My elder brother, Hafil, was incredibly talented. He loved me deeply and always looked after me. After our parents' divorce, our mother raised us, but she didn't live long. She died from food poisoning when I was only six and my brother nine. Our father had disappeared—no one knew where he had gone. From that moment until the day my brother died, he took care of me entirely.
Hafil had a power that could change a person's feelings, memories, strength, abilities, and even the likelihood of death—he could increase or decrease them by any percentage he wished. When Samad learned about Hafil's power, he set out to find him, becoming his sworn enemy. Samad wanted to take Hafil's powers for himself.
I can still remember the day clearly, the day Hafil was supposed to be appointed the leader of this city. The people had organized a grand ceremony to honor him. But that day, instead of celebration, Samad, Zahir, and their allies attacked, aiming only to kill Hafil.
"Brother! You'll be fine. Nothing will happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you!" Hamail cried, holding Hafil's hand as he lay on the ground, bleeding.
"Hamail! I taught you swordsmanship. You are a good swordsman. Promise me—you will not run in fear. You will face our enemies and protect this city. Promise me," Hafil said, pressing his bloodied hand against Hamail's cheek, staining it with his blood.
"No, Hafil! Don't say that. You were supposed to become the leader of this city… Hafil! Hafil!" Hamail cried, but Hafil had already taken his last breath.
"No! You cannot die. Don't leave me behind!" Hamail shouted, shaking his lifeless body.
A day that was meant for celebration turned into sorrow. A few days later, after Hafil's funeral, I was made the leader of the "City of Haas." Fate had betrayed my brother; he was meant to lead, yet it fell upon me instead.
Even now, I remember that day as if it were yesterday.
Hamail told Haman everything about his brother and everything that had happened.
"I never wanted to take your brother's power. I only wanted to stop him from harming anyone," Samad said, now fully awake and addressing Hamail directly. Haman and Hamail looked at him, startled by his sudden presence, unaware that he was even there.
Hearing this, anger surged through Hamail. He stood and stepped toward Samad, throwing a punch. "Shut up! If you say anything wrong about my brother, I swear I'll kill you!" he shouted. But Haman, using his injured hand wrapped in bandages, intercepted the punch and said firmly, "Hamail! Calm down."
"I know how much you love your brother and that you refuse to hear anything against him. But you cannot call me wrong without listening to my side of the truth," Samad said, locking his gaze with Hamail, whose eyes were bloodshot with rage.
Hamail stepped back and sat down heavily in his chair, still seething, while Haman also returned to his seat. Samad leaned against the wall, standing tall, and began:
"When I was a child, strange thoughts would enter my mind—thoughts that weren't truly mine. I ignored them at first, but as I grew older, one idea kept returning, echoing repeatedly in my head and ringing in my ears:
'I will use my powers to take control of this world. Everything will happen as I wish. Anyone who opposes me will die.'"
This thought confused me deeply, because I had no powers of my own. Later, I discussed it with Zahir, who took me to a master sorcerer. What he told me was enough to leave me stunned. He said,
"You are spiritually connected to a person named Hafil, who lives in the City of Haas. That is why his thoughts keep appearing in your mind. You must stop him, or a great catastrophe will occur."
As Samad finished speaking, Haman and Hamail were left completely speechless. Shock and disbelief were written all over their faces.
"This can't be happening! It just can't!" Hamail shouted in rage and swung his fist against the table.
"You're lying. Tell the truth, Otherwise..." Hamail grabbed Samad by the collar, but Haman intervened, pulling Samad away and pushing Hamail back. "Hamail! Calm down!" he warned.
"Why all this noise?" Zahir called out from behind Samad. The three turned toward him.
"Nothing. Just… a conversation," Samad replied seriously.
"A conversation? You call shouting like that a conversation?" Zahir asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking.
"Stop your nonsense. Do the task you came here for and leave," Hamail barked, making Haman, Samad, and Zahir stare at him wide-eyed.
The four of them then sat around the table, each in one of the chairs facing each other.
"Hamail! A dangerous man named "Kafir" has entered Demara City. This person has the power to drive anyone into despair and force them to commit suicide. Now our city is at risk. Only you can stop this and save our people," Samad said, locking eyes with Hamail, his voice heavy with urgency. Hamail, however, showed no reaction.
Hamail possessed a unique power: when he touched someone and said, "Haam," he could sense what brings happiness to a person in despair. Using this knowledge, he could restore hope and joy through memories, conversation, or interaction specific to that individual.
But someone was secretly watching them from outside the window.
He was dressed entirely in black, from head to toe, making it impossible to see anything—but he was clutching a bone tightly in his hand. Then, he vanished as if he had never been there at all.
He didn't just disappear into thin air—something strange had happened.
Haman, Hamail, Samad, and Zahir were engrossed in their conversation when suddenly Haman's attention was drawn outside the window.
"What is this?" Haman asked in astonishment, and everyone turned to look at him.
"What happened?" Samad asked, looking at Haman, who simply pointed toward the window. The moment they all looked outside, their eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Ajal was standing there. His eyes were sharp, piercing. In his hand, he held an unusually large and long sword. The wind howled around him. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Haman, as if today he had come with a single purpose: to end Haman's life. Ajal had never seemed as terrifying as he did at that moment.
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