Parveen and the others widened their eyes, their mouths falling open as they stared at the door. An indescribable joy spread across their faces to the point that they nearly screamed. Angel quickly stopped them, saying,
"Have you forgotten what I told you? Whatever you see, keep your mouths shut. If not, our secret will be exposed and they will know what we are trying to do."
Haris and the rest looked confused because they didn’t understand what she meant. All they could see was a metallic door built into the wall, and they heard Batul say it was the door they had been searching for.
Naufal tried to speak.
"Angel, you left us in the dark. We don’t understand what you’re talking about," he said, his eyes fixed on her face. She still hadn’t wiped the smile off her face. Parveen and the others were already grinning widely like people standing at the edge of freedom, feeling as though they had already escaped the prison.
"Explain to us. What is this metal door doing on the wall?" Javed asked. Their voices were faint because of their weakness. Even the strongest among them had become frail—especially Mubeen, who had been carried into the toilet on Hannah’s shoulder. He had no strength left in his body at all.
"I’m confused, Angel. Please tell us, we’re eager to hear," Gabriel added.
Each time one of them spoke, her eyes followed their lips. She kept staring at them, too overwhelmed with joy to say anything.
"If she can’t explain, then Deeja, tell us what’s happening," Haris said, his eyes fixed on Deeja, who was standing stiffly.
Seeing that they were beginning to get upset, Angel swallowed hard and let out a deep, heavy sigh. In a soft voice, she slowly began to explain everything about the door—except the part concerning her private conversation with Salsabeel, which she deliberately hid from them.
They exchanged shocked glances. At the same moment, an overpowering wave of joy washed through their hearts. Without realizing it, they rushed to Angel, lifted her from where she sat leaning against the wall, and hugged her tightly—almost crushing her bones. Especially Gabriel, whose deepest desire was to escape the prison of fate.
Hot tears streamed down Angel’s face. She couldn’t even tell what kind of tears they were—were they from joy or sorrow? She looked at them one by one after they released her. Yet the thought running through her mind was:
"Do not assume that all of you will survive. Don’t put that in your hearts."
Those words kept echoing in her mind. They touched her deeply. She prayed silently that death would not overtake them inside this prison of fate. She didn’t want any of them to lose their lives in this filthy building. Every time she remembered the young prisoners she had seen in that other room—the ones hanging from ropes like animals—it made her body go cold. She had been truly shaken by the sight of how the guards butchered living humans and harvested their body parts…
Their minds were thrown into panic when Angel suddenly broke into a painful, heartbreaking cry, as though her life was slipping away. Her vision blurred as dizziness took hold. She leaned her back against the wall and cried uncontrollably, her face smeared with tears.
The joy they felt earlier vanished instantly. Worry overshadowed their faces, and they all called her name at once:
*"Angel! Why are you crying? Please don’t break our spirits. Don’t you understand how happy we are because you found the door that might help us escape this prison?
This place where they restricted our lives and denied us freedom… For years—since we were babies—until we were old enough to understand ourselves. Angel, none of us here is older than a little over ten years. How can we not be happy to see this door? We want to survive, even if just to see what life looks like outside these walls.
We want to see the light out there—even if it’s with our last breaths. Our only wish is freedom. If you think we might not all survive, we will pray to God to give us enough time to escape. We don’t want to die a humiliating death in this place. We’d rather death catch up with us outside—anywhere—so long as it’s on the path to freedom…"*
Their words shattered her heart even more. She looked at them with wide eyes—eyes whose color had changed—showing how deeply she loved and pitied them. She didn’t want to lose any of them, but she knew it wasn’t possible. Death was inevitable.
For a long moment, they continued crying—especially Batul and Azeeza, aside from the boys. Tears streamed endlessly from their pale eyes.
"We’re wasting time, Angel. I’ll be the first to try breaking the door," Gabriel said. Even in his weakened state, he dragged himself to the door and knelt beside it, running his hand along the metal.
"I’ll help you," Naufal said as he moved beside Gabriel. Together, they began banging on the door, trying to force it open. Sweat poured down their faces, but the metal door didn’t so much as tremble—let alone open.
Description
Parveen and the others widened their eyes, their mouths falling open as they stared at the door. An indescribable joy spread across their faces to the point that they nearly screamed. Angel quickly stopped them, saying,
"Have you forgotten what I told you? Whatever you see, keep your mouths shut. If not, our secret will be exposed and they will know what we are trying to do."
Haris and the rest looked confused because they didn’t understand what she meant. All they could see was a metallic door built into the wall, and they heard Batul say it was the door they had been searching for.
Naufal tried to speak.
"Angel, you left us in the dark. We don’t understand what you’re talking about," he said, his eyes fixed on her face. She still hadn’t wiped the smile off her face. Parveen and the others were already grinning widely like people standing at the edge of freedom, feeling as though they had already escaped the prison.
"Explain to us. What is this metal door doing on the wall?" Javed asked. Their voices were faint because of their weakness. Even the strongest among them had become frail—especially Mubeen, who had been carried into the toilet on Hannah’s shoulder. He had no strength left in his body at all.
"I’m confused, Angel. Please tell us, we’re eager to hear," Gabriel added.
Each time one of them spoke, her eyes followed their lips. She kept staring at them, too overwhelmed with joy to say anything.
"If she can’t explain, then Deeja, tell us what’s happening," Haris said, his eyes fixed on Deeja, who was standing stiffly.
Seeing that they were beginning to get upset, Angel swallowed hard and let out a deep, heavy sigh. In a soft voice, she slowly began to explain everything about the door—except the part concerning her private conversation with Salsabeel, which she deliberately hid from them.
They exchanged shocked glances. At the same moment, an overpowering wave of joy washed through their hearts. Without realizing it, they rushed to Angel, lifted her from where she sat leaning against the wall, and hugged her tightly—almost crushing her bones. Especially Gabriel, whose deepest desire was to escape the prison of fate.
Hot tears streamed down Angel’s face. She couldn’t even tell what kind of tears they were—were they from joy or sorrow? She looked at them one by one after they released her. Yet the thought running through her mind was:
"Do not assume that all of you will survive. Don’t put that in your hearts."
Those words kept echoing in her mind. They touched her deeply. She prayed silently that death would not overtake them inside this prison of fate. She didn’t want any of them to lose their lives in this filthy building. Every time she remembered the young prisoners she had seen in that other room—the ones hanging from ropes like animals—it made her body go cold. She had been truly shaken by the sight of how the guards butchered living humans and harvested their body parts…
Their minds were thrown into panic when Angel suddenly broke into a painful, heartbreaking cry, as though her life was slipping away. Her vision blurred as dizziness took hold. She leaned her back against the wall and cried uncontrollably, her face smeared with tears.
The joy they felt earlier vanished instantly. Worry overshadowed their faces, and they all called her name at once:
*"Angel! Why are you crying? Please don’t break our spirits. Don’t you understand how happy we are because you found the door that might help us escape this prison?
This place where they restricted our lives and denied us freedom… For years—since we were babies—until we were old enough to understand ourselves. Angel, none of us here is older than a little over ten years. How can we not be happy to see this door? We want to survive, even if just to see what life looks like outside these walls.
We want to see the light out there—even if it’s with our last breaths. Our only wish is freedom. If you think we might not all survive, we will pray to God to give us enough time to escape. We don’t want to die a humiliating death in this place. We’d rather death catch up with us outside—anywhere—so long as it’s on the path to freedom…"*
Their words shattered her heart even more. She looked at them with wide eyes—eyes whose color had changed—showing how deeply she loved and pitied them. She didn’t want to lose any of them, but she knew it wasn’t possible. Death was inevitable.
For a long moment, they continued crying—especially Batul and Azeeza, aside from the boys. Tears streamed endlessly from their pale eyes.
"We’re wasting time, Angel. I’ll be the first to try breaking the door," Gabriel said. Even in his weakened state, he dragged himself to the door and knelt beside it, running his hand along the metal.
"I’ll help you," Naufal said as he moved beside Gabriel. Together, they began banging on the door, trying to force it open. Sweat poured down their faces, but the metal door didn’t so much as tremble—let alone open.