly cancelled, key allies going silent.
But Faisal didn't flinch.
He called for a private council meeting — just the four brothers.
Seated in a circle, he laid out the new rules.
"Every shadow will bow, or every shadow will burn."
"No secret council will rule from the dark."
"We will not hunt them — we will make them come to us."
How?
Ameer would spread a virus in the world's data systems, exposing files of every Unseen Council member — their secret accounts, hidden properties, and even personal vices.
Ameer's voice was calm.
"We turn the hunters into the hunted."
Malik leaned forward.
"And when they run, I'll be there to catch them."
Rayyan's smile was thin.
"They thought Daniel was dangerous. They've never met us."
While the Council moved like a storm across continents, Faisal lived a second life — one Noora saw but never fully understood.
She knew Faisal had power.
She knew he made men disappear with a phone call.
But in their quiet moments — the dinners on the balcony, the mornings where he whispered dreams into her ear — she saw the man, not the king.
But deep down, Noora felt it — the storm inside Faisal.
A storm that was getting harder to hide.
One night, as Faisal stood staring at the city skyline, Noora wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"You built all this… but where are you in it?" she whispered.
Faisal didn't answer — because he didn't know.
The Unseen Council made their first move — sending a team of assassins disguised as diplomats to Faisal's private estate.
They never reached the gate.
Rayyan's private military intercepted them, leaving their bodies hanging from the estate walls — a message carved into their flesh.
"The world belongs to the living. The shadows belong to us."
Faisal stood over their corpses, Noora watching from the balcony, her hands gripping the railing so tight her knuckles turned white.
For the first time, fear flickered in her eyes — not of Faisal, but of the monster he was becoming.
Later that night, the four brothers sat together, the scent of blood still in the air.
Malik's eyes burned with excitement.
"We should find every member of the Unseen Council and rip them from their homes."
Ameer was quieter, his fingers tapping the table.
"They're old, but they're not weak. We have to be smarter than them, not just stronger."
Rayyan agreed.
"We don't start wars we don't need. We make them afraid to even whisper our names."
But Faisal?
Faisal's mind was somewhere else — caught between the empire they built and the life Noora wanted.
"We don't just fight shadows," Faisal finally said.
"We become them."
That night, Faisal lay beside Noora, her warmth grounding him — but his mind was still at the table, still plotting, still seeing enemies in every corner.