The air was sharp with the smell of burning plastic and melting metal. Amir ran through the narrow streets, avoiding the panicked crowds running in all directions. The cries of the people mixed with the sounds of sirens, as if the city had turned into a hive of chaos. His phone was still clutched tightly in his hand, with his sister Lina's live broadcast open, but the image was shaky, and the audio was broken.
"Where exactly are you?!" he yelled into the phone as he climbed over a concrete barrier to avoid a crowd moving toward him.
"Near the old post office! There are people... oh God!" Her voice suddenly cut off, replaced by a deafening silence.
Amir felt a cold shiver run through him. He remembered that the post office building was only ten minutes away by foot. His teeth clenched as he moved forward, but a group of young men armed with sticks and rocks suddenly blocked his path. One of them raised his hand and shouted, "This is for the water!"
"I'm not against you!" Amir tried to explain, but his voice was drowned in the noise. One of them shoved him hard, nearly knocking him over, but a hand gripped his arm suddenly and yanked him into a dark alley.
"Are you looking for death?!" a harsh voice barked.
Amir turned to see a man wearing a black jacket and a mask that covered half his face. On his chest was the same circle-and-line symbol Amir had seen before.
"Who... who are you?" Amir gasped.
"Not the time for questions!" The man's tone was military-like, and he pointed to a backpack slung over his shoulder. "If you want to save your sister, follow me. Otherwise, get out of the way!"
Amir had no choice. The man began running toward an abandoned building, and Amir followed, his heart pounding in his chest. Inside the building, a small group of people surrounded monitors and laptops. One of them, a grim-faced man with a full mask, looked up and said, "You're late, Karim!"
"We have a guest!" Karim replied with a sarcastic tone, pushing Amir forward.
The masked man looked at Amir with challenge in his eyes. "And who is this?"
"Someone who saw the cracks... like us!" Karim responded as he removed his mask, revealing a face marked with scars.
Amir tried to catch his breath. "I... my sister is trapped. I need to get to her!"
The masked man exchanged a glance with Karim and nodded at a young man sitting behind a screen full of strange symbols. "Ali, find any cameras near the old post office."
The young man quickly began typing on the keyboard. Moments later, footage appeared on the screen, showing Lina trapped with a crowd of people in a narrow alley, as nearby buildings were engulfed in flames.
"There!" Amir pointed with a shaking hand. "How do we get to her?"
Karim pulled out a paper map from his pocket, marked with red and blue lines. "The main street is filled with crowds, but there's a back alley from here," he pointed to a winding path. "But you'll need help."
"Why are you helping me?" Amir asked bluntly.
The masked man interrupted him sharply: "Because you've seen the truth. And because we can't fix the cracks alone." He then placed a small device in Amir's hand. "This will guide you. But beware... some want the chaos to continue."
Amir didn't understand everything, but he gripped the device and exited the building with Karim. The air was thick with smoke now, and distant explosions shook the ground.
Using the device, they found the back alley that seemed abandoned. But suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.
"Stop! You're with the (Line), aren't you?!"
Amir turned to see three men in black clothes approaching, holding small devices that looked like guns.
"Run!" Karim shouted, shoving Amir ahead.
They sprinted wildly, but the men were faster. One of them fired an electric dart that nearly hit Amir, but Karim swerved and pushed him into a trash bin, then pulled something from his pocket and threw it toward the attackers. A small object exploded, creating a cloud of white smoke.
"Go!" Karim growled, pulling Amir's arm.
They continued running until they reached the alley where Lina was trapped. Flames were getting closer, and the alley was too narrow.
"Lina!" Amir shouted, rushing toward her as the crowd scrambled to escape.
His sister turned, her eyes full of tears. "Amir! How...?"
"No time to talk!" he replied, pushing her toward the alley they had mapped out.
Karim stood at the entrance, holding off the attackers with a device that looked like an electric staff. "Go! I'll catch up!"
Amir and Lina ran through the narrow alley until they reached a quieter area near the city's river. The sounds of chaos began to fade, but the smell of smoke still filled the air.
"Who were those people?" Lina asked, trembling.
Amir looked down at the small device in his hand, where a message had appeared on the screen: "Now you know part of the truth. If you want more, come to the next address at dawn. — The Line."
He gazed up at the sky, where faint stars began to appear behind the smoke clouds. The world around him was crumbling, but for the first time, he felt there might be hope.
"I'll explain later..." he whispered, hearing the sound of approaching ambulance sirens.
But deep inside, he knew this wasn't the end. It was just the beginning.