There, beneath an ancient pine, two figures emerged from the shadows. One was a young man, his face partially hidden beneath a woolen cap, his eyes darting around as if expecting to be seen. The other was a woman, her hair bound in a simple braid, her veil lifted just enough to reveal a faint scar on her cheek—an old wound, perhaps, from a life lived in secrecy.

Shahd nodded. “The mountain remembers. It will carry the secret until the right eyes come.”

She gathered the footage onto a single, weather‑proof drive and placed it in a hollow of the ancient pine, sealing it with a stone. “The story will live,” she whispered, “whether the world sees it or not.” She turned to Syma, who smiled with a mix of triumph and melancholy.