Caught in 4k

Sikandar and Suleiman were having egg rolls prepared by Humaira at the rooftop, enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze with their lunch while also reading books on void. It was one of the secluded spots where very few students hung out. Right now, it was just the two of them and their egg rolls.

“Hmm… It’s so good,” Sikandar complimented Humaira’s cooking.

“Don’t tell my mom, otherwise she’ll make egg rolls every day,” Suleiman joked, taking a bite.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Sikandar was serious.

“Well, some of us like variety in life,” Suleiman snarked.

“Alhamdulillah,” Sikandar said after the last bite.

“Alhamdulillah,” Suleiman also finished his roll, “Now, let’s try some of those moves.”

“I’m ready,” Sikandar got to his feet.

“Good, you should be ready for a beatdown,” someone interrupted their training session. They turned to the voice to see 15 boys and girls entering the rooftop.

“Oh great, it’s Ishaq’s lackeys here for revenge,” Sikandar rolled his eyes.

“We’re his friends!” Amir said, his big nose turning red.

“Sure,” he turned to Suleiman, “You might want to record this for proof.”

Suleiman nodded and started recording on his phone.

“Tsk, you think recording this will save you?” Saad asked, his big ears turning red.

‘What are they tomatoes?’ Sikandar wondered, “It might save me from jail time.”

The lackeys laughed, “You think you’re winning this?” Sameer asked.

“Well, you’re certainly not,” Suleiman rebutted.

“We’ll see right now!” Sameer and others charged up their attacks, ready to launch air, water, earth and fire upon the two.

Sikandar snapped his fingers and the attacks just disappeared.

“What the-” The lackeys cursed. They tried charging their attacks again and again but it kept flickering out of existence.

“What did you do?” Amir asked.

“Did you guys have lunch?” Sikandar asked, “Your batteries must be out.”

“Get him!” Amir led the charge against Sikandar.

Sikandar stretched his joints a bit, waiting for them to get near.

Amir was the first to reach him. He raised his fist and tried to punch that bored look off Sikandar’s face. But instead of hitting his face, the fist went through his head like it was air. Sikandar bent down and delivered an uppercut that sent him flying.

The next to reach him was Saad, who came in with a flying kick, but he too just phased through Sikandar, who then grabbed him by the collar from behind and threw him into two others running at him.

The mob stopped, not expecting such an onslaught from the short redhead.

‘Hey!’

“He’s just one person,” Sameer said, “Attack him together.” The mob followed Sameer’s lead and continued their onslaught. But Sikandar vanished from sight.

“Argh!” A girl in the back screamed as she got knocked out by Sikandar, who teleported again and punched a guy in the throat. He kept teleporting, confusing the attackers and taking them out one by one.

Until it was just Sameer left standing. Sameer did a 360-degree spin, emitting flames on all sides to cover his blind spots but Sikandar teleported above him upside down and headbutted him.

The mob was now lying on the ground, groaning in pain. Sikandar turned around and walked away from them.

“Not yet,” Amir groaned as he got up, “We’re not done yet,” he repeated as others got back up.

“We’ll make you pay for humiliating Ishaq,” Sameer said.

Sikandar raised his arm, “And who’ll pay for humiliating me all these years?” He brought it down and the attackers felt a heavy force slam them into the ground. They tried getting up but Sikandar kept pushing them down with his karamat. He stopped once he was sure they were knocked out for good. 

Suleiman whistled at the sight, “That was peak! You cooked them so hard they’re extra burnt.”

“Yeah! That was crazy!” A girl said.

Sikandar and Suleiman turned to see a dark girl in violet abaya and round glasses recording them.

“Oi Sameera, you didn’t post that, right?” Suleiman asked.

They found themselves in the headmaster’s office with Javed playing the video of the rooftop fight posted by Sameera on the high school TokTok account.

“As you can see sir, it was self-defence,” Suleiman spoke up.

“Sir, we can’t let this go,” Asif interjected, “He knocked out 15 students.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Javed sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He turned to the students, “Yes, they attacked first but you should have escaped and complained to me. I just suspended your cousin for a similar incident.”

“Sorry, sir,” Sikandar hung his head in shame.

“And you all,” Javed turned to the mob who stood bloodied and bruised, “Have you no shame in attacking two students with a large group?”

“Sorry, sir,” The lackeys said together.

“All of you will serve detention and write an essay on why violence is not the right way to solve disputes,” Javed ordered.

“Sir, that’s too light,” Asif butted in, “And I mean it for all of them.”

“Since they started the fight and Sikandar ended it, I’m calling them even and letting them off with a warning,” Javed decided.

“Sir, Suleiman didn’t do anything, he was just recording for proof,” Sikandar spoke up for his friend.

“Suleiman, you don’t have to serve detention,” Javed replied.

“Thank you sir,” Suleiman replied.

“You,” He turned to the mob, “get yourself treated at the nurse’s office. Suleiman, can you help Asifa treat them? Treating this many students might be too much for her.”

“Okay sir,” Suleiman agreed.

“You can leave now,” Javed dismissed them. The students left the office one by one until Sikandar was the last one at the door, “Sikandar,” Javed called him and he turned around, “Congratulations on your awakening.”

Sikandar smiled, “Thank you sir.” Then he left the office.

He followed the group to the nurse’s office to make sure the lackeys wouldn’t try anything on Suleiman. As he walked through the hallway, all the students were staring at him. Not with disgust or pity but fear and respect. He sort of-

‘Nope! Not turning into a vengeful edgelord.’

Meanwhile, Farhan was sipping tea with Ismail and Aafiya at their villa, discussing the recent events.

“Brother,” Ismail said, “I am truly sorry for my son getting Ishaq in trouble again. I will meet him today and sort him out.”

“This time, I must admit it was Ishaq’s own fault,” Farhan admitted, “but I’m not here to discuss my son’s folly, I’m here to discuss another important revelation.” Farhan nodded to a servant who played the video of Sikandar’s fight on the TV.

Sikandar’s family was shocked by what they were seeing. 

“His karamats actually awakened,” Raeesa gasped.

“Not just any karamat, the ability to nullify other karamats and control void,” Farhan pointed out.

“What’s void?” Aafiya asked.

“A powerful and rare element that can’t be properly defined other than the fact that it exists,” Farhan answered, “The last void user lived until thirty years ago and wrote many books on the subject.

“Why didn’t he tell us?” Aafiya wondered.

“It must be his ego,” Ismail scoffed, “He must be thinking he no longer needs us now that he has his powers.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Raeesa rebutted, “Yesterday the way he talked, the way he acted, it’s like he no longer cares what we think of him.”

“How’s that any different from what I said?” Ismail asked.

“Regardless of his reasons,” Farhan interjected to bring them back to the topic, “we cannot afford for him to be alienated from the clan. As a void user, he can shift the power balance in favour of our clan. Other clans will want him to either join them or remove him.”

“Don’t worry, brother, we will talk some sense into him,” Ismail assured him.

Somewhere amidst the snow-laden mountains and valleys of Barfistan, a tall fair man with long silver hair and green eyes was sparring against a dark man with purple hair and yellow eyes. They swung their swords expertly, aiming for each other’s openings and blocking attacks on their weak spots with ease. Each strike was swift and sure with no room for mistakes.

While the two sparred, the latter’s identical twin rushed to them with his phone in hand.

“Aarif sir! You need to see this,” He addressed the silver-haired man.

The two stopped sparring and watched the video that the third man was showing them. It was the video of Sikandar’s rooftop fight.

“Meeran, what do we know about him?” Aarif asked the man showing the phone.

“He’s Sikandar Ali Khan, the nephew of Farhan Ali Khan, the head of Khanzadas,” Meeran answered, “He was thought to be unblessed-”

“But in truth, he was blessed with void,” Aarif filled in.

“He can also nullify karamats,” Meeran added.

“Shaan,” Aarif addressed the brother he was sparring with, “Summon the elites of the Pashtun clan for a closed-door meeting. This could affect our plans for Asadistan.”

“Yes, sir!” Shaan replied.