11:00 PM.
Mumin is lying on the bed. But there is no sleep. His eyes are open. Staring at the ceiling.
The phone screen is glowing. He is reading those messages again and again. Royal Intelligence Corps. Imolodia. A country whose name he had never even heard before. Yet they want him. They want Musa.
But why?
Mumin sits up. Opens the laptop. His hacking skills will be useful now. He searches for information about Imolodia.
A small country. In northeastern Europe. Population only five million. But the military budget is huge. Their intelligence organization-the Royal Intelligence Corps-is known worldwide. They are always looking for new technology. New weapons. New possibilities.
Mumin goes deeper. Hacks some of their classified files. There he sees his name.
Project: Musa
Target: Mumin Ahmed, Age 22, Bangladesh
Classification: Alpha-Level Asset
Psychological Evaluation:
Target suffers from severe Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). A completely separate personality-Musa-is active within him. Musa is extremely aggressive, fearless, intelligent, and capable of executing any order. The target (Mumin) is highly timid, weak, and socially isolated. When Musa takes control, Mumin has no memory. In medical terms, this is a symptom of a complex psychotic disorder. Target has been marked as 100% psycho.
Strategic Importance:
Target is capable of creating weapons and technologies beyond current standards. His intelligence is extraordinary. But to utilize him, Musa is required. Mumin would never intentionally build weapons, but Musa is willing to do anything. We want Musa.
Mumin's eyes become fixed. His chest trembles.
100% psycho. They called him crazy.
He can create weapons? He doesn't know. He never has. Then why did they write that?
He starts searching through his old files. There are many programs on his laptop. Some he built himself. Some he hacked. But weapons? No.
Suddenly he remembers-in class nine he had created a software. With it, one could enter certain systems without triggering alerts. Is that what they are calling a weapon?
His body suddenly begins to feel different.
Musa is coming.
Mumin realizes-his hands and feet are not moving under his control. His vision is changing. He is watching from inside, but control is no longer his.
Musa comes out.
Musa looks at the laptop. Reads the files. Then begins laughing loudly. That laughter fills the room.
Musa says, "Did you hear? They're calling you crazy. And they want me. They know who I am. They know I'm better than you. You're just a frightened madman. And I am Musa."
Mumin wants to scream from inside-Stop! But Musa does not listen.
Musa closes the laptop. Leans back on the bed. Takes the phone. Looks at Zara's picture.
Musa says, "That girl left you. And you're still crying over her. If she knew you were crazy, would she come back? Never. If I were in control, you would forget her. If I were here, nothing would be a problem."
Mumin cries from inside. But Musa ignores it.
Musa puts the phone down. Looks at the wall. Sees the old marks.
Musa says, "These marks-I drew them. You just watched. Through your hands, but with my anger. I am your anger, your pain, your everything. If you didn't exist, what would I be? And if I didn't exist, would you survive? You can't do anything."
Musa stays silent for a long time. Then slowly Mumin regains his body.
Mumin pants. Covered in sweat. He begins reciting dua. Ayatul Kursi. Surah Falaq. Surah Nas.
Musa is silent now. But he has not left. He is waiting inside. Watching for when he will come out again.
Mumin takes the phone. Looks again at the Imolodia files. The words "100% psycho" stay in his eyes.
Is he really crazy?
He turns off the phone.
Looks out the window. Dark night. No stars visible.
He thinks of Zara. That girl from Fes city. Burqa. Hijab. A smile in her eyes.
How many times has he called? How many messages has he sent? No reply.
Mumin holds the phone to his chest. Whispers, "Zara... did you know I was crazy? Is that why you left?"
Tears fall from his eyes. Silently. Alone.
Musa is silent. Usually when Zara's name comes up, Musa gets angry. But today he is quiet.
Maybe even Musa knows-there is no solution to this pain. Only time moves forward. And memories remain.
Mumin cries for a while. Then slowly calms down.
Lies on the bed. Stares at the wall. The old marks. His history. Proof of his madness.
He places the phone beside him. Screen off.
Closes his eyes.
He thinks-Imolodia. Musa. Weapons. Technology. "100% psycho." All together he is trapped in a strange web.
But right now he can do nothing. It is late. His body is tired. His mind even more tired.
Slowly sleep begins to take him.
One last thought-what will happen tomorrow? Will Musa come out again? Will Imolodia send more messages? Will they try to take him?
The answers are unknown.
He only knows-if sleep comes, maybe for a while he can forget everything. Maybe in dreams he will see Zara. Maybe Musa will stay quiet.
His eyes close. The phone slips from his hand.
In the silence of the night, only the sound of the fan. And the marks on the wall-silent witnesses. Of all his pain, anger, and the birth of Musa.
Mumin falls asleep.