Bab 68: Black Smoke.

"Papa, you're alive," Safiya gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. How was this possible? He was standing right in front of her, not having aged a bit.

The man smiled and stepped away from the wall, crossing his arms. "I've missed you, my girl. Look at how much you've grown."

Tears welled up in Safiya's eyes as she took a hesitant step forward, afraid that he might disappear if she looked away. "Why didn't you come home, papa? We've been so worried. You should have come back to us," she said, her words choked with emotion.

Her heart raced as she approached him, noticing that something seemed off. He hadn't changed at all, and she couldn't understand why he hadn't returned home after all these years.

As she got closer, she felt a strange breeze and saw the corridor lights flicker ominously, but she was too overwhelmed by the prospect of seeing her father to pay much attention to it.