Daoistl0OS7L

Synopsis:

In the village of Bahufarik, Khalid, a 28-year-old man, faces rejection for the eighth time when proposing to his beloved. Her father refuses, desiring someone more extraordinary for his daughter. Determined to prove himself, Khalid embarks on an adventure to find something that will satisfy his father's expectations.

His journey leads him to the mysterious vault of Forik, rumored to be the last place visited by Khalid's parents. Seeking guidance, Khalid turns to his grandfather, who summons a friend and presents Khalid with an incomplete ancient book belonging to a previous visitor of the vault.

On a moonlit night, Khalid ventures into the vault, surviving a collapse that transports him to a barren desert where he encounters two individuals leading him to the nearby city of Zikula. There, he learns of the celebration of Zikola Day, where the inhabitants abide by unique laws, using intelligence units instead of currency and sacrificing the poorest (the least intelligent) during Zikola games.

As Khalid tries to leave, he discovers the door he entered through is sealed until the next year's celebration. He befriends Yasmin and his friend Iyad, who enlighten him about Zikula's laws. Amidst the festivities, Khalid meets Asil, a doctor who aids him in his quest to find a valuable book, rumored to be the most expensive in Zikula, which belonged to his father.

Through his journey, Khalid learns of the myth of the Forik vault and realizes his father was the previous owner of the book. With the help of Yasmin and Asil, Khalid collects more intelligence units required by the book and searches for its owner, only to discover that his brother inherited it after their father's demise.

As the story unfolds, Khalid faces challenges, confronts family secrets, and discovers the true meaning of legacy, all against the backdrop of the enigmatic city of Zikula.

The Land of Zikula

Despite Khalid's cheerful and light-hearted demeanor, his love for Mona and his father's constant rejection made sadness a constant presence on his face... until his grandfather noticed - approaching his eighties, they had lived together since Khalid's parents passed away - his profound sadness after that rejection, and he approached him asking,

"Are you still upset?.. Haven't you got used to all this?"

"I can't imagine seeing anyone else other than her... and I don't know what her father wants... I don't know if the era of miracles is over..."

"And will you continue to sit like this, with your hand on your cheek?!"

The grandfather laughed playfully, raising his eyebrows:

"Oh... you should bury yourself in the basement.."

Khalid's eyes sparkled, as if he remembered something:

"Grandpa... do you remember when I was little, and you used to tell me about the story of the basement beneath our town... and that you descended into it over fifty years ago?"

The grandfather replied with a smile:

"Yes, of course, I remember... Do you want me to remind you of your days..."

"Oh... tell me about the vault... and your descent into it..."

Then his grandfather fell silent, remembering:

"Oh... those were bygone days... we were four young men who loved mischief... and we heard many tales about a treasure hidden in a vault beneath our town...

and that this vault used to be a large storehouse for riches during any invasion..."

"Everyone knew that the vault existed for real... but no one dared to enter it because it was inhabited by jinn and ghosts... and whoever went down wouldn't come out... but, being young and reckless, we didn't care... we decided to go down..."

"We knew that the vault's door was in an abandoned house in the town... and that there was a large rock on the door... and on one night, we relied on God... and we went to that house stealthily, and when we removed the rock, we started descending one by one... and with each one of us was a lantern... and after we descended, we found ourselves in a tunnel... and we walked a few steps in that tunnel until we couldn't breathe... and suddenly, all the lanterns went out at once... and one of us screamed:

"A jinn!"... and then each one of us took his hand to his teeth... and we ran out... and we stumbled over each other outside... and since then, no one thought of going down there."

"But it will remain a sweet memory... it's enough that you didn't descend... even if you lost your teeth... " Then his grandfather jokingly raised his eyebrows:

After that, Khalid returned to his room... and tried to sleep, but he couldn't close his eyes... thinking a lot about what his grandfather told him... he knows that what he heard seems like a legend... but the vault is indeed there, and his grandfather never lied... then suddenly he looked at the paper written with the reason for Mona's father's rejection...

He wants someone... unique... someone who satisfies his madness... He won't marry anyone but Mona... and if not, he won't marry... then he raised his voice:

"What's the harm if I descend into the vault... Suppose there was a treasure there... it was a fantasy... don't forget that the vault is inhabited by jinn and ghosts... Then remember that her father wants something unique... a hero... then you'll be famous in this town... in Egypt... in the whole world... if you don't find it, it's enough that you tried..."

Then he got up from his bed... and took out Mona's picture... and looked at it, saying:

"I will descend into that vault... I will descend no matter what happens... and even if your father is insane... I sometimes feel the same madness."

Chapter 2: Hope?