Chapter Eleven: The Past Never Dies

[An Unexpected Encounter]

Nadia stood frozen, her eyes wide open as she stared at the person in front of her… Ali.

Adam was just as shocked. He was sure that Ali had died long ago, yet here he was—standing before them, his eyes cold, filled with nothing but vengeance.

Adam (whispering in shock): "How…?"

Ali (with a mocking laugh): "How am I still alive? That's a good question. But a better one is… how are you two still alive after what you did?"

Nadia swallowed hard, feeling an overwhelming sense of danger—not just from Ali, but from the truth he was about to reveal.

Nadia (nervously): "We… we never hurt you, Ali!"

Ali took two steps forward, and with each step, their hearts pounded faster.

Ali (his voice low but seething with rage): "Not me… but Yazan."

The mention of Yazan's name silenced the entire room, as if the ghosts that haunted them were still present.

Adam (hesitantly): "Yazan was our friend… we never meant to hurt him."

Ali laughed bitterly, his eyes burning with anger.

Ali: "Oh… whether you meant to or not, it doesn't matter. The result is the same. You are the reason he died. And if you thought I had forgotten… you were wrong."

Nadia (her voice trembling): "We… we don't even understand what you're talking about!"

Ali stared at her intensely before turning to the wall. He pressed a small button… and suddenly, a large screen appeared.

Ali (his voice eerily calm): "Let me help you remember."

---

[The Buried Truth]

The screen played an old video… recorded years ago.

It showed Yazan—with Adam and Nadia. They were standing at a high place, laughing, joking… but within seconds, the image shook.

Yazan lost his balance… and fell.

Nadia (gasping): "No… this can't be…"

Adam (his eyes wide in horror): "This isn't the truth… we… we were just messing around, we didn't know he would fall!"

Ali shut off the screen and turned to them, his eyes filled with both tears and hatred.

Ali (his voice trembling with suppressed fury): "But he did fall… and he did die… and I spent years hunting you down to settle the score."

Nadia felt like she was suffocating. Her heart was breaking. She had never seen it that way before. She always thought it was an accident—not a crime.

Nadia (her voice shaking): "We were just kids… just reckless kids… we didn't mean it! I swear, we didn't mean it!"

Ali pulled a gun from his pocket and aimed it directly at Adam.

Ali: "But that won't bring Yazan back… and now it's time for you to pay the price."

Adam slowly raised his hands, knowing that one wrong move could be his last.

Adam (calmly): "Ali… killing us won't bring Yazan back, and it won't fix what happened."

Ali's voice cracked with grief and rage, his hands trembling.

Ali (through clenched teeth): "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you feel the same fear Yazan felt before he fell."

Nadia moved slowly, her eyes filled with tears. She gently placed her hand on the gun.

Nadia (softly but sincerely): "You won't do it… you know why? Because you're not a killer. You're not like this place. We're all victims here, even you."

Ali stood frozen. The gun shook in his grip, but his voice wavered.

Ali (whispering): "I… I loved him… Yazan was like a brother to me."

Tears streamed down his face. And then… he dropped the gun.

Ali: "I'm tired… tired of hate, tired of chasing revenge…"

Adam let out a deep breath. Nadia's heart was racing—not from fear this time, but from hope.

---

[A Moment of Peace… Before the Storm]

Ali wept, and for the first time, he stopped chasing revenge.

But they had forgotten one thing—this place never let anyone leave easily.

Suddenly, the ground trembled.

Nadia stood up quickly, hearing a familiar, chilling sound.

A sound that sent a shiver down her spine.

A sound they could never forget.

Lamar's voice.

Lamar (whispering eerily): "Someone forgot to tell you… no one leaves."

The door they had entered through shattered into pieces… and from the cracks, darkness began to pour in.

The final battle… was just beginning.

To be continued…