The darkness didn't matter. Neither did the bombs or screams. Nothing did matter at that moment to Ayla. Except the story her brother was telling her. She was an extremely brave girl. And smart beyond imagination. She could already count to 400 without even breaking the pace.
She listened attentively
"The boy was leading a huge convoy on a trodden path assuming the duty of safeguarding it. Until a huge beast appeared Infront of the convoy. Scaring people and making them hopeless. But the boy remained calm. He said to himself. 'Today I'll know whether the sorcerer is better or the monk'
So, he took a stone and said, "O Allah! If the deeds and actions of the monk are liked by You better than those of the sorcerer, then kill this creature so that the people can cross (the road)." Then he struck it with a stone killing it and the people were overjoyed. They passed on the path.
After he returned form his journey he headed over to the monk and informed him to which the old monk replied "O my son! Today you are better than I, and you have achieved what I see! You will be put to trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform (them) about me."
The boy was somehow attaining unimaginative feats. He was getting proficient in treating people with severe blindness so one day a courtier of king who had recently become blind happened upon the boy, bring alott of gifts.
"All these gifts are for you on the condition that you cure me." The boy said, "I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in Allah and supplicate to Him, He will cure you." So, he believed in and supplicated to Allah, and Allah cured him.
Aylas face lightened up
"Shukar Alhamdulillah" she said
Then mufakkir continued
Later the courtier returned to the king and sat beside him at his place. The king was surprised and asked him " who retuned your eyesight to you ? "
The courtier said "My lord"
The king replied " I did?"
The courtier said " No, my lord and your lord, Allah SWT"
The king said angrily " do you have any other lord beside me!?"
"Yes, your lord and my lord is Allah"
So the king tortured the poor man until he told him about the boy and the boy was presented before the king
" oh boy, has your magic reached to such an extent that you can treat severe cases of blindness now? "
The boy replied " No, I can't cure anyone, only my lord does"
The kind was shocked
"Me ?! " he said surprised
" do you have another lord beside me? "
" Not you, your lord and my lord, Allah SWT"
So the king tortured the boy until he gave up and told him about monk.
The monk was brought forth now.
Coward and scared the kind commanded the monk
" abandon your religion now"
To which the monk replied
" NO! " And so he was killed by the king
Then it was said to the man who used to be blind.
" Abandon your religion"
He replied " No! "
And thus he was killed aswell.
Then the king summoned the boy and gave him over to some of soldiers and told them. ' Rise above the mountain until you see the edge. If by then he abandons his religion then bring him back, if he doesn't then throw him off the peak'
So they did as they were told.
The boy made a Dua to Allah SWT
" O Allah! Save me from them by any means that You wish." So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king.
The boy then returned to the king. And the king was petrified. He exclaimed. " what happened to the soldiers? "
"Allah saved me from them"
Then the king ordered the boy to be taken to the middle of sea. And see if then he denounces his religion, if not, drown him.
The boy was taken to the middle of the sea and then he supplicated again
"O Allah! Save me from them by any means that you wish."
The soldiers drowned again. And the boy returned safe and sound to the king.
He asked again where did the soldiers go.
" Allah saved me from them" the king paled upon hearing his reply
"You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you. And if you do as I order you, you will be able to kill me."
The king asked, "And what is that"
The boy said, "Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: `In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.' If you do this, you will be able to kill me."
So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow, he shot it, saying, "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy." The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy died. The people proclaimed,
"We believe in the Lord of the boy!''
Then it was said to the king,
"Do you see what has happened That which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have believed (in the Lord of the boy)."
So he ordered that ditches be dug at the entrances to the roads and it was done, and fires were kindled in them. Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire."
By this time Ayla was smiling again. She was at peace. She wasn't trapped in the darkness anymore. Both of them weren't. The held onto each other. They knew what happened next. They stayed quite. She smiled. Mufakkir smiled. And a bomb fell.