Conviction.
“I didn’t mean to get involved,” he said. “But once you see it… once you understand… you can’t walk away.”
The Fear
I took a step back.
“This isn’t real,” I said, more to myself than to him.
“It is,” he replied. “And it’s been waiting.”
“For what?”
“For someone to listen.”
The words sent a chill through me.
“This is insane,” I said. “We’re leaving. Right now.”
He didn’t move.
“I can’t,” he said.
The Realization
That’s when I understood.
This wasn’t about curiosity anymore.
It wasn’t even about belief.
Karim wasn’t choosing to stay.
He was already gone.
Not physically.
