In one of Giza's streets,
specifically on a public transport bus taking its usual route,
sat people of all ages, each with different expressions on their faces,
as if every one of them had their own reason for being on that bus.
A young man sat with his arms resting on the window,
staring at the streets and the city that had changed,
now bustling with technology and modern appearances that had emerged over the past seven years.
But…
He didn't seem happy. Nor sad.
His path—the one he had dreamed of—was over now,
and he wondered… what would he do from this moment on?
Then he closed his eyes, recalling what had happened to him earlier that day…
The shock he received, though his face showed neither sadness nor joy.
Only an emotionless expression… with a mysterious smile.
---
Inside the School's Medical Room
Although it was a school, the room contained the latest medical facilities.
The doctor spoke to the young man with a sorrowful gaze.
He didn't know how to tell him, but eventually said:
— Abdullah, unfortunately, you will not be able to join Sinai Global Academy.
He continued:
— According to these results, it seems you'll remain stuck in Level Nine of the Physical Conditioning Stages.
Abdullah said nothing.
He looked at the doctor, expressionless, his thoughts unreadable.
But the doctor showed his emotions clearly—sadness, confusion, regret.
He said:
— It appears your dominant gene is... unusual. It refuses to awaken.
That makes it impossible for you to enter the deep sleep needed to break through to the second level.
And therefore, impossible to enter the Academy.
Though this condition is rare, it's become common enough that it earned a name—"rare-common".
A term for illnesses that emerged alongside Heka energy.
Abdullah replied in a calm voice, as if he hadn't lost hope:
— Can't a technique be used to alter the genes and enhance the dominant one?
The doctor looked at him, eyes filled with pity, and responded:
— It's impossible to alter the dominant gene.
Even though this technology has existed since before Heka exploded from the pyramid.
Yes, in this era, the technology has advanced greatly,
but tampering with the dominant gene is off-limits.
It's the most crucial gene—the one that decides a person's destiny.
— If it were one of the secondary genes, that would be easier—we could modify or improve it.
But altering a dominant gene is forbidden.
Al-Adl would arrest—and even execute—anyone who conducts such experiments.
Then the doctor continued:
— You know, Abdullah, I'm a doctor in this school, and I'm responsible for all the students—especially those eligible to join the Academy.
You were stuck at Level Eight for a long time, and when you broke through to Level Nine,
I was the first to rejoice for you.
I truly thought you had a real shot at getting in.
He placed a hand on Abdullah's shoulder, trying to console him:
— *We are Muslims. We believe in Allah.
If Allah had willed for you to be one of the Mujahideen, He would have opened that path for you.
But Allah knows what we do not.
Maybe you're not meant to be among the Mujahideen,
but no one knows where true goodness lies.
Say: Alhamdulillah.
Abdullah looked at him, took a breath, and said softly:
— Alhamdulillah. (thank God)
But no one truly knew what was going on inside him.
The doctor stared at him for a long moment.
He knew it was pointless.
Pity and false hope wouldn't help someone who needed to accept reality.
Then, with a hint of frustration at his own helplessness, he said:
— Go now, Abdullah. Insha'Allah (God willing), you'll become someone great in the future—someone important.
Abdullah listened to him, then walked out of the room,
leaving the doctor alone, staring at the door.
He whispered under his breath:
— How can someone like you, Abdullah, not be one of the Mujahideen?
It just doesn't make sense.
---
In the School Halls
Abdullah walked through the hallway toward his classroom.
He showed no emotion—eerily calm.
As he entered, all the students looked at him with mixed expressions:
Some pitied him, some were sad, a few couldn't believe it,
and a handful actually felt envy… or even joy at his downfall.
But most were genuinely saddened for their friend, Abdullah.
Whispers began to spread among them:
— I didn't expect Abdullah to be rejected from the Academy...
— I thought it'd be easy for him to pass...
— Could someone have envied him?
— I hate those who envy people like Abdullah. Insha'Allah, he'll grow stronger and succeed.
Abdullah heard the words but didn't respond or react.
He sat down at his desk, about to lay his arms down and rest,
when a voice came from behind:
— Oh, what's wrong, Abdullah? Are you sad you won't join the Academy?
Maroan said it with a faint smile.
Abdullah looked at him and laughed:
— Do you really think Abdullah would be sad over something like this, Maroan?
Maroan laughed too:
— Yeah, I'm shocked as well.
How could my friend get upset over something so trivial?
He paused briefly, then added:
— Even though you didn't reach your dream, Abdullah,
the important thing is—you're healthy, and your family is with you.
Just say Alhamdulillah.
Maroan knew that his friend's greatest dream had been to join Sinai Global Academy.
Abdullah looked at him and said:
— Alhamdulillah.
Then asked:
— And what will you do, Maroan?
Maroan replied quickly, grinning:
— Oh, I'll spend the rest of the day mocking you, of course!
Make you hate yourself for failing to achieve your dream!
Honestly, you should thank Allah you've got a funny, evil friend like me.
Abdullah laughed and responded:
— Go ahead, my friend. It's not the end of the world.
---
Abdullah opened his eyes again, staring out the window,
thinking and speaking to himself:
— Now… what should I do?
Should I keep trying to enter the Academy?
Or do something else?
I truly want to explore the realms, to pass through the gates, to grow stronger.
But that's not possible now... I'll need to start somewhere else.
I'll search for a way to awaken the dominant gene and reach the second level.
Then he thought seriously:
— There's nothing better than money and influence to achieve that.
And he said:
— And I know exactly which path is best.
I'll join one of the Four Global Organizations—the Economic Organization,
run by the world's richest and smartest man: Mustafa.
He thought of the major contributions the organization had made to the world,
the massive projects they'd completed.
But the most important project of all was...
He looked ahead,
and saw his system screen displaying his stats.
He smiled and said:
— Things are about to get interesting.
Next stop: Changes that have occurred over the past seven years
----
"I know I've been late in posting chapters, and the break took a long time, but Alhamdulillah , I've finally finished my exams. So, I hope you like this chapter, and I really want to know your opinion.
Now, I want to thank the new readers who kept reading while I was on break. Insha'Allah, I'll improve and post chapters on time.
I wanted to tell you that the chapter would be posted today, but unfortunately, you're not on Discord or the novel's pages.
So, what do you think about the protagonist Abdullah's character? Do you have any questions?
And now, I'll be using Arabic names and including some Arabic words—I hope you like them!"
Let me know if you'd like any adjustments!