In the blanket of the night sky, when everyone is in a state of rest, there are individuals who devote themselves to their passions—some against each other, while some unite for a common goal.
Under the shimmering night, Noor is in pursuit of her lost brother.
She roams the dark, howling streets, her phone clutched in her hand, her anxiousness rising by the minute.
"Ah—"
She screams, clutching her head as she falls to her knees.
"Why… why now?"
Memories flood in—sharp, broken flashes.
A strange feeling of déjà vu.
A call from Hayaat.
"Listen. I know you want to rush into things. But I don't want you to die."
Hayaat tries to reason with Noor, emotion slipping through her voice, though it wasn't her strongest trait.
"Oh… so, did you come up with a plan, our strategist?" Noor sneers.
"No."
A single response from Hayaat.
Her grip tightens around the phone.
"Don't try to stop me."
"I won't," Hayaat replies calmly.
"Then—"
"I will guide you to the best of my abilities."
"Wait—what?!"
"You have AirPods with you, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wear them. I'll guide you. It's not a complete plan, but at least you won't get caught in mere seconds."
With a heart full of gratitude, Noor's voice softens.
"Thanks, sis."
Once she neared the centre, the streetlight stood tall—almost as if it were guiding her toward her demise.
She moved stealthily, trying to blend into the shadows.
Though, at this point—
Was she actually being quiet…
or just creeping around like a crab?
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
A shadow flickered through the thicket.
Pitter… patter…
Raindrops began to fall.
Noor rushed to a corner, slipping under a broken roof, barely managing to stay dry.
Whoosh—
A strong wind cut through her.
She shivered.
"Achoo."
"Hello… Hayaat? Are you there? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah… barely. But it's manageable."
"The connection is weak."
"Hmm… don't worry," Noor murmured. "We'll survive somehow."
A faint sigh.
"It's good to stay optimistic…"
The rain grew heavier—loud enough to swallow footsteps.
"It's easier to stay hidden like this," Noor added, trying to cheer her.
A shadow passed.
Before Noor could say anything—
Someone stood behind her.
Her body stiffened.
Her mind raced.
Too fast.
I didn't think I'd get caught this quickly.
Run?
No… if they alert the facility—
I can't take that risk.
In one swift motion, she turned—forcing the figure back against the wall—
And drove her knee into their gut.
The impact landed.
The figure staggered.
Noor looked up—
And froze.
Inside the research center
Under a sky too perfect to be real, the morning sun spilled across the garden.
It looked alive.
Too alive.
Flowers swayed. Light shifted. Shadows moved naturally.
But none of it was real.
The walls—hidden behind seamless panels—were fitted with screens, projecting everything: sunrise, sunset, even the night sky.
A simulation.
Whether it was meant to preserve their sanity…
or to cage them in something kinder than a lab—
Fazil couldn't tell.
Six identical faces.
Same features. Same structure.
Different expressions.
Different people.
Clones.
It didn't take much to guess they had been experimented on.
What he couldn't understand—
Was why.
And that… bothered him.
Fazil exhaled.
"So… I know this might sound rude," he began, hesitating slightly,
"but… do you know why you were made?"
Silence.
A shift.
Then—
One of them—4180114—shot up.
"That's a rude question."
Another, calmer voice followed.
"He's not wrong."
1011206 spoke—steady, composed.
"We don't know," she said.
"They test us. Observe us. Compare us to… normal people."
A pause.
"But our purpose?"
She shook her head.
"We were never told."
Another voice cut in—lighter, uncertain.
"It's getting better, though. They've been giving us more freedom… letting us outside sometimes. With the caretaker…"
She stopped.
Abruptly.
The air shifted again.
A third voice stepped in.
Sharp.
Direct.
"Why stop?" she snapped. "Afraid to say it?"
Another interrupted—
"You were part of it too."
That hit.
Hard.
"Don't act like you weren't!" 3150512 shot back. "You don't get to pretend you're innocent."
Tension cracked through the space.
Fazil stayed silent.
Watching.
Learning.
2100710 tried to steady things.
"You might be confused," she said gently, glancing at him.
"And honestly… it's not your fault."
A breath.
Then—
"We tried to escape."
The words landed quietly.
Too quietly.
"They shot her."
No details.
No drama.
Just truth.
A failed escape.
Silence spread across the room.
No one looked at each other.
Some turned away.
Some closed their eyes.
Some just… stared.
As if hearing it again made it real all over.
1011206 shifted slightly.
She wanted to stop it.
But didn't.
Didn't want to relive it either.
Hope felt… fragile here.
And dangerous.
Then—
A shove.
"You still believe in them?" 3150512 snapped. "After everything?"
Her voice rose.
"They made us. Trapped us. Experimented on us—and you still defend them?"
"Enough."
1011206's voice cut through cleanly.
"Your anger is getting out of control."
"If you're so brave… then do something useful."
"Free us."
That landed.
Harder than the shouting.
Another voice—quieter this time.
"We could make a plan."
A pause.
Then—
A dry, almost bitter response:
"We already tried that."
A glance.
Tension flickered again.
"It didn't work," someone muttered.
Fazil felt it now.
The pattern.
The fear.
The cracks.
Then—
1011206 turned to him.
For the first time, her gaze was direct.
Measured.
Calculating.
"We didn't have enough information before."
A pause.
Then—
"Now things have changed.
"Outside the facility—
A sharp, high-pitched scream cut through the dark.
"Are you trying to kill me?!"
The figure doubled over, clutching her gut.
Shadows covered her face—a mask hiding most of it—
But not enough.
Not enough to miss the resemblance.
Noor grabbed her by the collar, pulling her forward, eyes searching.
"You look exactly like my brother."
A pause.
Recognition struck.
"…You're Zara."
Zara flinched.
Her eyes widened—not just in pain, but in realization.
She stared at Noor.
At the body she was in.
Farhath's body.
Farhath… who would never hit someone like that.
Never fight like this.
And yet—
Here she was.
Zara's breath caught.
A spark lit in her expression.
"So… it worked."
Noor's grip tightened.
Confusion sharpened into anger.
"What worked?"
She slammed her fist against the wall beside Zara's head.
"Start talking."
Zara hesitated.
Too many thoughts at once.
Does she know?
About the clones?
About the facility?
About my father?
"Listen," Noor said, pulling back slightly, though her grip remained firm.
"I won't hurt you."
"But I need answers."
Zara studied her for a moment.
Then nodded.
"…You do deserve an explanation."
Her tone shifted—urgent now.
"But not here. This isn't safe. We need to move."
Noor clenched her fists.
"I don't care where we go," she said quickly. "I just want my brother safe."
Zara blinked.
"Your… brother?"
Noor stepped closer.
"Yes. My brother—who looks like you—was taken."
Something clicked.
Understanding.
Then—
Excitement.
Zara grabbed Noor's shoulders, eyes lighting up.
"So it worked… not once—multiple times…"
Noor stiffened.
Her thoughts spiraled.
What does she mean?
Is she behind this?
Should I just knock her out—
"I need an explanation," Noor cut in, her voice tightening.
"You said you'd explain. I don't know what's going on—and I don't care what 'worked' means. I just want my brother back."
Her voice wavered at the edges.
"We've already been through enough."
Zara took a slow breath.
"…Alright."
She nodded once.
"We'll go somewhere safer. I'll tell you everything I know."
A pause.
"Or at least enough for you to understand."
Before Noor could respond—
Footsteps.
Close.
Too close.
A beam of light cut through the darkness.
Both of them froze.
Zara grabbed Noor's wrist and pulled her back.
They slipped behind the side of the building, pressing into the shadows.
The light moved.
Slow.
Searching.
Closer.
Noor held her breath.
Zara's grip tightened.
The beam dragged across the wall—
Closer—
Closer—
Then—
It shifted.
Past them.
Gone.
Neither of them moved.
Not yet.
Because for a moment—
It felt like it might come back.
The light moved on—
Leaving them untouched.
For now.