Ahmed managed to prepare their documents and travel tickets for the city near Atlantis, one of the few places still open for travel, as many nearby cities had closed due to the unclear nature of Atlantis and the looming threat of war. 

      Ahmed woke up at dawn to pack his travel bag, stuffing in everything he thought he might need. Then he leaned back on his bed and looked at a photo of his mother on a small table beside him. He whispered, "Finally, I can begin my journey to uncover the truth, Mom. This might be my last one because of how dangerous it is, but don’t worry, I’m not alone. I’ve gathered a team of people like me. Some might seem a bit foolish, but they’re clever. One of them almost exposed our little secret. It seems they all have secrets too, which makes me even more excited for what’s coming." 

     He got up, changed his clothes, grabbed his bag, and left. His father drove him to the airport, reminding him once again to be careful and avoid reckless actions. 

      Ahmed was the second to arrive at the airport; Youssef had come before him. When Ahmed saw Youssef, he stood beside him. The two exchanged glances but didn’t speak until the rest of the team arrived. Ahmed noticed that Omar hadn’t brought a bag. 

"Did you forget your bag?" 

"I don’t need one. If I want anything, I’ll get it there." 

"You must be used to traveling, then. This is my first time." 

  Omar smiled. "Yes, I’ve been to places you wouldn’t even imagine." 

The plane took off, and after a few hours, they landed at their destination. They headed to a hotel where Ahmed had booked rooms in advance. 

Ali: "This question might be a bit late, but what’s the plan?" 

Ahmed: "I’ll look for a small boat to rent, and then we’ll go to Atlantis." 

Youssef: "We’re walking into a hornet’s nest. I like this plan." 

Mariam: "That’s very dangerous, and the distance is too far. We’re not close enough." 

Youssef: "You didn’t come here for a summer vacation. What did you think we’d do?" 

Mariam: "I thought we’d just observe from afar. I didn’t know it would be this reckless." 

Omar: "You can go back if you want. We haven’t gone far from the airport yet." 

Mariam: "No, I understand. I’m just surprised. But I’m ready for crazier things than you think." 

Ali: "When do we start the plan?" 

Ahmed: "As soon as we arrive, I’ll let you all settle in at the hotel. Then Omar and I will go to the coast to look for a small boat. He didn’t bring a bag or anything to prepare anyway." 

       True to his words, as soon as they reached the hotel, Ahmed dropped off his bags and left with Omar to search. But they returned deeply disappointed. They discovered that navigation was banned along the city’s shores. Despite being far from Atlantis, the entire country had prohibited boat rentals due to the danger of approaching the mysterious western island. 

      Ahmed and Omar met the others at a café overlooking the beach and broke the news. 

Mariam: "It was a crazy plan anyway. I doubt any of us even know how to steer a boat." 

Ali and Youssef were in their own world, trying to choose drinks from the café’s menu. 

Youssef: "What’s this thing with the long name?" 

Ali: "No idea, but it’s very expensive." 

Youssef: "Don’t worry, it’s on him anyway." 

Ahmed angrily raised his voice: "The whole plan is falling apart, and you two don’t even care." 

Youssef, unfazed: "I didn’t expect it to work anyway. It’s your fault for not having a backup plan." 

Then he stood up, took off his shirt, and said, "But now we can enjoy ourselves for a while." He sprinted toward the sea. 

Ali said, "Sorry, guys, but we’ve never been to a beach before, and this is amazing. Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out eventually." Then he followed Youssef. 

Ahmed was utterly baffled by what he was seeing, while Mariam seemed embarrassed by their behavior, and Omar laughed hysterically. The two were splashing in the water like children. 

Omar, still laughing, said to Mariam, "He told you he didn’t come for a summer vacation." 

Ahmed: "One of them is already crazy, but what’s wrong with the other?" 

Mariam: "Humans are weak against their desires. Don’t worry, you can trust them." 

Ahmed: "I can’t trust you when you’re hiding secrets from me. It’s clear you all know each other well. Why pretend otherwise?" 

Silence fell for a moment, broken by a woman’s scream: "Two people are drowning in the sea!" 

Everyone looked and saw Youssef and Ali struggling in the water. Omar rushed in and pulled them out. 

Mariam: "How did you two manage to drown in just five minutes?" 

Youssef: "Ali wandered too far and started panicking. I went to save him because he can’t swim." 

Mariam: "And neither can you? Why didn’t you call for help?" 

Youssef: "I didn’t know I couldn’t swim. I’d never tried it before." 

Ahmed: "I’m going back to the hotel. If I stay here any longer, I’ll lose my mind. Call me if you come up with a solution or a better plan." 

      Ahmed returned to the hotel, disheartened, and lay on his bed, thinking, "Is this how my adventure ends? In complete failure?" 

He slept for a few hours before Ali called and woke him up. 

Ali: "We got a boat. Come quickly." 

"What? How? That’s not allowed." 

"We got a boat somehow. We need you to move it now. It’s nighttime, and no one will see us. We’re at a deserted beach near the café we were at earlier. I’ll send you the coordinates. Hurry before someone notices. I’ll call Omar too so he can come." 

"No one would just lend you their boat like that. Did you steal it?" 

     Youssef took the phone from Ali: "Listen, we made your plan happen. It doesn’t matter how. If you want to finish what you started, you need to come now." 

"I knew you were a criminal. I don’t even know why I let you join the team." Youssef ended the call. 

"He’s right, and it’s infuriating. I must go now. I’ll repay the boat owner later." 

     Ahmed grabbed what he thought was essential; a first aid kit, binoculars, a compass, and rushed out. 

    He reached the café and walked along the shoreline for a while. But halfway there, he felt small tremors in the ground, and the waves grew stronger and higher. He started running before the waves could swallow the beach. 

    Only a few minutes passed before something crashed violently in front of him as he ran. The impact sent Ahmed flying backward, creating a massive crater. Inside the crater, he saw a small, glowing blue crystal-like object. As soon as he picked it up, it melted into his hand and disappeared. 

    Suddenly, he felt an intense headache and shortness of breath. The wind howled, a storm brewed, and the waves surged even higher. Ahmed looked at his hand, it was glowing a bright blue. His whole body ached unbearably, as if every cell was tearing apart. He collapsed, screaming, his body radiating by blue light. After a few seconds, he lost consciousness. 

When he woke up, he was back to normal but in a dark place with only one other person, a figure glowing blue like he had been, sitting on a grand throne-like chair beside what looked like a broken, rusted prison cell. 

Ahmed approached and asked, "Where the hell am I?" 

The figure replied calmly, "It’s rude to lead with that when you don’t even know someone. Anyway, you’re late. You need to wake up now." 

Ahmed woke up again, realizing it had been a dream. But he wasn’t in the hotel, he was in a hospital, just like when he was a child. Disasters struck, and he’d wake up in a hospital.