Akil loves literature. Arabic classes has been his favourites and today as usual, his teacher reads him poems from Maryana Marrach. All classes are now held in underground cellars as there is risk of bombing. His school has been lucky not yet destroyed, but nearby hospital was recently demolished and so has been several schools in nearby districts. Bt besides constant bombings and having no running water or electricity, the life continues as usual in Aleppo. His school has been lucky to have small gasoline generator, producing enough electricity for lighting and even computers.
Suddenly rumbling noises is heard on upper level. “Another bombing raid?” thinks Akil and the teacher stops reading poetry. “I think, we should pray now” the teacher commands.
Finally, after a hours, the noises up disappear and school will be over for today. Akil with other eleven students left in his school, will leave the cellars now to go home. Being on open sky, Akil acknowledges the devastation the bombing has made. And the planes are still circling skies, even they have dropped all their arsenal. Maybe they are just admiring their work done. Akil notices the sign of devil markings on those planes. He have bad feelings and he starts to run towards his home.
His familiar landscape has changed dramatically. Where once where streets, now it just rubble. Some debris could be recognised being once a car or van, while usually there is just mix of trash covering now those old, familiar streets. Where once where houses, now there is only pieces of concrete as walls on houses has been collapsed , leaving parts of kitchens and bedrooms open to view. And finally, when he reaches his home, there is nothing left of it anymore. Just collapsed walls. Then he notices an arm without a body. It has a wedding ring, similar his mother had. He feels sick and vomit. Then he passes out. The plains marked with devil sign start to revolve around his head. He doesn’t not have an idea, is it all real or just his dream.
*
Day one in his new school. This school is now very different from his previous one. On previous schools, students where studding literature and arts, while here he will learn to combat and how to die. But, he must follow his new destiny. Revenge is his only motivation since his family died.
First, he had difficulties to be accepted by his fellow mates. They become families of martyrs, where most of family members had put on the bomb vest and killed as many unbelievers as they could. All those family members are now in paradise, while he have no idea of his family as they just died as victims. He have no-one to ask it yet.
There is tight rules in this school, based on ranks. Everyone must start from green, then move to red and finally, when ready he will be granted to be black. And everyone should wear clothes accordingly. No green can approach red without a permission and no red can approach black. In his previous school, everybody could be friend for anyone. There where no rules for that. White clothes are strongly prohibited for students in this school. Only high rank schoolmasters can wear white and he haven’t yet seen no-one of those. Mostly, the teachers are wearing black.
The school head is Mullah Omar, but no-one haven’t much seen him. The school is actually managed by Voldemar, who seems to appearing everywhere at same time. “What an unusual name for a man. Maybe he is a Jew” thinks Akil.
Akil wears camouflage trousers and green t-shirt. He is proud to be green and ready to learn how to become black.
It’s bed time for Akil. When he closes his eyes, he sees sign of Devil tattooed to Voldemar forehead. He does not know wether it is just a dream or vision.
*
Akil is lost in underground tunnels. Those tunnels are very old, older than even prophet Mohammed and connect school with outside world. The school is a castle, hidden inside mountain that no-one isn’t able to see it either from ground or from sky. Those tunnels are the only way in and out.
Suddenly, he heard steps coming towards him. Finally, he is saved now to find his way back. He doesn’t want anyone to notice that he has been exploring those tunnels himself, so he hides behind the corner and follows the figure passing by. It’s Voldemar, so especially he would like to avoid him. But suddenly, Voldemar stops. Akil notices, how he is using his hand to press on the stone and wall opens for him. Akil sees a kind of apparatus inside the wall, which has the Devil sign in it.
Akil knows that he must stop Voldemar and remembers his dream. He was right, Voldemar is carrying the Devils sign. Akil is desperate to find any weapon to go against Voldemar and then he sees a sword in front of him as an answer to his pray. He jumps from the darkness, snatch the sword and yells to Voldemar: “You traitor, now you die!”
“Stop, you don’t know what you are doing. I’m not the bad guy. We will be all saved.” is Voldemar trying to explain mumbling and then he makes an offer: “Look, there is plenty of money here. Take it and leave me”, but Akil strengthens his grip, takes the momentum and cuts Voldemar’s head off with one stroke yelling: “Traitors must die!”.
Mullah Omar arrives from corridor wearing white clothes like ghostly figure while Voldemar’s head rolls towards him.
He raises Voldemar’s head from his long hair and wave it in front of Akil’s eyes: “This is your trophy now and you will be always remembered from this victory. And you have found the lost Nebuchadnezzar sword. There is an ancient legend, that this sword will appear again, when it founds someone worth to have it. Lot of people have tried to find it over those centuries without any luck, so obviously they were not worth for the sword. But you are. That’s why we graduate you to black immediately that you can fulfil your destiny.“
The next day is Akil’s awarding ceremony. He will get the black outfit and leaves the school. Most of the greens and especially reds are jealous to him, but he does not care anymore. He have already won his place in Paradise. Soon, he will get his black vest full of explosives and carry it proudly towards to Paradise.