The Silent Care
When silence settled over the apartment and Ahmed ensured that Misaki and Honoka's breathing had become steady, he sat for a moment watching them from afar. The exhaustion was etched on their features, but the sleep that overcame them finally seemed merciful—as if it were a hidden bandage for all they had endured. Ahmed rose with extreme care, cautious not to wake them, put on his coat, and stepped out into the city night.
The streets were nearly deserted, the air crisp and cold. He headed to a late-night store and carefully selected two warm floor mattresses, soft blankets, and extra pillows. He thought neither of the cost nor his own fatigue; his only concern was providing them with a safe slumber that felt like home. He returned and arranged the mattresses side by side. Throughout the night, whenever one of them stirred, he would rise quietly to adjust the blanket, then return to his post.
The Secrets of the Yacht
After Ahmed's father finished recounting the story of the past, a heavy silence hung over the deck of the yacht. The sea was unnaturally calm, as if the waves themselves were eavesdropping.
"Let's return to Aden," Ahmed's father sighed.
Ahmed's mother raised her head with the restless anxiety of a parent. She turned to Mrs. Sayuri: "I suggest you return to Japan to rest. What we are about to face might be difficult."
As the yacht moved away from the island, Ahmed's father confessed a secret to Haruki that he had kept from his wife. "I am afraid of one thing... what will happen to Ahmed if the manager's daughter finds out he is betrothed." He spoke of Irina, the girl who loved Ahmed since childhood. "After the accident... Ahmed saved her by a miracle. A car hit them, and from that night, part of her hair turned white out of terror for him. She always told him: 'I promise... I will marry you.'"
The Journey to Moscow
The bus departed from Aden for a grueling eight-hour trip to Sana'a. Upon arrival, Ahmed's father prepared to leave immediately for Russia. "I promise you, I will bring Ahmed back safe," he told Ahmed's mother.
He arrived in Moscow and went directly to the company of his old friend, Alexei. When confronted with the news of the kidnapping, Alexei was in genuine shock. They discovered that a rogue guard had been following Irina's orders. She had been watching Ahmed through hacked cameras for a month. Alexei called his daughter, and her voice came through the phone, broken and fractured: "I saw him, Father... I saw him with someone else, smiling as if I were never a part of his life. I didn't want to hurt him... I only wanted to ask him why." She then hung up, leaving a chilling ultimatum.
The Morning of the Prelude
Back at the apartment, with the first thread of light, Ahmed prepared a traditional Yemeni breakfast: warm bread, ghee, honey, and tea. The aroma filled the rooms like a promise of a new beginning. Misaki and Honoka woke to find the fear of the previous day retreating.
However, when they arrived at school, the atmosphere changed. Whispers followed them through the hallways. Students stared at Ahmed with astonishment. Suddenly, the school speakers blared: "Student Ahmed... please report to the principal's office immediately." Minutes later, Misaki and Honoka were also summoned. They walked toward the office, unaware that the door would soon reveal a truth that would change everything.
The Dark Warehouse
In a cold, damp warehouse on the outskirts of Moscow, Ahmed was shackled to a metal pillar. He had not eaten for two days. Irina entered, her eyes filled with rage and tears. "How are you... you traitor?" she spat. She kicked him in her fury, showing him an old photo from the hospital.
As the pain flared, Ahmed's memory finally returned. He remembered the supermarket, the sweets, and the little girl with the golden hair. "I remember," he whispered in English. "I saved you... you are the daughter of my father's friend."
Irina collapsed in tears, her heart breaking between love and vengeance. She slipped a piece of paper with coordinates into his pocket and ordered the guards to release him and drop him at her father's house. "If you truly remember your promise... come and save me," she whispered.
The Deep Descent
Irina drove toward the green mountains, seeking an ancient network of tunnels reaching a hundred meters underground. "If Ahmed doesn't come... I will kill myself," she vowed, descending into the dark, stone passageway to wait in an abandoned room at the very bottom.
Meanwhile, Abu Ahmed found his son lying on the grass in front of Alexei's house. After a tearful reunion, Ahmed showed his father the coordinates. Despite his exhaustion and the looming presence of Misaki, Ahmed's noble spirit prevailed. "I want to go save her," Ahmed said firmly. "What matters now is saving Irina from this mindset... it will only destroy her."
Abu Ahmed looked at the coordinates on the phone and sighed. "Alright... let's go buy what you need first."