Absolute darkness.
There was nothing but the void. Suddenly, Sudais opened his eyes, only to find himself trapped in an endless abyss. He looked around, but the shadows were thick, suffocating. Then, a sound echoed—jagged, cruel laughter. The two men who had shot him appeared, mocking his helplessness.
Before he could react, another voice boomed from behind. He turned to see his father, looking down with cold disappointment.
"You are a disgrace!"
Sudais tried to scream, but his voice was buried in his chest. Then, he saw it... himself. Another Sudais stood before him, face-to-face.
"Aren't you tired?" the reflection asked, stepping closer. "Aren't you tired of being a zero among the masses? Of living a meaningless life? Of being weak... useless... a nobody?"
Sudais trembled as the words cut deeper than any blade.
"Why don't you give up on what you can't change?"
Pale and breathless, Sudais shut his eyes tight. No! This isn't real! When he opened them, the figures were gone, but a silhouette remained in the distance.
"You weren't even enough for anyone," the voice whispered.
As the words landed, the ground vanished. Sudais felt himself sinking, drowning in the pitch-black sea of his own mind.
The sterile smell of a hospital replaced the stench of the void.
In the busy corridors, doctors and nurses rushed past. A large group was gathered outside the room: Sudais's parents, his sister, Khalid, and Khalid's brothers—Hamid, Jamshid, and the eldest, Walid.
Then, Tahir, the third brother of Sudais's father, arrived with his three sons: Sohrab, Tabesh, and Sami.
"How is he?" Tahir asked, breathless.
Sudais's father remained silent for a long moment. "The doctors said we can only know for sure once he wakes up."
Inside the room, Sudais lay motionless. Then, his eyelids flickered. Slowly, painfully, his eyes opened. Khalid noticed immediately and jumped up.
"He's awake! He's conscious!"
The room was suddenly full. His father rushed to the bedside with a deep, relieved smile. "Call the doctor!"
His mother embraced his father in tears of joy, and his sister wept beside them. The doctor arrived, checked his vitals, and stepped out to address the family.
"He is in shock. Please, don't overwhelm him with talk. He was lucky—the bullet hit the right side and missed everything vital. He will recover."
His father entered the room first, sitting by the bed and taking Sudais's hand. "My son... thank God you're safe. Why did you go out? Do you know what we went through? You didn't think about your family."
Sudais looked at him blankly. "I'm okay, Father. Don't worry."
"Rest now," his father said, noticing the hollow look in his son's eyes. "I'm right here."
(Three Days Later)
Sudais was sitting up, staring out the hospital window. A knock came at the door.
"Come in," he said. It was Khalid.
"Glad to see you up. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Thanks for being here these three days, Khalid."
"It was my duty," Khalid said, sitting down. A heavy silence followed. "What happened that night? Why did they shoot?"
"Two thieves. I fought back, and they fired."
"Anything else?"
"That's all I remember."
Khalid leaned in. "I checked the security cameras. It showed you falling, but the power was out during the fight. I'll find them, Sudais. And they will pay."
"There's no need..." Sudais whispered.
"I've got this," Khalid interrupted. "Just get better. Everyone is worried about you."
As Khalid left and closed the door, he thought: If he can't defend himself here, where will he ever fit in?
Sudais leaned back, staring at the sky. When you aren't enough... when you have no power... "Maybe," he whispered to the empty room, "I really am nothing in this world."
(A Few Days Later)
It was night. The house was quiet, but Sudais couldn't sleep. That one sentence kept burning in his brain: "You weren't even enough for anyone!"
His eyes snapped open, filled with a raw mixture of grief and fury. He felt trapped. He needed to move. He slipped out of the house into the cool 11:40 PM air.
As he walked the lonely alleys, his friend called him on his AirPods.
"Man, I was so worried! You disappeared!"
Sudais forced a laugh. "I'm fine now. Besides, it's not like you were the most attentive friend before, you jerk."
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Sudais stopped dead. "Shut up! Don't talk!" he told his friend.
"What? What is it?"
"I'll call you back."
He crept toward the next street. A man came sprinting around the corner, gasping for air.
"Please! Help!" the man cried, reaching Sudais. "Two thieves are chasing me! I managed to run, but they're coming!"
Sudais frowned. "Where were they?"
"Just across the street! Look, there's a motorcycle headlight! Into this alley, quick!"
Sudais followed him into the narrow, dark passage, hiding in the shadows. The motorcycle roared past and then went silent.
"I think they're gone," Sudais whispered. "Let's get out of—"
"Come on in, boys! We've got him trapped!" the man suddenly shouted.
Sudais froze. "What?"
The stranger pulled out a sharp, glinting knife. "Rule number one: Never trust a stranger."
Rage exploded in Sudais's chest. "You bastards!"
Two motorcycles pulled up. Three men stepped off, laughing. "What a perfect spot. No one comes through here. Now that we're alone..."
The leader gestured. "Break him!"
Sudais slammed his fist against the brick wall, the pain lost in his fury. He stood his ground, his eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity.
"You cowards!" he roared. "If your mothers actually raised men, then come on! Step forward!"