The door opened slowly.
And Feroz froze.
For a moment—
Time itself felt like it stopped.
The person standing there…
Was not a stranger.
It was a woman.
Older.
Weakened by time.
Her face carried years of struggle…
But her eyes—
Still held recognition.
It was Mrs Aliya.
The matron of the orphanage.
The woman who raised him.
She had aged significantly since the last time he saw her.
But she was still her.
Still the same presence from his past.
"Feroz… is that you?"
She squinted slightly, trying to confirm what she was seeing.
Feroz's voice trembled.
"Yes… it's me."
A pause.
Then he spoke again—
"I came back… to find out who I really am."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Mrs Aliya stepped forward—
And hugged him tightly.
"Oh my dear child…"
Her voice broke.
"I'm so glad to see you after all these years."
But then—
Her expression changed slightly.
Concern replaced relief.
"But why have you come back now?"
Feroz stepped back slightly.
And began to explain everything.
His journey.
His questions.
His search for identity.
His pain.
Mrs Aliya listened carefully.
Nodding.
Tears forming in her eyes.
When he finished—
She wiped her tears slowly.
"I'll do everything I can to help you."
A pause.
But her tone lowered.
Heavier.
"But you need to be careful."
Feroz frowned.
"What do you mean?"
She looked around cautiously.
As if even the walls were listening.
"There are dangerous people looking for you."
A chill passed through Feroz's body.
"I'll explain everything inside."
She grabbed his arm gently.
"And quickly. They are watching us."
Feroz hesitated.
But followed her inside.
His heart was racing.
Not from fear alone—
But from uncertainty.
What was happening?
Who were these people?
And why was he being watched?
Mrs Aliya led him upstairs.
To a small room.
Quiet.
Dusty.
Hidden.
She closed the door behind them.
For a moment—
Only silence remained.
Then she spoke.
"You're not just an ordinary orphan, Feroz."
He looked at her.
Confused.
"You have a special gift."
Her voice lowered.
Careful.
Serious.
"A gift that many people would do anything to possess."
Feroz stood still.
Processing.
But not fully understanding.
Mrs Aliya continued.
"There are forces out there…"
"…powerful ones…"
"…who are searching for you."
Feroz listened in stunned silence.
Everything he thought he knew—
Was breaking apart.
The world he survived in…
The life he built…
The pain he endured…
All of it—
Was only the surface.
And beneath it—
Something much larger existed.
Something he was now part of.
As Mrs Aliya finished speaking—
A shift happened inside Feroz.
Fear faded slightly.
And something else rose instead.
Determination.
He was no longer just an orphan.
No longer just a survivor.
He was something else.
Something connected.
Something important.
Something dangerous.
"I don't care what it costs," Feroz said quietly.
"I will find the truth."
His eyes hardened.
"And I will protect it."
Even if it meant—
Fighting the entire world.