Mounir hesitated for a moment, the weight of his father's words pressing down on him. The world outside was collapsing, the city that had once promised so much now crumbling into chaos. But the urgency in his father's eyes was undeniable. The giant's footfalls grew louder, closer. The distant shrieks of terror echoed through the streets.
His father's grip on his wrist tightened, and with a sudden force, he shoved Mounir toward the door. "You have no time to question this. You must go now!"
Mounir stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the threshold. He glanced back, his heart pounding in his chest, but his father's face was resolute. His thin frame trembled, but his eyes spoke of something far older, far wiser. There was no time for a goodbye, no time for words. Only the inevitable.
Mounir turned and ran, bursting into the corridor of their small apartment building. The once-familiar place now felt like a maze of uncertainty. The faint glow from the streetlights flickered in the distance, casting an eerie light on the chaos that was unfolding. Outside, the sounds of the city were muffled, consumed by the growing cacophony of destruction. People screamed, windows shattered, and the air seemed charged with something malevolent, as though the very atmosphere had been poisoned.
His mind raced. What was happening? His father's cryptic warning echoed in his ears. The seals had broken. The giants and the angels—beings of darkness—were no mere myth. And now, Mounir had been thrust into the middle of it. But why? Why him? What did he have to do with this world-shattering event?
A sudden gust of wind whipped past him, and he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He paused, glancing down the hall, but no one was around. The apartment complex was eerily silent, save for the distant rumble of destruction. It was as though the world had turned upside down.
He bolted down the stairs, the sounds of the building groaning above him as the structure itself seemed to shake under the force of the giant's movement. Mounir pushed through the front door, blinking as the harsh night air hit his face. The city was in full chaos. People were running in every direction, desperate to escape the nightmare unfolding around them. The streets were littered with debris, and the distant crack of buildings collapsing rang through the air.
Mounir's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of safety, any indication of where he was supposed to go. But there was nothing. Just confusion and panic.
"Hey, you!" a voice shouted from behind him.
Mounir spun around, his breath catching in his throat. A figure stood in the shadows, barely visible in the dim light. The person's face was obscured, but Mounir could tell by their posture that they were no ordinary passerby. There was something almost… otherworldly about them. The air around them seemed to shimmer with an unnatural energy.
Mounir took a hesitant step back. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice shaky with fear.
The figure stepped forward, revealing more of their face—sharp, angular features, a dark cloak billowing around them like smoke. Their eyes were the color of embers, glowing faintly in the darkness. They didn't look human. They couldn't be.
"I'm here to help you," the figure said, their voice low and smooth. "You don't have much time. Follow me."
Mounir's instincts screamed at him to run, to get as far away as possible from this strange person. But something held him in place—a strange pull, an undeniable force that seemed to connect him to this figure. Despite the fear clawing at his chest, he found himself nodding.
"Where?" Mounir asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The figure's lips curled into a faint smile. "To safety. And answers."
Without waiting for a response, the figure turned and began walking, their movements graceful and swift, as though they were part of the night itself. Mounir followed, not fully understanding why, but certain that he had no other choice.
The streets around them were filled with destruction. Fires raged in several buildings, the smoke billowing into the sky. People ran past in a blur, some crying, others frantic, but none of them seemed to notice Mounir or the figure beside him. It was as though they were invisible in this sea of panic.
They reached a narrow alleyway, the sounds of the chaos outside muffled by the walls of the buildings. The figure stopped, glancing around cautiously before turning to Mounir. "This is the only way."
Before Mounir could ask what they meant, the figure placed their hand on the brick wall of the alley. The stone seemed to ripple like water under their touch, and with a soft grinding sound, the wall slid open, revealing a dark passageway beyond.
"Go," the figure urged, their voice low but insistent.
Mounir hesitated, his breath catching in his throat. What was this place? Who was this person? And why was he being led into the unknown?
But he had no time for questions, no time to second-guess. The city was falling apart around him, and his father's warning echoed in his ears. This was the only path forward.
Mounir took a deep breath and stepped into the passageway, the cool air enveloping him as the wall slid shut behind him with a soft thud.
He was alone now, surrounded by darkness. But in the distance, he could see a faint light flickering—a sign of something ahead. He took another step, his heart pounding. What awaited him at the end of this path? He didn't know. But the journey had already begun, and there was no turning back now.
The figure was waiting for him ahead, and as he moved closer, they spoke again.
"You've made the right choice, Mounir," the figure said. "But you must understand—this is just the beginning."
The passageway stretched on before him, but for the first time in his life, Mounir felt a sense of purpose stir within him. He had no idea what lay ahead, but something deep inside him knew that his life, his fate, had just taken a turn he could never undo.