[10:00 AM ]
The grand hall gleams beneath golden chandeliers.
Thousands of crystal fragments catch the morning light and scatter it across the polished marble floor like liquid gold.
Soft orchestral music drifts through the room.
The kind of music designed to fill silence without demanding attention.
Today is a celebration, A rare one.
One of Faha's dramas has become an extraordinary success.
The numbers are almost unbelievable.
Billions of views.
Countless discussions.
International attention.
Awards are already being predicted.
Social media is overflowing with praise.
Naturally—
The Sunayana family decides that such an achievement deserves recognition.
So the mansion's grand hall is transformed into a private celebration.
Long tables stretch across one side of the room.
Decorated with flowers and silver ornaments.
Fresh food is arranged with meticulous care.
Family members move throughout the hall.
Talking.
Congratulating Faha.
Faha stands near the center of the room.
A glass of juice in one hand looking entirely too pleased with himself,
"I told everyone it would succeed."
Several people roll their eyes immediately.
Fahad folds his arms,
"You've said that fourteen times already."
"Because I was right."
Faha points dramatically at him,
"You doubted me."
"I did."
"And now?"
Fahan takes a sip from his glass, "I still do."
The hall erupts with laughter.
Meanwhile—
Mahi is speaking with several relatives nearby.
Occasionally smiling at the conversations unfolding around her.
Mahim stands beside a group of military officers and family friends.
Across the hall—
Fahan is enthusiastically explaining statistics to anyone willing to listen.
Unfortunately for everyone nearby, many people make the mistake of listening.
"The growth curve is incredible."
Someone sighs,
"Please stop showing us graphs at a party."
"They're important graphs."
"No graph is important enough for this."
More laughter follows.
Near one of the large windows—
Rahi sits comfortably in an armchair.
Watching the room.
Unlike everyone else, he seems entirely content to let the celebration unfold without participating too much.
And Maya —
She sits on a sofa near the edge of the hall.
A sketchbook resting on her lap.
Pencil moving slowly across the page.
Scratch.... Scratch... Scratch.
Scratch.... Scratch... Scratch.
The celebration swirls around her.
Several relatives attempt to include her in conversations.
"Maya, are you enjoying the party?"
She looks up, Then nods once.
"Hummm.....yes."
For some reason, it makes everyone smile.
A little later—
One of the younger cousins peeks over her shoulder, "What are you drawing?"
Her eyes widen, " Ohh.... That's amazing."
Several others immediately gather nearby.
Trying to see.
Within minutes, a small crowd has formed around the sofa.
The situation becomes mildly absurd.
Maya continues drawing peacefully.
While everyone else watches as though witnessing a live performance.
"How does she do that?"
"I don't know."
"The hands look real."
"They practically are."
Even Faha eventually notices, "Wait."
He walks over,
"Why does she have a larger audience than me at my own celebration?"
The room immediately bursts into laughter.
"Skill issue."
"Try drawing better."
"Become more interesting."
Faha places a hand dramatically over his heart, "I am being attacked."
"No."
Fahim speaks without looking up from his drink, "You are being evaluated."
That somehow earns even more laughter.
Not because the joke is particularly clever—
But because watching Faha lose a popularity contest to a girl quietly drawing in a corner is unexpectedly entertaining.
Faha points accusingly toward Maya, "She's not even trying."
"She's winning accidentally, Natural talent."
"No," Fahan says, raising a finger, "This is market domination."
A cushion immediately flies toward him, "Stop turning everything into business."
The cushion hits his shoulder.
Fahan looks offended,"My analysis was correct."
"It wasn't necessary."
"Those are different things."
More laughter follows.
As the celebration continued, attention gradually shifted toward the towering collection of gifts gathered near the center of the hall.
Dozens upon dozens of boxes rested beneath the golden glow of the chandeliers.
Some were wrapped in elegant silk.
Some in embossed paper decorated with gold patterns.
Each package carried a name. A gesture of affection.
Family members gathered around them with growing enthusiasm.
Boxes were passed from hand to hand. Ribbons were untied, wrapping paper rustled softly.
Hands brushed across smooth silk and rich velvet.
Delicate ornaments emerged from protective packaging.
Rare books , luxury watches. Handcrafted artwork, personal keepsakes.
One gift after another revealed itself, each greeted with smiles and occasional surprise.
Then— Fahish noticed something.
Nestled among the brightly colored gifts sat a small box wrapped in deep green silk.
Unlike the others, it seemed strangely understated.
No decorative ribbon, no elaborate card.
He frowned slightly.
Something about it drew his attention. Because it felt out of place.
Curiosity flickered across his face, "What is this?"
A few nearby relatives glanced over, "No idea."
"Open it."
Fahis picked up the box.
Immediately, he noticed something unusual. The weight is not heavy.
Just... peculiar.
His fingers traced the sharp edges beneath the silk wrapping. A faint crease appeared between his brows.
Carefully, he peeled away the silk. The green wrapping fell away.
Revealing a plain black container. No sender's name.
Nothing.
He slowly opened it.
Click.
Inside rested a single object.
A BLACK MEMORY CHIP.
The conversations around the hall gradually faded.
One by one, people noticed the object.
Mahim's eyes narrowed.
Fahim stopped speaking mid-sentence.
Rahi's gaze lifted from across the room Instantly.
A murmur rippled through the hall.
People leaned closer.
Eyes fixed on the tiny black memory chip resting in Fahish's hand.
Whispers emerged from every corner of the room.
"Wait... what?"
"A memory chip?"
"Who gives that as a gift?"
"Is it a video?"
"Maybe it's a movie trailer."
"No, then why not just send a link?"
"Good point."
"What if it's a message?"
"A message from who?"
"There's no sender's name."
Several relatives moved closer. Trying to get a better look.
Someone frowned, "Is there anything written on it?"
Fahish turned the chip over, "No."
The whispers continued.
"Then who sent it?"
"Was it delivered with the others?"
"It must have been."
Across the hall, Mahim's expression became noticeably more serious, his military instincts were already awake.
Curiosity had completely consumed the younger members of the family.
"Plug it in."
" Yes, plug it. "
"Let's see what's inside."
" Maybe it's something important."
"What if it's a surprise?"
"What kind of surprise arrives anonymously?"
Fahish slid the memory chip into the projector.
A low mechanical whir filled the hall. Static appeared.
Then the image stabilized.
A child appeared, no older than four or five. She sat alone on a metal chair.
Thick black hair framed a pale face. Her clothes looked worn.
Her hands were clenched tightly against her chest as though she was trying to make herself smaller.
As though she was afraid of taking up too much space.
But it wasn't the appearance that caught everyone's attention, It was the eyes. Unusually empty.
Faha leaned forward, his smile disappeared. "Wait a moment."
He pointed at the screen,
"Hummmmmmmmmmmm .... Look at her. Doesn't she look like Maya?"
Several people blinked, then looked again.
Fahad slowly narrowed his eyes, "I think so too."
His voice had become quieter, "The eyes look like Maya's just younger."
Several family members felt a chill run down their spine.
Fahan swallowed, "...That's creepy."
"I Also Think So. "
The entire hall stared at the projection.
After several long seconds, Fahad suddenly leaned forward,
"Wait, she doesn't look like Maya."
A heartbeat .
"She is Maya."
Every eye snapped back toward the projection, the child sat alone beneath the harsh lighting.
Fahan stared at the screen, "But...What is she doing there?"
The image on the screen trembled slightly.
Then—
A shadow appeared, a man wearing a doctor's coat.
The white fabric should have looked reassuring, but it felt wrong.
The child immediately became more tense.
Several people in the hall exchanged uneasy glances,"Why is she reacting like that...?"
Nobody answered.
The man moved closer.
STRIKE.
She recoiled instinctively.
ANOTHER STRIKE.
THEN ANOTHER.
AND ANOTHER.
Each Sound Echoed Through The Speaker.
Each one shattered the carefully constructed air of the hall.
HE KICK HER IN THE STOMACH.
His Actions Were Relentless.
AGAIN AND AGAIN.
The child shrank back instinctively, but there was nowhere to go.
The cheerful atmosphere of the celebration vanished completely.
Mahi slowly raised a hand to her mouth.
Fahan stared at the screen in disbelief, "What kind of person does that to a child...?"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Stop..., " Someone whispered.
"Stop it. "
"Stop it, please. "
"What is this?? "
"What the hell is this??? "
Gasps tore through the family, punctuated by whispers and the clatter of dropped silverware.
The unimaginable cruelty inflicted upon the child twisted the festive atmosphere into a suffocating shroud of horror.
Present day —
Maya sat at the edge of the hall, her black eyes absorbing every detail.
Not a flicker of emotion passed across her face, absorbing the pain of the past without acknowledging it.
Faha's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of a nearby table .
Fahis's voice trembled as he spoke through clenched teeth,
"She… she survived that?
She… how—"
"How???? "
Mahi slowly lowered herself into a nearby chair, her fingers trembled slightly.
"How could anyone look at a child and treat her like that?"
Everyone remembered the livestream from the previous day.
Maya's reflexes, her inability to relax.
The way she reacted when someone approached unexpectedly.
The way she treated a severe fever as though it were insignificant.
Suddenly— None of it seemed strange anymore.
Fahan struggled to find the right words,
"When most people see something painful...you can tell."
A pause.
"They React, Cry, Get Angry. They Show Something."
Faha looked from the dark projector screen to Maya, then back again.
"She… she is pretty calm even after seeing this. "
—
Rahi staggered back a step.
"Turn it off! Stop it!"
The words tore from him, there was no trace of his usual calm.
Only panic, "Monsters...Pure monsters."
His hands rose to his head instinctively.
Fingers tangling in his hair as though he were trying to ground himself, trying to hold onto something solid while the world tilted beneath his feet.
His breathing became uneven, he was no longer seeing the hall around him.
All of it seemed to fade into the background.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
His vision blurred.
The sounds from the recording echoed through the room, but to him they seemed much closer.
His voice cracked almost pleading,
"Please...Turn it off."
The entire hall froze.
Nobody had ever seen him like this.
Rahi—the man who never seemed afraid.
The man who remained calm when everyone else panicked was visibly falling apart.
His breathing changed—
as though air had suddenly become something he had to fight for.
Those echoes—
Those sounds from the video slipped past reason, past logic, past the walls he had spent years building.
His vision blurred. The bright lights of the chandelier fractured into sharp, scattered pieces.
"Rahi, look at me."
Mahi's chair scraped loudly against the marble floor as she stood.
Fahim's expression immediately darkened,
"Everyone give him space."
Several relatives instinctively stepped back,
"What happened to him?"
"Why is he reacting like this?"
One of the older relatives whispered,
"Should we call an ambulance?"
"He can't breathe properly."
Voices around him faded as though the world was pulling away, leaving him somewhere else entirely.
Then—
memory returned as fragments.
"Stop…" Rahi whispered but it wasn't clear who he was speaking to.
Cold floors, a locked room that never seemed to end.
13A.
He flinched, "I— I can't…"
The smell came next.
Something sharp, metallic . It wrapped around his chest,stealing breath after breath,
"They don't stop…"
He was back there—
where time didn't move normally, days stretched into something endless.
His shoulders curled inward instinctively as if bracing for something that wasn't there anymore—
"They said it was necessary… They said we'd get used to it…"
Farhan whispered, "Used to what…?"
Rahi's fingers clawed slightly at his own sleeve grounding himself or trying to.
His knees struck the marble with a dull, hollow sound, too soft for the violence of what was happening inside him.
The memory didn't come alone, It brought the feeling with it—
helplessness, being watched.
Never being allowed to just… be human.
A broken whisper slipped out barely audible,
"I didn't run fast enough....
No they're here…They don't stop…" .
He whispered,
"Even when it's quiet… they don't stop.
They never let us go… not really…"
The hall don't breathe.
What had begun as whispers and curiosity had turned into something else entirely—
Something that settled into the bones of everyone present.
All eyes were on Rahi.
He was no longer just a stranger who had stumbled in.
Rahi's hands shook uncontrollably, his grip slipping from his hair as if his own strength had abandoned him,
"They're here…They don't stop…"
Mahi's hand flew to her mouth,
"What is happening to him?"
Fahis stepped forward slightly,
"He's not seeing us, he's reliving something."
Farhan whispered under his breath,
"He's trapped… somewhere in his head."
Rahi's eyes darted wildly,
"No… no… don't close it… Don't lock it again please—"
_
In one measured motion, Maya rose.
Almost unnaturally calm, Unhurried.
The polished marble reflected the light of the chandeliers as she crossed the room.
The projector sat at the front of the hall.
She stopped beside it, her gloved hand reached forward.
The small black memory chip clicked softly as she removed it from the device.
The sound seemed impossibly loud in the silence.
For a moment, she simply looked at it.
The tiny object resting between her fingers.
So small yet capable of bringing an entire hall to silence.
Then she turned and walked toward Rahi.
Rahi looked unlike himself, completely unlike himself, his shoulders were drawn inward.
His eyes avoided the projector.
Avoided everything.
He looked smaller somehow in a way that made people uncomfortable.
Because everyone present knew who he was.
RAHI.
The legendary hacker.
The founder of Echo of Pearl.
The man whose name alone made powerful people nervous.
The man who could face governments, corporations and threats without blinking.
And now— He looked frightened.
Several relatives stared openly unable to process the contrast.
"...Is that really Rahi?" someone whispered.
"I've never seen him like this."
"Neither have I."
Fahan looked between Maya and Rahi.
Still struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Yesterday he was threatening to revoke Maya's authority over herself."
A few people actually laughed despite the atmosphere.
"Now look at him."
"I've never seen Rahi afraid."
"This is breaking my heart."
"The entire room is watching him like they don't recognize him."
"Why does this feel worse than the video?"
"Because legends aren't supposed to look vulnerable."
Maya finally stopped in front of Rahi.
She dropped to one knee beside him.
He didn't look up, he simply sat there.
Trying to regain control, trying to steady his breathing.
Trying to convince his body that the danger was gone.
"Hey, Subject 13A."
No response.
"Subject 13A."
Still nothing.
"Subject 13A."
Rahi finally looked up but his eyes were unfocused.
As though he were seeing something that no one else in the hall could see.
His fingers clawed weakly at the fabric near Maya's shoulder —
just… holding.
His breath came in broken fragments, sharp and uneven as if the air itself had turned against him.
"I didn't know—"
He choked , "I didn't know they—did that to you.
If I had known, I wouldn't have left you.
I wouldn't have run—
I am sorry. "
The words tangled together and fell apart before they could fully form.
—
"Maya…?"
Mahi's voice trembled from across the hall, "What is he saying ?"
No answer.
Rahi's breathing worsened.
His hands began to shake harder, fingers curling inward like they no longer belonged to him.
His shoulders jerked with every breath as though his body was trying and failing—
to keep up with something far beyond control.
"I—can't—"
He gasped,"I can't—breathe—"
Fahim stepped forward quickly, pushing past a cluster of stunned crowd.
"He's having a panic response.
Give him space—everyone, move back!"
He dropped to one knee beside him, reaching out cautiously.
"Listen to me, slow your breathing—
inhale through your nose—"
Rahi's body reacted before thought could catch up.
The moment his hand brushed too close—he flinched violently.
"Don't—!"
He snapped, "Don't touch me—!"
The reaction was immediate.
Instinctive.
Almost terrified.
Maya raised a hand without looking away from Rahi.
The gesture alone stopped Fahim from moving any closer.
Something in her expression told him not to interfere.
—
Faha noticed first.
He leaned slightly closer to Fahish, his voice lowered, "This scene looks familiar…"
Fahis's lips curved faintly— into something more thoughtful,
"First her, Now him."
Fahan's voice lower now, "Not coincidence."
Faha glanced at him ,
"You're thinking the same thing?"
"This kind of reaction doesn't come from nothing."
Fahis nodded slowly,
"No one trembles like that on purpose…"
—
Rahi is falling apart, broken inhales that never seemed to reach his lungs.
his voice cracked on a single word,
" ROSE OF DEATH …"
The name detonated like a bomb.
Like something dropped into deep, black water— never to return.
No one knew what it meant.
But the way she froze— told everyone it was not a word meant to be spoken here.
Silence spread through the hall.
"Enough. Subject 13A. "
She said quietly , almost mechanical,
"Stabilize."
No response.
" INHALE.
Focus, You've done this before many times."
But, it couldn't calm him down.
And then —
Her hand moved deliberately, pulling the pin free, It's edge gleamed sharp in the chandelier's light.
She raised it to his throat, close enough that a single breath would draw blood.
Screams Rose.
Fahad shoved through the crowd ,
"Maya! Stop!
What are you doing?
You will hurt him. "
"Maya!"
Fahim's voice sharpened, "What are you doing—?"
"Stop her—!" someone shouted.
But Maya's voice carved through the chaos like a blade:
"Subject 13A , Don't bother me now.
Control your emotions—or you die here.
I will show you no mercy, though."
The hall fell silent, even the chandeliers seemed to shiver.
The man, Rahi didn't move.
He noded once —
but the tremor don't leave him. His chest rising too fast, like he was drowning in air.
His hands shook at his sides, fingers curling and uncurling without control.
Maya watched.
Her eyes did not soften, If anything—
they grew colder,
"You're still out of control and unobedient, like past. You didn't change a bit. "
He calm himself down a bit.
"Did you forget?"
Her voice dropped lower,
"What happens… when a unobedient child lost his control?"
Rahi's breath hitched.
A flicker of something—
fear, something buried passed through his eyes.He shook his head quickly,
"No… No..... No . I know.
I know very well —"
Maya moved faster than his words.
Her hand shot up to grip his neck, firm enough to stop him mid-sentence.
The room gasped.
"Then act like you remember. "
He obeyed, his eyes did not lift to hers.
They remained lowered, fixed somewhere near the marble floor as if even looking at her was something he had not earned.
"I thought you were dead. "
He whispered,
"They told me you burned.
They told me you never made it out.
I wanted to believe them.
Because if you were alive, then I... I would live in regret. I would have to live with what I did."
A chill seems to pass through the gathering..
" So..so I believed them. I am sorry. "
Maya's eyes did not soften.
Nobody speaks for several seconds.
Faha is the first to break.His usual carefree expression is gone,
"...What exactly did he mean by that?"
No one answers.
Because no one knows Or perhaps they are afraid they know enough already.
Farhan slowly lowers his gaze.
"Whatever happened..."
He swallows.
"It destroyed both of them."
"That sounded like someone carrying something for years."
Faha exhales slowly,
"I thought the video was the shocking part."
He laughs once. A hollow sound.
"I was wrong."
Farhan finally breaks the silence,
"How bad does the truth have to be..."
His voice trails off.
"...for a person to choose a lie instead?"
No one answers.
Because no one has an answer.
She drew the pin back and slid it into her hair once more. Her expression revealed nothing.
"The past is better left in the past."
Her gaze drifted away.
"What is the point of suffering over it now?"
The room watched in stunned silence.
"You're here, not there. So, Stop bothering me. "
" Ok. I am sorry. "
Rahi's breathing gradually steadied.
The trembling in his hands faded.
His shoulders slowly relaxed.
The panic that had consumed him moments ago retreated behind the walls he had spent years building.
By the time he finally looked up—
The legendary calm had returned.
The hall remained silent.
Nobody moved.
Because what they had just witnessed felt impossible.
This was RAHI MIRZA.
The man who stared down powerful enemies without hesitation.
The man who could dismantle entire systems while drinking coffee.
The man whose name alone made dangerous people nervous.
And yet— they had just watched him fall apart.
Fahan was the first to break the silence,
"...I think my brain stopped working."
Several people immediately nodded,
"Mine too."
"I need explanations."
"I need many explanations."
Faha rubbed both hands over his face ,
"Hold on."
He pointed at Rahi, "No."
Then pointed again, "That was YOU?"
Rahi closed his eyes, "Unfortunately."
"Unfortunately?!" Faha nearly choked.
"Do you understand how terrifying you normally are?"
Rahi looked genuinely confused,
"I don't try to be."
"That's somehow worse."
Fahish leaned back in his chair,
"You called her ' Rose of Death ' once."
The room instantly became silent again.
Rahi froze, "...You heard that?"
"I hear many things, " Fahish replied.
He looked between Maya and Rahi.
"What kind of nickname is that?"
"Not a nickname.
Not by accident, not even by mistake
pronounce that name."
Rahi replied immediately.
A chill moved through the room.
Fahan swallowed.
The seriousness in Rahi's voice was impossible to ignore.
"...Why?"
Rahi didn't answer immediately,
"Because some names should remain buried."
Mahi looked toward Rahi carefully,
"I've never seen you panic before."
Rahi stared at the floor for a moment ,
"Most people haven't."