The world breathed again. It didn't begin with thunder, no lightning, no explosion in the sky—just life.
One by one, across the world, people opened their eyes.
In beds they didn't remember sleeping in.
On streets they had vanished from.
In doorways, alleyways, temples, trains, airports. No one screamed. They were too stunned to scream.
Phones lit up, watches buzzed, voices trembled—Wait… it's April? We vanished in March… we were gone for a month.
Tears replaced questions, cries replaced confusion. Around the globe, billions of people reappeared.
Children ran to parents, lovers collapsed into each other's arms, strangers embraced. And no one knew why.
Inside the palace, Rayyan appeared in the main hallway, falling to his knees, chest heaving, hands trembling. Where… what… happened? He stumbled up, calling out for Mirshad, for Maa, Malik, Jabir—anyone.
Malik came from the south wing, eyes wide in disbelief.
Jabir burst from the prayer room, tears already flowing.
Amir crashed into them both, shouting for Sophia, for their family.
Doors flew open, voices echoed—Papa! Maa! Baba! And then they came. Uncles, aunties, cousins, siblings, staff, squad, Reapers, helpers—all crying, all alive.
Maa collapsed onto the ground, whispering prayers. Papa held her, not even hiding his own tears.
Baba stood still, eyes filled, heart heavy.
Sara hugged Sophia the moment she saw her.
Malik, Rayyan, Amir, and Jabir stood in a circle, arms wrapped around each other.
The squad cheered and cried, some shouting Mirshad's name.
The palace guards, the staff, the chefs, the maids—every single one of them had returned.
And Sophia stood in the center of it all, calm, smiling, eyes glowing with tears. He did it. You're home. All of you.
In the quiet that followed, they began to notice—the date, the clocks, the alerts. A month had passed. They had all vanished from existence, and now they were back.
Malik stared at the wall calendar. April 22… Amir's voice dropped to a whisper. That means… we were gone for thirty days. Not seconds. Not hours. Days. Rayyan's hand was clenched. He brought us back… but where is he? Sophia's gaze drifted toward the entrance. He's coming. They believed her. They had to.
The palace dining hall quickly lit up.
Tables arranged, plates filled, juice poured, warm food ready—all prepared by Sophia, not out of duty but because she believed. He'll come through that door. Hungry. Tired. But whole.
Papa sat near the entrance, holding Maa's hand.
Uncles and aunties helped the staff prepare.
Cousins brought out extra chairs. The Reapers stood guard at the gates. No one left. No one sat. They waited for the one who hadn't returned.
Outside the palace, the world exploded in joy.
Mosques echoed with cries of Allah hu Akbar. Churches rang bells in confusion. Temples filled with chants. People kissed the ground, held strangers, shouted prayers.
But no one knew why, no one knew who. Was it God? Was it science? Was it a miracle? There was no answer. But all of them shared one truth—they were alive.
Back inside the palace, the table was full, the halls were warm, the people had returned.
But one chair—one single chair at the center—remained empty.
They didn't speak of it. They didn't need to. Because in their hearts, they knew—the one who saved the world was still not home. And until he returned, this celebration would never truly begin.