Kaif walked ahead with quiet authority, guiding Kian and Shahnan through rows of workstations and glass-walled cabins. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the subtle tang of printer ink, and as they moved past nodding employees and murmured greetings, Kaif introduced the two young men with unmistakable pride.

Just as he turned to share another introduction, his gaze fell on a familiar figure seated at a cluttered desk near the window. The man sat hunched over a stack of papers, his frame gaunt, skin pale, almost translucent in the overhead light. There was a stillness about him.