đ Hadith:
"Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body; if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good; but if it becomes corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. That piece is the heart."
â Sahih al-Bukhari
Nurhal stood unshaken.
No blade had pierced its soil. No tyrant had entered its gates.
But sometimes, the storm outside is easier than the one that brews within.
The day after the warlord's retreat, the city awoke to celebration. But Idris saw something else.
Smiles⊠shadowed by suspicion.
Joy⊠dimmed by ambition.
Light⊠flickering under the weight of pride.
The Council Begins to Crack
The Council of Nurhal, once united by the fall of the Emir, now sat around the marble table with arms folded, eyes narrowed.
Nasira, bold and brilliant, wanted to establish a new orderâa doctrine that would spread beyond Nurhal.
Bahir, practical and wary, urged restraint. "Let's not trade one tyranny for another, even if it speaks in poetry."
Zaynab, ever the voice of patience, warned them both: "The soul grows arrogant after victory. Guard yours."
Idris, the AmÄ«n, said little. He watched. He listened. He weighed every word spokenâand those left unsaid.
"What Is Power Without Vision?"
In the third meeting that week, Nasira stood and raised a scroll.
"I propose we form the Light Guardâa disciplined force, trained in values, ready to defend the ideals of our revolution."
A ripple of murmurs crossed the chamber.
"Armed men?" Bahir frowned. "Under whose command?"
"Under the Council's command," she answered. "Under Idris's wisdom."
Idris looked at her. "You wish to protect light⊠with fire?"
"No," she replied. "With discipline. With purpose."
He held her gaze.
"Every army begins with ideals," he said.
"And ends with obedience to whoever holds the louder voice."
A Subtle Shift
The vote was postponed. But something had already changed.
That night, Idris walked alone through Nurhal. Lanterns glowed. Bread baked. Children laughed.
But in corners⊠shadows moved.
Two merchants argued not over priceâbut over whose vision of Nurhal was right.
A teacher scolded a student for reciting a verse "too softly"âclaiming it showed weakness.
A street poet was beaten by a group who called his words "dangerous."
The city Idris dreamed ofâŠ
was drifting into something else.
Shaykh Nuh's Wisdom
In the quiet of the old library, Idris sought his mentor.
Shaykh Nuh, now aged and slower, lit the lamp between them.
"They want me to take control," Idris confessed. "To speak louder. Stand firmer. Lead like a ruler."
The Shaykh sipped his tea.
"And what do you want?"
"I want to protect the light."
"Then do not become its shadow."
Idris frowned. "But what if restraint lets the wrong hearts rise?"
"Then rise," Shaykh Nuh said. "But rise like the moonânot the sun. The moon reflects, not burns. The moon leads without blinding."
A Warning in the Dust
At dawn, a parchment was found outside the mosque.
Folded. Sealed. Anonymous.
Idris opened it with care.
"The fire has not left Nurhal.
It has only learned to smile."
Beneath it, a small sigil was drawn in black ink:
A circle, broken by a dagger.
The symbol of the old Emir's secret guard.
Unrest Grows Quietly
The Light Guard was not yet formedâŠ
But Nasira had support.
Some council members met her in private.
Some offered allegiance quietly.
OneâHarun, the historianâbegan collecting names.
Not for records. But for what he called the "future of the Flame."
Idris Knows
By week's end, Idris stood at the top of the Lantern Tower.
From there, Nurhal looked golden. Beautiful. Peaceful.
But peace built on ambition⊠was only waiting to crack.
"Ya Rabb," he whispered,
"guide my heart, before it hardens.
And guide this city, before it forgets why it was freed."
The wind tugged at his cloak.
And far below, in the council chambersâŠ
a fire flickeredâquiet, warm, and ready to grow.
End of Chapter 26