Ahmed stood at the entrance of the mine... He took out his phone... looked at the screen. The signal... weak. Only one bar... flickering as if it would vanish at any moment. He gripped the phone tightly... and said to himself:
"Don't fail me now..."
He called. It rang... rang... no answer. He ended the call... then quickly tried again. This time... it rang... then—
— Hello?
Ahmed breathed a sudden sigh of relief:
— Father! I've... saved her.
On the other end... silence... then a voice full of joy:
— Praise be to Allah... Praise be to Allah, my son! Are you okay?
Ahmed said: — Yes... I'm fine...
Then he hesitated for a second... and said:
— But... I've become engaged to her.
Silence. A heavy silence.
— What...? How? Why?!
His father's voice was filled with shock. Ahmed ran his hand over his forehead... looked at the darkness before him... then said:
— I will explain everything to you when I return.
The father said quickly:
— Listen... Misaki is here... and the others too... they are all asleep now... but if she wakes up, you know what will happen!
Ahmed looked at the clock on his phone: 1:32 AM.
Then he said quietly: — Is everyone asleep?
— Yes...
He took a deep breath:
— We'll be back within an hour... open the door for us... and I'll have her prepare a room for us... and we'll sleep. Just... keep things calm until I get back.
The father was silent for a moment... then said:
— I'll try... but Misaki... I can't guarantee anything.
Ahmed closed his eyes for a moment...
— I know... Thanks, Father.
He ended the call. He stood for seconds... looking at the black screen... then said to himself:
"The peace is over... Now, the real problem begins."
He turned to Irina...
— Come... let's go to your house.
She nodded her head. Ahmed got on his motorcycle... while Irina headed to her car. He looked at her in surprise:
— How did you get this car in here?
She said as she opened the door:
— There is another way... much easier.
Ahmed smiled tiredly: — Great... and I nearly died on the path I took.
She laughed softly: — Because you don't know the place.
He shook his head: — Alright... let's hurry.
They set off. The road at night... was completely different. The sky stretched above them... full of stars... as if watching everything in silence. The air was cold... biting at Ahmed's face... but there was a strange comfort in it.
The lights of the motorcycle and the car... pierced the darkness... drawing a narrow path amidst the vast nature. The road was less rugged... but not entirely easy. Long curves... slight climbs... and sudden dips... The trees on both sides... moving slowly with the wind... their shadows stretching across the road... as if trying to catch them.
The sound of the engine... with the sound of the wind... created a strange melody... between calmness... and tension.
Ahmed was driving... but his mind... was not just on the road.
"How did she change...?"
"The Irina who used to laugh... and wait for me in the park..."
"How did she become capable of all this...?"
He remembered her eyes as she cried... and remembered her voice saying: "I was going to kill myself..."
He gripped the handlebars tightly.
"Is this love...? Or am I the cause of all this...?"
Then... something else appeared in his mind. Misaki.
Her smile... her calmness... her looks at him.
His breathing became heavier.
"Two rings... two hearts... and one decision..."
He lifted his eyes to the road... and said in a faint voice:
— O Lord... guide me.
On the other side... Irina was driving... but her eyes were watching him through the mirror. Fear... clinging... and something like the anxiety of losing him again. She increased her speed slightly.
The road began to widen... and distant lights began to appear... The City.
Ahmed said to himself:
"We've arrived... But... am I ready for what is about to happen?"