The city was calm when Akram left the telecommunications center.
Ramadan nights were usually lively, but after midnight most streets became quiet again. A cool breeze moved through the empty roads as he started his car and placed his phone on the dashboard.
The glowing point still pulsed on the navigation map.
"Let's see where you take me," Akram whispered.
The navigation system generated a route instantly. The blue line curved away from the city lights and toward the darker countryside.
As he drove, Akram passed closed cafés, dim street lamps, and quiet neighborhoods. Only a few cars were still on the road.
His mind kept returning to the strange update.
Hidden locations?
It sounded like a game feature… but the map felt too real.
After twenty minutes, the road narrowed. The buildings around him disappeared, replaced by fields and scattered trees.
The glowing point was now less than three kilometers away.
Akram slowed the car.
Up ahead, a faded sign appeared beside the road.
Village of Al-Nasir – Population: Unknown
"Unknown?" he muttered.
That was unusual.
The village looked abandoned. Broken houses stood silently in the moonlight, and sand had begun to cover parts of the road.
Yet the navigation system insisted the location was important.
The glowing point was right in the center of the village.
Akram parked the car and stepped out.
The air was silent.
Too silent.
He checked his phone again.
The map zoomed automatically, focusing on a small square between the ruins.
A message appeared.
"Location confirmed."
Akram frowned.
"Confirmed for what?"
Before he could think further, a distant sound echoed through the empty village.
Footsteps.
Someone else was here.