Everyone grew strangely eager to know more about World War 3. A tense excitement hung in the air.

  After a brief silence, Saamyn looked at Nazar and said in a calm voice:— “World War 3 was no ordinary war. It lasted for three whole years. Nazar, do you think the history of those three years can truly be contained within just one book?”

  His words carried calm authority, yet curiosity sparked in every eye. Hearing this, Nazar’s eyes widened in surprise. In his mind, he thought:— “He’s right… if it were any other history, perhaps it could be contained in a single book, but this was World War 3.”

  Then Saamyn continued:— “Do you know? The Royal, Noble, and Commoner system that exists today did not exist back then. Before the war, no one even talked about such a system. Yet now, the entire world is bound by it.”

  Rayn, with a curious tone, asked:— “So, you mean this system wasn’t that important before?”

  Confusion mingled with intrigue on everyone’s faces. Saamyn gave a faint smile and nodded:— “Yes, you’ve got it right.”

  Everyone stared at Saamyn in astonishment. The same thought crossed all their minds — something that is now the most discussed system in the world had once held no significance at all!

  After a pause, Saamyn continued:— “In World War 3, nearly 40% of the world’s population died. And close to 1 billion people perished from starvation. That war ended everything. No roofs over heads, no food to eat — only destruction and death remained.”

  A chill crept into the room; silence followed. Hearing this, Riyy grew serious and said:— “Then countries like Siddakara must have been destroyed too? But it’s strange that everything managed to recover in just 54 years.”

  Saamyn calmly replied:— “You’re right, but you made one mistake.

  Everyone turned to him in shock.

  Saamyn spoke slowly:— “It’s true that it took 54 years for everything to rebuild, but at that time, there was no country named Siddakara. In fact, not just Siddakara — none of the countries that exist today even existed back then.”

  Shock and disbelief froze everyone in place. The moment they heard this, everyone’s faces showed signs of fear and astonishment. Their bodies turned cold, and a chill spread among them. Nazar, with a surprised and cold tone, asked:— “Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

  Cold realization spread across his features. Saamyn answered with a mysterious smile:— “I’m telling the absolute truth. Before the war, all the countries had different names, borders, and laws. Not just countries — even the laws of nature itself were different.”

  His calm tone made the truth feel undeniable. No one could respond. Finally, Nazar asked:— “Then how did everything change?”

  Saamyn smiled faintly and said:— “As I said — this war ended everything. Countries, maps, laws — everything was swept away. After the war, a new government was formed, the world was divided equally, and 200 new countries were created.

  Not only the names of the countries but everything was redefined. It was as if the world started all over again.”

  Fear and awe mingled silently. Hearing this, everyone fell silent. Fear and shock were clear on their faces. Only Ymraan sat completely indifferent, chilling as if nothing mattered.

  His detachment contrasted sharply with the group’s tension. No one wanted to believe Saamyn’s words. Riyy, with a serious voice, asked:— “And how are we supposed to believe you?”

  Before he could finish, Nazar spoke up in a cold, firm tone:— “Saamyn is telling the truth.”

  His voice left no room for doubt. Everyone’s gaze turned to Nazar. He began to speak slowly:— “Yes, you heard it right. Saamyn isn’t lying. Do you know why I was looking for a book on the history of World War 3?

  A few days ago, I found my grandfather’s diary. In it were things never taught in schools. Names of countries I had never even heard of.”

  A heavy weight of mystery descended on the room. This time, Riyy exclaimed in surprise:— “My grandfather also had a diary. But my father said he burned it in a fire.”

  Nazar, in a grim voice, replied:— “Many of the pages from my grandfather’s diary were missing as well.”

  Hearing the two of them, the others’ astonishment went beyond limits.

  After hearing all this, everyone fell silent. Not a single word came out of anyone’s mouth. The ticking clock sounded unnaturally loud. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock.

  One thought weighed heavily on everyone’s mind — the past of this world was so mysterious, so dark!

  Meanwhile, Ymraan curled his lips into a mysterious smile and thought to himself:— “That… is only the beginning of what the diaries reveal.”

  A sense of foreboding lingered around him. After a moment of silence, Nazar spoke in a cold and deep voice:— “Why is all this happening?”

  Everyone turned to look at him. Then Saamyn replied calmly:— “Because it was meant to happen.”

  The calmness of his voice made the words feel inevitable. Suddenly, all eyes shifted to Saamyn again.

  He began to speak in the same calm tone:— “Yes, you heard me right. Do you know that there are many inconsistencies between history books written three years ago and those written forty or fifty years ago? And in truth, no one knows exactly how the war began.

  In schools today, only the surface of World War 3 is taught, but the deeper truth is never revealed.”

  Unease crept slowly into everyone’s mind. Saamyn paused for a while. Everyone waited eagerly for him to speak again.

  Then, in a mysterious voice, he said:— “This means something must have happened that the World Government didn’t want ordinary people to know.

  And in my opinion, that was the right decision. Because if people today knew that truth, the world would fall into chaos. Sometimes, ignorance is better.”

  Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat relieved. They realized — these were not ordinary matters, and it was indeed wise to keep common people away from them.

  After a while, Satsuqy asked in a puzzled tone:— “That’s fine, but you once said that even nature itself changed its rules. How is that possible?”

  At Satsuqy’s question, a new curiosity stirred in everyone’s mind. They stared at Saamyn in astonishment, realizing that only he had the answer.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Saamyn gave a faint smile and spoke in a mysterious tone:— “The proof is in ourselves.”

  A strange realization settled in the room. Rayn, in a soft voice, asked:— Ourselves? How?

  Saamyn asked calmly:— “Have you ever wondered why our eye and hair colors are so different from one another?”

  Riyy answered coldly:— “That happens naturally.”

  Looking at him, Saamyn smiled and said:— “That’s exactly the change in the rules. Before World War 3, nearly 80% of people had black eyes and black hair. The remaining 20% had a few different colors. But such diversity never existed.”

  Shock returned, stronger than before. Everyone was once again struck with astonishment. Before Saamyn could even finish, Haarun spoke up in a cold voice:— “I have something to say.”

  Everyone’s eyes turned to Haarun. He began to speak slowly:— “I want to talk about AI — Artificial Intelligence. My grandfather once told me that before the war, our world had advanced terrifyingly.

  AI had become so powerful that even what you saw with your own eyes could no longer be trusted. Grandfather said that if the war hadn’t happened, our world would have been far more advanced.”

  The group leaned in, sensing the story’s weight. Saamyn looked at Haarun and said in a calm voice:— “Your grandfather was right. But do you know, AI has already gained dominance over humans? And that very AI was one of the reasons World War 3 began.”

  The room grew colder, as if the walls themselves shivered. As soon as Saamyn finished speaking, Nazar asked him in a cold tone:— “Tell me one thing, how do you know all this?”

  The question felt heavier than it sounded. Once again, everyone’s eyes turned toward Saamyn. They realized it was impossible for a sixteen-year-old boy to know so much.

  Doubt mixed with quiet fear spread among them. Saamyn looked at Nazar and calmly replied:— “Because I’ve been reading countless books since childhood—both new and old.”

  Then he closed his eyes, and with a mysterious smile to himself, he thought:— ‘Or rather, I’ve read all of them.”

  A secret burden pressed against his chest. Hearing Saamyn’s words, no one said anything more. Everyone fell silent. No one dared to ask anything more.

  After a while, breaking the stillness, Saamyn rose from his seat and said in a calm tone:— “Now we should head home. It’s already quite late.”

  Only then did everyone realize they had gone so deep into history that they had completely lost track of time. Slowly, one by one, they all stood up and left the library.

  The air felt heavier as they moved. Everyone slowly began walking down the corridor. The hallway was completely empty. An unusual silence had settled all around. A gentle chill spread inside through the slightly open windows.

  There was no sound anywhere, only the distant ticking of the wall clock could be heard. In the dim light, the corridor seemed even longer and more desolate.

  It felt as if the building itself was watching them leave. Saamyn and Ymraan walked at the front, followed by the rest. In a cold, whispering voice, Rayn said:— I’ve returned home late from school before, but never this late.

  A nervous laugh failed to lighten the mood. After a short while, Nazar, with an excited tone, approached Saamyn and said:— “We all saw that you know a lot. So I’m asking, do you know about Nogen Day?”

  The name alone stirred unease. Hearing this, everyone felt a bit confused. The same question ran through everyone’s minds — what exactly is Nogen Day?

  In a calm voice, Rayn asked Nazar:— “President, what does Nogen Day mean?”

  Nazar replied in an excited tone:— “Nogen Day means the Day Without Birth. But I know the real story will be told by Saamyn.”

  A strange discomfort settled in everyone’s chest. All eyes then turned to Saamyn. After a brief pause, Saamyn thought to himself:— “Now I have to explain it simply. Everyone has already been astonished today.”

  Then, in a calm voice, he said:— “Nogen Day occurred on February 28, 2103. It is called the Day Without Birth because not a single child was born on Earth that day. And a strange celestial illusion appeared in the sky.”

  Hearing this, everyone was astonished again. Riyy asked in a surprised, calm voice:— “What kind of illusion?”

  As everyone watched in silence, Saamyn calmly explained:— “Normally, the stars in the sky remain fixed. But that day, they were moving. Each star revolved in a circle around the North Star… as if the entire sky was a giant clock, and the stars were its hands.”

  The image felt unreal, almost terrifying. Hearing this, everyone’s eyes widened. No one could believe it. Stars never orbit around each other, and such a phenomenon seemed completely impossible.

  After a brief silence, Saamyn continued:— “The sight in the sky at that time felt like a dream. Space researchers could not provide any explanation. Hence, it was called an illusion created by the cosmos.”

  Even scientists had been left powerless. Hearing Saamyn’s words, everyone couldn’t help but believe him.

  Before long, they all stepped outside the school. The night felt too quiet. The moment they came out, they noticed the gentle, chilly breeze. Countless colorful stars sparkled in the sky.

  Some of them unconsciously glanced upward, uneasy. The trees around them swayed softly in the wind, and the moonlight shimmered on the leaves.

  In the silence of the night, only the whooshing of the cold breeze and the rustling of the leaves could be heard. Crossing through the main gate of the school, some of them called their drivers to come pick them up.

  Instead of waiting there, Rayn, Yuqeen, Mayya, and Haarun started walking toward their homes. The others remained standing there.

  In a calm voice, Nazar said to Saamyn:— “I’ve seen that you know a lot. Now I want to see how you do in the exam.”

  It sounded less like a challenge and more like a test of truth. Saamyn didn’t reply. He only gave a faint, subtle smile. A smile that hid far too much. After some time, the others’ drivers arrived with their cars.

  Hinnah, Sa’ut, Riyy, and Satsuqy left for home in their cars. Nazar dropped Rinah off at her apartment and then went home in his own car.

  Haarun also dropped Mayya off at her apartment and then called his driver to pick him up.

  Meanwhile, Saamyn and Ymraan were walking down an empty road. There was no sound around them except for the whispering rush of the wind.

  After a moment of silence, Saamyn spoke in a cold, slow voice:— “Ymraan, you go on alone today. I’ll be late.”

  The words carried weight beyond explanation. Ymraan didn’t take Saamyn’s words as something casual — he took them as an order. So, without uttering a single word, he instantly leapt onto a nearby wall. From there, he began to sprint at full speed.

  Running swiftly, he grabbed onto the branch of a tree with a single leap, swung flawlessly, and landed straight onto the roof of a house. Without wasting a moment, he continued racing across the rooftops — light, sharp, as if he had merged into the darkness of the night itself.

  The night was deep. The city lights seemed far, far away. Ymraan was leaping from one rooftop to another — light, silent, and swift like a shadow. With every jump, the wind howled past his ears.

  He wasn’t running away — he was disappearing. Above him, countless stars shimmered like a strange dream. Moonlight spread across the rooftops, yet Ymraan was moving so fast that even his shadow couldn’t be properly seen.

  The surroundings were silent — only the distant bark of a dog and the whisper of the night breeze filled the air. The cold wind blew through his hair, tugged at the edges of his clothes, making it feel as though the whole night itself was chasing him.

  When the rooftops ended, Ymraan descended into a narrow alley. The damp smell of wet bricks, the chill of moisture clinging to the walls — everything was swallowed in thick darkness. His footsteps were light, yet their echoes rippled through the alleyways.

  Looking up, the dark sky loomed above, with the stars watching silently like witnesses. Ymraan pressed forward, as if he had become one with the wind itself.

  At 12 midnight.

  The world seemed to hold its breath. The silence of midnight spread across the city. The wind blew softly, gliding over the rooftops of countless buildings.

  Up there, the city felt small. Saamyn stood on the parapet wall of the tallest building in the city. His eyes were fixed on the star-filled sky, as if the stars could read his thoughts.

  The soft glow of the moon bathed Saamyn in silver light, while the gentle breeze toyed with his hair. From far below, the wind carried up a strange sense of peace.

  He inhaled deeply, his heart steady, his mind calm. In each quiet moment, he felt as though every star in the night sky was shining just for him.

  Lowering his head, Saamyn closed his eyes and said in a deep, slow voice:— “I… I can’t keep wearing this mask of a smile any longer. I just want a little peace.”

  Years of silence broke in that moment. As he spoke, tears slipped from his closed eyes. They carried pain no one else had seen. No other words left his lips.

  Just then, a bright light descended from the sky behind him. The air trembled softly. When the light dimmed, it revealed the golden-silver-haired Pure Spirit — the same one who had appeared in Saamyn’s dreams.

  The Pure Spirit floated in the air behind him, gently wrapping her arms around Saamyn, as though she belonged only to him.

  Saamyn kept his eyes closed, quietly feeling her presence. After holding him, the Pure Spirit spoke softly and sweetly:— “You must never think of yourself as alone. And if you ever do… I’ve already told you. The day you find yourself truly alone, that day you will find Me.”

  Her voice felt older than time. For a while, they stayed like that in silence. Then Saamyn slowly opened his eyes. When he turned around, everything was gone. The silence returned, colder than before.

  No one was there — as if nothing had happened at all. In a cold, deep voice, Saamyn whispered slowly:— “Why… Why do you leave when I open my eyes?”

  The question echoed unanswered.