Amr kept staring into the void. The traces of the dream—or perhaps the nightmare—had not yet faded.
He rose from his place and walked toward the door. For a moment he stood there, thinking of stepping outside. Yet hesitation crept into his heart. He turned halfway toward Kinan, who was still deep in sleep. An idea crossed his mind, but he postponed it. He could not bear to leave the boy alone.
To him, the boy was a trust placed upon his shoulders.
After a long moment of hesitation, he returned to his place and surrendered once more to sleep.
Morning arrived.
Kinan opened his eyes with a long yawn, stretching his arms and legs before letting his gaze wander around the room. He noticed that Amr was still asleep.
For a moment he thought about waking him, but quickly dismissed the idea. Instead, he decided to do something he had long wanted to try…
Leave the house alone.
There was no work today, and Amr was clearly exhausted. From the way he looked, he would not wake for another hour or two—more than enough time for Kinan to slip out and visit the place he had seen yesterday.
The palace.
He dressed quickly, wrapped himself well, and tied a small turban around his head. Then he pushed the door open slowly and cautiously, keeping his eyes fixed on Amr. Once outside, he quietly closed it behind him.
The boy's heart overflowed with joy.
Excitement seized his mind, and he dashed forward without looking back. He ran and ran until, far on the horizon, the red dome of the palace appeared before him.
He stared at it, whispering to himself,
"There it is… I must be getting close now. The road is still long, but that's alright. I'll keep going."
The boy continued running until he reached a vast entrance. The road beneath his feet had changed—now paved and carefully laid with stone. Around him rose elegant houses, decorated with intricate patterns. People filled the streets, wearing colorful garments and finely wrapped turbans.
Kinan's mouth fell open in astonishment.
He had never seen such elegance or refinement.
Taking a few steps through the tall gate, he noticed large letters written above it:
"Welcome, honored guest, to the heart of the city—Flower of the Coast."
The atmosphere here was entirely different from outside the walls. Joy seemed to bloom everywhere. Smiles passed between strangers like flowers carried on the wind, and the markets were orderly and clean.
Kinan wandered through it all, his head turning endlessly from side to side. One moment he would touch the carved pillars of a house, and the next he would stop before a shop, marveling at strange goods from distant lands.
Eventually, he found himself standing at the long road that led directly to the palace.
The palace stood atop a raised hill at the end of the avenue. Tall pine trees lined the path on both sides, while the palace fence behind them overflowed with green grass and fragrant flowers.
Just as the boy stepped forward—
A hand fell upon his shoulder.
He froze.
Slowly, trembling, he turned his head… only to find Amr staring at him with an unusually cold expression.
In a serious voice, he asked,
"What are you doing here?"
Kinan stammered,
"I… I… I was just—"
Amr cut him off.
"It's fine. Have you seen what you wanted to see?"
Kinan looked sadly toward the palace and answered in defeat,
"Yes… I have."
Amr gently took his hand.
"I'm sorry, boy… but this place isn't safe."
Kinan looked at him, confused.
"How? Everything here seems peaceful. The people look kind—nothing like what you're saying."
"Things are not always what they seem," Amr replied quietly.
"Don't let appearances deceive you."
They left immediately.
Yet the image of the place refused to leave Kinan's mind. It lingered within him stubbornly. And somewhere deep in his heart, a seed of resentment had begun to grow.
He didn't know what to call the feeling creeping inside him, but he understood one thing clearly:
The restrictions he had lived with since childhood no longer felt as natural as they once had.
After returning home, they sat at the table together.
Kinan remained silent, anger written plainly across his face. Amr looked at him with quiet sympathy. He knew the boy felt confined—but his fear of losing him forced him into such behavior.
Trying to ease the tension, Amr said,
"Did you like the city?"
Despite the frustration in his heart, Kinan replied irritably,
"Yes."
Amr felt slightly embarrassed but continued,
"Yes… it truly is a beautiful city. Kings have cared for it throughout the ages until it became one of the greatest capitals in the world."
He paused.
"Do you know its name?"
Kinan turned his face away, his voice tight with emotion.
"How would I know? Was I ever given the chance to learn?"
The words struck Amr like a knife.
He fell silent for a moment, then lifted his spoon and said softly before taking a bite,
"Its name… is Flower of the Coast."
After finishing his meal, he quietly left the room.
Kinan remained alone.
In a sudden burst of anger, he kicked the table and threw himself onto his bed.
Another day passed.
Night lowered its glittering black curtains over the world.
Amr gently shook Kinan's shoulder, trying to wake him. The boy opened his eyes sluggishly and turned toward him.
"What…?"
"Get up," Amr said.
"It's time."
"Time for what?" Kinan asked, puzzled.
Amr frowned.
"Did you really forget? Yesterday we agreed we'd go somewhere else today."
Suddenly Kinan's face lit up as if the earlier anger had never existed.
"Of course! Let's go—I really want to see that place!"
Amr smiled with closed eyes.
"Then hurry and get dressed."
Soon they were ready.
Amr locked the door, adjusted his cloak, and looked at Kinan.
"We're spending the night outside," he said.
"Do you know where?"
Kinan shook his head.
"We're going to the shore."
The boy jumped excitedly and began shouting, but Amr quickly hushed him.
"Quiet, boy! People are sleeping. And stop behaving like a child… you're grown now."
Kinan's face flushed with embarrassment and he lowered his head.
Amr sighed deeply and began walking. Kinan followed.
They walked in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.
At that moment Amr remembered the masked men he had seen earlier, and a sudden unease gripped him. For a brief instant he even considered turning back—but the sight of Kinan's happiness made him continue.
After nearly an hour of walking, their feet touched the soft sand of the shore. A gentle breeze refreshed their breaths.
Kinan removed his sandals and began playing with the sand beneath his feet before running along the beach with joyful shouts.
Amr glanced toward a wooden hut and called softly,
"Lower your voice, boy. Someone might be trying to sleep."
Kinan stopped running, breathing heavily. Exhausted, he dropped to his knees.
"It's been a long time since I've enjoyed myself like this."
Amr looked at him curiously.
"You call this enjoyment?"
"I don't care," Kinan replied between breaths.
"What matters is that I enjoy myself somehow."
Amr's expression suddenly grew serious. He crouched in front of him and stared directly into his eyes.
"So… you say you want happiness in any way possible?"
He paused briefly.
"If seeing people killed before you brought you joy… would you kill them to feel happy?"
The smile slowly faded from Kinan's face.
Amr continued,
"Listen, boy… the method of happiness doesn't matter. What matters is peace of mind. You may not understand that now… but one day you will."
He stood and pointed toward the dark horizon.
"Look there. Do you see anything?"
Kinan squinted into the darkness.
"No… I don't see anything."
Amr smiled warmly.
"Exactly. There's nothing there."
Kinan frowned in annoyance. He walked away angrily and sat upon a smooth rock near the tide, letting the seawater wash over his feet.
Amr approached him, hoping to cheer him up. When the boy ignored him, Amr decided to try something foolish.
He stepped onto the dock and pretended to slip.
Kinan turned just in time to see him "fall" toward the water. A small smile forced its way through his anger.
Without warning he leapt forward, tackling Amr and trying to drag him into the sea. Amr struggled to keep his balance, but Kinan covered his eyes playfully. Suddenly Amr grabbed him and pulled him down with him.
They splashed and wrestled in the water until exhaustion forced them out. Crawling onto the sand, they lay there laughing.
Between breaths Amr said,
"Boy… never do that again."
Kinan replied with difficulty,
"You're… the one who started it. You've been… annoying lately."
"Me? Annoying?" Amr asked.
"Yes. It started about a week ago. You've changed since then."
Amr fell silent.
His eyes narrowed as he tried to remember what had happened a week earlier…
A week before, Amr had opened his door and found a letter lying on the ground.
He picked it up and read its contents:
"It was lost… but I'm close to finding it. Do not worry."
Amr folded the letter, stared at it again, then threw it aside with restrained anger.
Returning from the memory, his eyes widened slightly.
"Where are you now…? I only hope you're the one who sent it," he thought.
He looked toward Kinan, who was lying on the sand staring at the stars.
Suddenly the boy asked,
"What are stars? Why are they always above us? And why do they disappear during the day but return at night?"
Amr lay beside him and looked upward.
"I don't know the exact reason. But the ancients used to say that stars are the souls of those who left this life… souls that abandoned their bodies to watch over us from above."
Kinan frowned.
"Stars… are souls?"
"Perhaps. That's what our ancestors believed. Not everything they said was necessarily true, but we trust their wisdom and experience—so sometimes we accept their words without question."
Kinan turned toward him thoughtfully.
"You know, Amr… there are many questions in my mind. They bother me, but I try to ignore them by enjoying whatever I see. Still, they always come back—especially when I'm alone… or before I sleep."
He paused.
"For example… why are we here? What's the reason for all of this?"
Amr adjusted his posture before answering calmly,
"You're not the only one who thinks about such things. Everyone around us wonders the same. But we prefer to avoid those thoughts and focus on what we can see with our eyes… until we eventually adapt and forget them altogether."
Kinan thought deeply about those words.
It felt as though the fog clouding his mind had suddenly lifted. If everyone suffered the same questions, then perhaps it was simply a natural part of life.
That realization brought him comfort.
Finally, he closed his eyes…
and drifted into sleep.
To be continued…