They kept walking.
Hayaat's mind refused to slow.
The rain had softened outside, fading into a distant hush—but inside her, the storm only grew louder. Thoughts collided, scattered, reformed.
Who is he?
Is he helping me… or leading me somewhere I won't come back from?
Should I run?
No—too risky.
Call for help?
From who?
Every step felt like a decision she couldn't undo.
Then—
"It would be too suspicious if we don't go to the office," the guard said quietly, not looking at her. "So just follow my lead."
Hayaat frowned. "What?"
"Make a call,"
he continued under his breath.
"Act like you're talking to someone. Say you forgot your ID. Make it sound real… like your uncle."
She stared at him.
Was he—
helping her?
"This is suspicious," she said, her voice firmer now. "Why should I do that?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"I really am here for my uncle," she added, testing him.
He stopped.
Just for a second.
Then turned slightly toward her.
"Then why haven't you called him?" he asked.
The question hit clean.
Her breath caught.
"I did," she said quickly. "He did not pick up—"
"No," he cut in calmly. "You didn't."
Silence stretched.
"I've seen too many people," he said.
"Enough to know when someone's lying."
Her pulse spiked.
This was it.
Everything was about to collapse.
"That's alright," he added.
She blinked.
"You won't need to lie anymore."
A chill ran down her spine.
That wasn't reassuring.
Not even close.
He started walking again.
"Just keep following," he said.
A pause.
"You're not in any danger."
Relief flickered—
"I can guarantee you won't die."
Pause
"But I can't guarantee your safety."
Her chest tightened.
That wasn't better.
Not at all.
He led her through a series of buildings—one after another.
Everything was clean. Controlled. Too perfect.
No shadows. No noise. No chaos.
And somehow—
that made it worse.
They stopped in front of a plain door.
The guard reached for it, then paused.
"Before I take you to where I'm supposed to bring you," he said.
Hayaat's breath caught.
Supposed to?
Her thoughts spiraled instantly.
Who told him?
Was she already reported?
Was this planned?
He noticed her panicking.
To reassure her.
Without thinking, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
She flinched back immediately.
"Don't touch me," she snapped.
He stepped back at once.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
For a brief second—
she hesitated.
There was something in his tone.
Something… real.
Not rehearsed.
Not controlled.
Just human.
Maybe she had—
He hesitated, studying her face for a moment.
"You're really pretty."
The words landed, softer this time—but no less misplaced.
Hayaat stared at him.
"…Wow," she said flatly. "That's incredibly irrelevant."
"If that was supposed to make me feel safer," she added, "it's doing the exact opposite."
"…he froze, realizing he'd said that out loud."
"Noted," he replied simply.
Silence settled again.
Thicker now.
More uncomfortable than before.
"What?" she said sharply when he hesitated again.
"The 'you' I meant… isn't exactly you," he said, fumbling slightly. "I mean—the version of you right now—this isn't—"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" she cut in.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "That came out wrong, I just—"
"Listen," she interrupted, her patience thinning, "I don't care what you think you're seeing."
Her hands clenched.
"I just want my cousins back."
A pause.
"And I want to leave this place."
Her voice steadied.
"We've already been through enough. I can't deal with… whatever this is."
Silence.
Then—
"What can I do," he asked quietly, "to make you trust me?"
"Help me find them," she said immediately. "And help me get out of here."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Can you do that?"
He didn't hesitate this time.
"I can't."
The words landed heavily.
"It would cost me my life."
Her expression hardened.
"Then why are you even—"
"I don't work here for money," he interrupted. "I did. At first."
Something shifted in his expression.
"But then… I agreed to be part of one of their experiments."
That made her stop.
"And now," he continued, quieter, "I can see things I shouldn't."
Her breath slowed.
A pause.
"Not just the one standing in front of me."
He looked straight at her.
"I can see you."
Her chest tightened.
"What does that even mean?"
"It's like…" he searched for the words. "I'm seeing two versions of you… layered."
"Not fully aligned."
She frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I know," he said quickly. "But it's like building blocks."
She blinked.
"If two blocks are the same, they align perfectly," he continued. "But if they're slightly different… they still stack."
"They just don't match completely."
"…And I'm the mismatched block?" she said flatly.
"Exactly."
"I don't get it," she replied immediately. "But I appreciate the effort."
For a second, silence lingered.
"Your name," she said suddenly.
He blinked.
"What?"
"Your name."
A pause.
"…Amran."
She nodded slightly.
So.
He sees it.
Not clearly.
But enough.
"You don't belong here," he said.
Her gaze sharpened.
"Or maybe," she replied lightly, "you're overthinking."
"I don't think so."
Of course he didn't.
"I know where they are."
Hayaat froze.
"What?"
"I can't help you escape," he said. "But I know where Fazil is."
Her breath caught.
"And Noor."
The world narrowed instantly.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
A pause.
"I feel bad for him," Amran added.
"For who?"
"Fazil."
"Being stuck like that… in a girl's body."
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"What's wrong with being a girl?"
"Nothing," he said quickly. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
He exhaled.
"It's just… the way girls are treated. It's not easy."
A pause.
"I've seen enough to know that."
Silence.
"You said you know where they are," she cut in. "Where is he?"
"I can take you close," he said.
"Then move."
He blinked. "You might have to wait. Zara—she's careful. If she's experimenting—"
"That's exactly why I need to be there," she snapped.
"I don't blame her—"
"Well, you should."
"She took my people," Hayaat said, her voice sharp. "You think I'm just going to wait?"
He nodded slowly.
"…You're right."
A pause.
"Then we get Noor first."
"Noor?" she frowned. "What about Fazil?"
"You want to leave, right?" he asked.
That stopped her.
"…Yes."
"Then we don't walk into something we can't get out of."
She exhaled slowly.
"…Fine."
"Your dumbness is starting to affect me now."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm saying you're not completely useless."
"That's not what you said."
"That's what I meant."
He stared at her.
"I'm trying to help you."
"And I didn't ask you to."
A pause.
"If you were in my place," he said quietly, "would you explain this any better?"
That hit.
"…Maybe not," she admitted.
"But at least I wouldn't call you pretty."
Silence.
He had nothing to say.
Hayaat stopped suddenly.
"What?"
He frowned.
"Noor," he said. "She's not here."
Her expression shifted instantly.
"What do you mean?"
"She's at your place . Look at the monitors."
Silence.
"…What?"
"She's looking for you."
Hayaat exhaled sharply.
"So I came all the way here—"
"She's trying to rescue you," he said , a faint smile on his face .
"That's not funny."
"I didn't say it was."
A pause.
"…It's ironic."
She glared at him.
"You're both running in opposite directions," he said carefully.
That didn't help.
At all.
"Do you have any way to contact her?" she asked.
He blinked.
"She's your sister."
"And?"
"…You both have phones."
Silence.
A long one.
Then—
Oh.
Her expression shifted.
"I know," she said quickly. "It just didn't occur to me."
A pause.
"…Thanks."
He didn't say anything.
"But he definitely smirked ."
"Don't," she said immediately.
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
"…Maybe."
She sighed.
"Great," she muttered. "I came all this way just to remember how phones work."
"Yeah," she added under her breath, "not my best moment."