The road leaving the village was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that made every small sound feel louder than it should be.
Nader walked beside Kareem, his eyes constantly scanning the darkness ahead. The narrow dirt road stretched between fields and scattered trees, leading toward the low hills outside Ain El-Sehoul.
The wind had grown colder.
Above them, clouds slowly swallowed the moon.
Nader finally broke the silence.
"You said you met him."
Kareem kept walking.
"Yes."
Nader's jaw tightened.
"Then start talking."
Kareem sighed softly.
"You've always been impatient."
"Ten years, Kareem," Nader snapped. "Ten years I believed my father was dead."
He stopped walking.
"And now you appear in the middle of the night telling me he's alive?"
Kareem turned and looked at him.
"I told you. I saw him."
Nader stared into his eyes, trying to find any sign of deception.
"Where?"
Kareem hesitated.
"Near the old coastal cliffs."
Nader frowned.
"The abandoned area?"
"Yes."
"That place has been empty for years."
Kareem gave a faint smile.
"That's what people think."
Nader looked away, thinking.
Nothing about this situation made sense.
His father had died in an accident.
Everyone knew that story.
The entire village had mourned him.
Nader himself had seen the grave.
"Explain something to me," Nader said quietly.
Kareem raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"If my father is alive… why wait ten years to contact me?"
Kareem didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he resumed walking.
"That's a question you should ask him."
Nader followed again, though uneasily.
The road slowly began to climb as they approached the hills.
The village lights behind them grew smaller.
Farther away.
Distant.
For a moment, Nader felt as if he was leaving more than just the village.
He was leaving the life he had known.
Behind Them
Hidden among the shadows of the trees, Jahan moved silently.
Her steps were light, almost soundless.
She kept a careful distance from the two men ahead.
Her gaze remained fixed on Nader.
"So Kareem finally told him," she whispered.
Her eyes narrowed.
"This is happening sooner than I expected."
She paused behind a large rock and watched them continue along the road.
The wind lifted strands of her dark hair.
"If Nader finds out everything tonight…"
She clenched her fist.
"…the balance will break."
For a brief moment she considered turning back.
But she couldn't.
Not anymore.
Jahan stepped forward again, continuing her silent pursuit.
The Edge of the Hills
After nearly thirty minutes of walking, the road ended.
Ahead of them rose a rocky hill overlooking the distant coastline.
The faint roar of the ocean could be heard far below.
Nader stopped.
"This is far enough."
Kareem turned.
"He's waiting up there."
Nader followed his gaze toward the top of the hill.
A narrow path wound upward through scattered stones.
"Why here?"
Kareem shrugged.
"He said it was safer."
"Safer from what?"
Kareem's expression darkened.
"From people who shouldn't know he's alive."
Nader studied him carefully.
"Are you one of those people?"
Kareem smirked.
"Apparently not."
Nader sighed.
"Fine."
He began climbing the path.
Kareem followed behind him.
The wind grew stronger as they climbed higher.
By the time they reached the top, the clouds had completely hidden the moon.
Only faint starlight illuminated the rocky ground.
Then Nader saw it.
A figure standing near the edge of the cliff.
Tall.
Still.
Facing the ocean.
Nader's heartbeat accelerated.
"Is that…?"
Kareem nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The figure turned.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
For a split second, the light revealed his face.
Nader froze.
The same eyes.
The same jawline.
The same expression he had seen countless times in childhood memories.
"…Father?"
The man stepped forward.
His voice was calm, but heavy with emotion.
"Nader."
Hearing that voice again after ten years felt unreal.
Nader's mind struggled to process it.
"This… this isn't possible."
The man smiled faintly.
"I expected you to say that."
Nader took a step closer.
"You died."
"That's what everyone believes."
"Then explain it!"
The wind roared across the cliff.
For a moment, the man looked out toward the dark ocean.
Then he spoke.
"I didn't die, Nader."
"Then why disappear?"
"Because someone wanted me dead."
Nader felt a chill.
"Who?"
The man's eyes hardened.
"A group that controls far more than you imagine."
Kareem crossed his arms quietly.
"I told you things were complicated."
Nader ignored him.
"Why contact me now?"
His father looked directly at him.
"Because you're already involved."
"Involved in what?"
Before the man could answer—
A sudden sound cut through the wind.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Nader turned sharply.
From the darkness behind the rocks emerged Jahan.
Her breathing was slightly heavy.
Her eyes locked onto the older man.
"…You shouldn't have called him here."
Nader stared at her in shock.
"Jahan?"
Kareem groaned quietly.
"Well… that didn't take long."
Nader looked between them.
"You knew about this?"
Jahan stepped forward slowly.
"I tried to stop it."
Nader's confusion turned into anger.
"Stop what?"
Her voice became serious.
"The truth."
Nader looked at his father again.
"What truth?"
The older man sighed.
"The truth about why I had to disappear."
Jahan shook her head.
"No."
"Nader deserves to know."
"And when he knows?" she snapped. "Do you think they'll let him live?"
Silence fell over the cliff.
The wind howled louder.
Nader's eyes moved from one person to another.
"What are you all talking about?"
His father finally spoke.
"The organization that wanted me dead…"
He paused.
"…is still watching."
Kareem muttered under his breath.
"And now they know where we are."
Nader's chest tightened.
"You mean—"
Suddenly, distant lights appeared along the lower road.
Multiple headlights.
Moving quickly toward the hill.
Jahan cursed quietly.
"They found us."
Nader looked down toward the approaching vehicles.
"How many?"
Kareem squinted.
"At least four cars."
His father's expression became grim.
"Then we don't have much time."
Nader looked back at him.
"What do we do?"
The older man placed a firm hand on Nader's shoulder.
"For now…"
"…you survive."
The sound of engines grew louder.
And somewhere in the darkness below—
Men began climbing the hill.