SHAHEEN: THE SHADOW WALKER
Episode 13 – The Choice
"Run."
Faris's voice echoed through the underground hall.
But Ali couldn't move.
His eyes were fixed on the woman standing at the end of the corridor.
His mother.
"Mom..."
She smiled.
"Come to me, Ali."
Ali took one step forward.
Faris immediately grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't!"
Ali turned toward him.
"She's my mother."
Faris shook his head.
"Not like this."
The woman slowly raised her hand.
The shadows surrounding her moved.
Adam stepped forward.
"She's being controlled."
Ali stared at her.
"Mom, can you hear me?"
For a moment, her expression changed.
Her eyes returned to normal.
"Ali..."
Her voice trembled.
"Don't come closer."
Ali froze.
"Mom?"
She looked toward Faris.
"Take him away."
Faris nodded.
But suddenly her eyes turned black again.
The shadows rushed forward.
"GO!"
Faris pushed Ali backward.
Adam raised his weapon.
"Move!"
They ran through the corridor.
Behind them, the shadows followed.
Ali looked back.
His mother was standing in the darkness.
She wasn't attacking them.
She was fighting something inside herself.
"Mom!"
She screamed.
"RUN!"
The corridor shook.
A massive crack appeared in the ceiling.
Faris pulled Ali forward.
"Keep moving!"
They reached a large metal door.
Faris entered a code.
BEEP.
The door opened.
On the other side stood Zayan, Ayesha, Hamza, Bilal, and Noor.
Zayan's eyes widened.
"Ali!"
He rushed forward.
Ali stopped him.
"Where's my mother?"
Everyone became silent.
Noor looked at Faris.
Then at Ali.
"She's here."
Ali's eyes widened.
"You knew?"
Noor nodded.
"We found her."
Ayesha looked confused.
"Then why isn't she with us?"
Ali answered quietly,
"Because she's being controlled."
Noor lowered her eyes.
"By Dr. Kareem."
Faris stepped forward.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
Faris continued,
"Not completely."
Ali frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The Shadow Council is using her to open the gateway."
Zayan asked,
"Gateway to what?"
Faris looked toward the underground chamber.
"Something called the Dark Core."
Silence.
Bilal stared at him.
"That sounds like something we definitely don't want to meet."
Adam nodded.
"We don't."
Faris looked at Ali.
"The Council believes the Dark Core can give them control over every Shadow."
Ali asked,
"And what does it want?"
Faris answered,
"Nothing."
Ali frowned.
"Nothing?"
"It doesn't want control."
"It wants a host."
Everyone froze.
Ali slowly understood.
"And they need me."
Faris nodded.
"Yes."
Noor stepped forward.
"That's why the Council brought you back to the mansion."
"They wanted your memories to return."
"Once the Shadow inside you became active again..."
She stopped.
Ali finished her sentence.
"...they could use me to open the gateway."
Ayesha looked at him.
"Then we have to stop them."
Ali nodded.
"But first, we save my mother."
Zayan looked at the others.
"We're going together."
Everyone nodded.
They returned to the main underground chamber.
At the center stood a huge circular symbol.
The black circle was glowing.
Dr. Kareem stood beside it.
Ali's mother was behind him.
Her hands were restrained.
Dr. Kareem smiled.
"Welcome."
Ali stepped forward.
"Let her go."
Dr. Kareem laughed.
"You still think this is about her?"
Ali's eyes narrowed.
"You've lost."
Dr. Kareem shook his head.
"No."
He pointed toward the glowing symbol.
"The gateway is already opening."
The entire chamber began shaking.
A dark energy spread across the floor.
Ali felt something moving inside him.
His shadow stretched across the floor.
Longer.
Darker.
Faris shouted,
"Ali! Fight it!"
Ali clenched his fists.
"I am!"
The shadow continued spreading.
His mother suddenly screamed.
"ALI!"
Ali looked at her.
She was crying.
"Don't let it take you!"
Dr. Kareem smiled.
"It's too late."
The black circle suddenly opened.
A dark void appeared in its center.
The shadows around the room began moving toward Ali.
Ali fell to one knee.
Zayan rushed toward him.
"Ali!"
Ali raised his hand.
"Stay back!"
His eyes briefly turned dark.
Ayesha stared.
"Ali..."
Ali could hear voices.
Hundreds of them.
Calling his name.
Then one voice became louder than the others.
His mother's.
"Ali, remember who you are."
Ali closed his eyes.
He remembered the fire.
The laboratory.
His father.
Adam.
Noor.
His mother.
And the night his memory was erased.
But he also remembered something else.
His mother's words from the recording:
THE SHADOW CHOOSES ITS MASTER.
Ali opened his eyes.
The darkness around him began shrinking.
Dr. Kareem's smile disappeared.
"What are you doing?"
Ali stood.
"I'm choosing."
The shadow stopped moving.
Ali looked directly at the Dark Core.
"You don't control me."
The black circle began cracking.
Dr. Kareem shouted,
"No!"
Ali raised his hand.
The Shadow responded.
Instead of moving toward the gateway...
it moved away from it.
The Dark Core began collapsing.
Dr. Kareem fell backward.
"No! You were supposed to open it!"
Ali looked at him.
"You made one mistake."
Dr. Kareem stared.
"What?"
Ali replied,
"You thought the Shadow was your weapon."
The darkness surrounded Ali.
"But it's mine."
The gateway shattered.
A massive wave of energy rushed through the chamber.
Everyone fell to the ground.
The lights went out.
Silence.
Then—
Ayesha slowly opened her eyes.
"Ali?"
No answer.
Zayan stood.
"Ali!"
The chamber was empty.
Faris looked around.
"Where did he go?"
Noor suddenly pointed toward the center.
A small black circle remained on the floor.
And beside it...
Ali's Shadow Walker badge.
Noor picked it up.
Her hands trembled.
"He's gone."
Then a voice came from behind them.
"No."
Everyone turned.
Ali stood in the doorway.
His clothes were covered in dust.
But he was alive.
Zayan smiled.
"You scared us."
Ali looked at his friends.
Then toward the chamber.
"The gateway is closed."
Ayesha asked,
"And Dr. Kareem?"
Ali looked back.
"He escaped."
Everyone became silent.
Ali's mother suddenly appeared behind him.
She was free.
She looked at Ali.
"My son..."
Ali turned.
For the first time in years, he walked toward her.
She hugged him.
Ali closed his eyes.
The Shadow around him disappeared completely.
Faris watched them silently.
Adam stepped beside him.
"It's over."
Faris shook his head.
"No."
Adam looked at him.
Faris stared toward the dark chamber.
"The gateway is closed."
"But the Shadow Council is still out there."
Ali heard him.
He slowly turned.
His expression became serious.
"Then we'll find them."
Zayan smiled.
"Together."
Ali nodded.
The team stood side by side.
For the first time, Ali wasn't running from his past.
He was ready to face it.
But deep beneath the mansion...
a tiny black circle began glowing again.
And somewhere in the darkness, Dr. Kareem whispered:
"You may have closed the gateway..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...but you haven't ended the Shadow."
To Be Continued...
