SHAHEEN: THE SHADOW WALKER
Episode 8 – The Heartbeat Behind the Wall
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The entire room had gone silent.
Everyone stared toward the wall.
The heartbeat continued.
Slow.
Heavy.
Almost as if someone was trapped behind it.
Ayesha whispered,
"Tell me I'm not the only one hearing that."
Hamza slowly shook his head.
"No."
Bilal immediately moved away from the wall.
"I vote we don't investigate the heartbeat."
Zayan looked at him.
"Your vote has been rejected."
Bilal sighed.
"I knew it."
Ali stepped toward the wall.
Noor grabbed his arm.
"Ali, don't."
Ali looked at her.
"You said the same thing about the door."
"And I was right."
Ali glanced at the wall.
The heartbeat became louder.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Ali placed his hand against the wall.
The moment he touched it—
Everything stopped.
The heartbeat disappeared.
Ali froze.
Then a whisper came from behind the wall.
"Ali..."
His eyes widened.
It was his own voice.
Ayesha noticed his expression.
"What happened?"
Ali pulled his hand away.
"My voice."
Zayan frowned.
"What?"
"Someone behind the wall just called my name."
Noor's face became pale.
"That's impossible."
Ali turned toward her.
"Nothing in this place seems impossible anymore."
Suddenly, the red lights flickered.
One.
Two.
Three times.
Then a small screen appeared on the opposite wall.
Static filled it.
Ayesha stepped closer.
"Is that a recording?"
The static disappeared.
An old video began playing.
A dark room appeared on the screen.
A younger Ali was sitting in a chair.
His hands were tied.
Everyone stared.
Hamza whispered,
"That's you."
Ali didn't respond.
On the screen, another person entered.
The previous Shadow Walker.
He stood in front of young Ali.
"Do you remember me?"
Young Ali shook his head.
The man placed a small black object on the table.
"You will."
Young Ali looked frightened.
"Who are you?"
The man leaned closer.
"Someone trying to save you."
The video suddenly distorted.
The screen went black.
Ali stepped forward.
"No."
The screen came back.
This time, Noor was visible.
She was standing behind the previous Shadow Walker.
Ali looked at her.
Noor's eyes filled with fear.
"I told you I was there."
Ali's voice was quiet.
"You never told me you were there with him."
Noor looked down.
The recording continued.
The previous Shadow Walker turned toward Noor.
"Take him away."
Noor nodded.
Young Ali suddenly struggled against the chair.
"Wait!"
The man stopped.
Young Ali looked directly at him.
"What is the Shadow Council?"
Everyone in the room froze.
The previous Shadow Walker didn't answer.
Young Ali continued.
"They said I belong to them."
The man finally spoke.
"They're lying."
Young Ali stared at him.
"Then why can I hear them?"
The man's expression changed.
"Because they put something inside you."
Ali's eyes widened.
The screen suddenly went black.
Ayesha whispered,
"What did they put inside him?"
Noor didn't answer.
Ali turned toward her.
"Noor."
She remained silent.
Ali stepped closer.
"Tell me."
Noor shook her head.
"I can't."
Ali's voice became firm.
"You've been hiding things from me since we entered this mansion."
"First the previous Shadow Walker."
"Then my memory."
"Then the Shadow Council."
"And now this."
Noor finally looked at him.
"If I tell you, you may never be able to go back."
Ali stared at her.
"I already can't go back."
Silence.
Then—
CRACK!
Everyone turned.
A crack had appeared across the wall.
The crack slowly spread.
Ayesha stepped backward.
"Ali..."
The wall began opening.
Not breaking.
Opening.
Like a hidden door.
Behind it was a narrow chamber.
And inside that chamber stood a single glass container.
Something was inside.
Everyone stared.
Bilal whispered,
"Please don't tell me that's another mystery."
Hamza looked at him.
"That's definitely another mystery."
Ali walked closer.
The glass container was covered with wires.
A small screen beside it displayed one word:
SUBJECT: S-01
Zayan's eyes narrowed.
"S-01?"
Noor suddenly grabbed Ali.
"Don't touch anything!"
Ali looked at her.
"Why?"
Noor stared at the container.
Her voice trembled.
"Because that's where they kept the first Shadow Walker."
Ali looked inside.
The container was empty.
His eyes narrowed.
"Where is he?"
Noor didn't answer.
Ayesha suddenly pointed toward the floor.
"Guys..."
There were wet footprints inside the chamber.
They led away from the container.
Toward a second door.
The footprints were fresh.
Bilal stared at them.
"Okay."
He slowly raised one finger.
"New rule."
"Nobody follows mysterious footprints."
Zayan ignored him.
"Ali."
Ali was staring at the footprints.
Then he noticed something.
A black mark had been left beside every footprint.
The same black circle.
Ali whispered,
"He's here."
Noor looked at him.
"Who?"
Ali turned toward the second door.
"The previous Shadow Walker."
Suddenly—
BANG!
The second door slammed open.
Everyone raised their flashlights.
Nothing.
Then a voice came from the darkness.
"Ali."
Ali stepped forward.
"Show yourself."
The voice laughed softly.
"You still don't remember."
Ali clenched his fists.
"Remember what?"
Silence.
Then the voice said:
"The night you became the Shadow Walker."
Ali froze.
Noor covered her mouth.
Zayan looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
Noor whispered,
"He wasn't chosen."
Ali turned toward her.
"What?"
Noor looked at him.
"The Shadow Walker title wasn't given to Ali."
"Ali was created for it."
The room fell silent.
Ali stared at Noor.
"Created?"
Noor's eyes filled with fear.
Before she could explain—
The entire mansion shook.
BOOM!
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Ayesha grabbed the wall.
"What was that?"
Another explosion echoed from somewhere above.
BOOM!
Zayan looked toward the corridor.
"Someone entered the mansion."
Ali immediately became serious.
"Everyone move."
Hamza looked at him.
"Where?"
Ali looked toward the second door.
"Upstairs."
Bilal stared at the dark passage.
"Of course."
Ali started walking.
Everyone followed.
But Noor remained behind.
Ali noticed.
"Noor."
She didn't move.
Ali looked at her.
"What?"
Noor slowly pointed toward the glass container.
Ali turned.
The empty container wasn't empty anymore.
A black handprint had appeared on the inside of the glass.
Then another.
And another.
As if someone trapped inside was trying to get out.
Noor whispered,
"Ali..."
The handprints suddenly stopped.
A message appeared on the glass.
Written from the inside:
HE IS NOT THE FIRST SHADOW WALKER.
Ali stared at the words.
Then another sentence appeared beneath it.
HE IS THE LAST.
Ali's face went completely still.
Behind them, the second door slowly closed.
And from somewhere deep inside the mansion...
the previous Shadow Walker whispered:
"Now you remember enough."
To Be Continued...
