Hidara entered the living room.
"Father… where is my brother?" Mahmoud whispered.
"He stayed to complete the transfer procedures… We decided to move and live here with you. It was our mistake to leave you alone at your age."
Hidara whispered to himself:
"Is it possible… really, will they stay here? Will they leave everything just to be by my side? Don't joke with me… this is Malisura… a cursed city. We have to escape from it."
Then he looked at Mahmoud:
"No, no… we must return to our city."
Mahmoud approached him and whispered in his ear:
"Don't worry, everything will be alright."
Mahmoud took a glass to drink from.
Hidara looked at him: "But… father, what about your work?"
Mahmoud looked at Hidara: "I have a looooot of acquaintances here. I will open a restaurant near this area, and things will be fine."
Widad whispered as she set the breakfast: "It's a great idea."
Your father started to think. Hidara whispered to himself, shocked: "My father has acquaintances in this cursed city…?"
Widad looked at Hidara: "Well, in any case, it's impossible… I would never allow you to live alone with an innocent girl like Ren."
Mahmoud chuckled: "That's true."
Hidara looked at them, turned, ran upstairs with obvious worry, while Ren was coming down.
Mahmoud called: "Hey, you!"
He left him alone for a little while.
Mahmoud sighed: "Alright."
Widad whispered: "Ren… come, my dear, breakfast is ready."
"Okay, Auntie."
While Hidara was in his room putting on his school clothes, he whispered:
"First, I need to find Ren's father's killer… I will make him pay a heavy price.
Second, I need to know about this cursed city… I will meet Neil. Neil knows everything."
He ran downstairs.
Widad shouted: "Hey, you! Breakfast is ready."
He didn't respond.
Mahmoud said: "Take care of yourself, my son, and don't worry… the police have searched the entire area and you are safe now. They have tightened security in these parts of the city."
Widad sighed: "I'm worried about Hidara."
Mahmoud put his hand over hers: "Don't worry… I have secured the area."
Then he looked at Ren and said: "Why don't you go change your clothes?"
Ren looked at him: "Clothes… what?"
He whispered with a laugh: "School clothes… you will go to school today, and I will take you myself. I will be your father from today… okay, my daughter?"
Widad whispered:
"Don't worry about that; we will take care of everything regarding you. You are one of our family now."
Mahmoud placed his hand over her head:
"Alright, my daughter, go and change your clothes, and tomorrow we will buy you a new school uniform, agreed?"
"Thank you both."
"There's no need to thank us… you are our daughter, Ren."
At that moment, Ren's heart was filled with warmth she had missed for a long time. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and a muffled sob escaped her. Widad hugged her: "Don't worry, my daughter, we will always be your support." While Mahmoud gently patted her head, smiling.
At the same time, in a dark place resembling a dim hall, a swivel chair was in the middle of the darkness, while a light from above shone on the chair as it turned. Zarak whispered, his eyes on the ceiling, empty, pale, devoid of life, a terror etched within them as if an entire world resided inside.
He whispered in a low voice:
"It seems I am close to my goal… just a little left… just a little and everything will be ready… then, only then, everything will begin."
His laughter rose, terrifying.
Meanwhile, Hidara was walking down the street heading to the school to meet Neil, whispering to himself:
"The city seems quieter every day… no traffic… no… everything is eerily calm… people… their faces without emotion, pale… How can my father have acquaintances here?"
Then he looked at the school gate, saw Neil, and approached him.
Neil whispered with a blank face, without any emotion:
"It seems you are still alive."
Hidara looked at him
seems so