Darkness.
Feroz felt weightless, as if he were floating in an empty void. The last thing he remembered was Yusuf's piercing gaze, the way his hand had lifted—and then, everything had gone black.
But he wasn't unconscious. He was somewhere.
A voice, deep and distant, echoed through the void.
"You are not ready."
Feroz turned, but there was no one there. His pulse pounded in his ears. "Who's there?"
Silence.
Then, the darkness shifted. The shadows around him rippled like water, forming shapes—faces, hands reaching out. He took a step back, but there was no ground beneath him.
"They will come for you."
"They will take everything."
"If you are weak… you will fall."
The shadows surged toward him. Feroz gasped—
"Wake up!"
Feroz's eyes shot open.
He was no longer in the ruins. He was lying on a rough stone floor, his body drenched in sweat. The air was damp, filled with the scent of old wood and earth. Dim candlelight flickered against the walls.
Mrs. Aliya knelt beside him, her expression tense. "You're awake."
Feroz sat up, rubbing his temples. "What… happened?"
"You collapsed the moment Yusuf opened the door," she said. "It's been hours."
Feroz turned, his eyes landing on the man who had brought him here—Yusuf.
Yusuf sat across the room, arms crossed, watching him carefully. He was older than Feroz had expected, his hair streaked with grey, his face lined with years of hardship. His sharp eyes studied Feroz with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"So," Yusuf finally said, his voice deep and rough. "You're the Khan boy."
Feroz met his gaze, still shaken from the strange vision. "And you're supposed to help me?"
Yusuf smirked. "Help you? Boy, do you even know what you are?"
Feroz clenched his fists. "I know that the Free Masons are after me. That they killed my father. That my uncle betrayed us."
Yusuf leaned forward. "And what do you plan to do about it?"
Feroz hesitated. He had no answer.
Yusuf sighed. "Typical. You've inherited power you don't understand, enemies you can't defeat, and you still think running will save you."
Mrs. Aliya stepped forward. "Enough, Yusuf. We didn't come here for your lectures. We need your help. Feroz needs training."
Yusuf scoffed. "Training? The boy barely knows who he is. If I teach him now, without control, he'll be more dangerous to us than to the Free Masons."
Feroz's temper flared. "I need to learn. My powers… they're growing stronger. I can't control them, but if I don't, they'll kill me first."
Yusuf studied him for a long moment, then exhaled. "Fine."
Feroz straightened. "You'll train me?"
Yusuf stood, towering over him. "I'll test you."
Feroz swallowed. "Test me how?"
Yusuf's smirk returned. "By seeing if you can survive the night."
Before Feroz could react, Yusuf raised a hand—and the walls of the room vanished into darkness.
The air grew heavy. The candlelight flickered out.
And then—
The shadows returned.
To Be Continued…