Chapter 2: The Riddle of the Mind
As the sun rose, casting a golden hue over the grand palace, the three brothers stood before the king's friend. His presence was commanding, his eyes sharp and discerning. He was no ordinary man; his wisdom was known far and wide, and the brothers knew that this day would mark the beginning of a journey that would test them beyond anything they had faced before.
"The first trial," he began, his voice echoing through the vast hall, "is a test of the mind. You will each be given a riddle, one that has puzzled even the greatest of minds. Solve it, and you will move forward. Fail, and you may find the path to the throne slipping from your grasp."
The tension in the room was palpable. Fahad, Zain, and Saad exchanged glances, each trying to gauge the others' confidence. Fahad's mind was already at work, calculating possibilities, while Zain silently sought guidance from the stars. Saad, however, was unusually quiet, his thoughts still troubled by the secret whispered to him in the dead of night.
The king's friend handed each brother a sealed envelope. "Inside is your riddle," he explained. "You have until the sun sets to find the answer. You may seek counsel from anyone within the palace walls, but remember, the answer lies within you."
With that, the brothers were dismissed, each retreating to their own chambers to contemplate the riddle they had been given.
In his chamber, Fahad opened the envelope and read the riddle aloud: "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?"
Fahad smiled to himself. This was a test of logic, something he excelled at. He paced the room, his mind racing through possibilities. "An echo," he muttered to himself. "It must be an echo." Confident in his answer, Fahad decided to use the remaining time to explore the palace, perhaps to gain insight into the trials that lay ahead.
Meanwhile, Zain sat cross-legged on the floor of his chamber, the riddle before him: "I am not alive, but I grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, yet water kills me. What am I?"
Zain closed his eyes, seeking clarity. The answer was not immediately obvious, but he trusted in the knowledge he had gained from years of studying the natural world. He thought of the elements—air, water, earth, and fire. The answer came to him slowly, like the first light of dawn. "Fire," he whispered. "The answer is fire."
In the quiet of his chamber, Saad stared at the riddle before him, but his mind was elsewhere. The words of the mysterious figure echoed in his mind, distracting him from the task at hand. Reluctantly, he read the riddle: "I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?"
Saad frowned, his usual quick-thinking mind clouded by uncertainty. He knew the answer should be obvious, but the secret he carried weighed heavily on him. He tried to focus, running the words over in his mind. "Cracked, made, told, and played..." he repeated to himself.
As the hours passed, Saad felt a growing sense of frustration. He had always been the one to solve problems with ease, yet now he was struggling. The weight of the secret had shaken his confidence, and he knew he needed to clear his mind if he was to succeed. He decided to take a walk through the palace gardens, hoping the fresh air would bring clarity.
The sun dipped low in the sky as the brothers returned to the grand hall, their answers prepared. The king's friend awaited them, his expression unreadable.
"Fahad," he called, "what is your answer?"
"An echo," Fahad replied confidently.
The king's friend nodded, then turned to Zain. "And you, Zain?"
"Fire," Zain answered, calm and sure.
Again, the king's friend nodded, then finally faced Saad. "Saad, what is your answer?"
Saad hesitated, the pressure mounting. He knew the answer now, the walk had cleared his mind. "A joke," he said at last. "The answer is a joke."
For a moment, there was silence. Then the king's friend smiled. "You have all answered correctly. But remember, this was only the beginning. The challenges ahead will be far greater, and they will test not only your mind but your heart and spirit as well."
The brothers exchanged relieved glances, but the tension was far from over. Each knew that the path ahead would only grow more difficult, and Saad, despite his success, could not shake the feeling that the secret he carried would soon come to light, changing everything.
As the night fell over the palace, the brothers retired to their chambers once more, their minds filled with thoughts of the trials yet to come. But for Saad, sleep did not come easily. The secret weighed heavily on his heart, and he knew that the next trial might force him to reveal it, whether he was ready or not.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
MuhammadZain
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