SHAHEEN: THE SHADOW WALKER
Episode 6 – The Voice in the Dark
The lights went out.
Completely.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Only the sound of their breathing filled the underground room.
Then—
THUD!
Something hit the wall.
Ayesha immediately stepped closer to Hamza.
"Everyone stay together."
Bilal whispered,
"I was already planning to do exactly that."
Zayan switched on his flashlight.
The beam moved across the room.
Nothing.
The table was still there.
The fifth file was still there.
But the black circle on the floor...
was gone.
Zayan looked at Ali.
"Ali?"
Ali didn't respond.
He was staring into the darkness beyond the passage.
That voice.
He knew it.
He had heard it before.
Not recently.
Not here.
But years ago.
A memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
A dark room.
A younger Ali.
A man standing in front of him.
And the same voice saying—
"Never let the shadow control you."
Ali blinked.
The memory disappeared.
Noor noticed his expression.
"You know who that was."
Ali looked at her.
"No."
Noor didn't believe him.
"Ali..."
"I said no."
Zayan stepped between them.
"Enough. We need to get out first."
Hamza pointed toward the wall.
"Guys..."
Everyone turned.
There was a door there.
A door that hadn't been there before.
Ayesha stared at it.
"That wasn't there."
Bilal shook his head.
"No. Absolutely not."
Ali walked toward it.
Zayan grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
Ali looked at him.
Zayan pointed toward the floor.
There were footprints.
Wet footprints.
They started at the new door.
And ended directly behind Ali.
Ali slowly turned.
Nothing.
Then—
Knock.
Everyone froze.
The sound came from the other side of the new door.
Knock.
Again.
Three slow knocks.
Noor whispered,
"Don't open it."
Ali looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because that's what Team One did."
The room went silent.
Ali's eyes narrowed.
"What happened when they opened it?"
Noor's voice became almost inaudible.
"They never came back."
Another knock.
This time harder.
BANG!
Hamza stepped back.
"We're leaving."
He turned toward the passage.
But the passage was no longer there.
A solid stone wall stood in its place.
Bilal stared at it.
"Okay."
He pointed toward the wall.
"I officially hate this mansion."
Ayesha looked at Ali.
"What do we do?"
Ali looked at the strange door.
Then at the black circle carved into it.
His expression changed.
"That symbol isn't a warning."
Noor looked at him.
"Then what is it?"
Ali stepped closer.
"It's a lock."
Zayan understood immediately.
"And whatever is behind that door..."
Ali finished,
"...is what's locked inside."
Suddenly, the voice returned.
"Shadow Walker."
Ali froze.
This time the voice came from behind him.
He turned.
Nothing.
Then the voice whispered directly beside his ear—
"You're late."
Ali's eyes widened.
He turned around sharply.
A shadow moved across the wall.
A human-shaped shadow.
But there was no person standing there.
Ayesha whispered,
"Ali..."
The shadow raised its hand.
Ali raised his own hand instinctively.
The shadow stopped.
For one second, they stood in exactly the same position.
Then the shadow slowly pointed toward the door.
Ali understood.
It wanted him to open it.
Noor shouted,
"Don't!"
The shadow suddenly disappeared.
The door opened by itself.
A cold wind rushed through the room.
Beyond it was a long corridor.
At the end of the corridor stood a single chair.
And sitting on that chair...
was a man.
His face was hidden in darkness.
Ali stepped forward.
Zayan grabbed him.
"Don't go alone."
Ali nodded.
"Together."
The entire team entered the corridor.
The door closed behind them.
CLICK.
They all turned.
The door was gone.
Bilal stared at the empty wall.
"Of course."
Hamza looked at him.
"What?"
Bilal sighed.
"Nothing. I'm just starting to miss normal problems."
They continued walking.
The man at the end of the corridor didn't move.
As they came closer, Ayesha noticed something.
"Wait."
Everyone stopped.
The chair was empty.
The man had disappeared.
But there was something sitting on the chair.
A small black box.
Ali approached it.
On top of the box was a single word:
ALI.
Noor stepped backward.
"That's impossible."
Ali looked at her.
"Why?"
Noor's face had gone pale.
"Because five years ago..."
She swallowed.
"...there was no Ali on Team One."
Ali slowly opened the box.
Inside was an old photograph.
He picked it up.
His breath stopped.
The photograph showed the previous Shadow Walker.
And standing beside him...
was a much younger Ali.
Ali stared at the photograph.
"I don't remember this."
Noor whispered,
"Maybe you're not supposed to."
The lights in the corridor suddenly turned on.
At the very end of the corridor, someone was standing.
The previous Shadow Walker.
This time his face was visible.
Ali looked at him.
The man smiled.
Then he said:
"Finally."
The lights went out again.
To Be Continued...
