Chapter 6: The Arrival
16th April 2026
Tariq: "Wait, what's going on, Harith?!"
He looked around at the burning surroundings.
Aboutrika: "Harith, the hell happened?"
"Let's just leave..! We can't risk you guys falling unconscious again!"
Harith quickly led them out of the flames.
Then an idea struck him.
"Hey, Aboutrika… you think it's a good idea to use a fire extinguisher?"
"Harith, I don't have a fire extinguisher. You think I carry an arsenal of equipment in my pockets?"
"Uh… you technically—"
Tariq: "Guys, Amina's right here. Let's just get going."
"Wait, Tariq. I wanted to say there's someone—"
Amina interrupted him, hands resting on her hips.
"Well, well, well… guess you guys started a party without me, is that it?"
She gestured toward the flames surrounding the area.
"Woah—"
Harith raised both hands defensively.
"You got it all wrong, Amina."
"It was just—"
Aboutrika suddenly cut in, almost yelling—
"CAN WE JUST GET GOIN'? THE SUN'S ALREADY SETTING."
(Just the third time in a row I get cut off… these people have no respect for me…)
Harith wore a defeated expression as he glanced toward the fourth wall.
Tariq spoke up in his usual loud, energetic tone—
"Alright then, fellas! We shouldn't disappoint Harith's sister by showing up late. Right, Harith?"
"Yeah, yeah… whatever."
Aboutrika pulled out a small toy autobus and placed it on the ground.
"Aight, back off, everyone."
He stepped back himself, snapped his fingers—and…
PUFF!
The toy transformed into a fully functioning, full-sized autobus.
Aboutrika struck a pose, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders.
"That's how it's done, dudes."
Tariq: "Pretty nice, Aboutrika! You never cease to impress me!"
Harith: "Woah, Aboutrika. Mind giving me the cheat code next time?"
Aboutrika chuckled, clearly proud.
Amina: "Pfft.. I bet that one minute i to this toy bus and it'll crumble."
"Huh, what was that?!"
Aboutrika steps closer.. then dramatically pointed at the bus with 1 finger on each hand. As if the bus was in a picture frame.
"It's 100% legit, bruh!"
"Alright, no more chit-chat. Everyone—get in."
The squad piled into the autobus as Aboutrika drove off, light gray dust trailing behind them.
Harith sat by the window, wired earbuds in, quietly watching the scenery pass by.
Then his thoughts drifted—
(Mutakamel… Mutakamel…)
(That name… it keeps ringing in my head nonstop!)
(Whoever he is… he's definitely targeting us. Let's just hope it doesn't get worse than this.)
A few hours later—after everything they had been through… the explosions, the chaos, the near-death experiences—the squad finally arrived at the wedding.
Tariq stood at the center, arms at his sides, posture proud. The rest of the squad stood beside him.
Harith removed his earbuds.
Aboutrika leaned back slightly with a confident smirk, hands in his pockets.
Amina simply stared—clearly impressed by the scale of the place.
The venue was massive… luxurious in every sense.
Amina spoke softly,
"Harith… I, uh… I'm speechless. This is impressive."
"Heck yeah, Harith! I wanna check the chefs here and challenge 'em!"
Aboutrika added, "Yeah, bro… I'd be damned—this place is insane."
The area was packed with people. Colorful disco lights flickered everywhere, though the main event hadn't started yet.
For some reason, a crowd had gathered around a specific spot.
"Wait, guys. Check it out."
Harith gestured for them to follow.
After pushing through the crowd—ignoring the annoyed comments thrown at him—they finally saw it…
A clown. Performing.
"A clown…?" Harith muttered, confused.
The others simply watched.
The clown skillfully tossed a flaming metal rod into the air, caught it effortlessly, and began twirling it like it weighed nothing.
(Is that… even safe?)
Harith frowned.
He turned and approached his sister.
"Yo, Mi'na. Did you guys hire this clown?"
He pointed toward the performance.
She shook her head.
"Not really. He just showed up, heard there was a wedding, and offered to perform… for free."
"For free?!" Harith repeated, surprised.
"Pretty much, yeah."
(So he's risking his life for free, huh… sounds very legit.)
(But also… really suspicious. I should warn the squad.)
Harith pushed his way back through the crowd.
People muttered insults at him—but he ignored them completely.
"Guys, we should probably keep an eye on this guy. My sister said he's doing all of this for free!"
(But… could this mean… Mutakamel sent him? What does he even want from us?!)
A chill ran down Harith's spine.
"Wait—where's Aboutrika?"
Amina replied calmly,
"He went to refill the autobus."
"Really?! At a time like this—damn it!"
Meanwhile, Tariq stood with his arms crossed, watching silently—his expression unimpressed, eyes locked onto the clown's movements.
The clown looked ordinary at first glance—thin build, white face paint, a large red nose… nothing unusual.
(Doing risky tricks for free… yeah, we'll see about that…)
⸻
Meanwhile…
⸻
It was dark outside.
Aboutrika had driven the autobus to a nearby gas station.
The place looked old and worn down—dim, flickering white lights barely illuminating the area.
He stepped out and walked toward the pump, one hand still in his pocket.
The faint sound of fuel flowing filled the silence.
Then…
As he stood there quietly filling the tank—
The night felt cold. Wind brushed past him.
The cap he wore cast a shadow over his eyes.
And then—
Something was there.
A dark, greenish ghost—bizarre in form—hovered beside him.
"Let's play a small… 'harmless' game. Shall we?"
Its voice echoed unnaturally.
⸻
To be continued…