Chapter 2 Houses of power are not without shadows

Inside the Minister's Villa

On a quiet morning inside the Minister's villa, Minister Fouad El-Shenawy sat in his large armchair in the spacious living room, surrounded by luxurious furniture and warm light streaming through the large windows. Beside him, his wife, Rania El-Wazir, silently sipped her morning coffee, while the Minister held a large tablet in his hand, catching up on the latest news.

Rania El-Wazir, in her late thirties, was a woman of striking presence and elegance, with long, glossy black hair and dark eyes that reflected intelligence and caution. Her sharp features conveyed strength and authority. She always dressed elegantly in muted tones, reflecting her commanding and dignified personality. Intelligent and decisive, she could read people and analyze their intentions, sometimes displaying an air of mystery and coolness, yet showing a limited warmth to those she had chosen, while concealing inner anxieties and familial worries, making her a complex, multifaceted character. Suddenly, the minister placed his coffee cup on the table and stared at the tablet with wide eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips-an expression impossible to decipher: was it joy or cynical amusement at what was happening? He set the tablet aside and looked at his wife. "Can you believe it?" he asked. "The new minister has been dismissed and imprisoned." Rania raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Why? He didn't even finish his term." The minister smiled dismissively and explained, "The press reported the news briefly... The Ministry of the Interior refused to announce the reasons until the investigations were complete, to maintain secrecy and protect the minister's reputation."

Rania let out a worried sigh. "I don't understand what's happening in the country."

The minister put the tablet down and spoke seriously. "Since the day I left the ministry, I've been trying to find a solution to any similar crimes that have occurred in the ministry's history... like those that happened during my tenure. I've found only one explanation... the jinn are involved in all these crimes." Rania trembled slightly in shock. "The jinn?" The minister, who would believe that someone like you, educated and accomplished, would blame the jinn for crimes?

The minister laughed derisively, and Rania laughed along with him mockingly. He continued:

"There was a famous journalist who documented strange crimes and featured them on her program... houses set on fire, girls possessed by jinn, suffering convulsions and nervous breakdowns, and eventually, some dying or having their skin deteriorate... all this happening without any human intervention. When these crimes multiplied across the country and the Ministry of the Interior couldn't catch the perpetrators, the minister was dismissed-although in a better way than I was... The Prime Minister called: 'Submit your resignation.'" Curious and worried, Rania asked,

"What was the name of this journalist's television program?" The minister smiled and said,

"I've downloaded all the episodes onto a tablet... you can watch them yourself." Rania arrived, her face a mixture of concern and surprise, and clutched the tablet in trembling hands. She opened one of the videos and stared at the screen, watching the horrifying scenes unfold. After a moment, she paused the video and looked at the minister, saying,

"Please allow me to take the tablet to my room... I want to watch these videos in peace." The minister nodded gently:

"Of course." "Take it." The atmosphere around them remained thick with tension, as if every scene in the videos reflected the hidden shadows that enveloped the villa, keeping the suspense and anticipation alive in the heart of anyone watching.

-- Rania Faces the Truth** Rania climbed the stairs hesitantly, clutching the tablet in trembling hands. Around her, **Zafar, Dagher, and Nafir** followed silently, like the shadows that surrounded her, but she barely noticed