The falcon descended from the sky, wings raised in dignity, and landed in the heart of the forest. The branches whispered, and mist slipped between the trees as he turned in place, speaking softly—like someone searching for something forgotten in a dream.
Nora emerged from between the trees, her steps steady, her gaze sharp.
Nora (tense voice): "We had a deal… I let you into the house, and you tell me what you found with the fortune-teller."
Yousef stepped closer, annoyance etched into his face, his eyes gleaming as if hiding something.
Yousef (with restrained anger): "I found nothing… except that my confusion grew."
Nora (sharply): "Why?"
He looked at her for a long moment before replying coldly:
Yousef: "And why should I tell you? I don't even know you."
Anger flashed across Nora's face, and she turned away.
Nora: "Really? And I'm the one who showed you the fortune-teller's house… I was going to take you to the next step, but it seems you're not worth it."
Yousef (calling out with a pleading tone): "Wait… please, help me."
Nora (turning back, eyes filled with disappointment): "Why? When you won't even share what you know?"
Yousef: "Fine, I'll tell you… just help me."
She studied his face as though weighing his honesty.
Nora: "Alright, what did you find?"
Yousef (sighing): "Nothing… we just talked."
Nora turned away angrily, her steps heavy.
Nora: "Do you think I'm naïve?!"
He stopped her with his voice.
Yousef: "I don't even know what I'm looking for…"
She turned back, searching his eyes as though looking for a missing piece of truth.
Nora: "Tell me… what did you talk about? And was she alone?"
Yousef (quietly): "No… there were… creatures. Like shadows. Faceless. Their voices sounded like they came from an old speaker."
Nora stared at him, as if recalling something.
Nora (low voice): "The shadows…"
Yousef: "Do you know them?"
Nora: "No, but I've read about them in old books."
Yousef: "Then… what's the next step?"
Nora: "We search your office… at the company."
She suddenly transformed into a small bird, flapping lightly before soaring into the sky. Yousef followed, shifting into a falcon, until they reached the office window. They slipped inside and returned to their human forms.
The office was luxurious, steeped in the scent of aged wood and memories. Everything was in order, yet something beneath the surface trembled.
Yousef stopped before the fireplace, staring at it for a long while. His eyes flickered, as though a memory had surged into his mind.
Nora (approaching, placing her hand on his shoulder): "Did you remember something?"
Yousef (mysteriously): "No… but… I don't know why this place feels familiar."
Nora (looking into his eyes): "Really?"
Yousef smiled… but there was something unnatural in that smile, as if a wicked spirit had brushed across his features.
Yousef: "I'm leaving… what about you?"
Nora: "Alright."
She stood on the window ledge, turning into a bird—but she didn't fly. She stayed there, singing softly, as if to say, "I'll stay to guard this secret."
Yousef watched her for a moment, then leapt from the window, transforming mid-air into a falcon that cut through the sky.
⸻
He reached Judy's house, where Noah stood by his car.
In an instant, Yousef grabbed him by the neck and took off, carrying him to a remote forest where thick trees blocked out the light.
He tied Noah to a tree and stood before him with a cold smile.
Yousef (mockingly calm): "Hello, Noah."
Noah (crying, voice trembling): "Wha—what do you want from me?"
Yousef: "Why did you try to kidnap my son?"
Noah (shaking): "It wasn't my idea… Judy… she asked me… I was just… helping her."
Yousef stepped closer, his body shifting—fangs emerging, wolf-like ears appearing, his voice growing more menacing.
Yousef: "And why help her?"
Noah (brokenly): "Because… I love her… I love her so much…"
Yousef returned to human form, but his smirk remained.
Yousef: "I don't think she loves you back."
Noah (lowering his eyes): "I know… but I… I try."
Night fell. A fire crackled near the tree. Noah kept sobbing while Yousef sat close, holding a stick with a charred tip.
He pressed it against Noah's chest, and Noah screamed in pain.
Yousef: "No one cares about you."
Then he looked at him with the eyes of a wolf:
Yousef (in a chilling tone): "Even if I started eating you from your feet up to your scalp."
Noah (screaming through tears): "What do you want?! I'll tell you everything… just don't hurt me!"
Yousef: "Why does Judy want to kidnap my son?!"
Noah stayed silent, then spat in his face.
Noah (angrily): "I won't tell you anything about Judy! Kill me if you want, but don't go near her!"
Yousef laughed mockingly.
Yousef: "Ah, Romeo… but you're no Romeo. She doesn't care about you. Even if you die, she wouldn't shed a single tear."
Noah (breaking down): "Stop…"
Yousef: "Then I won't ask about Juliet… Tell me about Daniel."
Noah (shattered voice): "The boy's father… the one you killed…"
Yousef froze, then spoke with mocking disbelief:
Yousef: "I killed him?… And now he wants to kill me?"
Noah: "I don't know the details…"
Yousef: "Where is his house?"
Noah: "I… I don't know."
Yousef stepped closer, lit another stick, and pressed it to Noah's shoulder.
Yousef: "When I ask, you answer."
Noah (screaming): "Yes! It's in my phone… the location's on the map!"
Yousef took the phone, opened it, extracted the location, and placed it on a rock some distance away.
Then he transformed into a falcon and soared off, Noah's voice fading behind him:
"Don't leave me! I'm afraid of insects! Yousef… please… don't hurt Judy!"
⸻
And in the forest, Noah remained… surrounded by darkness and fear.
Love… comes in many forms. But Noah's love for Judy was not the good kind.
Love is a mutual bond… but he loved her from one side only, until he believed that pain could be a form of victory.
And truly, the way we love… speaks volumes about who we are