THE DARK COVENANT

CHAPTER 15- THE CHOICE

The Covenant had just declared war.

Aimaara stared at the burning warehouse, her fingers tightening around Hakim's journal.

The flames reflected in her eyes.

For fifteen years, she had believed her father's death was the end of everything.

Now she understood.

It had only been the beginning.

"Are you hurt?"

Emmeer's voice pulled her back.

She looked at him.

His black shirt was torn at the shoulder, blood staining the fabric. His face was marked with dust, and a thin cut ran along his cheek.

Yet he was still standing.

Still watching everyone else before himself.

"I'm fine," Aimaara answered.

Emmeer studied her for a moment.

"You're shaking."

"I'm not."

"You are."

She looked down.

He was right.

Her hands were trembling.

Not because of the explosion.

Not because of the men who had surrounded them.

But because of everything she had learned tonight.

Her father knew Emmeer.

Emmeer had been there fifteen years ago.

And somehow, Hakim had left a message telling her to trust him.

"Emmeer..."

He looked at her.

"Why did my father trust you?"

His expression hardened slightly.

"I don't know."

"That's not true."

"Aimaara—"

"You knew him for fifteen years."

She stepped closer.

"You protected me because of a promise he made you."

Her voice trembled.

"But what exactly happened that night?"

Emmeer remained silent.

Rayyan glanced between them.

He knew that conversation was coming eventually.

But not here.

Not beside a burning warehouse.

"We need to leave," Rayyan said.

Aimaara didn't look away from Emmeer.

"I need an answer."

"You will get one."

"When?"

Emmeer took a slow breath.

"When I can tell you the whole truth."

Aimaara's eyes filled with frustration.

"That's what you said before."

"I know."

"And you still expect me to trust you?"

For the first time, Emmeer's expression changed.

Something almost painful crossed his eyes.

"No."

Aimaara froze.

"I don't expect you to trust me."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"I expect you to survive long enough to learn the truth."

Silence.

Rayyan looked away.

Even he knew that wasn't something Emmeer said lightly.

Aimaara lowered her gaze.

The journal in her hands suddenly felt heavier.

Then Nurin spoke weakly.

"Aimaara..."

She turned.

Nurin was sitting against the side of the SUV, wrapped in Rayyan's jacket.

"There's something else."

Rayyan crouched beside her.

"What?"

Nurin swallowed.

"Before they brought me here..."

"I heard two men talking."

"What did they say?" Emmeer asked.

Nurin looked at him.

"They mentioned your name."

Emmeer's expression immediately changed.

"What exactly?"

"They said..."

Nurin hesitated.

"They said Black Eagle wasn't supposed to survive the first operation."

Rayyan's face darkened.

"First operation?"

Nurin nodded.

"And there was another name."

Aimaara stepped closer.

"Whose?"

Nurin looked at her.

"Hakim."

Silence.

The rain continued falling around them.

Emmeer slowly looked toward the burning warehouse.

"Of course."

Rayyan frowned.

"You know what that means?"

Emmeer nodded.

"They aren't just targeting Aimaara."

He looked at the journal.

"They're trying to erase whatever Hakim left behind."

Aimaara's heart tightened.

"So my father was investigating The Covenant?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Emmeer hesitated.

"Because he discovered something they didn't want anyone to know."

"What?"

"I don't know."

Aimaara stared at him.

"You don't know?"

"I knew Hakim was investigating them."

"But he never told me what he found."

She opened the journal.

The pages were damp from the rain, but the ink remained visible.

Names.

Locations.

Dates.

Symbols.

Some pages had been torn out.

Aimaara flipped through them quickly.

Then she stopped.

There was a map.

A small red circle had been drawn over a location outside Kuala Lumpur.

Rayyan leaned closer.

"What is that?"

Aimaara shook her head.

"I don't know."

Emmeer took the journal carefully.

His eyes narrowed.

"I do."

Aimaara looked at him.

"Where?"

"An old property."

"Whose?"

"Hakim's."

Her breath caught.

"My father had another property?"

Emmeer nodded.

"One that The Covenant never knew about."

Rayyan stared at him.

"How do you know?"

"Because Hakim showed it to me."

Aimaara's eyes widened.

"When?"

Emmeer looked toward the burning warehouse.

"Three days before he disappeared."

Three days.

The words echoed in Aimaara's mind.

"My father knew something was going to happen."

"Yes."

"Then why didn't he run?"

Emmeer looked at her.

"Because he wasn't trying to run."

"Then what was he doing?"

"He was hiding something."

Aimaara looked down at the journal.

"The second journal..."

Nurin whispered.

"Maybe it's there."

Emmeer nodded.

"That's what I think."

Rayyan stood.

"Then we go there."

"No."

Emmeer shook his head.

Rayyan frowned.

"Why?"

"Because The Covenant will expect us to."

Aimaara looked at him.

"Then where do we go?"

Emmeer glanced at the journal.

"Somewhere they won't think to look."

A sudden vibration interrupted them.

Emmeer's phone.

Unknown Number.

Everyone went silent.

He opened the message.

There was only one photograph.

Aimaara's blood ran cold.

It showed their abandoned warehouse.

But the photograph had been taken from inside.

Someone had been watching them.

Beneath it was a single sentence.

You chose the girl. Now live with the consequences.

Aimaara stared at the screen.

"What does that mean?"

Emmeer didn't answer.

Another message appeared.

The second journal is already in our hands.

Rayyan's expression darkened.

"They're bluffing."

Emmeer shook his head.

"No."

He looked toward Hakim's journal.

"They aren't."

Aimaara's heart sank.

"Then what are they going to do?"

Emmeer's eyes turned cold.

"They're going to make us come to them."

A third message appeared.

Twenty-four hours.

Come alone, Black Eagle.

Or the second half of Hakim's truth disappears forever.

Emmeer stared at the screen.

Rayyan immediately shook his head.

"You're not going alone."

"I know."

Aimaara stepped forward.

"I'm coming too."

Emmeer looked at her.

"No."

"You said you don't expect me to trust you."

She held his gaze.

"Then stop making decisions for me."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Rayyan slowly smiled.

"She's got you there, Boss."

Emmeer ignored him.

His eyes remained fixed on Aimaara.

"You don't understand what you're asking."

"Then explain it."

"This is no longer about rescuing Nurin."

"I know."

"It's about your father."

"I know."

"And if you come with me..."

He paused.

"There may be no way back."

Aimaara tightened her grip around the journal.

"I've been running from my father's past for fifteen years."

She looked at the burning warehouse.

"I'm done running."

Emmeer stared at her for several seconds.

Then finally nodded.

"Fine."

Rayyan raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

Emmeer turned toward the SUV.

"We leave in five minutes."

"Where?"

Emmeer opened the driver's door.

"To find the second half of Hakim's truth."

Aimaara climbed into the passenger seat.

Nurin and Rayyan followed.

As the SUV disappeared into the rain, the burning warehouse slowly faded behind them.

But high above the road, on the rooftop of a nearby building, a figure stood watching.

The silver mask reflected the city lights.

He lowered his binoculars.

"Excellent."

A second figure stepped from the shadows.

"They took the bait."

The masked man smiled.

"Of course they did."

He turned toward the distant SUV.

"Now..."

"Let's see how far the Black Eagle is willing to go..."

"...to protect Hakim's daughter."

His fingers closed around a small black leather notebook.

On its cover was a single symbol.

Seven stars surrounding a circle.

THE COVENANT.

-TO BE CONTINUED-