The plane touched down on the dusty soil of TZARIA.
The air was thick, the sky not blue but a muted gray —
as if it mirrored the state of the country itself.
At the exit gate, a broad-shouldered man wearing dark sunglasses leaned against a 4x4 vehicle,
standing guard like a sentinel waiting for the return of heroes.
MOHITO was the first to notice him.
He walked toward the figure in silence,
their eyes meeting — eyes that hadn't seen each other in years.
"You really haven't changed at all," CLAY said,
as if reading entire memories in MOHITO's gaze.
"You haven't either," MOHITO replied in his quiet voice,
a voice carrying a thousand greetings beneath its calm.
Then…
They embraced — a strong, crushing hug
as if trying to compensate for years of separation in one heartbeat.
"Stop, you're suffocating me!" MOHITO said with a laugh.
"You're still a complainer, as always!" CLAY shot back teasingly.
SOLIMON stepped forward with the soft wisdom of someone who understood the weight of the moment.
"It has truly been a long time."
"It has," CLAY answered, hugging him warmly.
"And you must be OBASO. I'm CLAY. A pleasure to finally meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," OBASO replied shyly —
Yet his sharp eyes were already analyzing everything.
"Come on, the others are waiting," CLAY said, opening the car door.
******
"So… how are things over there? How are the rest of the guys?" he asked while starting the engine.
"Everyone's fine," MOHITO answered from the passenger seat.
"Looks like SHOUTNA is up to something bold again. That man really never changes, "CLAY joked.
"No… he hasn't given up his habit of surprising us," MOHITO replied with a faint smile.
CLAY stopped the car before an old building near the river —
a former FACTORY that once witnessed better days,
now a refuge for those who wished to remain unseen.
They stood before the rusty door.
CLAY pushed it open slowly, like lifting the curtain on a new chapter of war.
Inside the dim space, shadows stirred.
Waiting.
"Well, look who decided to visit!"
BELL's voice was still sharp as polished steel.
He stepped toward MOHITO.
"It's been a long time, you slacker!"
"Don't hog him all to yourself,"
said ZACK — the man with a scar carved across his left shoulder,
a man whose words were as rare as gold.
"Come here," he said, pulling MOHITO into a warm embrace.
"He really hasn't changed at all,"
added NABEL — the ever-smiling young man whose grin never left his lips.
"Don't forget about us!"
SOLIMON grumbled with fake annoyance.
"SOOOOOLIIIIII!"
The three of them lunged toward him for a group hug.
"This is… not what I expected," OBASO whispered to himself.
MOHITO glanced at him with a gentle smile:
"They're nothing like the rumors, right?"
"And you… You look different, too," OBASO replied, genuinely surprised.
BELL paused to properly look at OBASO.
"Welcome. I'm BELL. This is NABEEL, that's ZACK, and the one you met first is CLAY.
We are the Hounds — the independent branch of the Shadows, tasked with hunting THE HIDDEN SECTOR."
"It makes sense you don't remember us… You were unconscious that day."
"Instead of standing here, let's eat. You must be starving," BELL added in his usual generous tone.
"I definitely am," SOLIMON said, holding his stomach dramatically.
They ate together with the warmth of a reunion meal,
their voices blending into a rare comfort —
a warmth found only in families forged through war.
"You still eat like dogs," MOHITO said, smiling faintly.
"And you still eat like a princess," CLAY shot back while filling his plate again.
Laughter erupted — the kind only shared by people who had survived things together.
Moments that felt like time hadn't moved since their last meeting.
"This really brings back memories," BELL said, his eyes gleaming.
"They were special days," ZACK murmured with rare nostalgia.
Meanwhile, OBASO kept observing MOHITO—
as if seeing for the first time the human side of this frighteningly composed fighter.
When the meal was finished, BELL stood tall —
as if announcing the start of war.
"Now that we've eaten… It's time to lay out the plan."
They gathered around a large wooden table,
its surface marked by scars of past missions.
BELL spread a detailed map.
The overhead lamps cast sharp light on the old paper,
revealing a complex web of routes and symbols.
He tapped a specific point:
"Our main entry point is here.
A back gate guarded by a single man — their greatest weakness."
ZACK lit up his device, showing drone footage recorded only hours earlier.
"The three entrances are monitored by cameras.
At midnight, visibility drops, but patrols increase.
We have a thirty-minute window: 02:10 to 02:40."
NABEEL pointed toward the rooftop exits.
"The route from the river leads straight to the service entrance —
The only access point without static cameras. This is our opportunity."
CLAY traced the inside layout:
"Surveillance rooms are on the second and third floors.
The first floor is filled with armed guards.
We need someone to cut off communications first."
"That's my specialty," OBASO said confidently, pulling out a sleek black card.
"Just plug this into their system — I'll hack everything and shut down their surveillance."
MOHITO studied the map, then looked at the faces around him.
"I'll infiltrate with SOLIMON. We'll disable the system."
BELL added:
"CLAY and I will create the distraction and intercept the guards.
Meanwhile, ZACK and NABEEL will accompany you for backup."
He placed his hand on the table.
"Remember — no arrogance. No recklessness.
The intel is precious, but returning alive is more important.
If we don't all come back… there's no meaning to any victory."
Everyone extended their hands over the map —
a silent, united vow.
"With the plan set, all we need now is SHOUTNA's order to move.
Get some rest. CLAY, take them to one of the rooms," BELL said.
********
Meanwhile, in BAYADNA, inside the abandoned factory
ADEL sat before a battery of glowing screens,
his eyes tirelessly scanning airport and port footage.
SHOUTNA stood behind him,
his shadow cast on the walls like an ancient guardian.
"Look here, SHOUTNA!"
ADEL's voice cracked suddenly, his finger pointing at one screen.
In the footage, two figures moved through the crowded airport:
one huge in-built — like a walking mountain —
The other is slim and agile like a fox.
Their movements were mechanical, precise,
completely devoid of human spontaneity.
"The bags they're carrying…" ADEL whispered.
"Yes… nanotech. Just like ours."
SHOUTNA's voice was heavy as stone.
"They're modified humans like us…
They must be the elite team sent by the hidden sector."
Silence fell —
broken only by the soft hum of machinery.
"Where are the others?" SHOUTNA asked, eyes still locked on the screen.
"They're at the Institute of Science," ADEL replied.
"Call them. Now."
*********
Back at the institute
ODEL sat in class,
shadows of doubt circling him like silent predators.
"So, MOHITO is absent again today…"
I muttered to myself, tugging at the threads of the puzzle.
What do they all have in common?
I dug into their backgrounds…
The only link:
They all came from the same neighborhood.
Childhood friends.
But no one knows anything about their past.
As if they were born only two years ago.
Damn it… my head hurts.
I won't figure anything out like this.
"Sir, may I go to the restroom?"
I raised my hand, desperate to escape the suffocating silence.
I felt LOUVNA's gaze pierce into my back…
I, too, was becoming a shadow.
"Maybe I should follow one of them…"
I whispered as I stepped out.
Walking down the quiet hallway,
I glanced out the window —
and froze.
Five shadows…
leaving the institute together.
Their faces carried that all-too-familiar expression:
The look on people walking toward a decisive fate.
********
In the factory, after 30 minutes
"Is everyone here?" SHOUTNA asked, voice firm as steel.
"What's happening?" ZARYOUH asked, scanning the screens.
"Look," ADEL pointed at the footage of AXE and BOW.
"These aren't mercenaries… the nano bags—" MESNAS interrupted.
"Yes… Exactly as you thought," SHOUTNA confirmed. "They're like us."
"We need to intercept them before they reach their target," he added, adjusting his grip.
"But first…
raise power: 20 out of 50." SHOUTNA whispered
In an instant, he leapt out the window —
a shadow disappearing into deeper shadow.
and he returned…
dragging behind him a trembling figure.
"What the…?!" AYOUB shouted.
"Is this what they call bad luck?" MIZIANI muttered with bitter sarcasm.
The stranger lifted his pale face…
And the world shattered.
"O… ODEL?!"
ZAKI whispered, unable to believe his eyes.
The two worlds had finally collided.