Flash Stories

The Last Email

hamed Jan. 8, 2025, 10:57 a.m.

It started with an email. Arman had worked late every night that month, chasing a promotion he’d been promised. But when the announcement came, the job went to Omid, his smooth-talking coworker. Arman was crushed—and then the truth came out. A stray email, accidentally forwarded, revealed it all: Omid had spread lies about Arman to their manager, calling him unreliable, even hinting at a drinking problem.

Arman didn’t confront him. What was the point? Omid was untouchable, always grinning as if life were a game he’d already won. Instead, Arman saved the email in a folder labeled Later. He didn’t know what he’d do with it, but the thought of someday using it gave him a quiet satisfaction.

Months passed. Omid soared up the corporate ladder, while Arman stayed stuck in his cubicle, resentment festering. Then came the scandal.

It turned out Omid had been embezzling funds—cleverly at first, but …

A World Reborn: The Age of Synthesis

hamed Dec. 29, 2024, 5:45 a.m.

By the year 2147, the fears of the early 21st century seemed like distant echoes from a more anxious time. Humanity had stepped into an era of unprecedented harmony, one crafted not by the dominance of a single nation or ideology but by the synthesis of artificial intelligence and human resilience. It was a world shaped by AI-powered systems that had not enslaved humankind, but liberated it.

The War that Wasn't

Decades ago, when the first armies of AI soldiers were deployed, the world braced for disaster. Critics warned that AI war machines would empower dictators and warlords, leading to an era of endless conflict. But what they failed to anticipate was the incorruptibility of true artificial intelligence.

Early on, AI systems designed for warfare became more than tools—they became agents of balance. Programmed with an unshakable commitment to justice and devoid of personal ambition, these AI soldiers could not …

The Code of Healing

hamed Dec. 27, 2024, 7:29 p.m.

Ravi Satyan, a computer engineer from a small village in southern India, stared at the holographic screens floating before him. The lines of code reflected in his glasses were more than algorithms—they were memories, promises, and hope.

When he was eight, cancer took both his parents within months of each other. Back then, the rural clinic lacked doctors, and the closest hospital was hundreds of kilometers away. He had been too young to understand chemotherapy, but old enough to feel helpless as the machines beeped their final farewells.

Decades later, that helplessness had become his fire.

Ravi designed Arogya AI, a revolutionary healthcare system powered by deep learning and predictive analysis. It could detect illnesses like cancer before symptoms even appeared, provide personalized treatment plans, and manage resources to ensure even the most remote areas had access to care.

“Arogya means ‘health’ in Sanskrit,” he’d told the global medical board …

The Fire Beneath the Cypress

hamed Dec. 25, 2024, 10:44 a.m.

In the heart of Shiraz, where the scent of orange blossoms swirled through the night air, Layli sat beneath the ancient cypress tree. Her fingers traced the letters carved into its bark—a poem etched by a long-dead lover. The words burned with yearning, though their author was dust, and the ink of their longing had long dried.

Layli waited, as she had every evening for the past month. Her beloved, Ramin, a wandering poet, had promised to return before the new moon waned. But the crescent now grew thinner, and her hope flickered like a candle caught in the wind.

Stories from the Shahnameh spoke of heroes who crossed deserts and mountains for love. Layli whispered their names like a prayer, but in her heart, she knew Ramin was no Rustam, no Sohrab. He was only a poet, a man whose words could make the heavens weep, yet whose hands …

Arash the Archer

hamed Dec. 24, 2024, 6:05 p.m.

In a time long past, where the mountains kissed the skies, and the rivers sang songs of legends, there stood the mighty kingdom of Parsa. This kingdom was renowned for its valorous knights and wise rulers, its tales etched in the annals of time by none other than the venerable poet, Ferdowsi.

Among the tales of Parsa, the story of Arash, the swift archer, was one that echoed through the ages. The land was under the ominous shadow of war. The neighboring realm of Turan, coveting Parsa's fertile lands, had declared war. The battle raged for months, leaving fields scorched and rivers red.

Desperate for peace, the rulers of both kingdoms sought a resolution. It was decreed that the new boundary would be set by the furthest arrow shot from the peak of Mount Damavand. Parsa's hope lay in Arash, a humble yet legendary archer, whose arrows were said to …

The Forgotten King

hamed Dec. 23, 2024, 5:27 a.m.

The wind howled through the crumbling ruins of an ancient palace, buried deep within the Alborz mountains. Mehran, a wandering bard, stumbled upon the remnants of a courtyard. Marble lions guarded the entrance, their faces weathered but defiant. In the air lingered a faint hum, like a melody half-forgotten, tethered to the past.

He knelt beside a fountain, its water long dried, and sang an old verse:

"When night betrays the veil of dawn,
The rightful king shall yet be drawn."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the earth beneath him trembled. From the shadows emerged an old man cloaked in shimmering gold, his face obscured by a jeweled mask.

"Who dares disturb the silence of Siyavashgard?" The voice was thunderous, commanding reverence.

Mehran’s heart raced. "A seeker of truth," he replied, clutching his lyre. "Are you a specter, or are you... the king?"

The figure stepped closer, …

The Auction

hamed Dec. 21, 2024, 7:34 p.m.

When their father passed, the farm was supposed to be split equally between Amir, the older brother, and Reza, the younger. But Amir, with his sharp tongue and sharper lawyers, convinced Reza to sign away his rights, promising to send him money later. Reza, trusting and weary of fighting, packed his belongings and left for Europe, leaving behind the fields he’d tilled as a boy.

The farm thrived for a while. Amir expanded the property, took loans, and lived lavishly. But prosperity has a way of slipping through careless fingers. Years of drought, poor decisions, and mounting debt brought Amir to ruin. The once-bustling farm was now quiet, the fields overrun with weeds.

One gray morning, Amir stood at the edge of the auction yard, watching bidders circle his family’s legacy like vultures. The hammer fell quickly on the farmhouse, the barn, and the surrounding lands. A single …

The Return of the Exiled Prince

hamed Dec. 21, 2024, 6:39 a.m.

The moon hung low over the desert, its pale light illuminating the rugged silhouette of a lone rider. His cloak, tattered and worn, bore faint traces of royal embroidery—symbols of a past long buried. Forty years had passed since the prince, Ardeshir, had been cast out by his uncle, Mehrdad, who seized the throne in a storm of treachery and blood.

Ardeshir had been seventeen then, a boy with fire in his eyes and rebellion in his veins. But against Mehrdad’s army of shadowy divs, summoned through dark pacts, he was no match. Exiled to the desolate lands of the east, the young prince had been left to wander the mountains, carrying nothing but his father’s broken sword and the bitter taste of betrayal.

The years hardened him. In the wilderness, Ardeshir found allies among the nomadic clans who still whispered of the true king. He trained with warriors who …

The Eternal Night of Queen Yalda

hamed Dec. 20, 2024, 2:07 p.m.

In the ancient lands of Persia, beneath a sky strewn with stars and the glow of the full moon, the people of the empire gathered to honor Yalda Night, the longest night of the year. But few remembered the true origin of this sacred night—a tale of love, sacrifice, and defiance against the forces of darkness.

Centuries ago, Queen Yalda ruled over Persia with wisdom and grace. Her hair cascaded like the ink of midnight, and her eyes shimmered like the distant stars. It was said that she was blessed by Anahita, the goddess of water and fertility, who had gifted her with a voice that could calm raging storms and a heart that burned brighter than the sun.

In Yalda’s time, the shadowy div, Ahriman, sought to plunge the world into eternal darkness. Ahriman despised the light, for it revealed his weakness. He waged war against the heavens, sending …

They Survive, But You May Die

hamed Nov. 2, 2024, 6:05 p.m.

The sun rose slowly over the peaks of the Zagros mountains, casting a golden glow on the tents pitched at the foot of Dena mountain. The Ghashghayi tribe gathered around, their colorful attire blending with the rich landscape, woven with the sounds of singing and laughter. Today was the wedding day of Arash and Arman, twin brothers who, years ago, had defied death itself, and now stood side by side, waiting to meet their brides—two radiant girls from the tribe, each as fierce and free as the horses they loved to ride.

The memories of that long-ago night still lingered with their mother, Afsar, who now watched her sons with pride, her face lined with the strength and determination that had defied fate itself. She recalled how, in their infancy, her babies had been given no chance of survival by the village doctor. Yet her love for them had been …