Zara stood near the window, peeking through the curtain every few seconds. Her hands wouldn't stay still.
"Relax," her mom said, though her own voice wasn't steady either.
"I'm trying," Zara replied. "But nobody is picking up."
Just then—
A car pulled up outside.
Zara froze.
"That's him."
She rushed to the door, opening it before Malik even knocked.
The moment she saw him—
She pulled him into a tight hug.
"You're okay," she whispered, almost like she didn't believe it.
"I'm fine," Malik said quietly.
But she could feel it.
Something in him had changed.
Malik stepped in slowly.
His mom stood there, staring at him like she was trying to confirm he was real.
Then she walked forward and held his face in her hands.
"They said you got shot…"
"I didn't," Malik said.
Her eyes dropped to his clothes, like she was searching for blood.
"There was a shooting," he added.
Silence.
Heavy.
"Someone got hit," Zara said softly.
Malik didn't respond.
Because saying it out loud would make it real.
Before anything else could be said—
The door opened again.
A small voice filled the room.
"Dad?"
Malik turned.
There he was.
Kairo.
Back from school. Backpack hanging loosely, eyes innocent… unaware.
Malik's expression softened immediately.
"Hey," he said, crouching slightly.
Kairo ran up and hugged him.
"You came late," he said.
Malik smiled faintly. "Yeah… I had stuff to do."
Kairo pulled back, looking at him carefully.
"You okay?"
Malik nodded. "I'm good."
For a moment…
Everything felt normal again.
But only for a moment.
The block was alive.
Not with music.
Not with laughter.
With tension.
Cars moved in and out.
People whispered in groups.
The news had spread fully now.
And everyone knew what it meant.
Malik stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by familiar faces.
Dre stood beside him.
"So what we doing?" one of the guys asked.
"They made the first move," another added. "We can't let that slide."
"They hit the wrong people," someone else muttered.
Voices overlapped.
Anger rising.
Malik raised his hand slightly.
Silence followed.
That alone showed how much things had changed.
"They want a reaction," Malik said calmly.
"They already got one," Dre replied. "We lost someone."
Malik nodded once.
"I know."
He looked around at all of them.
Weapons.
Anger.
Loyalty.
All mixed together.
"If we move now," Malik continued, "we're doing exactly what they expect."
"So what? We just sit?" someone snapped.
Malik stepped forward slightly.
"No."
His tone changed.
Colder.
"We move… but we move right."
Dre looked at him.
"You thinking long-term?"
Malik nodded.
"They don't get to choose how this goes."
The group listened.
Because this wasn't the same Malik anymore.
This one wasn't reacting.
He was thinking.
Planning.
Malik looked down the street, eyes locked on the darkness ahead.
"This wasn't a warning," he said quietly.
"It was a mistake."
And now…
They were going to pay for it.