Chapter one the last seat
One day, a new philosophy teacher walked into the classroom. He stood in front of the students and said:
"Whoever thinks they're different—explain why."
Silence filled the room. Then Mike slowly raised his eyes and said calmly:
"Because I don't need to prove anything to anyone."
The class went quiet. Even the teacher paused. The sentence wasn't long, but it was enough to shift the entire atmosphere. From that moment on, everyone started noticing him.
Not because he wanted to be seen—
But because they felt there was something about him…
That didn't resemble any of them.
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Chapter Two: "The Lesson Isn't Taught"
"People think intelligence is in the answer. But true intelligence is knowing when not to respond."
After the incident with the philosophy teacher, Mike's name began to echo through the hallways. Not as someone "popular," but as a mystery. Some students tried to get close to him, ask his opinion, test him. He'd reply with short phrases sometimes a faint smile, sometimes complete silence.
On Wednesday, something strange happened. One of the school's bullies, Kareem, decided to show off in front of the class. He walked in late, threw his bag on the floor, and said loudly:
"Hey, that guy in the back"Mike" looks like he's writing about us in his notebook. Maybe he dreams of being a detective!"
Some students laughed. The teacher ignored it, but all eyes were on Mike.
Mike didn't move. But after a minute, he opened his notebook, wrote something, then looked up and said:
"Kareem… you talk a lot, but no one believes you. Know why? Because you're always trying to prove you're strong but you've never faced yourself."
The class went silent. Kareem froze, confused. The teacher looked at Mike and said:
"Mike… would you mind sharing what you wrote?"
Mike read aloud, calmly:
"Strength isn't in a loud voice it's in the silence that unsettles those who don't understand it."
From that moment on, students saw Mike differently. He wasn't just mysterious anymore he was someone who understood them better than they understood themselves.
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Chapter Three: "When Silence Speaks"
"The administration loves apologies even when there's no mistake. But I don't apologize for understanding."
After the incident with Kareem, some teachers began to notice Mike's influence in class. Not because he caused trouble, but because he could shift the atmosphere with a single word. On Thursday morning, he was summoned to the principal's office.
The principal, a stern woman, said:
"Mike, we've heard you've been writing about your classmates in your notebook. That's creating tension. Are you planning to publish something?"
Mike sat calmly, placed the notebook on the desk, and opened a blank page. Then he said:
"I'm not writing about them… I'm writing about what they don't say."
The principal looked confused.
"That's not a clear answer."
He replied:
"Because the question itself isn't clear. Is the problem that I observe? Or that I don't speak like the others?"
She fell silent. Then said:
"You're different, and that unsettles people."
Mike smiled.
"Difference doesn't unsettle… unless people are addicted to repetition."
He left the office without punishment, without apology, and without raising his voice. But he left a mark. Even the principal began watching him—not as a threat, but as a question.
At the end of the day, he wrote in his notebook:
"Authority doesn't fear mistakes… it fears those who see it without asking for anything."
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Chapter Four: "An Unspoken Glance"
"Some eyes don't shine… but they see more than words ever say."
Her name was Lian. Smart, quiet, but not shy. She sat in the second row, wrote in neat handwriting, and preferred reading during recess over joking around. She had noticed Mike since the beginning of the year, but after his confrontation with Kareem, she saw him differently.
One day, she entered the classroom early and found him alone, writing in his notebook. She didn't speak at first, but sat nearby and opened her book. After a few minutes, she softly asked:
"You write about people… have you written about me?"
Mike looked at her and replied:
"I don't write about people… I write about moments no one notices."
Lian smiled and said:
"And have you noticed a moment of mine?"
After a short silence, Mike answered:
"Yes… when you read during recess while everyone else was running around. That moment told me you're not escaping the world… you're choosing a different one."
Lian didn't respond, but her eyes changed. It wasn't a typical look of admiration it was the gaze of someone who felt understood without having to explain.
At the end of the day, Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Some eyes aren't searching for answers… they're searching for someone who understands the question before it's asked."
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Chapter Five: Mike's Philosophy
The school was loud… but inside him, silence screamed.
Mike sat in the last row, as always.
His face was still, his eyes moved slowly—scanning everything:
A fake laugh, a smug glance, a twitching hand…
It was like watching a play, but he was the only one who understood the real script.
"People talk too much… maybe because they're afraid to hear themselves."
He thought it quietly, watching a student trying too hard to be noticed.
Mike didn't hate them.
He just saw them from a different angle.
The angle of silence.
The angle of observation.
The angle of power that doesn't need proof.
He opened his notebook and wrote one line:
"Power isn't in the reply… it's in making them talk about you without saying a word."
At that moment, the teacher walked in.
Started explaining.
Mike didn't write.
He drew.
Intersecting lines—like a web.
And in the center, one dot: "Me."
"They all move… but few choose their direction."
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Chapter Six: "The First Crack"
"Silence is a weapon… but sometimes, it wounds its wielder before it hits the target."
At the end of the day, the classroom was empty.
Mike sat alone by the window.
The orange glow of sunset brushed his face, but his eyes were still—not watching, just thinking.
During recess, he overheard two girls laughing:
"See him? The one who always sits alone. Looks like he's scared to speak."
A soft laugh, but it pierced like a blade.
Mike didn't respond. As usual.
But inside, something shifted.
He opened his notebook and wrote:
"I'm not afraid to speak… I'm just tired of words that never land."
For the first time, silence didn't feel like strength.
It felt like absence.
It made him wish someone would ask, "Are you okay?"
He stood up, walked through the corridors.
Students laughing, talking, acting like they had it all figured out.
But he… he felt like he understood more than they did—just couldn't share it.
At the end of the day, he wrote:
"The crack isn't in the voice… it's in the feeling that even if I spoke, no one would truly hear me."
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Chapter Seven: "The One Who Saw the Crack"
> "Not everyone who's quiet is weak… and not everyone who speaks understands."
The next day, Layan walked into class late.
Her hair was tied back, and her eyes held a glimmer—not of curiosity, but of perception.
She sat next to Mike, without a word.
But she looked at him… not with judgment, but with understanding.
During the lesson, the teacher asked the students to write about "The moment you felt most alone."
Most wrote ordinary things.
But Mike wrote a single line:
"Loneliness isn't being alone… it's being surrounded by people who don't see you."
The teacher read it aloud.
The class went silent.
Layan looked at him and softly said:
"I saw you."
Mike froze.
Not from fear, but surprise.
Someone finally understood the sentence—not just heard it.
At recess, Layan approached him and said:
"I don't like crowds… but I like people whose silence speaks louder than their words."
He smiled for the first time in days.
Not a full smile, but as if his heart whispered, "Someone sees me."
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Chapter Eight: "I'm Not Like Them… And I Love You"
"Some say 'I love you' out loud… others say it with a glance, a sentence, a moment of truth."
At the end of the week, Mike sat in the school's back garden.
The air was calm, carrying the scent of autumn.
Layan arrived and sat beside him—no words.
After a quiet moment, she said:
"I'm not like them… I won't ask why you're quiet, and I won't try to change you."
Mike looked at her—for the first time, fully.
Not with caution, but with anticipation.
Layan continued:
"I love you just the way you are… you don't need to say much. I hear you even in silence."
The moment was still, yet full of sound.
The sound of two hearts speaking without words.
Later, Mike wrote in his notebook:
"The first time someone told me they loved me… without saying it."
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Chapter Nine: "When Doubt Entered"
"True love doesn't fear doubt… it faces it and stands firm."
At the start of the week, a rumor spread through school:
"Layan's been talking and laughing a lot with Kareem."
Kareem?
The guy who always wants attention—the one who's been trying to catch Layan's eye for a while.
Mike heard it, but didn't ask her.
He returned to his silence, but this time, it carried a sting.
He wrote in his notebook:
"I'm not afraid you'll disappoint me… I'm afraid I opened my heart to someone who doesn't see it."
During recess, Layan noticed the distance.
She walked up to him and said:
"I know what you heard… but if you truly understand me, you'll know Kareem is just a page in my book… and you're the cover."
Mike looked at her, but his eyes held a question.
Layan handed him a small note, written in her handwriting:
"I chose you… not because you're different, but because you're real."
He didn't speak, but his heart began to settle.
The doubt didn't vanish, but love started to answer it.
___________________________
Chapter Ten: "The Voice That Was Waiting for Its Moment"
"Not all confrontations are loud… sometimes, the strongest words are spoken softly."
In the school courtyard, Kareem was trying hard to show how close he was to Layan.
Laughing, talking too much, throwing glances like he was performing.
Mike stood at a distance, watching—but this time… he didn't stay silent.
He walked toward them, steady steps.
Stopped in front of Kareem, and said calmly:
"You love being in the spotlight… but this scene isn't yours."
Kareem laughed mockingly:
"Oh wow, Mike? You finally decided to speak?"
Mike looked him in the eye and said:
"I speak when words matter… and Layan isn't a prize in a contest—she's a choice."
People started noticing, but Mike didn't care.
He turned to Layan and said:
"I won't ask, and I won't doubt… I know who saw me in silence and understood me without explanation."
Layan smiled, but didn't say a word.
Her look said enough.
Kareem went quiet.
Not because he agreed, but because he realized Mike wasn't speaking to prove himself…
He was speaking because he knew himself.
___________________________
Chapter Eleven: "I Was Silent Too"
"Not everyone who laughs is okay… and not every strong soul is whole inside."
At the end of the day, Layan asked Mike to sit with her in the spot where he always writes.
The air was quiet, and the sky held a soft gray hue.
She said:
"I know you write to escape… but I used to escape in a different way."
Mike looked at her, patiently.
She continued:
"I always laughed, replied to everyone, acted strong… but the truth? I was more afraid of loneliness than you were."
She paused, then added:
"My dad left two years ago, and my mom became someone else… and me? I laughed so no one would ask, Are you okay?"
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Some people talk a lot, but the first time they speak the truth… they're silent."
Layan looked at him and said:
"I told you I love you… but today, I'm telling you I trust you."
The moment was quieter than any before, but deeper than everything that came before it.
Mike handed her the notebook and said:
"Write in it… let it be our voice."
___________________________
Chapter Twelve: "When Silence Wasn't Enough"
On a strange day, the school was unusually quiet.
Students whispered, teachers looked tense, and the air felt heavy with something unspoken.
Maryam walked in with three guys from outside the school.
But the one who stood out… was Saif, Layan's uncle.
An older man, but his eyes held years of violence. His face didn't smile—it warned.
The target? Mike.
The reason? Layan had chosen Mike, and Saif saw that as "disrespect to the family."
During recess, Mike sat with Layan, writing in their notebook.
Suddenly, they surrounded him.
Maryam raised her voice:
"Think you're a hero? Layan's not yours… and today, we'll teach you what silence really means."
Saif stepped forward and struck Mike's shoulder. The notebook fell.
Layan shouted, "Saif! Stop!"
But he looked at her and said:
"I'm protecting you from yourself."
Mike stood up. His eyes didn't show fear… they burned with quiet fire.
He said:
"I won't hit you… but if you touch her again, you'll regret it."
Saif laughed—a cold, hollow laugh.
"I don't regret… I teach."
Before he could move again, Layan hit him with a metal pen she'd been holding.
Quick. Sharp. Direct.
Students gathered. Teachers rushed in.
The moment flipped.
___________________________
Chapter Thirteen: "The Name That Wasn't Meant to Be Spoken"
"Some fear loud voices… others fear a name."
After the fight, the school was in chaos.
The principal called for an investigation, students whispered, and Layan was tense.
But no one expected what came next… when one of the teachers asked a simple question:
"Mike… what's your full name?"
Mike looked him in the eye and calmly replied:
"Mike Al-Rawi."
The teacher froze.
He turned to the principal and said:
"Do you know who this is? He's the son of Youssef Al-Rawi."
Silence.
Students stopped talking.
Even Seif, who had been standing tall, took a step back.
Youssef Al-Rawi?
A name etched in the shadows of the old crime world.
Not just a criminal… he was the mastermind of a syndicate that vanished years ago.
Everyone thought he was dead—or worse, untouchable.
Mike looked around and said:
"I didn't choose my name… but I chose not to be like them."
Layan stepped closer, her voice soft:
"I knew you were different… but I didn't know you were from another world."
Mike smiled, but it was a smile laced with pain.
He wrote in his notebook:
"I'm the son of Al-Rawi… but my story isn't his. I write—I don't kill."
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Chapter Fourteen: "The Shadow That Walked Back In"
"Some people enter a room… and even the air holds its breath."
The morning after the fight, the school was eerily quiet.
Students whispered, teachers were tense, and Layan couldn't sit still.
Then suddenly… the school gates opened.
A man in a black suit, dark sunglasses, and heavy steps walked in.
Youssef Al-Rawi had returned.
The principal rushed to greet him, but couldn't meet his eyes.
Students gathered, silent.
Mike stood at the end of the hallway, still… but his eyes spoke volumes.
Youssef approached the principal and said in a calm, chilling voice:
"I'm here for my son… not for you."
He entered the office and asked to see Mike.
When Mike walked in, it was the first time they stood face to face in years.
Youssef looked at him and said:
"I heard you caused trouble… but what shocked me is that you said our name."
Mike replied:
"I didn't say your name… I said mine. And that's the difference between us."
Youssef paused, his gaze a mix of pride and fear.
He said:
"I came back to tell you… if you open the door to the past, you better be ready for everything that walks through."
Mike stepped closer and said:
"I'm not afraid of the past… I just don't plan to live in it."
Youssef gave a faint smile and said:
"If you keep going like this… you'll be more dangerous than I ever was."
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Chapter Fifteen: "The Apology in Front of Every Eye"
"Some people apologize in private… but those who do it in front of everyone are truly ready to change."
After Youssef Al-Rawi's return, the school was tense.
Students whispered about Mike, teachers didn't know how to act, and Layan kept wondering why he was so quiet.
But on Thursday morning, during assembly, something unexpected happened.
The principal began speaking, but Mike interrupted and asked for the microphone.
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Mike stood before the entire school and spoke with a steady voice:
"I know you've heard things about me… I know my name scares some of you.
But I'm here to say one thing…
I'm sorry."
Students looked at each other, confused.
Mike continued:
"Sorry for every moment I was too distant.
Sorry for every time I chose defense over explanation.
Sorry to anyone who felt I was dangerous… when I was just trying to escape a past I didn't choose."
Seif stood in the front row and asked:
"But you were strong… why apologize?"
Mike smiled and replied:
"Real strength isn't winning fights…
It's admitting you were part of the problem—and choosing to be part of the solution."
Layan's eyes welled up, but she said nothing.
The principal stepped forward and said:
"Mike… what you said today wasn't easy.
But it changed how we see you."
Later, back in class, Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Apology isn't weakness… it's the announcement of a new beginning."
After the assembly, students began talking to Mike.
Seif approached and said: "If you ever need someone, I'm here."
Layan handed him a small note with just one word:
"Proud of you."
___________________________
Chapter Sixteen: "The Enemy Who Entered Smiling"
"Not every smile means friendship… sometimes it hides a blade."
On Monday morning, school felt almost normal… until a new student walked in.
His name was Yaji—long black hair tied back, sharp eyes, and a smirk full of arrogance.
The principal introduced him:
"A transfer from an international school… let's welcome Yaji."
But Mike froze the moment he heard the name.
He scribbled in his notebook:
"Yaji… son of Kento, leader of the Black Dragon syndicate."
The Black Dragons.
A gang with a bloody history against the Al-Rawi family.
Betrayal, violence, and death.
This wasn't just a rivalry—it was a legacy of hatred.
During recess, Yaji approached Mike and said:
"Heard you're the son of Youssef Al-Rawi… I expected someone taller."
Mike replied calmly:
"And I expected someone smarter."
Students began sensing the tension.
Seif whispered to Layan: "Something's off… he's not just a new kid."
Yaji smirked and said:
"I didn't come here to study… I came to watch you.
To understand why the son of Al-Rawi chose to live like a student."
Mike looked him in the eye:
"I'm writing my own story… not playing a role in yours."
Yaji leaned in and whispered:
"Your story ends when I say it does."
At the end of the day, Mike returned home and found a note slipped under his door.
Written in strange handwriting:
"The war has begun… but not with weapons.
Watch your steps, son of Al-Rawi."
___________________________
Chapter Seventeen: "The Lesson That Wasn't on the Schedule"
"Some confrontations happen in class… but no one marks them in the attendance book."
During literature class, the teacher asked students to write a short piece titled:
"Who Am I."
Everyone began writing, but Yaji raised his hand and said:
"Can I read mine aloud?"
The teacher agreed. Yaji stood in front of the class and began:
"I'm the son of Kento, from a bloodline that doesn't break.
I'm not just a student… I'm an eye that watches, and a tongue that cuts.
Some run from their names… but I'm proud of mine, and proud of the war that's coming."
Silence.
All eyes turned to Mike.
The teacher said, "Your words are strong… but they carry a tone of threat."
Yaji smirked:
> "Only those afraid of truth call it a threat."
Mike asked to read his piece.
He stood, looked directly at Yaji, and said:
"I'm the son of Youssef Al-Rawi… but I'm not his copy.
I'm not a sword—I'm a pen.
I'm not an eye that watches—I'm a conscience that judges.
I'm not proud of war… I'm proud I chose peace, even when war runs in my veins."
The class fell silent.
The teacher said, "That's not just writing… that's a stance."
Yaji looked at him and said:
"Peace doesn't survive in our world."
Mike replied:
"That's why I'm writing a new one."
After class, Yaji slipped a note into Mike's desk drawer.
It read:
"Your pen is strong… but war doesn't read."
Mike smiled, flipped the paper, and wrote:
"But war fears those who write about it."
___________________________
Chapter Eighteen: "The Hand That Didn't Strike Back"
"Sometimes, you're strongest when you don't hit back."
During recess, students gathered around the school yard.
Yaji stood laughing with a group, but his eyes never left Mike.
Seif leaned in and said, "Watch out… he's planning something."
Mike replied, "I'm ready… but in my own way."
Suddenly, Yaji threw a ball hard—hitting Mike in the shoulder.
Silence.
Yaji said loudly:
"Oops… my hand slipped."
Mike looked at him, silent.
He picked up the ball, placed it in front of Yaji, and said:
"If your hand slips again… you'll find me standing, not kneeling."
Yaji stepped closer:
"You talk a lot… but you don't hit."
Mike smiled:
"Those who hit fast… lose fast."
Yaji tried to provoke him further:
"Your father solved things with weapons… looks like you only inherited the name."
Mike replied:
"I inherited his fear… and turned it into wisdom."
Students gathered, tension rising, but Mike stood firm.
Yaji raised his hand as if to strike—but Mike didn't flinch.
That moment was a test.
And Mike passed.
After the incident, the principal called both of them in.
But before he could speak, he noticed students had written on the wall:
"Mike didn't hit… but he won."
Later that day, Mike wrote in his notebook:
"The hand that didn't strike… was stronger than a thousand punches."
___________________________
Chapter Nineteen: "The Letter Without a Name"
"Not every offer comes through a door… sometimes it arrives from the shadows."
On Wednesday evening, Mike returned home and found a black envelope on his desk.
No one saw who delivered it. No sender name.
Inside was a neatly written note:
"You're not like them.
You think. You control. You endure.
We want you with us."
Below the message was a strange symbol:
A circle with two opposing arrows, and one word:
"The Balance."
Mike didn't feel threatened… but it wasn't innocent either.
He wrote in his notebook:
"Someone's watching me… but why? And why now?"
The next day, a stranger stood at the school gate.
Gray suit. Calm eyes. He said:
"Did the message reach you?"
Mike asked:
"Who are you?"
The man replied:
"People who balance the world… but not in ways you understand."
He handed Mike a folder—photos, names, intel.
Gang leaders, politicians, businessmen… all under surveillance by The Balance.
Then he said:
"You have a gift—not just for writing, but for influence.
We want you to be our eyes inside the school… and beyond."
Mike asked:
"And if I refuse?"
The man smiled:
"No one refuses The Balance… but some take longer to accept."
Mike returned home and wrote in his notebook:
"I've always written about conflict…
But now, I'm inside it."
Chapter Twenty: "The Eye That Saw More Than It Expected"
"When you become the eye of the Balance… you see things you weren't ready for."
After the offer, Mike decided to observe the school.
Not as a spy—but as a conscious watcher, trying to understand the game.
He began noticing strange behavior from one of the teachers:
Mr. Nader, the history teacher, often stayed late and took cryptic phone calls.
On Thursday, Mike followed him after school.
He saw him enter an abandoned building near the neighborhood, carrying a black bag.
Mike took photos and wrote in his notebook:
"Mr. Nader isn't just a teacher… something's behind this."
Back home, he reviewed the photos.
In one of them, a familiar face appeared—
Yaji.
Standing in the background, watching Mr. Nader from a distance.
Mike wrote:
"Yaji's watching the same person?
Are we on the same mission?
Or is he working for someone else?"
The next day, Mr. Nader vanished.
The school claimed it was "an emergency leave," but Mike knew The Balance had intervened.
He received a new envelope, with a short message:
"Well done.
But the game has truly begun."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"I'm not alone…
But I don't know who's with me—and who's against me."
___________________________
Chapter Twenty-One: "The Enemy Who Reached Out"
"Some people enter your life as enemies… but become more important than any friend."
On Friday evening, Mike sat on the rooftop, reviewing photos and notes.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind the door.
He opened it… and found Yaji standing there. No smirk. No provocation.
Yaji said:
"We need to talk."
Mike replied:
"If you're here to provoke me, the door's behind you."
Yaji said:
"I'm not here to provoke… I'm here to explain."
He stepped in, sat down, and said:
"I'm not just Kento's son… I'm a member of The Balance.
They recruited me two years ago when they realized I wasn't like the rest of the syndicate.
I was watching you… not to take you down, but to understand you."
Mike paused:
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Yaji replied:
"The Balance doesn't like words… it prefers reactions."
Mike leaned forward:
"So we're on the same side?"
Yaji smiled—genuinely, for the first time:
"Not just the same side… the same mission."
He handed Mike a new file.
One name stood out:
"Seif."
Mike froze:
"Why Seif?"
Yaji said:
"There's a group trying to manipulate him… because he's smart, and easy to influence.
Our job is to protect him… without him knowing."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Yaji isn't my enemy…
He's the other face of the same war."
At the bottom of the page, he added:
"New mission: protect Seif… from the world, and from himself."
___________________________
Extension of Chapter 21: Mike's Dream About Lian's Death
That night, after meeting Yaji, Mike fell asleep on the couch.
The file lay open beside him.
At 2:44 AM, he slipped into a dream—vivid, haunting, and painfully clear.
The Dream:
He stood at a funeral.
Rain poured down.
Everyone wore black, but no one cried.
They stood in silence… as if mourning something greater than a person.
Then he saw Lian—inside the coffin.
But her eyes were open, staring straight at him.
She spoke without sound, but he heard her inside:
"I'm not dead… but time is running out."
Mike tried to open the coffin, but his hands were bound in chains.
Suddenly, Kento appeared behind the coffin, laughing quietly.
Lian said:
"If you don't understand the message… I will die for real."
The scene vanished.
In its place stood a massive clock.
Its hands spun rapidly, and with every second, a photo of Lian's memories fell to the ground.
After the Dream:
Mike woke up gasping, heart pounding.
He grabbed his phone and texted Lian:
"Where are you? I need to see you. Now."
Then he opened his notebook and wrote:
"The dream wasn't just fear… it was a warning."
"Lian is still alive… but in danger.
I won't let her be the next photo to fall."
Chapter 22: "The House He Was Late For"
After the dream, Mike ran out of his apartment.
It was 3:10 AM.
The streets were empty, but his heart was screaming.
He reached Lian's house and started banging on the door:
"Lian! Open up! I saw something… we need to talk!"
No answer.
He tried the door—it was unlocked.
He stepped inside, calling out:
"Lian? Mr. Sami? Mrs. Naglaa?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Like the house itself was grieving.
He walked into the living room—and froze.
The Scene:
Her parents lay on the floor.
Still.
Covered in blood.
The curtain was open, moonlight pouring in.
Mike dropped to his knees, stunned.
"No… this isn't the dream I saw…"
Then he noticed a note on the table, written in neat handwriting:
"Lian was the target… but they paid the price."
Mike's Reaction:
He grabbed the note, piecing things together.
The dream had been a warning… but he misread it.
He opened his notebook and wrote:
"The message was clear… but I was too distracted by fear."
"Now there's no time for hesitation.
Lian must disappear.
Seif must be watched.
The war has already begun."
He stepped out of the house.
No tears.
Just fire in his chest.
___________________________
Chapter 23: "The Unnatural Calm"
After leaving Lian's house, Mike's heart was pounding like war drums.
He didn't think—he jumped on his bike and pedaled as fast as he could.
The streets were empty, but every voice in his head screamed:
"If she's dead… it's my fault."
"If she's alive… I need to reach her before anyone else does."
He arrived at school at 7:45 AM.
His bike was gasping like he was.
He parked it by the wall and rushed inside.
The Scene:
In the crowd, he saw her.
Lian was walking among the students, wearing a gray jacket, her hair tied back, laughing with a friend.
As if she didn't know her house had become a crime scene.
Mike stepped in front of her, breathless:
"Lian… are you okay?"
She looked confused:
"Yeah? I was at my grandma's since yesterday…
Mom and Dad told me to stay there for a bit.
Why? You look exhausted."
Mike didn't answer.
Everything inside him screamed:
Why doesn't she know?
Who sent the note?
Was their death a message for her… or for me?
Inside Mike's Mind:
Sitting on the school wall, he opened his notebook and wrote:
"Lian is safe… but the house is dead."
"This wasn't random… and she doesn't need to know yet."
"I'll watch her… not as a guard, but as a shadow."
Then he wrote a new title:
"Operation Shadow: Protection Without Exposure."
___________________________
Chapter 24: "An Unusual Offer"
After sitting on the school wall, Mike watched Lian walk into class.
He kept an eye on her all day.
Every move she made tightened the knot in his chest.
At 1:30 PM, he waited for her at the school gate.
When she came out, he said:
"Lian… can I ask you something a little weird?"
She laughed:
"You've been weird all day. Go ahead."
Mike looked down, then met her eyes:
"I know you're staying at your grandma's…
But tonight, would you stay at my place?
Not for anything… I just feel like something's wrong.
And I'm not comfortable letting you be alone."
Lian paused, staring at him:
"Mike… you're scaring me.
Did something happen?"
Mike replied:
"Not yet… but if you say yes, I'll tell you everything.
I'm not asking as a friend… I'm asking as someone who saw something,
and doesn't want it to happen again."
She looked at him—and saw something different in his eyes.
Not fear… but pain.
She said:
"Okay… but on one condition.
If I stay at your place, you tell me everything.
From the dream… to today."
Mike gave a tired smile:
"Deal."
In his notebook, he wrote:
"Lian agreed…
But this isn't rescue.
It's delaying death.
And I need to rewrite the ending."
___________________________
Chapter 25: "The Delayed Confession"
At 8:15 PM, Lian arrived at Mike's place.
The house was simple, but strangely warm—like the walls were listening.
Mike made her a warm drink, and they sat in the living room.
He said:
"I had a dream you were dead…
But you were staring at me, telling me time was running out."
"I woke up, rushed to your house…
And found your parents murdered."
Lian froze.
The cup in her hand trembled.
"What? Are you serious?"
Mike nodded:
"The strange part is… you were at your grandma's.
You didn't know anything.
And whoever did it left a note:
'Lian was the target… but they paid the price.'"
Lian stood up, pacing the room, trying to process.
"So I was supposed to die?
Why? I haven't done anything!"
Mike said:
"Not because of what you did…
But because of what you might do.
There are people who see you as a threat—even if you don't see it yet."
They sat in silence.
Then Lian said:
"I won't run…
But I won't stay quiet either.
If someone's targeting me, I want to know who."
Mike smiled:
"That's why you're here.
And I'm not letting you face this alone."
Outside, across the street…
A figure stood in a black jacket, staring at Mike's window.
In his hand, a small camera.
In his earpiece, a voice said:
"Target has moved… but remains under surveillance."
Chapter 26: "The First Strike"
At 11:40 PM, Mike and Lian sat in the living room, trying to figure out who was watching them.
Suddenly, the back door creaked.
A soft sound—but unmistakable.
Mike stood quickly, grabbed a wooden stick near the door, and opened it quietly.
The Scene:
A stranger was inside the house.
Wearing a cap, rummaging through papers on the desk.
Mike shouted:
"Who are you?!"
The guy tried to run, but Mike lunged, grabbed him from behind, and slammed him to the floor.
The intruder stammered:
"I'm not here to hurt anyone! I just"
But Mike didn't wait.
He punched him hard in the face—blood spilled from the guy's nose.
Lian screamed:
"Mike! What are you doing?!"
Mike stood over him, breathing heavily, eyes locked on the stranger.
He said:
"I've never hit anyone before…
But tonight, someone broke into my house—
After her parents were murdered—
After I dreamed of her death.
I'm done staying quiet."
The guy trembled:
"I'm not one of them…
I was watching you for a different group.
But clearly… you're in something bigger than you realize."
Mike tied the guy up and began questioning him:
"Who sent you?
Why Lian?
Why me?"
In his notebook, he wrote:
"The first strike wasn't revenge…
It was a declaration."
"I'm not just protecting anymore…
I'm part of the war."
Chapter 27: "He's Hiding More Than He's Saying"
The stranger was tied to a chair.
Mike stood in front of him, eyes locked.
Lian sat silently on the couch—watching, thinking.
Mike asked:
"You said you're not one of them…
Then who sent you?"
The guy looked up:
"I work for a group called The Third Shadow.
We don't kill… we observe.
We report."
Lian asked:
"Report to who?"
He hesitated, then said:
"People in the government… and people outside it.
But what matters is—
You two are now an open file."
Mike stepped closer:
"Why Lian?
Why her house?
Why her parents?"
The guy replied:
"We didn't kill anyone.
But whoever did… was sending a message.
Not just to Lian—
To you too."
Lian asked:
"So I've been watched? Since when?"
He said:
"Before you met Mike.
But when he entered your life…
The file changed."
Mike asked:
"What's the name of the file?"
The guy smirked:
"Reflection."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"The Third Shadow…
They watch, but don't interfere."
"Reflection… a file name, maybe a betrayal."
"If someone's selling us out…
It might be someone close."
He looked at Lian and said:
"From now on…
Trust no one but each other."
Chapter 28: "friend Arrives"
It was 12:30 AM.
Mike and Lian were still in the living room.
The tied-up stranger was starting to crack under pressure.
Suddenly, the door opened—quietly.
No sound.
Yaji walked in.
Dressed in black. Calm expression.
But his eyes held something different.
Not threat. Not regret.
Something in between.
Mike stood up fast:
"What are you doing here?
You caused all this!"
Yaji replied:
"I'm the reason you're still alive.
But now… you need to hear the truth no one told you."
Lian stood:
"You've been watching us?
Since when?"
Yaji smiled:
"Since before you even thought of resisting.
I'm not part of The Third Shadow…
I'm above them."
Mike asked:
"So you're the enemy?"
Yaji said:
"I'm the friend born from the enemy.
But if you don't understand what's coming…
You'll be victims, not heroes."
He turned to the tied-up guy:
"Untie him.
He's not the danger.
The real threat hasn't entered yet."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Yaji is back… but not like before.
He's not threatening—he's warning.
And what's coming… feels bigger than everything before."
He looked at Lian and said:
"From now on…
We need to know who's moving the pieces—
Not just play the game."
___________________________
Chapter 29: "The Warning from Within"
After Yaji entered and untied the stranger, he sat down in front of Mike and Lian.
He said:
"I came with a message from The Balance…
Not a threat—
But not comfort either."
Mike asked:
"A message?
From the group that's supposed to protect us?"
Yaji replied:
"The Balance protects…
But when they start to doubt, they watch.
And the message was clear:
'Observe Mike and Lian…
Don't interfere unless they cross the line.'"
Lian asked:
"So we're a threat now? Why?"
Yaji said:
"Not because of what you've done…
But because of what you might do—
If you act without control.
Your file is called Reflection…
And it's not just a name.
It's a test."
Mike stood:
"So you're here to spy on us?"
Yaji replied:
"I'm here to warn you.
If you want to stay free,
You need to be careful.
Every word, every move, every decision…
Is being recorded."
He looked at them both:
"The Balance isn't always on your side…
But if you understand the game,
You might just change the side itself."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"The Balance has started to doubt us…
Protection has turned into surveillance."
"Now, every step must be calculated…
And every trust re-evaluated."
He looked at Lian and said:
"From now on…
We're not just running from danger—
We're running from what we thought was safety."
___________________________
Chapter 30: "The First Test"
The next morning, a black envelope arrived at the apartment door.
No name. No seal. Just one handwritten line:
"Test what you know…
Before what you are gets tested."
Mike opened it. Inside was a file—
A photo of someone he knew well: Elias, an old friend, once part of their circle…
Then vanished.
The file read:
"Observe Elias for 48 hours.
No contact. No interference.
Record everything.
Then decide: Is he a threat… or a hope?"
Lian stared at the photo:
"Elias?
They said he disappeared…
But clearly, they've been watching him all along."
Mike replied:
"This test isn't about Elias…
It's about us.
Can we watch someone we once trusted?
Or will we break protocol and warn him?"
Scene: Surveillance
Day one.
They sat in a tinted car near an old building.
Elias exited from the back door, dressed simply, carrying a small bag, heading toward the train station.
Lian wrote in her notebook:
"He moves quietly…
But his eyes are searching.
Like he knows he's being watched."
Day two.
Elias entered an abandoned library and spoke to a mysterious woman.
No words were heard—
But their body language said everything: tension, fear… then agreement.
Mike whispered:
"If he's planning something…
He's not alone."
---
The Decision
At the end of the 48 hours, Mike and Lian sat in front of the file.
Every word they'd written waited for one final mark:
"Threat" or "Hope."
Lian asked:
"If we write 'Threat'…
He might disappear like before.
If we write 'Hope'…
We're gambling on someone we barely know anymore."
Mike looked at her:
"The real question isn't about Elias…
It's whether we still know ourselves.
Or if The Balance has started reshaping us."
Then they wrote the word—
But it wasn't revealed to the reader.
Chapter 31 : "The Face Behind the Blood"
After Elias's test ended, Mike and Lian returned to the apartment. But Mike's mind wasn't quiet.
Everything around him whispered that something was missing… something unspoken, moving in the shadows.
He started reviewing the photos, recordings, and files he'd gathered—from Al-Meezan, from Yaji, and from the young man who broke into the house.
Then he noticed something strange…
Scene:
In an old surveillance photo, a figure stood at a distance, watching Lian's house the day before the crime.
The face was blurry… but familiar.
Mike zoomed in and began comparing it to Al-Meezan's internal files.
Then he froze.
The face… belonged to Raed, one of Al-Meezan's top officials.
Always portrayed as wise, protective, and trustworthy.
But in a confidential internal document, written in tiny font:
"Raed: Codename The First Shadow
Head of Covert Operations Division.
Responsible for eliminating emotionally disruptive targets."
Mike flipped the page… and saw Lian's name marked in red.
Next to it, a date: 48 hours from now.
"Target: Lian Sami
Status: Under surveillance
Recommendation: Eliminate within 48 hours
Reason: Excessive emotional attachment threatens operative stability (Mike)."
Mike whispered as he read:
"She's still alive…
But time is running out."
Mike scribbled in his notebook:
"Raed isn't just a leader…
He decides who lives and who dies, based on the system's mood."
"Lian isn't a target…
She's a warning.
And if I don't act now, she'll become the nightmare I dreamed."
He looked at the clock and said:
"48 hours…
Not time to run.
Time to fight."
___________________________
Chapter 32: "The Clock Has Started"
In an abandoned basement beneath an old district, Mike sat across from Yaji, who sipped cold coffee and studied him carefully.
Mike spoke in a low voice:
"Lian is still alive.
But they've ordered her elimination—within 48 hours."
Yaji raised an eyebrow:
"Raed?"
Mike nodded:
"The First Shadow.
He signed the order."
Yaji paused, then said:
"If you go in now, they'll erase her before you reach her.
We have to play this from the inside."
Mike leaned forward:
"I want access to The Mirror file.
The system they use to flag emotional threats."
Yaji smirked:
"It's not a file… it's a program.
It analyzes every move, every word, every glance—
Then decides who threatens your psychological stability."
Mike asked:
"So they think my love for Lian is a weakness?"
Yaji replied:
"To them, love = threat.
And your threat must be removed."
The Beginning of the Plan:
Mike opened his laptop and began writing a custom breach code.
His goal: infiltrate The Mirror system and reclassify Lian from "Threat" to "Supportive Element."
But Yaji warned:
"If they detect the change, they'll know you hacked it.
You'll need chaos to cover the breach."
Mike smiled:
"I have an idea…
But I'll need a familiar face."
Yaji asked:
"Who?"
Mike replied:
"Elias."
At that very moment, Raed stared at a screen showing Lian's profile.
Beside him, a message read:
"Target under surveillance.
Prepare for execution within 48 hours."
He tapped a button—
And a new name appeared on the list:
"Mike… dual surveillance."
Chapter 34: "The First Confrontation"
Inside a dim room at Mazayin's headquarters, Yusuf sat behind a massive screen, tracking Mike's every move.
His face was calm, but his eyes held something deeper than power… something like longing.
Mike entered. His steps were steady. His gaze didn't flinch.
Yusuf smiled:
"You finally arrived.
I knew you'd uncover everything."
Mike, in a low voice:
"Lian was just a tool?
Raed—a puppet?
And all of this… a test?"
Yusuf stood and approached:
"I needed to know…
Would you collapse when love is threatened?
Or use your pain to reshape reality?"
Mike looked into his father's eyes and said:
"You're not testing me…
You're testing yourself.
To see if your son is stronger than you.
Smarter.
More human."
Yusuf smiled, but it was a sad smile:
"If you're weaker, I'm proud.
If you're stronger… I'm afraid."
Mike pulled a small chip from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"This is the modified version of The Mirror.
It no longer measures threats…
It measures hope."
Yusuf looked at the chip, then at his son.
"The new game has begun…
And I'm no longer the one in control."
Chapter 35: "The True Test"
After leaving his father Yusuf's room, Mike stood in a long, dim corridor—walls silent, almost watching him.
In his pocket, the modified chip: the new Mirror System.
But before he could move, Yagi stepped out from the shadows.
He asked:
"So… you learned the truth?"
Mike nodded:
"More than I was ready for."
Yagi looked him in the eye:
"Then the question isn't who's behind this…
It's: will you use the system?
Or destroy it?"
Mike entered the control room, inserted the chip, and the system booted up.
On the screen, profiles appeared—people the old system had labeled as "emotional threats":
Layan, Elias, even his long-lost mother.
But in this new version, the labels had changed:
"Supportive Element," "Source of Stability," "Growth Catalyst."
Mike smiled, but it was a smile laced with pain.
He whispered:
"I won't become another Yusuf…
I'll be the correction."
At that exact moment, in a hidden room inside Al-Mazayin, a new face appeared on a monitor.
A woman—sharp eyes, unfamiliar face.
She said:
"Chip activated.
Mike is off-script.
Initiate Phase Two."
Chapter 36: "Back to the Frontline"
After weeks of confrontations, breaches, and truths that flipped their world upside down, Mike and Lian returned to school.
The entrance was the same. The bell, the faces, even the teachers… but everything felt different through their eyes.
Lian whispered as they walked in:
"Feels like this school was a dream…
Now it's just a stage."
Mike smirked and replied:
"And we're the actors who came back after the audience forgot them."
Inside the Classroom:
Students stared. Whispers. Glances. But no one spoke directly.
Mike sat at the back of the class and noticed something strange:
A small camera in the ceiling corner—new, not part of the school's original system.
Lian leaned in:
"You see it?"
Mike nodded:
"Yeah… the Mazayin are watching again.
But this time, not from a distance."
During the lesson, the teacher was explaining "closed systems," and Mike scribbled in his notebook:
"The system doesn't shut itself off…
It shuts you inside."
He glanced at Lian and said:
"Just because we're back at school doesn't mean we're back to life.
We're back to the front…
But the game's still on."
In a hidden surveillance room beneath the school, Mike and Lian's faces appeared on a screen.
Next to them, a note:
"The game has shifted…
Now we monitor reactions, not just decisions."
Then a new name lit up on the list:
"Lian… candidate for integration."
___________________________
Chapter 37: "After the Game"
School was over.
Mike and Lian sat on the edge of the school wall, watching the sunset bleed into silence.
The air was still—like it was waiting for something to be said.
Lian stared at the ground, then spoke:
"You know…
I've been thinking about everything.
The system. Your father. Us."
Mike looked at her, quietly:
"And me?
Did you think about me?"
Lian smiled—softly, but with a trace of pain:
"You were the only thing that didn't change inside me.
Even when I doubted everything…
I knew you'd keep fighting for me."
She paused. Then said:
"I want to marry you when we finish school."
Mike froze—not from shock, but from the weight of something real in a world full of lies.
He said:
"Are you sure?
After everything you've seen?
After learning my whole life was a test?"
Lian looked him in the eye:
"I don't want a perfect life…
I want a life with you in it."
Mike wrote in his notebook:
"Between systems, experiments, and fear…
I found a promise.
Not a promise of survival…
A promise to keep going."
Then he looked at her and said:
"Then we have to survive.
Not just for us—
But so the ones after us know that love isn't a threat…
Love is the real system."
___________________________
Chapter 38: "The Shot That Changed Everything"
Mike was still smiling at Lian
when the sound of a gunshot shattered the moment.
One bullet.
Fast.
Silent—like it had been watching them from afar.
Mike collapsed.
His blood began to stain the stones they were sitting on.
Lian screamed:
"MIKE!!"
White lights.
Machine sounds.
The smell of antiseptic.
Mike opened his eyes slowly.
He was in a nearly empty room—except for a small camera in the corner… watching.
Lian walked in, her eyes red from crying, but her voice steady:
"You're alive.
But the bullet was close to your heart.
The doctor said you survived by a miracle."
Mike, weakly:
"Who shot me?
Was it the system?"
Lian, quietly:
"I'm not sure… but someone from school disappeared after the attack.
His name's Kareem.
He was always trying to get close to the officials."
Mike stared at the ceiling and said:
"I thought the war was inside the system…
But it's around us too.
School isn't just a place to learn…
It's a battlefield."
Lian leaned closer and said:
"I'm not leaving you.
But we need to find out who's trying to take you out…
And why."
Mike smiled faintly:
"If that bullet was a message…
Then I'll answer it with something louder.
I won't stay silent."
Chapter 39: "The Broken Mirror"
Scene One: The Secret Interrogation Room – Beneath the Hospital
Mike is strapped to a metal chair. The lighting is dim. A screen in front of him plays scenes from his life... but with details he doesn't remember.
Kareem's voice echoes from a speaker:
Kareem: "Every choice you made was guided. Even when you decided to save Layan... we made you see her as a victim."
Mike (with restrained anger):
"You're messing with my head?"
Kareem: "No... I'm just showing you the mirrors you shattered yourself."
Scene Two: Layan in the Archive Room
Layan flips through old files. She discovers Kareem was part of a project called "The Third Shadow"—a psychological program designed to dismantle identity and rebuild it.
She finds a file labeled "Mike – Version 2.3", with notes:
"The version is showing resistance. Reinitialization required."
Layan (whispers):
"So Mike isn't... himself? They were reprogramming him?"
Scene Three: Events Begin to Intertwine
Layan escapes the archive and heads to a hidden spot where she stored old voice recordings from Kareem's early days as a patient.
She plays one:
Kareem (weak voice): "If anyone hears this... I don't know who I am. Every day I wake up as someone else. But one day, I saw Mike... and he was crying. That's when I felt we were the same."
Layan (thinking):
"They're both victims... but one chose control, the other chose escape."
Chapter 40: "The First Decision"
Scene: Interrogation Room – After the recordings stop
Silence. The screen in front of Mike flickers with fragmented images from his life.
But this time, he's not watching—he's remembering.
Mike (inner voice):
"I'm not a version. I'm not a project. I'm me... Even if I don't remember everything, what's inside me is real."
He takes a deep breath. Closes his eyes.
All the sounds around him fade.
Suddenly, the metal chair he's strapped to creaks... as if unlocking itself.
Kareem (through the speaker, voice tense):
"Mike... What are you doing? This isn't part of the program."
Mike (calmly, standing up):
"Exactly. The program is over."
He walks to the door. Opens it.
Layan stands there, holding the file that contains all his secrets.
Layan (voice trembling):
"You... How did you get out?"
Mike (looking at her steadily):
"For the first time... I chose to."
Next Scene: Hospital Rooftop – Just before dawn
Mike stands, looking out over the city. The wind wraps around him.
Layan stands beside him, asking:
Layan: "What will you do now?"
Mike (gazing at the horizon):
"I'll live... No script, no control, no fear.
If the past was written, the future is still blank... and I'm the one who'll write it."
___________________________
Chapter 41: "The Blank Page"
Scene: A Small Apartment – One Week After the Escape
Mike sits on the floor. In front of him, a blank notebook.
He writes the first line:
"I'm not writing a story... I'm writing truth."
Silence surrounds him, but his eyes hold a new alertness.
Each day, he wakes up and chooses—walk, speak, stay silent, write.
But one morning, he finds an envelope slipped under his door.
Inside, a single note:
"Version 2.3 has gone rogue. Termination required."
Mike (reading, then quietly laughing):
"I'm not a version... and I won't be terminated."
Next Scene: Layan in a Public Space – Receives an Encrypted Message
The message reads:
_"Mike is in danger. The system has initiated the final phase.
If you want to help him, you must return to where it all began."_
Layan (thinking):
"The old asylum? But it burned down years ago…"
Scene Three: Mike Faces His First Real Test
On his way back to the asylum, a stranger stops him.
Stranger: "You think you're free?
Freedom isn't a decision... it's a fight."
Mike (looking at him steadily):
"And I'm ready to fight... but this time, I'm not alone."
Chapter 42: "The Silent Rejection"
Scene: Outside the Old Asylum – Midnight
The place is abandoned, but something lingers in the air.
Mike stands waiting for Layan, after receiving a message from her:
"Come alone. We need to talk before we continue."
Layan arrives. Her eyes carry exhaustion—and something final.
Mike steps closer, speaking softly:
Mike: "You're the reason I believed I could live again...
Now I need to know—are we moving forward?"
Layan (looks at him, then steps back):
"I don't want to."
Mike (freezes):
"...Why?"
Layan (quietly, without explanation):
"I can't tell you."
Mike (trying to read her face):
"Are you scared? Did someone threaten you? Or... do you just not feel the same anymore?"
Layan (looking down):
"I just don't want to. That's all."
She turns and walks away, leaving him standing in front of the asylum—caught between what he feels and what he can't understand.
Next Scene: Inside the Asylum – Minutes Later
Mike enters alone.
Every sound in the building seems to echo her words:
"I don't want to..."
But instead of breaking, he begins to write in his notebook:
"People leave without reasons...
But I won't leave myself."
___________________________
Chapter 43: "Target Invalid"
Scene: Inside the Asylum – Hours After Mike Entered
Mike moves through the abandoned halls—writing, thinking, but carrying a hollow feeling.
Suddenly, footsteps echo.
A stranger appears, dressed in formal gear, holding a small device displaying data.
Stranger: "Mike... the experiment is over."
Mike (alert, ready to confront):
"What do you mean, over?"
Stranger: "After the emotional catalyst withdrew... you're no longer viable for evaluation.
Layan was the trigger. Without her, your responses can't be measured."
Mike (quietly, with restrained anger):
"So all of this... was a test?"
Stranger: "It was more than a test. It was construction. But the structure failed."
Mike (stepping closer):
"I didn't fail... I chose."
Stranger (looking at him, then pressing a button):
"File closed.
You're free... but irrelevant."
Next Scene: Asylum Rooftop – Mike Alone
The city below. Cold wind above.
Mike opens his notebook and writes:
"When my freedom stopped mattering to them... it became everything to me."
Chapter 44: "Total Absence"
Scene: Mike's Apartment – One Week After the Organizations Withdrew
Mike tries to trace any sign of Layan.
He searches files, recordings, even old surveillance footage.
But everything returns the same message:
"No record found under the name Layan."
Mike (whispers to himself):
"How? She was here... she spoke, she laughed, she cried."
He opens his notebook and finds a page he wrote a week ago.
It once held the line:
"Layan said: I don't want to. That's all."
But the sentence is smudged—faded, almost erased.
Next Scene: Mike Revisits the Old Asylum
He enters the room where Layan once stood.
On the floor, a shard of broken glass.
He looks into it and sees his reflection... but not alone.
For a moment, he thinks he sees Layan behind him.
He turns—no one there.
Mike (inner voice):
"Was she real?
Or part of the programming?
And if she was an illusion... why does the pain feel real?"
Final Scene: Mike Writing in a New Notebook
"What disappears isn't always imaginary.
And not everything recorded is truth.
But I... I'll keep searching—not just for her, but for myself."
___________________________
Chapter 45: "The Strange Return"
Scene: A New City – One Year Later
Mike lives a quiet life. He writes, works at a small bookstore, and tries to forget.
One day, a strange customer walks in—a woman dressed in black, her eyes calm but unsettling.
She stands before him and says:
Stranger: "I knew you'd be here."
Mike (looks up, freezes):
"...Layan?"
Layan (with a quiet smile):
"Not exactly."
Next Scene: An Abandoned Café – Hours Later
Mike and Layan sit across from each other.
But the atmosphere isn't the same.
She speaks with a different tone—like she understands everything, but chooses not to explain.
Mike: "Where were you? Why did you disappear?"
Layan: "I was somewhere that reshapes people...
But I chose to return—not for you, for myself."
Mike: "You're not the same person…"
Layan: "Neither are you."
Scene Three: Layan Reveals Part of the Truth
Layan: "The organization didn't truly leave you...
They were observing your reaction after I vanished.
I was part of the final phase.
But when I saw you continue alone, I chose to exit the system."
Mike: "So you were watching me?"
Layan: "I was watching myself—through you."
Chapter 46: "The Unwritten Moment"
Scene: The Abandoned Café – After a Long Silence
Mike looks at Layan. His eyes carry old pain—but also newfound clarity.
He stands from his chair, takes a deep breath, and says:
Mike: "I won't live in the ashes of the past... even if I was part of it."
He walks calmly toward the door, his steps steady—choosing himself at last.
But just before he reaches it, he hears quick footsteps...
Layan catches up, grabs his hand, and pulls him into a tight embrace.
Layan (whispers, voice trembling):
"I didn't come back to observe you...
I came back to remember who I am."
Mike (freezes, then whispers):
"But I forgot you."
Layan (holds him tighter):
"But I still remember everything."
Next Scene: Outside the Café – Under Dim Light
Mike stands still.
Layan is still holding him, but he doesn't respond.
The air is cold. The city is quiet.
In this moment, there's no programming, no organization, no plan.
Just two people... trying to remember themselves again.
___________________________
Chapter 47: "System Collapse"
Scene: News Broadcast on a Café Screen – Days After Mike and Layan Reunite
Anchor: "Members of a covert network known as 'The Third Shadow' have been arrested following an international investigation.
The organization operated under a medical front, conducting illegal psychological experiments aimed at reshaping identity."
Mike (watching the screen, then turning to Layan):
"So... it's over?"
Layan (quietly):
"No. The system fell...
But what it built inside people is still standing."
Next Scene: A Small Room – Mike Writing in His Notebook
"When the enemy collapses, you think you've won.
But the truth is... you begin facing yourself without it."_
Scene Three: Mike and Layan Meet in a Public Garden
Layan: "I was part of them... but not anymore.
Now, I'm part of myself."
Mike: "And me... I don't want to be a victim or a hero.
I just want to be human."
Chapter 49: "The Choice"
A Dark Room – Mike Finds a Black Envelope Left Silently at His Door
Inside the envelope:
A white card, handwritten in elegant script:
"Phase Two has begun.
Either become part of the experiment...
Or be erased from its results."
Mike and Layan Meet at a Quiet Café
Layan (softly):
"The Watchers don't interfere...
But when they send an invitation, it means you've become important."
Mike:
"Important to who?
To a new system? Or to a smarter prison?"
Layan:
"The question isn't about them...
It's about whether you're ready to face yourself without a mirror."
Mike Enters an Abandoned Building, Following the Coordinates on the Card
Inside:
A white room, one chair, and a camera in the corner.
Automated Voice:
"Welcome, Mike.
We don't ask for loyalty...
We ask for honesty.
Will you participate?"
Mike (after a long silence):
"If the experiment is to be myself...
Then I'm in.
But on my terms."
Chapter 50: "Reflection"
Mike received his task: observe a stranger for seventy-two hours. No interference. No contact. At the end, he would decide—erase or release.
He stared at the screen showing the stranger's face. Something felt off. Not in the subject… but in the setup.
"I've become the observer," he thought. "Or just another mirror?"
Elsewhere, Layan received a different envelope. Inside was a photo—Mike's face. Her instructions were clear: approach him, test his honesty, and choose whether to reveal the truth or let him drown in the illusion of control.
She whispered to herself, "So… I'm his mission?"
They met in a public garden. Both wore calm expressions. Both carried secrets. Neither knew they were each other's test.
"You seem different today," Mike said.
"Maybe because I chose to be honest," Layan replied. "But not with the system."
"I've decided to observe," Mike said. "But I won't execute."
Layan looked at him, her gaze steady. "So we're watching each other?"
Mike didn't answer out loud. But inside, the thought echoed:
"The real test isn't in the mission…
It's in who you trust, knowing they hold your fate."
Chapter 51: "Against the One"
Mike thought he was the observer.
He thought Layan was with him.
He thought the system was merely testing him.
But the truth wasn't a test—it was a trap.
On the fourth day, everything shifted.
The person he was assigned to watch disappeared from the screen.
Messages stopped.
Even Layan… went silent.
Then came the final notification:
"You've deviated from the scenario.
Everyone is now watching you.
You are no longer a subject…
You are a glitch."
Out in the street, people's eyes felt different.
As if they knew him.
As if they were waiting for him to fall.
At the café, the waiter ignored him.
At home, the power was cut.
On his phone, every contact vanished—except one:
"Primary Observer."
He called the number.
A cold voice answered:
"You chose to be yourself.
But outside the system… the self becomes a threat."
"Even Layan?" Mike asked.
"Layan chose to stay.
You chose to leave.
Now… everyone is against you."
Chapter 52: "The Exiled"
After days of isolation, Mike began noticing strange signals:
Small symbols etched onto city walls,
Encrypted messages appearing in unexpected places,
Faces that didn't look at him directly… but were clearly watching.
One night, he found a note beneath his pillow—one that hadn't been there when he fell asleep.
It read:
"You are not alone.
We left before you did.
But we didn't disappear… we observe."
The next day, he followed one of the symbols to an abandoned building on the edge of the city.
The door was open… but the inside wasn't empty.
Five figures sat around a table, their faces covered.
One of them spoke:
"We are the Exiled.
Each of us chose truth… and was cast out."
"Why didn't you fight?" Mike asked.
"Because the system can't be fought from within.
It must be exposed from the outside—through voice, image, message."
"I'm ready," Mike said.
"No. Not yet.
First, you must remember who you were before the system chose you."
Chapter 53: "Blood and Shadow"
The next morning, Mike received a brief message from one of the Exiled:
"The organization has issued a kill order.
You're no longer a glitch… you're a threat."
There was no time to run.
Every camera, every face, every street—had become a trap.
As he sprinted through narrow alleys, a voice stopped him cold.
A voice he hadn't heard in years:
"Mike… stop."
He turned.
A man stood in the shadows, eyes filled with something familiar.
It was his father.
"You? How? Where have you been?"
"Watching you from a distance.
I was part of the system… but I left.
I left when I found out they chose you."
"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you leave me?"
"Because you had to face them alone… to be ready.
But now, they've decided to kill you.
And I've decided to help you."
In that moment, a squad of black-clad agents appeared—faces blank, movements precise.
But the father was prepared.
"Follow me, Mike.
Time's up… now the war begins."
Chapter 54: "The Final Testament"
The chase had begun.
Mike and his father ran through narrow alleys, the organization's agents closing in with every step.
Each second was survival. Each breath, borrowed time.
But his father knew something Mike didn't:
The system never forgives betrayal.
He had been marked long before he became a protector.
At a dead-end passage, surrounded and cornered, the agents raised their weapons.
Silence fell. The moment demanded a decision.
"Mike, listen to me," his father said, pushing him toward a side exit.
"I was part of this hell… but you, you're the only hope left."
"No! We can escape together!"
"Mike, if I die… they'll think they've won.
But if you live… the system collapses from within."
"But you're my father!"
"And you're the only reason I regret… and the only reason I believe."
Then, his father charged toward the agents—firing, distracting, opening a path.
Mike ran.
Behind him, silence… and blood.
The next day, Mike found a folded note hidden in his father's jacket pocket, written in his own handwriting:
"If you're reading this, I'm gone.
But remember: the system isn't defeated by force… but by awareness.
You are not a victim, nor a hero.
You are the truth they feared."
___________________________
Chapter 55: "Voice of Truth"
After days of silence, Mike decided he would no longer run.
The blood that was spilled would not be forgotten, and his father's final message wasn't just words—it was a call to act.
In a small underground room, Mike began recording his first public message:
"My name is Mike.
I was part of an experiment I never asked for.
They watched me, tested me, tried to kill me.
But they forgot one thing…
I now know who I am."
He sent the message through an encrypted network.
Within minutes, it reached thousands of devices.
People began to question.
The system began to tremble.
That night, as he reviewed the next phase of distribution, he heard a voice behind him:
"Mike…"
He turned.
It was Layan.
"You? After everything?"
"I didn't come to observe you.
I came because I finally chose… to stand against them."
"Why now?"
"Because your father's death showed me something…
That we were all tools, even when I thought I was free."
"How can I trust you?"
"Don't.
Just let me help… and if I betray you, kill me."
Chapter 56: "The Hidden Weapon"
In a moment of stillness, while Layan reviewed the infiltration plan, Mike sat alone in the corner of the room.
The light was dim, the silence heavy.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced… from his school days.
Mike was never the type to fight.
He wasn't the strongest, nor the loudest.
But he had something else… a weapon no one could see.
He knew how to speak.
How to choose the word that cuts, the look that unsettles, the silence that intimidates.
He remembered one moment clearly:
A student tried to provoke him, in front of everyone.
But Mike didn't respond with fists… just one sentence:
"You scream because you're scared of what your silence might reveal."
The boy went quiet.
The whole class did.
From that day on, Mike became something else.
Not a leader, not a bully… but "the one no one could read."
Back to the present, he looked at Layan and said:
"I never hit…
But I always knew where it hurts."
Layan (looking at him):
"So… you still have the weapon?"
Mike:
"Now… I won't just hurt them.
I'll make them hear themselves breaking."
Chapter 57: "The Shattered Mirror"
The room was underground, its walls gray and the air heavy—as if time itself had stopped.
At the center sat the leader of the organization, a man with a rigid face and eyes that didn't blink.
Across from him, Mike entered. No weapons. No guards. Just his presence.
Leader:
"So you're the one who disrupted the system?
With a word?"
Mike (calmly):
"It wasn't the word that broke it…
It was their fear of what it meant."
Silence.
The leader smirked, but his eyes betrayed tension.
Leader:
"You think you're clever?
People fear bullets, not words."
Mike:
"Those who fear bullets die once.
But those who fear truth… die every day."
The atmosphere shifted.
The leader tried to dominate, raised his voice—but Mike remained still.
Mike (locking eyes):
"I didn't come to threaten you.
I came to make you hear yourself… as you fall apart."
Leader (angrily):
"You think you're my mirror?"
Mike:
"I'm the mirror you shattered long ago…
And today, every shard is coming back to cut you."
Chapter 58: "The Voice That Won't Be Silenced"
The city wasn't what it used to be.
The screens that once broadcast the regime's messages had gone black.
The faces that used to watch were now lost.
People had started to speak, to question, to doubt…
And the regime—once invisible—was now exposed, naked, afraid.
Mike stood on the rooftop of an abandoned building, staring at the city that had once been his prison, now a battlefield.
Layan stood beside him, silent, gazing into the horizon as if searching for something that hadn't yet been born.
Mike:
"I never wanted to be a hero.
I just wanted to live… without someone scripting my life."
Layan:
"But now, people are writing their own stories… because of you."
Mike (internal monologue):
"But is that enough?
Is awareness enough?
Or is there something deeper… darker… still hidden?"
Below, people began to gather.
Not a protest. Not a revolution.
But a moment of collective silence.
As if the entire city was breathing the same question:
"Who are we… without them?"
Mike descended, walking among them.
No one screamed. No one demanded anything.
But every eye was locked on him.
Then, from within the crowd, a strange man appeared.
His face unfamiliar, but his voice—calm, chilling—cut through the silence.
Stranger:
"Well done, Mike.
You shattered the mirror… and made them see themselves."
Mike:
"Who are you?"
Stranger (smiling):
"I'm not important.
What matters is… you think this is the end."
Mike (stepping back):
"I don't understand…"
Stranger (looking at the crowd):
"This isn't the end, Mike…
This is just the beginning."