The night felt colder now.
Feroz sat silently.
Sameer sat beside him.
Neither spoke for several moments.
The words still echoed in Feroz's mind.
"The person who led me here knew your name too."
That wasn't normal.
Feroz had spent most of his life hidden.
Only recently had the hidden world begun learning who he was.
Yet somehow—
a stranger had known exactly where to send Sameer.
"Who was he?" Feroz finally asked.
Sameer shook his head.
"I told you. I never saw his face."
"His voice?"
Sameer thought for a moment.
"Old."
A pause.
"But strong."
Feroz frowned.
That could describe hundreds of people.
The conversation went nowhere after that.
Eventually Sameer stood.
"We should get some rest."
Feroz nodded.
Tomorrow would probably bring more questions.
It always did.
The two returned to the village.
But long after everyone else slept—
the old man remained awake.
Inside the Hall.
Alone.
The broken metal symbol rested on a stone table.
He stared at it quietly.
Memories he hadn't thought about for years were returning.
Unwanted memories.
Painful memories.
Finally he spoke.
Not to anyone present.
Just to himself.
"It can't be."
His voice was barely a whisper.
Yet he sounded uncertain.
For the first time since Feroz arrived.
Then—
a soft sound echoed behind him.
The old man turned.
The archive door.
Slowly opening.
By itself.
His eyes widened.
Nobody should have been inside.
Nobody.
Without hesitation he walked toward it.
The room beyond was dark.
Silent.
Empty.
At first glance.
Then he noticed it.
The book.
The same book that had chosen Feroz.
It was glowing faintly.
Resting exactly where Feroz had left it earlier.
Except—
it wasn't closed anymore.
Its pages were open.
The old man's heartbeat quickened.
Slowly he approached.
Words had appeared.
Fresh golden letters.
A message.
Not for him.
For Feroz.
Yet he could still read it.
The message was short.
Only three words.
"Ask about Rahim."
Silence.
The old man's face went pale.
A name.
A name he hadn't heard in decades.
A name he hoped never to hear again.
Rahim.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From shock.
Because only a handful of people knew that name.
And most of them were gone.
Very slowly—
he closed the book.
His mind racing.
Questions.
Memories.
Regrets.
All returning at once.
Meanwhile—
in another part of the village—
Feroz woke suddenly.
His eyes opened.
No nightmare.
No vision.
Yet something felt wrong.
He sat up.
The room was dark.
Quiet.
Then he noticed it.
A faint golden glow.
Coming from his arm.
The symbol.
The mark connected to his bloodline.
It was glowing softly.
For the first time since he entered the Learning Path.
Feroz stared at it.
Confused.
Then—
for just a second—
a word flashed through his mind.
A single name.
One he had never heard before.
Rahim.
The glow vanished instantly.
The room returned to normal.
But Feroz remained awake.
Because somehow—
he knew that name mattered.
And tomorrow—
he intended to find out why.