Unknown Past (08)

The next day, 10:12 AM.

Fahim and Tamim were walking together.

"Hey, are you okay, bro? I've noticed something's off with you, especially since the admission test. We're best friends; there shouldn't be any secrets between us," Fahim said, concern lacing his voice.

"I'm genuinely fine. There's nothing you need to worry about," Tamim replied, his tone firm but distant.

"If you say so. But if you ever want to talk, I'm here," Fahim said, letting the matter drop for now.

They entered the e-sports faculty, where Rafi greeted them with a casual remark. "You guys are late."

"We walked here; that's why we're late," Tamim shot back, grabbing a water bottle as he entered the room.

"She told me she'd be here in five minutes," Samia muttered, glancing at the door.

"Who?" Tamim asked, curious but distracted as he took a drink.

"Probably the new player who's joining us today," Fahim chimed in.

"Yeah, her," Samia confirmed.

Tamim sat down, put on his headphones, and asked, "Today's the claim event, right?"

"Yeah, it started at 10:00. The skin looks cool, though," Riya commented.

"I saw some reviews in other servers; the abilities seem pretty good," Tamim added, claiming the skin and starting a match in training mode.

Amidst their conversation, a voice came from outside the door.

"May I come in?"

Samia opened the door and smiled. "Oh, you're here! Come in, Faria."

As she walked in, Fahim immediately introduced himself. "Hi, Faria. I'm Fahim, the Defense Unit player for the team."

Riya followed suit, her eyes widening as she greeted her. "Wow, you're stunning, almost like a model, maybe even better. By the way, I'm Riya, the Healer."

"Hello, I'm Rafi, the Support player. Nice to meet you," Rafi added.

Samia glanced at Tamim, who was still engrossed in his game. "Where's Tamim?"

The group turned to see him wearing his headphones, completely absorbed in the match.

"Forget about him," Samia said. "He's always like this. He probably didn't even notice you, Faria. Don't mind him."

"It's fine," Faria said softly.

Fahim wasn't having it, though. "No, it's not fine. Wait a minute." He reached over and yanked off Tamim's headphones.

"What the—?" Tamim spun around, annoyed. "I was in the middle of something important!"

As he turned, his eyes landed on Faria. Recognition flickered across his face. "Wait... her? What is she doing here?" Tamim thought. 

"This is Faria, our new member and sniper player," Samia introduced.

"Hmm... hi," Tamim muttered, still processing.

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Just 'hi'? Seriously?" Samia nudged him. "You should introduce yourself properly. She might think you're being rude."

"It's okay. I know all of you already. I'm glad to be part of the team," Faria said, diffusing the tension.

Samia took the opportunity to steer things back to business. "Alright, let's focus. Share your gameplay techniques with Faria so we can get her up to speed. I'll step out for a bit."

As the group got to know Faria, Riya asked, "Where do you live, by the way?"

"Bluefly Road, Third Lane," Faria replied.

"That's nare Tamim's house," Fahim noted with surprise.

"I don't understand why you guys are talking about this stuff instead of focusing on practice. Isn't that more important right now?" Tamim interrupted, clearly irritated.

"Don't mind him," Fahim said, smiling at Faria. "My friend here's an introvert and takes esports way too seriously."

"It's fine. I think he has a point," Faria agreed.

Later, after practice, Fahim, Tamim, and Faria were walking home together.

"So, you're Phoenix? The player ranked 12th on the national server leaderboard? Wow, people thought you were a guy because you never appeared on camera," Fahim said, trying to make conversation.

Faria gave a simple nod. "Yeah."

Fahim chuckled. "You're kind of introverted like Tamim, but not quite as much. Look at him; he hasn't said a word this whole time."

As they reached the intersection, Fahim said his goodbyes. "I need to head this way. Nice meeting you, Faria."

After he left, Tamim turned to Faria, his expression serious. "Wait. We're not done. You promised you'd tell me what's going on, but you disappeared that day. Now, you're somehow on my team? I'm not sure if this is another one of your 'planned' stunts."

"It's just a coincidence," Faria replied. "I'd already spoken to Samia before we met."

"Alright, then tell me. What's happening? I hope you won't vanish again," Tamim demanded.

"I didn't think you were interested," Faria said. 

"What do you mean?..I've been interested from the start," Tamim shot back.

"Really?" Asked Faria. 

"Yah" replied Tamim

"No, you weren't. From the moment that Kabila guy mentioned Dr. Shohan, your whole demeanor shifted. I noticed it. And let's not forget, you've only just started wondering how I knew about your powers—something I already explained that day," Faria said, her tone calm but sharp.

"She.. she is perceptive... and complicated," Tamim thought.

"I know what's really going on," Faria added, her voice softening slightly.

"What? There's nothing going on," Tamim replied, his voice guarded.

"I get it. You don't want to open up. But I can see it in your eyes, Tamim. Dr. Shohan... He's the one you're obsessed with. I know why," Faria stated, her calmness carrying a weight of certainty.

Tamim froze, her words striking like a blow. He felt exposed, vulnerable.

His silence was thick, his gaze locked on her, searching desperately for any hint of a lie, any misunderstanding.

"What do you think you know?" Tamim finally asked, his voice low.

"It's because of your parents, isn't it? Dr. Shohan was responsible for their deaths. Am I right?" Faria asked, her voice steady yet empathetic.

Tamim's expression faltered. "How... how do you know that?" he stammered, shock and curiosity swirling in his voice.

Faria paused, giving him a moment before she spoke again. "Some secrets aren't as hidden as you think, Tamim. There are connections... invisible threads between people. Sometimes, they lead us to truths we weren't meant to find."

To be continued…