Everyone around the pentagonal table held one another's hand. All but the man standing at the top of the table. He pulled down his hood, unveiling his greasy and long grey hair and his scruffy and awfully dirty beard as he threw his arms into the air, leaning his head back and staring gleefully at the darkness above.
Then he began, bellowing each word with purpose.
"We, The Eclipse, will rid this world of pain…"
"The Eclipse will rid this world of suffering…"
"The Eclipse shall rid the world of greed…"
"The Eclipse shall rid the world of…of him." As he said the last two words, his tone slightly softened, almost as though he had breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
The triplets watched on, eagerly anticipating to find out what they had come here for. Normally in situations like this, at least Karim would have laughed, his laugh potentially becoming contagious and spreading onto Amin and Hamid. But this situation was far too serious to laugh at. In their minds, what they were about to hear was going to change the rest of their lives.
Clearly the leader of the group, the grey man regained the power in his voice and continued, everyone else standing silently as they looked at the table in front of them.
"Our world desperately grasps onto what remains that have been left to us by its treacherous King. We are but buffoons within that devil's paradise. His terror, his might…the cycle of hatred and greed…must end."
Nerves were finally getting to the three boys, Hamid especially. They looked at each other, their anticipation quickly being eaten by fear of what was coming.
"He feeds his children lies so they become weapons for his glory, and perfect successors to his terror. He feeds his people religious blasphemy, shaping our history as his heart desires. But what he doesn't tell you is that the tale of our Prophet of Treason is nothing but a misconceived lie, contradicting itself wherever you choose to look."
The triplets became even more bemused, not expecting their revelations to draw that far back. Regarding their objective, they yearned to learn more about their father, not about the entire history and structure of the world. Perhaps this was going to be too much all at once. But here they were, unable to back out now. If they wanted to learn more about their father, then they had no choice but to listen to everything the grey man had to say.
"It was not the deception of the lady which brought our deathly autonomy into the world, but the weakness of man – a man who submitted to his selfish desires which initiated this endless cycle of suffering. Ibraheem proves just another piece of the never-ending thread that unwinds this story. Yet…that string exists to be cut. To be destroyed. To be removed from existence."
A lot had been said, but not so much about Ibraheem. However, the triplets saw the grey man hadn't finished, and so waited to interject, hoping what was coming next would satisfy them.
"Hope remains as people like us live to fight and topple this broken order. We exist and fight to reshape the world as it should be. A world everyone desires and does not have to hide in."
Everyone around the table copied the grey man, suddenly thrusting their arms into the air, again reaching out for something that wasn't there. They all looked possessed, an eerie smirk growing across all of their faces.
"Be ready, people, for the day of the Eclipse will come. And on that fateful day where darkness falls, good will triumph over the devilish evil of this world, and the balance of power will shift into the favour of the deserving. God shall pass rightful judgment onto the devils who intoxicate our pure world, righting the wrongs of their history."
Each person in the room erupted with great roars, keeping their arms in the air while screaming. This celebratory act persisted for a while, until everyone finally calmed down, each of them looking excited and hopeful. Hamid, on the other hand, was deeply unsatisfied with the ritual he was told was going to reveal all about his father.
"Hey, you didn't really tell us anything. We know people hate our dad. But you didn't tell us why. Why do you all have such a big grudge against him? He's kind to everyone, isn't he?"
The grey man laughed, but, at the same time, an apologetic look formed on his face. "It's sad to see what his diseased self creates from so close. But, do you really want to know?"
"Of course we do. That's why we are here," Hamid said resolutely.
The grey man covered his face with his hands, before splitting two of his fingers, revealing one of his eyes in between them. "The happiest and kindest people mask the deepest lies. Their kindness appears stronger than others because it is a fake; a deceitful ruse."
His grin returned, but was scary this time. He leaned into Hamid's face, invading his personal space, clearly enjoying what he was doing. "Did you know that Ibraheem has made several children before you all, killing them because he believed they were not fit to be his child? He threatens to poison everyone in his Palace if they do not follow his commands."
Amin and Karim were shocked, stunned by what they were hearing. Hamid cowered backwards, away from the grey man who wouldn't stop. Even the others in the room looked somewhat uneasy.
"He's murdered hundreds of innocent people and hides their bodies from the world just like he and his ancestors do with the truth of our history."
"What!" Hamid couldn't help but spurt out something.
"It is your father and his ancestors who have forced the world to bow to his blood dynasty. You are all just like him, trapped in the evolution of your family's poison. We are just waiting for one of you to finally break; to turn against the path laid out for you. We will then watch your stronghold of power diminish with your bloodline, and only then will we all be free."
Karim's rage finally got the better of him. He started walking forward, his eyes lighting up as he no longer could take the grey man disrespecting his father.
"Watch your mouth—"
Karim felt a hand intensely grip his shirt at the chest, one strong enough to stop him from moving altogether. He turned his head to look at who it was. Amin stood beside him, his face filled with a rage Karim had never seen within him before. His breathing was fast and the gritting of his teeth sounded like a saw cutting its way through a thick piece of wood.
"Amin?" Karim said, now concerned rather than angry.
Hamid remained in front of them and deflected the grey man's claims. "No, that can't be true. You must be lying. Father isn't like that."
The grey man chuckled. "You ask questions, but do not accept the answers? You are as ignorant as the rest of them."
Unsure what to say or do, Hamid turned to his brothers, seeing the hatred growing in Amin's eyes as he still gripped Karim's shirt. "Let's get out of here. This is all…becoming too much."
Karim nodded, and quietly said to Amin whose eyes were still fixed on the grey man, "Come on, Amin, let's go. We don't want to prove them right about what they said about us or our family."
Amin stared for a bit longer, before turning around and following the other two out the way they came.
As they left, Hamid looked scared, unable to wholly process what he had just been told.
Karim's face showed that he was uncertain as a rare sense of nervousness grew within him.
Amin's face, on the other hand, remained totally blank.