The night felt colder than it had before as if the very air around Feroz and Mrs Aliya had taken on the weight of their enemies. The city's winding streets now seemed like a maze of secrets, and at every corner, Feroz could almost sense eyes on him, watching, waiting.
His hands trembled as he kept up with Mrs Aliya's pace, the remnants of whatever had awakened inside him still buzzing beneath his skin. It wasn't just the shadows that had come for him tonight. It was something deeper. Something *within*.
And then, there was the name — *Free Mason*.
"I… I felt something back there," Feroz muttered, trying to make sense of it all. "It wasn't just fear. It was more than that."
Mrs Aliya glanced at him, concern etched across her face, but her pace didn't slow. "It's starting, Feroz. You're waking up."
"Waking up to *what*?" His voice was louder than he intended, echoing off the walls of the alleyway.
"To the truth of who you are."
Feroz clenched his fists, still feeling the echoes of power surging through him. He had always felt different, but never like this. Never powerful, never dangerous.
As they turned another corner, Mrs. Aliya pulled Feroz behind an abandoned building, crouching low. She scanned their surroundings, her face tight with tension. "We can't stay here much longer. The Free Masons are relentless. They're going to keep sending their shadows after us, and if they track us to Yusuf, we'll be cornered."
The *Free Masons*. The word felt foreign on Feroz's tongue, yet somehow, the name stirred a distant familiarity. He had heard whispers before, a vague unease attached to the word, but now, it carried real danger.
He had been too afraid to ask, but it was time for answers.
"Who are the Free Masons?" Feroz finally asked, his voice low but filled with curiosity and frustration.
Mrs. Aliya sighed, her gaze hardening as she leaned closer. "They are not just any secret society. They have their hands in every corner of the world—politics, wealth, power. But more than that, they seek something far more dangerous. They hunt for those with the *gift*—people like your father, and now… like you."
Feroz's eyes widened. "And why me? Why did they want my father, and now me?"
"Your bloodline," Mrs. Aliya said, her voice hushed. "The Khan family is no ordinary one. The powers that your father had, the ones you're beginning to manifest—they've been passed down for generations, guarded in secrecy. But when your uncle betrayed your father and joined the Free Masons, they became aware of just how powerful your family was. And now, they want you because you are the last of that bloodline."
Feroz felt his stomach drop. "My uncle… joined them?"
Mrs. Aliya nodded grimly. "Yes. He betrayed your father for power, and in doing so, he revealed your father's secrets to the Free Masons. They've been hunting your family ever since. Your father knew he couldn't stay with you—he knew the only way to protect you was to disappear."
The pieces were falling into place, but with each revelation, the weight of it all pressed harder on Feroz's shoulders. His uncle wasn't just after him for personal reasons—he had allied himself with a powerful, ancient organization. One that wanted Feroz not just dead, but *controlled*.
"They want to control me," Feroz whispered, more to himself than to Mrs. Aliya. "To use me like they tried to use my father."
Mrs. Aliya's eyes softened, but her voice remained firm. "Yes. And if they succeed, there will be no stopping them. The Free Masons have been after power like yours for centuries. With your abilities, they could reshape the world, bend it to their will."
Feroz's pulse quickened. The shadows, the whispers, his father's disappearance—it all suddenly seemed connected. He felt the surge of anger rise in him again. He had been robbed of a normal life because of this. His family had been torn apart.
"What happens when my powers fully awaken?" Feroz asked. "I felt something back there—something *strong*."
Mrs. Aliya didn't answer immediately, her eyes searching his face. "It's hard to say. Every person's gift is different. But for you… there's something about your bloodline that makes your abilities particularly dangerous. Even more dangerous than your father's. That's why it's vital we find Yusuf before the Free Masons catch up to us."
"And Yusuf can help me control them?" Feroz asked, trying to cling to the hope she was offering.
Mrs. Aliya's lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes. But Yusuf is… complicated. He's not like your father. He's not bound by the same principles. His methods may not be what you expect."
"Do we even know where to find him?"
She pointed to the map in his hand. "This will lead us to him, but we need to move quickly."
Feroz looked down at the crumpled parchment, still feeling that strange pull from it. A part of him didn't trust the mysterious Yusuf, but at the same time, he had no other options. If there was even the slightest chance this man could help him, then he had to take it.
Suddenly, a soft whisper echoed down the alley, cutting through the silence. Mrs. Aliya's eyes snapped up, her face immediately going pale.
"They're coming," she hissed.
Feroz's heart pounded in his chest as the familiar shadows began to stretch along the walls again. This time, there was more of them—dozens of the cloaked figures, moving in perfect unison, their eerie shapes twisting and turning.
"We can't fight them here," Mrs. Aliya muttered, already backing away. "We need to run."
But Feroz's feet wouldn't move. His mind was screaming at him to run, to escape, but something rooted him in place. The buzzing under his skin, the energy that had surged earlier, was building again, stronger this time.
As the shadows crept closer, Feroz closed his eyes. He could feel their darkness pressing in, suffocating, but something inside him was pushing back. The light from before—the explosion that had sent the shadows scattering—was rising again, but this time, he could *feel* it.
His pulse quickened. The warmth inside him grew. And then, just as one of the shadow figures reached for him, Feroz's body pulsed with energy. The light erupted from him, not in a sudden explosion like before, but in controlled, focused waves. The shadows recoiled, their forms dissolving into smoke as the light washed over them.
Feroz stood there, chest heaving, his hands glowing faintly with the residual energy.
Mrs. Aliya stared at him, wide-eyed. "You're awakening faster than I expected."
Feroz looked down at his hands, still trembling from the surge. "What is happening to me?"
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Free Masons have forced your hand. The more they push, the quicker your powers will awaken. But without control, you could end up destroying everything around you."
Feroz swallowed hard. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he could already feel the power growing stronger inside him, restless and untamed.
"We need to get to Yusuf before it's too late," Mrs. Aliya said urgently. "Come on."
They ran through the night, the shadows temporarily dispelled, but Feroz knew they would be back. And next time, it wouldn't just be shadows. The Free Masons wouldn't stop until they had him in their grasp.
And his uncle… Feroz couldn't shake the growing feeling that his uncle was closer than either of them realized.