truth in the sharows

Chapter 4: Truth in the Shadows

The tension among them deepened after their encounter with Bilal. Samir was no longer just a missing friend—he was a hunted man. And they were caught in the crossfire.

Aria's mind buzzed with questions she couldn't answer. Every time she thought they were closer to understanding, something new pulled them deeper into the unknown.

A few days after their visit to Nightfall, Nadia called a meeting at her apartment. The group arrived one by one—first Imran, then Zayn, and finally Aria. Nadia's usually neat living room was cluttered with open notebooks, scattered printouts, and sticky notes on the walls.

"What's all this?" Zayn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nadia adjusted her glasses, her eyes tired but focused. "I've been trying to piece things together. I can't just sit and wait for answers—we have to find them ourselves."

Imran sank onto the couch, his shoulders tense. "And what did you find?"

Nadia picked up a printed document and handed it to Aria. "I went through the documents we found in Samir's apartment. Most of it was about debts and loans, but this—this stood out."

Aria scanned the paper—a series of emails between Samir and someone named Raza. The messages were frantic, pleading. Samir had been trying to get money, fast.

"Raza?" Aria muttered. "Who's that?"

"I looked him up," Nadia said. "He's connected to Bilal. Works with him, actually—handling the 'business' side of things."

"So, Samir wasn't just borrowing from Bilal," Imran muttered. "He was caught between them."

"There's more," Nadia added, her voice hesitant. "I found this."

She pulled up a video on her laptop. The grainy footage showed Samir outside a run-down building, pacing nervously. Another man approached—tall, broad-shouldered. They argued, their voices muffled. Then the man shoved Samir hard, causing him to stumble before storming off.

"That's Raza," Nadia explained. "I cross-referenced his picture online."

Zayn's fists tightened. "So, Samir was in deeper than we thought. No wonder he didn't tell us."

Aria's heart sank. The more they uncovered, the more it seemed Samir had tried to protect them by keeping them out. But now, it felt like they were in too deep to escape.

---

That night, Aria sat alone in her room, the weight of everything pressing on her. Her phone buzzed—a message from an unknown number.

"You think you can help him? Stay away before you end up like him."

Her heart pounded. She stared at the screen, her mind racing. Who was this? How did they know what they were doing?

Before she could process it, her phone rang—Zayn. She answered quickly.

"Aria, are you okay?" he asked, his voice urgent.

"Yeah, why?"

"Imran just called me. He got a message—someone threatened him."

A chill ran through her. "Me too. Just now."

Zayn cursed softly. "This is getting out of hand. We need to find Samir. Fast."

---

The next day, they met again—this time in Zayn's car, parked in a quiet corner of their neighborhood. Anxiety buzzed between them.

"I think we should track down Raza," Zayn said. "He's the last person we know who saw Samir."

"Are you serious?" Imran snapped. "That guy is dangerous. What if he does more than just threaten us?"

Zayn's eyes hardened. "So what, we just give up? Let them keep chasing us until something happens?"

Aria glanced at Imran, who looked conflicted. "Zayn's right. If we don't find Samir, they'll keep coming. And Samir... he might not have anyone else left."

Reluctantly, Imran nodded. "Fine. But we need to be careful."

---

Tracking down Raza was easier than they expected. A few messages sent to old acquaintances, and they learned he frequently visited a rundown café near the edge of town—a place known for off-the-record deals.

They arrived in the early afternoon, blending with the sparse crowd. Raza was there, sitting at a corner table, his attention fixed on his phone. Zayn took a breath and approached him, the rest of them following cautiously.

"Raza?" Zayn asked, his voice steady.

Raza looked up, his expression guarded. "Who's asking?"

"We need to talk about Samir," Zayn said firmly.

At the mention of the name, Raza's eyes narrowed. He glanced at his surroundings, then gestured for them to sit.

"Samir is gone," Raza said flatly. "And you should be too, if you know what's good for you."

"What happened to him?" Aria demanded.

Raza smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Samir thought he could run, that he could play both sides. He made promises to people he couldn't keep. Now he's paying for it."

"What do you mean, 'paying for it'?" Nadia pressed.

Raza's gaze darkened. "Bilal doesn't forgive. Samir knew the price, and now he's facing it."

Imran's face paled. "Is he... dead?"

Raza's silence was answer enough.

Aria's stomach twisted. The idea of Samir—reckless, stubborn, but loyal Samir—being gone felt impossible. But the weight of Raza's silence crushed any denial.

"Leave it alone," Raza said, his voice cold. "Before you end up like him."

Zayn stood, his jaw clenched. "We're done here."

---

Back in the car, the group sat in stunned silence. The reality of Samir's fate began to sink in, the weight of loss mingling with guilt.

"He was trying to protect us," Aria whispered. "All of this... he was just trying to keep us safe."

"But we didn't listen," Imran muttered, his voice breaking. "I thought... I thought he could handle it."

Nadia wiped her eyes, her expression shattered. "We should have done more."

Zayn's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "They took him from us. And we can't do anything about it."

The silence that followed was suffocating—a silence filled with the fragments of a broken friendship, shattered by secrets, betrayal, and regret.

Aria looked at the faces around her, each of them marked by grief. The trust they had in each other felt fragile, fractured. The truth had come to light, but it had cost them everything.