Chapter 4: Secrets Unveiled

The old café had seen better days. Its paint was chipped, the once-bright sign hanging above its door now faded to a dull gray. Inside, the air smelled faintly of coffee and mildew, the dim lights casting eerie shadows across the room.

Anifah hesitated at the entrance, clutching their bag tightly. Tariq was already there, sitting at a corner table with his legs stretched out and an air of casual confidence that made Anifah’s nerves buzz.

“You came,” he said, smirking as they approached.

“You didn’t exactly give me much of a choice,” Anifah shot back, sliding into the seat across from him.

Tariq chuckled, leaning forward. “Fair enough. So, you want to know about Ammar?”

“Yes. Tell me what you know,” Anifah demanded.

Tariq’s expression darkened. He tapped the table rhythmically, as if weighing his words. “There’s a reason Ammar keeps his distance from people. A reason why no one really knows much about him.”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Anifah’s heart pounded. “What reason?”

“Have you ever heard of The Circle?” Tariq asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Anifah frowned. “No. What is it?”

“It’s not something most people know about,” Tariq said. “But let’s just say it’s a group with... influence. They’re not the kind of people you want to get involved with. And Ammar? He’s tied to them.”

“Tied how?” Anifah pressed.

Tariq leaned back, folding his arms. “I don’t have all the details, but there was an incident a year ago. Something went wrong, and Ammar was at the center of it. Ever since then, he’s been keeping a low profile.”

Anifah swallowed hard. “What kind of incident?”

Tariq hesitated, then reached into his bag and pulled out a photo. He slid it across the table.

Anifah picked it up, their breath catching. The photo showed Ammar standing with a group of people in a secluded, forested area. They all looked tense, their faces shadowed and serious.

“Who are they?” Anifah asked, their voice barely above a whisper.

“Members of The Circle,” Tariq replied. “Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard. The thing is, no one knows what they really do. Some say they’re just a group of rich kids playing secret society. Others think they’re tied to something darker.”

Anifah stared at the photo, their mind racing. “Why are you telling me this?”

Tariq’s smirk returned. “Because you’re not going to stop digging, are you? Consider this a warning. The more you push, the closer you get to things you might not want to know.”

Anifah’s grip on the photo tightened. “What happened in that forest? What did Ammar do?”

“That’s a story only he can tell,” Tariq said. “But if you’re really set on finding out, you’ll have to tread carefully. The Circle doesn’t take kindly to outsiders.”

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air. Anifah tucked the photo into their bag and stood. “Thanks for the warning,” they said, their voice steadier than they felt.

Tariq watched them go, his expression unreadable. As Anifah stepped out into the cool night air, a million questions swirled in their mind.

What was Ammar hiding? And how far were they willing to go to uncover the truth?