The girls stood in silence, shaking.
Yumna said softly, "I feel sorry for her… she was just a kid."
Amna wiped her eyes. "But she's hurting so many people now. What do we do?"
Minahil said, "We have to save her… or stop her."
Misbah whispered, "But… what if she can't be saved anymore?"
Zanib stepped forward. "Then we have to be ready for anything. We're not leaving until we finish this."
Sadiya nodded, wiping her tears. "For our friends. And for Minha, too."
A wind howled through the orphanage, slamming doors open and shut.
The girls held hands, took deep breaths, and walked forward into the shadows.
Somewhere far ahead, they heard faint singing — a haunting, beautiful voice singing a song of darkness…
To be continued…