CURRENT LOCATION: SHEHU COMPOUND — BASE OF THE MAIN RESIDENCE

The walls towered above them.

Massive. Endless. The kind that made you feel small just by standing near them. Lantern light swept faintly across distant corridors, never quite reaching the ground where Duniya and Sadiq sat pressed against the stone.

The space felt dangerously open.

Sadiq bent forward, breathing hard, panic still clinging to him. His chest rose and fell unevenly, like he hadn’t quite escaped what had just happened.

Beside him, Duniya sat still, listening.

“Where… where are we?” Sadiq asked, his voice unsteady.

Duniya turned slightly toward him.

“Eh?” he replied, confused.

He tilted his head, as if trying to understand the question itself.

“…Hmm. Let me see…”

A pause.

“Oh — guess what,” Duniya said.

“What?” Sadiq asked.

“I CAN’T SEE.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

They both burst into laughter.

Sudden. Loud. Almost reckless.

It wasn’t really funny, not in the way things were supposed to be funny, but it didn’t matter. The tension cracked open, and the laughter poured out of them like it had been waiting for an excuse.

Eventually, it faded.

Duniya stood first.

“…Duniya,” he said.

Sadiq looked up at him.

“Hmm?”

“That’s my name. Duniya.”

Sadiq stared for a second—

Then broke again.

“That’s a girl’s name!” he laughed, nearly doubling over.

“Tch. Shut up. Let’s go,” Duniya said, clicking his tongue, already turning away.

Sadiq followed, still laughing, exaggerating his steps.

“Hi, I’m Duniyaaa—” he teased.

Duniya didn’t turn.

“I can’t see you… but I know when I’m being mocked,” he said flatly.

That was enough.

Sadiq straightened immediately.

“Yeah — Let’s go.”

CURRENT LOCATION: OUTER WALL OF THE MAIN RESIDENCE

The main residence rose into the night sky, its carved mud walls stretching upward into darkness. High arched openings sat far above, unreachable at a glance. Moonlight washed over everything, soft but unforgiving.

Duniya and Sadiq moved carefully along the base of the wall, small beneath it.

“Hey… I see three windows up there!” Sadiq said, pointing upward.

Duniya stopped immediately.

His head tilted.

Thinking.

“That’s… actually good,” he said.

“Eh?” Sadiq replied.

“They will expect us inside the compound… searching rooms and corridors,” Duniya said, calm and precise.

“They will not expect us to move along the outside.”

Sadiq looked up again.

Three windows.

One dark.

One faintly lit.

One with long curtains shifting in the night breeze.

“Ahh… but— how are we supposed to—” he began—

Then stopped.

“…oh. Right. Sorry,” he muttered.

“What?” Duniya asked.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

CURRENT LOCATION: INNER COURTYARD CORRIDOR

Bodies lay scattered.

Guards groaned faintly, some unconscious, some barely conscious. Broken weapons were strewn across the ground like discarded tools.

The rogue swordsman stood among them, catching his breath.

“…ugh. My precious,” he muttered, staring down at shattered beads and torn jewelry.

Annoyed, he kicked a guard.

“Do you know how much this was worth?” he demanded, grabbing him by the collar.

A knife appeared in his hand.

“You’re going to repay me. Where is the chamber where your master keeps his valuables?”

The guard spat in his face.

Silence.

The rogue swordsman froze.

Disgust settling in.

“…You people have no manners,” he said slowly, wiping his face.

He punched the guard and dropped him.

Then turned to another.

Knife raised.

“Last chance.”

“The main residence! Near the general’s room!” the guard blurted. “If you follow the back path you can reach it!”

The rogue swordsman’s expression changed instantly.

A grin.

“See? That wasn’t difficult.”

He turned and walked off casually.

At a junction—

He turned right.

Stopped.

Silence.

“…wait.”

He scratched his head.

Then turned the other way.

“Left feels better.”

He walked off again.

Toward the residence.

Toward danger.

CURRENT LOCATION: OUTER WALL — BASE OF RESIDENCE

Sadiq stood beneath the towering wall again, staring upward.

The height still didn’t make sense.

The wind moved the curtains far above.

“Duniya— wait, wait! I see an entrance!” he said suddenly.

Duniya turned toward him.

“If we take an entrance, we go back inside. Outside is safer.”

Sadiq stared.

“…you know you are blind, right?”

“Eh?” Duniya replied.

“Yes. So how about you leave directions to me… and you handle the fighting?” Sadiq said, confident.

Duniya’s face tightened.

Annoyed.

Sadiq was already moving.

“Come on, let’s go!”

Duniya exhaled sharply.

Then followed.

CURRENT LOCATION: SERVICE PASSAGE ENTRANCE

A narrow passage opened before them.

A wooden ladder stretched upward through a gap.

Sadiq was already halfway up.

Duniya stood below.

“Hey… ‘Mr. Location.’ This is exactly why I said we should stay outside,” Duniya muttered.

“Shhhh!” Sadiq whispered.

He peeked over.

Two guards.

One sitting.

One standing.

“Just two guards… you can take them,” he whispered.

“Too dangerous,” Duniya said.

Then paused.

“…wait.”

He knelt.

Ran his fingers along the ground.

Found stones.

Three.

He climbed slightly and handed them up.

“Throw them. Not far. Just enough to distract them.”

Sadiq nodded.

Threw.

SMACK.

“OW! What—?!” the guard shouted.

“What did you do?!” Duniya hissed.

“I hit his head!” Sadiq panicked.

Duniya pulled him down immediately.

Then moved alone.

Silent.

Perfectly still.

Listening.

“Who’s there?” the guard called.

He leaned down—

Duniya struck.

Grabbed.

Pulled.

Covered his mouth—

The guard bit.

Hard.

Pain shot through Duniya’s hand.

His face twisted—

But he stayed silent.

Sadiq grabbed the guard’s legs.

Pulled.

The guard turned—

Duniya struck.

THUD. THUD.

The body went limp.

Duniya lowered him quietly.

Breathing hard.

Blood at his hand.

Silence returned.

He climbed the ladder carefully now.

Each step deliberate.

“What do you see?” Sadiq whispered.

Duniya stopped halfway.

A long pause.

His face tightened.

Irritated.

He climbed down.

Grabbed Sadiq.

Dragged him up.

“Whoa— take it easy!” Sadiq protested.

At the top—

Duniya pointed to his eyes.

Twice.

Sadiq stared.

Unimpressed.

Then looked.

“…thank Allah,” he whispered.

The second guard—

Asleep.

“He’s asleep.”

They climbed up together.

Slow.

Careful.

Sadiq guided Duniya by the wrist.

They slipped past.

Holding their breath.

Duniya listened.

Every step measured.

They disappeared into the corridor.

CURRENT LOCATION: SECRET PASSAGE — BEHIND THE MAIN RESIDENCE

A concealed doorway opened.

Shehu stepped out.

Rage contained beneath calm.

Three guards followed.

“Have you caught them yet?” he asked.

“No, young master. It appears they are heading toward the main residence. We will intercept them here.”

Shehu stopped.

“…Where is Bature?”

“I am not certain, sir…”

Shehu turned slowly.

“You are… not sure?”

“Not… sure…” he repeated.

The guard trembled.

Another voice cut in.

“Bature has intercepted one of the intruders!”

Shehu’s expression changed instantly.

Shock.

Then—

Excitement.

A cruel smile.

“What?”

“Toward the back path!”

“Move.”

He turned sharply.

Walked forward.

“Go ahead of me. Make sure Bature does not kill him.”

His voice dropped.

Cold.

“I will end that miserable life myself… He will pay for ruining my feast.”

CURRENT LOCATION: BACK EXIT CORRIDOR — INNER COURTYARD

The rogue swordsman burst forward at a run.

“That’s the intruder!” a guard shouted.

“Stop him!”

A blade swung down.

The rogue dropped low and lunged forward, hitting the guard by the waist

Calm.

Efficient.

KRACK.

The guard grunts

The rogue took the sword.

Shoved it forward straight into his chest and,

Into the second guard.

They fell together.

He stepped back—

Ready to move—

Then stopped.

Something shifted.

The air changed.

Behind him—

Bature.

Already striking.

The blade came down with fury, about to literally cut the Rogue swordsman in half

The rogue moved instantly, felt danger, and acted on full instincts 

Escaped.

Barely.

The strike tore through empty space.

He rolled forward, pushing his left with an inch strength

Recovered.

Stood.

Turned.

Bature stood there.

Still.

Calm.

Unmoving.

Dust settled between them.

“I could have cut you in half… and ended your miserable life,” Bature said.

The rogue smirked.

“I think my life is doing just fine as a whole.”

They circled.

Slowly.

Guards groaned faintly in the distance.

Bature watched.

Cold.

Precise.

The rogue adjusted his grip.

Relaxed.

Ready.

Wind moved the dust between them.

Silence.

Both stood poised.

A fight about to begin.

To be continued…