CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — REAR SERVANT PATH — EVENING

A line of servants walks toward the back entrance, carrying clay wine kegs and food trays.

Lanterns sway softly.

Laughter. Casual chatter.

One servant slows.

Slightly uneasy.

He turns his head back into the darkness behind him.

Two rounded clay wine jars in his hands.

“Who’s there?”

Only bushes moving gently in the wind.

SFX: shhh…

From his left—

Duniya appears from shadow.

A precise strike to the neck using the takoba sheath.

SFX: THK!

The servant collapses instantly.

Sadiq rushes forward, catching the falling wine kegs before they smash.

He struggles under their weight.

“Careful!”

They crouch beside the unconscious servant.

The servant line ahead moves closer to the entrance.

They watch.

They need a way in.

Silence.

Thinking.

Sadiq notices a rope tied around the servant’s waist.

An idea sparks.

He pulls the rope free.

“Hold this tight.”

Duniya grips one end without question.

Sadiq ties the rope around his own waist, hiding it beneath his clothing.

The illusion — guiding a worker behind him.

Each lifts a wine keg.

They merge quietly into the servant line moving toward the entrance.

No one looks closely.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — SERVICE ENTRANCE CHECKPOINT

At the entrance, a guard overseeing deliveries scans the incoming servants lazily.

His eyes drift toward Duniya and Sadiq.

Pause.

He squints slightly.

Suspicion almost forming.

A beautifully dressed woman passes by, laughing softly.

The guard straightens immediately, distracted.

He smiles foolishly.

Duniya and Sadiq walk past unnoticed.

They never break pace.

SFX: clnk… clnk…

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — INTERIOR SERVICE AREA / WINE DROP

They enter the compound interior.

Servants rush everywhere.

Lanterns hang from beams.

Smoke rises from cooking fires.

Music echoes from the main court.

Wealth and chaos mixed together.

At the wine drop area, servants unload jars rapidly.

Sadiq takes Duniya’s keg and drops both among stacked containers.

SFX: THUD.

Duniya stands still, trying to appear normal.

A supervisor notices him standing idle.

He points angrily.

“Hey! Manservant!”

He gestures toward empty racks.

“Bring more wine!”

Nearby servants continue working.

Before Duniya responds, Sadiq grabs his arm.

“This way.”

They peel away from the busy servant area.

They move toward a dim corridor leading deeper inside.

Lantern light fades behind them.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — DIM SERVICE CORRIDOR / BACK PASSAGE

Only shadows now.

Party noise becomes distant echoes.

They disappear deeper into the compound.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — INTERIOR SERVICE AREA / WINE DROP (BACK)

The supervisor turns impatiently.

“I asked for more wine! Where is that servant boy?”

He scans the workers.

No Sadiq.

No Duniya.

His expression shifts.

“…Eh?”

He grabs another servant passing by.

“Where did he go?”

The servant shrugs.

Confused.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — INNER PATHWAY (TRANSITION ZONE)

From darkness—

Sadiq and Duniya step out into an open stone pathway.

Lantern light spills across mud walls.

Behind them — darkness.

Ahead — open space leading toward the inner courtyard.

Distant drums echo.

SFX: DUM… DUM…

Wide.

They are exposed now.

No crowd.

No servants.

Just open ground and walls.

Duniya stands alert.

“Where are we?”

Sadiq scans carefully.

Duniya speaks again.

“We need to  go… somewhere high.”

“If she’s at the party, she’ll be close.”

Sadiq nods.

“…Okay.”

His eyes lock onto something ahead.

From his view—

A doorway leading toward the inner courtyard.

Three guards stationed there.

Lantern light reveals weapons.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — INNER COURTYARD ACCESS POINT (GUARDED)

They duck behind a low wall.

“There are three guards.”

Sadiq watches carefully.

“One outside… two inside the doorway.”

Duniya listens.

“Are they together?”

Sadiq begins—

“No, one is outs—”

He freezes.

The outside guard slowly turns.

Looking directly toward their hiding place.

Suspicion.

SFX: step… step…

Sadiq panics quietly.

“Shhh!”

From the edge of the wall behind the guard—

A shadow crawls upward.

Silent.

Someone else is here.

Sadiq’s eyes widen.

“…Eh?”

Duniya tilts his head.

“What is it?”

Sadiq squints.

“I think… I’m watching a thief trying to enter the house.”

Duniya reacts.

“Eh?”

He whispers calmly.

“Then we follow him.”

Sadiq shakes his head urgently.

“No — wait! He’s about to attack the guard!”

Duniya’s expression hardens.

“…Good distraction.”

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — OUTER WALL / GUARD POST SHADOW LINE

The “thief” moves along the wall.

Low. Controlled.

Face hidden.

Relaxed.

Confident.

A small stone is tossed.

SFX: tik—

It lands near Duniya and Sadiq’s hiding place.

Sadiq nearly yelps.

“EH?!”

Duniya leans toward him.

“What?!”

Sadiq whispers angrily.

“This bastard is using us!”

The guard hears the sound.

He walks toward them.

“Who’s there?”

While the guard moves away—

The rogue swordsman slips through a window opening beside the doorway.

Effortless.

Unnoticed.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — INTERIOR WINDOW ACCESS (UNKNOWN ROOM)

Inside shadow—

He disappears.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — OUTER WALL / GUARD APPROACH

Outside—

Duniya and Sadiq freeze.

Barely breathing.

The guard comes closer.

one step after another

Suddenly another voice calls out—

“Hey! Come there! I’m going to piss.”

The approaching guard turns back.

Annoyed.

Crisis avoided.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — WALL EDGE BESIDE COURTYARD ENTRANCE

Instantly—

Duniya and Sadiq move sideways along the wall.

Keeping low.

They press tightly against the structure beside the entrance.

Barely hidden.

A guard walks past.

Steps away.

Lantern light sweeps dangerously close.

Silence.

He continues.

Doesn’t see them.

They exhale.

“…Phewww.”

They remain pressed against the wall.

Catching their breath.

Lantern light fades behind them.

Distant sounds echo faintly.

Sadiq wipes sweat from his face.

“Damn that thief…”

“How do we get in now?”

Duniya’s head turns slowly.

He raises one hand.

Listening.

Silence replaces panic.

“…Wait.”

He points into deep darkness beside the wall.

“I hear people… from that side.”

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — HIDDEN SIDE PASSAGE (UNMAPPED)

Sadiq squints into the darkness.

At first—nothing.

Only shadow.

Then—

A tiny flicker of light.

Far ahead.

Barely visible.

Sadiq’s eyes widen.

“…Yes. I see it.”

The narrow path ahead disappears into layered darkness and mud walls.

Cramped.

Hidden.

Unknown.

“I think there’s a way.”

Duniya tightens his grip on the sheath.

He nods once.

CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — SECRET PASSAGE ENTRANCE

From behind—

They approach the narrow dark entrance beside the wall.

The flickering light barely guides them.

The party noise is distant now.

Almost gone.

They step closer.

The passage feels tight.

Suffocating.

Just as Duniya is about to move—

A voice comes from inside the darkness.

“…Make sure everything is prepared before midnight.”

They freeze.

Duniya’s eyes widen slightly.

Sadiq’s entire body locks.

They recognize the voice.

As they stare into the darkness

The speaker remains unseen.

Only shadow.

Footsteps echo.

SFX: tak… tak… tak…

The immediate fear on  Sadiq’s face.

Barely lit.

“Ya Allah… Big man voice.”

Behind them — silence.

Ahead — the unseen presence moving through the same path they were about to enter.