"there are times when you need to prove you're a human. everyone has a hollow darkness within them. be it a stranger or your relative, fill that hole up for them. let them live with the feeling that hope still exists- afra"

Afra shifted in her bed — pushing the covers off of her legs — and groaning in her sleep.

The room was getting stuffier and although she was wearing a cotton nightgown, it still wasn't working out.

Jolting up in the bed, she rubbed her eyes.

"Sulaaymaan, can you wake up please? Our room..... it's getting suffocating in here."

She turned to look about the other side of the bed but when only emptiness met her, all the sleep vanished from her eyes as she frantically twisted around to find him.

"Sulaaymaan? Ya Allah! Where h—"

Her words got stuck in her throat as she found herself staring at a black cladded figure against the desk.

"Oh good evening Afra. Lovely to see you that you woke up." He paused and stole a quick glance at her before ducking his head."besides you're gonna be sleeping for a long time now anyway. So you might as well enjoy the last few moments of your life."

She gasped silently, gathering her blanket closer to her chest.

"You again!"

"Aw c'mon! You can greet me in a better way."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Good thing you came......Mr Hasan. Which only just points out to be that my guess was right after all."

He chuckled, not bothering to watch her as his eyes skimmed through the few pieces of decoration that lay positioned over the desk. He examined each piece as he walked.

"It's interesting how many sides there are to a person. No wonder the human — the greatest creation of Allah Azzawajal — harbours the most intriguing secrets."

He turned around — pushing the hood off of his head — and revealing a sly smile.

Afra cringed a little, making sure to not make it seem noticeable. She was ready — always been — to take the hard blow of the last attack. However things never went as one planned them as as she sat watching his back move in between studying each of the prized possessions that Sulaaymaan lay over his desk, Afra shuddered painfully.

Hasan — the Queen's eldest brother — was the man she had thought to be a simpleton with the mind of a spiritually uplifted person. As a matter of fact, she had regarded him to be the best in comparison to the other brother of his.

But sometimes, you just cannot piece together the little bits that seem unfitting. In the end we come to realize that they were never meant to fit. That they spoke what others didn't think was right. That they held what everyone thought to be a bag of lies.

Unless that's just not the case.

Afra's eyes traced his steps. He casually trudged right to the doors of her room and stopped.

Her eyes squinted as he ran a hand along the doors and turned to face her with a grim smile.

"I don't suppose you understand that your darling husband had left behind a good amount of armed forces for his family."

Afra scoffed.

"Well, my husband isn't from the ones who give up."

She threw away the covers, pushed her legs down and faced him fully.

"Give me answers. I'm going to die anyway."

She murmured and he whirled around carefully, keeping an eye over her as she calmly swung her legs back and forth.

It was necessary that she acted reserved and lost. Defeated and given up. Else he could take the hint and do anything that could threaten both her and Sulaaymaan's lives. For now she knew nothing about where Sulaaymaan was but it was didn't require much sense to understand that he was probably under a watch too.

"What makes you think I'm going to kill you?"

She smiled a crooked one, her eyes dropping to look at her feet.

"You killed Yusra."

He raised a brow.

"Oh yeah?"

"I came to understand that Yusra wasn't just killed because she was coming in the way. That day when Sulaaymaan showed me her picture, I noticed a fighter in her eyes. Which I knew hadn't died and for some reason — just by using that as a clue — I ended up digging quite some answers. For which I know I'm going to be killed."

Hasan didn't speak — which made her feel stresses about the situation — until an impressive smile daunted over his face and she almost sighed with relief.

"Oh my my! No wonder you've always been my favourite player. It's a pity that your smart brain won't live any longer."

Afra lowered her gaze, fingering a lock of her hair thoughtfully around her index finger.

"What did you come to know?"

"It started off with the room I had been occupying for a while. Turns out it belonged to Yusra before me. Within the tiled walls in the washroom, lay a piece that wasn't well fitted with the white. It was lose too and came off with a single pull. Inside that, I discovered some crumpled papers that held a....rather amusing take on what I had thought."

His eyes darkened.

"Where are the papers?"

Afra sat straighter in her seat, pointing at her beside drawer carefully.

"Very nice. You're.....good. Maybe if you keep being this way, I would actually let you live."

She sneered to herself. When he didn't talk for a little while, she tilted her neck up to find him eagerly pressing some buttons on the screen of the watch he was wearing.

He was maintaining an eye on someone. Or that is what she presumed.

She clutched her fingers tight as she began to put two and two together. Waasay was unmovable at the moment and for the sake if supposing he did move too, he wouldn't be able to stay put for long.

Which left her worrying even more about who the other one involved with Hasan might be.

"What was in those letters? I'd rather hear it all from you than read. You know would save me some time."

Afra almost shuddered as he began to suddenly speak again. In a minute though, she was breathing better and was able to strategize her move.

"It didn't hold anything of clarity. Just vague possibilities and her theories."

He nodded slowly and turned around such that his back faced her.

"You're smart, but don't act like that with me if you want Sulaaymaan alive. I'm pretty sure you must have understood that the boy is in my cage now. And judging by how you are, you may have found something of interest in those letters."

Afra sucked in a deep breath.

"What.....what would you like to know?"

Hasan laughed; so twisted and dark the flow of it was that she cringed in her seat.

"Everything that I don't know. Leave one bit of information and you're dead."

She nodded, acting quite composed and ready for the situation. Afra may not have been the most strongest woman out there but she knew some tricks that often made her play with ease and alertness.

During the initial days of the attacks, Aasiq and his team had activated a set of hearing equipments within the villa along with a few CCTV's tucked in unimaginable places.

She only hoped they were recording all this.

"I....it started off with Sulaaymaan narrating his tale to me."

Hasan stamped his foot up on the edge of the bed and leaned over that leg with an arm, a menacing smile on his lips.

"Ah! His sob story."

"He told me everything that had to be. Ranging from the abusive case of Mrs Basmah to how King Aa'raaf was found hanging dead. Although that was all there was to know, I had a sinking feeling in me that something didn't quite fit well."

Hasan smirked.

"You've always been that observative."

She sighed a little and continued to keep her gaze fixed on her lap.

"In my bathroom, I had always had a problem with the unusual fit of the tile that had been left there just as that. Naturally one night out of plain curiousity I pulled it off to find a pouch filled with a lot of papers."

Hasan tilted his side a little.

"It was a difficult turn of events for me. I took a lot of time to understand each and every detail and only then things had started to fall into place."

She slowly craned her neck up and met his eyes; the same evil dripping from them. Yet there was no backing down. 

"Why did you kill Younus? Not once did the thought that he was your brother crossed your mind? Whatever you wanted, was it so necessary that you were ready to kill?  I know it wasn't the king who did it all as you made everyone believe."

For a split second, Afra noticed his eyes widening with shock. But it soon disappeared as a fire of fury settled in.

"How.....did you....you know that?!"

Afra licked her lips, the nervousness of having to face his turmoil settling in. 

"The truth never remains buried and that's a law of nature that shall never change."

He let his foot down to the floor and dropped his head. Afra's eyes scrutinizied each of his steps as he took in heavy breaths. Two minutes of thumping silence passed and she finally heard a small whimper from him.

"He knew everything. It wasn't the King who was behind all this. The King — infact — was a man of supreme status and consideration. I was the one harassing my sister to convince the king to either give me the throne or watch his family die of. I don't know how.....or why Younus got involved but his intrusion was posing a difficult threat to me. Naturally I threatened to kill him and his daughter. He didn't — unlike my expectations — fear it at all. — "

"— he went ahead to the police and filed a complaint against you. You went to his place, had a full blown conversation and ended up killing him. At the end of the day — just as Younus had planned — Yusra had been away for a school trip. So she was safe for the moment. But as soon as she learnt of her father's death, she became vaguely aware of the danger she was in and how she had no choice to escape her own murder. So she started to write down clues and notes of whatever had occured. By the time she was done with hiding those tales, the king had been freed. Seizing the opportunity you attacked her just as she had successfully hidden the truth. And later on, did the same to the king."

Hasan didn't answer, but from how he was looking at her she could say he wasn't ready to hear all the details from her. He did not think she would figure out every detail of a wicked scheme.

"The king saw it all coming didn't he? That is the reason he had a special device of security fitted in for the family he'd be leaving behind. He sure was well prepared for it all. I know that the king was strangled before being hanged through the ropes as an act of suicide."

Hasan stopped walking and whirled around to cast a shady glance at her. She wasn't terrified for herself anymore; it was just Sulaaymaan now that she wanted to protect. 

"You know everything a little too well isn't it?"

"Too bad you're not as smart as me. Should I remind you why I'm smarter?"

Hasan raised a brow.

"The mysterious case of the missing child princes of the royal family? The portraits that I saw had one child less each time as the years rolled by. It's such a pity nobody could get through the case and blamed it all on King Aa'raaf. Who would've thought you killed them all so nobody would be left to inherit the throne but Sulaaymaan. You knew that once Sulaaymaan would be the only alive heir, you could easily shove him out of the way and claim it for yourself!"

She didn't have time to leap away as Hasan charged forward, grasping her neck in his fingers and constricting her air passage. Her fingers dug into his as he squeezed it harder and harder.

"You whore! I knew you'd be able to get through all the hidden corners. But guess what? I've always been a step further."

Despite feeling her eyes twitch with tears and her chest burn with the lack  of air, she smiled slyly. Even if she died today, she would be at peace. He had lost.

With all her energy, she mustered enough breath to splutter out a few words.

"Maybe this time you're not the one ahead of me. Your game's gonna be up soon."

Hasan's face turned red with rage. He kept on squeezing her neck until she felt her surroundings beginning to blur. And just as she thought she was going  to lose her breath, his fingers loosened around her neck and she was thrown harshly over the bed. Thankfully she landed over a soft mattress, coughing and gasping for air.

"You'll not die so easily."

He mumbled and pulled off the drawer where she had kept Yusra's notes.

She watched him whilst sucking air as he threw apart every single item until he found the small packed envelope with Yusra's name scrawled at the top right corner.

"You're late as always Afra."

She smiled softly, shifting her eyes to the doors that had been silently unlocked by a group of armed guards.

"Well actually, the girl's right. You're late this time."

Hasan turned around abruptly to find the doors wide open, a few guards jogging inside with their guns out while the rest took ahold of Hasan's shoulders, pushed him to the ground and sat on top of his back.

Sulaaymaan helplessly stared in the dark as Waasay took control of where they were headed. For the first few minutes, Waasay would shout and swear at him or even act as if he were going to hurt him.

It never happened. He didn't do anything dangerous or twisty that Sulaaymaan was expecting. As they dwelled deeper into the road only surrounded by sand, Waasay slowed down the car to a very considerable speed.

"Why are you doing this Waasay? I thought.....we were brothers."

Waasay glanced at him, a few tears in his eyes.

"Shut the hell up! What's with you being so emotional?"

The car came to a screeching halt and Waasay fully turned to face Sulaaymaan. Only this time, he was smiling like never before.

He fumbled in the pocket of his jacket to pull out his phone. Sulaaymaan keenly focused his gaze over the keyboard as he typed down something with his pale fingers.

A few minutes of daunting silence soon paved way as Waasay's arm extended towards him with the phone in his hand.

Sulaaymaan looked between the phone and him in an unnerving fear of uptaking some disturbing task unintentionally.

But when Waasay kept motioning towards it with an urgency, he snatched it hesitantly and skimmed his eyes through a long text.

V have not much time left Sulaaymaan. All I'll say is dat I never did anything intentionally. Allah is d witness. I sincerely hope Afra is fine bt Der is no luking back now. Nd I am not going 2 kill u. 4 all d times we spent together I am thankful. I luv u bro and I pray dat u hve a better life frm now on. Hasan has planted a bomb within me wid which he had me as his pullet. Either I follow his orders or I am killed. Nd because neither of his orders wer 2 much 2 carry out, I lived a few extra weeks dan expected. Bt times up now. He had probably finished dealing wid Afra. Which leaves him to us.
I can explode any moment. Grab Abdullah 4m d boot. I just pushed him in Der to follow d rules and not threaten Ur life. V hve been recorded with a camera and a hearing device. I am doing my best 2 buy sum tym. So Grab d man Nd leave!

Tears began to drop one by one on the phone's screen until it slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor.

His only brother had been through so much yet he had never even had the slightest idea.

Grabbing Sulaaymaan by his shoulders, Waasay forced him to look at him with a teary face and widened eyes that overlay fear and horror.

Sulaaymaan couldn't move. He felt his hope die and his heart clench with a nightmare that seeped into his veins. It was Hasan — his own uncle — who cursed their life with his menacing presence. It was him all along. A member of his own family.

Waasay punched him on the shoulder and hurriedly unbuckled him. As the belt lifted away, Waasay threw open his door and limped to Sulaaymaan's side.

Sulaaymaan was ready to protest. He would die with his brother if that was what would put an end to all. He wouldn't let him alone at such a critical stage. He wasn't there for him all the while he was forced to commit the acts of horridness.

He had to be with him.

"Sulaaymaan! Get the hell out."

He whispered in his ear. Defeaning it was to see his brother's face sucked in, his eyes hollowed and dark, a few bruises along jawline and his entire body huddled in pain.

Waasay pulled open the door and stared hard at him.

Sulaaymaan's lips quivered.

"Let me die with you."

Waasay frowned and his split lips broke in a crooked smile.

"Maybe if I've not been that bad of a Muslim we'll meet in Jannah. In Shaa Allah."

"Waasay no.....please don't do this to me."

Sulaaymaan had nothing more left to do than plead. He fell out of his seat, lethargically slumped on Waasay's feet as his eyes guiltily pleaded for another chance.

Waasay gave him another look of pity and shoved him aside with a hand. He limped to the back of the car, groaned in pain and felt blood trickle down his waist as he lifted the bonnet and helped Abdullah out.

"We don't have time Abdullah. I'm taking the car with me. Just be far away with Sulaaymaan. Don't be anywhere near me. You understand?"

Leaving Abdullah with a side smile, he rushed to the car, got himself settled into the driver's seat and pushed the accelerator.

It took Abdullah several strained breaths to recompose himself enough to react to Sulaaymaan's screams.

He ran over to grab Sulaaymaan's body as he tried to run behind the car that was now paving into the darkness of the night at an unhealthy speed.

Abdullah had to push Sulaaymaan to his feet and keep him trapped as he wriggled hard with arms stretched forward towards the car.

"Abdullah let me go! Freaking leave me!"

"Waasay! Please come back!"

"There's got to be a way."

Abdullah dodged several slaps, kicks and elbow attacks for a few minutes until the car was barely even seen.

Just as he released Sulaaymaan and found him dash forward, a huge explosion made them retreat back in their steps and fall backwards on the ground.

The night was filled with a blazing fire that reached to an enormous height before dying down to a series of mini expulsions.

"NOOOOOOO! NOOOOO! WAASAY!"

Abdullah instantly reached forward and pinned Sulaaymaan to the ground as he screamed and shouted for his brother.

The flames continued to fill the night with fury, rage and explicity. For the next few hours, Sulaaymaan screamed and cried for Waasay at the sight of a disfigured car way beyond their reach.

An hour later — when Sulaaymaan was now silently sobbing — Abdullah managed to alert his members, the police and call out for an ambulance.

That night, Sulaaymaan knew that all boundaries had been crossed.

And somehow within the depths of the regret and guilt, a weeping darkness consumed him.

« Assalaamualaikum Princesses ❤.

There goes the end of it all!

Well, not technically but somehow yes. We still have a lot to uncover and there are some questions that need to be answered.

❤❤❤But for the majority part, we've found him! The mastermind!

Just be careful around anyone and everyone. I may be being paranoid but a human mind has no limitations. You never know what a close acquaintance of yours may be holding against you.

And another thing would be that please be on a lookout for anyone who needs some attention. Like Waasay. He went through so much before coming to his end as that. It was difficult for him. Which you'll see soon. But you get my point right? ❤❤❤

I hope you're all doing well my loves.

Take care and I am honoured deeply to be blessed by you all.  ❤❤❤

Jazak'ALLAHU QAIRAN KATHEERAN for everything. ❤❤❤

Much love,

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