Chapter Five: The Alley of Faces
Sameer's footsteps echoed against the narrow alley walls as he chased after the figure.
"Dad! Wait!"
The man in the white coat didn't look back. His pace was steady, almost too calm, as if he knew Sameer would follow.
The alley grew darker the deeper they went, sunlight cut off by the tall buildings pressing in from both sides. Trash bins lined the walls, but there was no stench, no flies—just an unnatural stillness.
Sameer's heart pounded in his chest.
If that's really him… if Dad's here, then maybe Mom and Aisha too…
The thought gave him strength, pushing him to keep going.
Finally, the figure stopped. It stood at the dead end of the alley, its back still turned.
Sameer slowed, his breath ragged.
"…Dad?" he said again, softer this time.
The figure slowly raised its hand, beckoning him closer.
Sameer hesitated. Something about the gesture felt wrong—unnatural, like a puppet pulled by strings. But his longing overpowered his fear. He stepped forward.
As he drew closer, the shadows lifted from the figure's face.
Sameer's stomach dropped.
It was his father's face—yes—but broken. The skin rippled like water, shifting between expressions. His father's gentle smile… his stern frown… his tired eyes… all flickering across the same face like a glitching screen.
Sameer stumbled back, horror tightening his throat. "W-What are you…?"
The figure's mouth opened. But instead of words, dozens of voices spilled out, overlapping—his father, his mother, his sister, strangers—all speaking at once.
"…Candidate Nineteen… come… come… core… awaken… awaken…"
The alley walls shook with the voices. Windows rattled. The air grew heavier, pressing down on him like an invisible weight.
The figure stepped forward, its face splitting down the middle, revealing a hollow void inside.
Sameer turned and ran.
He bolted out of the alley, his breath ragged, not daring to look back. The cacophony of voices followed him, echoing inside his skull until he burst out into the open street again.
The sunlight blinded him for a moment, and when his vision cleared—the alley was gone.
Behind him was just a blank brick wall.
Sameer fell to his knees, gasping. His entire body trembled.
"…That… wasn't real… it couldn't be real…"
But the folded newspaper in his bag felt solid against his back.
And the word burned into his mind again, louder this time:
Candidate Nineteen.