-----------------------------

In one of the remote villages, there was an old man living in a dilapidated hut at the edge of the forest. His name was Ali, and he was known among the villagers as an eccentric person who isolated himself from everyone and did not like socializing. There were rumors about him; some said he was a wizard in his youth, and others believed he committed a heinous crime that was never discovered. But what scared everyone the most was the black dog that always accompanied him. This dog was huge with red eyes and a frightening sound that pierced the night silence. No one knew where it came from, but everyone was sure it was no ordinary dog. It only appeared at dusk, following the old man wherever he went, and children would shiver upon seeing it. Even the elders avoided talking about this dog for fear it would bring bad luck. One cold evening, a daring young man named Mahmoud decided to uncover the secret of the old man and the black dog. He had heard many horrifying stories about them and thought they were mere myths. He went to the old man's hut late at night, and as he approached the hut, he saw the black dog standing on the doorstep. Its red eyes watched his every move, sending chills down Mahmoud's spine, but he gathered his courage and knocked on the door. He heard the old man's voice saying softly, "Enter, but be prepared to see what you cannot bear." Mahmoud entered and closed the door behind him. The atmosphere inside was stifling, and the air was tainted with an old, strange smell. The old man was sitting in a dark corner, the black dog standing by his side, its red eyes glowing in the dark. The old man said in a mysterious tone, "You seek the truth, do you not? But the truth may be worse than you imagine." He then added, "In this place, among the shadows of the trees, lies an ancient secret no one dares to uncover. The black dog and I are part of a centuries-old curse. The dog was once a human like us, but he committed an unforgivable sin, and his punishment was to become a dark creature guarding this place forever." Mahmoud listened eagerly, but his heart was pounding. He felt something unnatural in the place, as if spirits were hovering around him. The old man surprised him by saying, "The black dog is not just an animal; it is the bearer of the souls lost in this forest, and when you come at night, you become part of these souls." Suddenly, Mahmoud began to feel something strange, and the black dog approached him slowly, its eyes glowing more and more. Mahmoud felt as if everything was closing in around him and that he had entered another world, a dark world with no escape. He looked at the old man, who smiled a creepy smile and said, "The dog has chosen you. Now be careful, Mahmoud, for you did not come to seek the truth but to become part of the curse." At that moment, Mahmoud felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest, and his eyes began to close gradually. Before losing consciousness, he heard whispers in his ear like the voices of lost souls saying to him, "You are too late." Mahmoud woke up to find himself in the same place, but everything had changed. The old man had disappeared, and the black dog was standing in front of him, watching him with a sharp gaze. Mahmoud felt as if the whole world had turned to shadows and that he had become part of this dark place with no escape. Since that night, no one has seen Mahmoud again, but they heard strange whispers in the forest, and when they approached the hut, they saw the black dog standing there, its red eyes glowing in the dark, and they felt something dark watching them. Since then, everyone avoided approaching the forest and warned their children not to go near the old man's hut because they knew that the curse that befell Mahmoud could follow them at any moment