"Did you really let her go that easily? Don't you know they won't wait long?"
Suleiman cast a prolonged sidelong glance at his companion, 'Ada', whose ethereal projection betrayed his doubt in the decision. Then he brushed his fingers over the cold metal resting on the ring finger of his left hand.
"It's fine. She will come on her own. Sooner or later. People like us… once they step onto this path, turning back becomes impossible."
"You should have told her what was about to happen to her that night… If you had, she would have joined immediately. But… did you do that for 'her'? Is this how you repay your old debts?"
At the mention of 'her', Suleiman closed his eyes for a long moment, as though strips of memory were replaying inside his mind.
"No matter what I do… I will never be able to repay my debt to 'her' "
---
Silence accompanied me on the way back. It grew so heavy that I could almost hear the car tires groaning beneath its weight.
"May I turn on the radio?" I wanted to break the awkward stillness.
The woman with the scar—Lina—glanced at me as if she wanted to say something, but she held back. After a sigh, she pressed the radio button.
Soft music faded gradually, replaced by a warm, friendly female voice:
[That was Fairuz's song 'Nasam Alayna El Hawa'… We return to you, dear listeners, on our program (Coffee & Mood). Before we move on to the call-in segment, a reminder that temperatures will drop noticeably this evening, so don't forget your coats…]
The gentle tone was suddenly cut off by the sharp, cold voice of a news anchor.
[Dear listeners, we interrupt this program to bring you breaking news just received from the operations room…
Authorities have just discovered the body of a young man (M. S.) inside his apartment in the 'Blue Tower' building in Al-Amal district. The incident, described by security sources as 'mysterious and suspicious,' occurred under unusual circumstances. The body was found hanging, surrounded by a thick layer of dense black ash, with no signs of fire.
What raises further suspicion and controversy is that this incident took place in the same building, directly on the floor above the apartment of the elderly man who was found dead by an apparent overdose just two days ago, also surrounded by the same layer of as—]
Lina did not wait to hear the final word. She shut off the radio with a sharp movement, and silence flooded the car once more. Another deep sigh escaped her.
A chill crept into my limbs.
Al-Amal district? Blue Tower?
That wasn't far from our neighborhood…
When we reached my house, I stepped out quickly. But a single thought gnawed at my mind like a worm. I turned back to the car and tapped gently on the window. Lina lowered it, her expression cool.
"One last question… Do you know someone named Anas? Does he work with you?"
That suspicious boy—who apparently shared a friendship with my brother I had known nothing about—everything about him was unsettling. The way he followed me. The way my brother welcomed him. Even his final words…
Did he really see the sphere?
Wouldn't that make him special—like these people?
"Anas? Who is that?" she asked, her tone free of pretense.
"…"
She didn't seem to know him. And that, for me, was a good thing.
If I wanted information from outside this organization, I would need another source—one unrelated to them.
And I had just found it.
"Never mind. Good evening."
I gave her a bright smile, waved, and watched her drive away.
Each step upstairs felt heavier than the last, burdened by knowledge no one in this house shared but me. I had to remain silent. I didn't know what might happen if I let even a single word slip.
I checked with my mother to make sure the little bird was fine. It had enough water and seeds, and I found it sleeping peacefully in its place—just as I had left it.
How I envied it.
The black sphere was still on the bed, unmoved. I couldn't tell whether it was asleep… or awake.
My gaze fell upon the notebook lying on the desk.
"A revision is necessary…"
I picked up the pen and drew two sharp parallel lines across the first item.
I would no longer continue seeing the doctor who was—clearly—connected to that suspicious secret organization.
Goodbye, informant doctor.
I left the second item untouched, but the pen lingered over the third:
Third: Call Zain…
The pen hovered there for a moment before I made my decision. I picked up my phone and typed a specific name into the search bar.
*Tring… Tring…*
The other side answered after a few moments.
"Mariam! How have you been? Sorry, I've been busy lately and couldn't call."
"I'm fine, brother. How are you… and how is Huda?"
"Good! She sends her regards."
"Zain, listen! I wanted to ask you… Do you remember your friend Anas? The one who visited you the night before you left?"
"Mariam… what Anas? I don't have a friend by that name!"
"…"
For a moment, the blood nearly froze in my veins.
The room seemed to spin.
If Anas wasn't with the organization… and if he didn't exist in my brother's memory…
Then who was sitting in our living room?
And who was following me that day?