Farouk

Farouk Aydem is the deuteragonist of the Work-In-Progress Novel "To Kill the Holy" and the love interest of Enya Channing. Farouk introdruced Enya to the Eclipse - the Restiance fighting against the Architects, who manipulate Society by constructing knowledge and letting them think the Knot of the World (which keeps darkness and pain hidden in itself and is a dangerous construct) is a deity and keeps all harm away from them.
Farouk's goal is it to overthrow the Architects and unravel the truth of the Knot of the World in order to escape his own past mistakes he'd committed and "redeem" himself in doing so.

BACKSTORY

Farouk grew up in the South. His mother had raised him with the goal for her son to become someone great - someone known. Therefore, he grew up with a self-image of himself being great, being much more than anyone ever could be. With this in mind, he graduated most schools he went on with highest grades. Later, he got interest in the Position of the Architect - the leader of the Nation of the East, where only the Best of the Best can be selected as future Rulers with the ability to construct knowledge. Farouk attented the complicated selection process. He got selected.

Farouk was then taught and trained by Cahal Kerr, who gave him lessons in use of the Luminary Arts (Light Magic), the history of the Architects and as well lessons about the Knot of the World and what it means to the Architects. Since the underlying task of an Architect is to protect the Knot - or the lie it is a deity to manipulate society. Farouk learned everything by heart. However, Cahal stepped back from his position as the Architect pretty early. Farouk had to take over his position when he was barely sixteen years old.

Farouk's rulership was short and terrible. He withdrew from everything society expected an Architect to be. He slept with more people than he could count, although as an Architect, it is a "sin" to act on your lust. Farouk talked in vulgar language, only cared for his own needs and let even the noble population into frustration and need of money. Furthermore, he didn't wear his helmet all the time - which is the trademark of an Architect and society expects to never see the face of their Ruler. Farouk forced aspiring young people to become soldiers based off their looks/physical abilities and hit these people if they dared to talk back.

Events took a turn when the comments of his own mentor and the past Architects grew louder and louder. For multiple years in Farouk's rulership, the Past Architects had called him disgusting. Disgusting for existing, Disgusting for sleeping with people, discusting on how he even looked. They were disgusted with every part of him and didnt back off and called him disgusting. Since Farouk's self perception suffered due to this and the high expectations he had since his childhood started to crush him, he grew deeply hurt. So hurt, that he had made an impulsive decision to show everyone what "disgusting" actually meant.

Farouk kidnapped Cahals dogs as well as three infants (where he wasn't aware one of them was Cahal's illegal son) and threw them alive into a fire pit. Later that night, he returned home to the Architect's residence and confessed his crime he'd done out of spite. Farouk was immediately arrested by Cahal. They branded his back with the sigil of Banishment, took away his ability to construct knowledge and led him to the Knot of the World. There, in weak condition, Farouk fought for his life agaisnt Cahal where Cahal cut off his arm with a light tear (Luminary Arts) and left him to die - leaving him to die. Due to the Battle in the Knot the World, Farouks hair color turned from black to white to do the Light Magic. Farouk had also managed to keep a tiny piece of his architectal ability and was found bleeding out by the Eclipe - the Organization, that nowdays fights against the Architects and want to overthrow it and untie the Lie of the Knot of the World.

ACT I

Farouk is captured by Enya after he, as usual, killed Soldiers of the East (belonging to the Architect) to weaken the forces of the Architect. However, as he had fought against Enya and accidently kicked her off the sky plane, he had grabbed her hand and showed her the truth of the Knot of the World and the true nature of the conflict. Saving Enya but leaving her confused, she captures Farouk and takes him to prison where Farouk is supposed to be executed.

However, while Farouk is waiting to be executed, he gives Enya an offer: If she helps him escape, she can join him when she wants to know more about the whole conflict and why she is fighting on the wrong side. Enya takes the offer, and Farouk escapes out of Prison with her help and leading Enya to the Eclipse - the organization that rejects the Society in its core and wants it to fall.

ACT II

After recruiting Enya, Farouk spends a lot of time with her, going on missions together with her and seeking out technical help with the Eclipse after his mechanical arm has a malfunction. With time, he developes a friendship with Enya and falls in love with her. However, he gets more and more vulnerable around her which once ends in Farouk and Enya leaning in for a kiss, but Farouk withdrawing due to the growing burden of the consequences of his actions. The same night, he wants to tell her about his past but cannot force himself to - in fear, she'd reject him as everybody else had in his entire life.

However, as the conflict progresses and the Eclipse is in a battle against Cahal, Cahal reveals Farouk's identity by calling him by his actual name and also revealing that, one of the children Farouk has killed, he had killed Cahal's baby son, too. Farouk breaks down, begging Enya to understand him while it is also revealed that Farouk had planned to turn Enya into the new Host of the Knot of the World (which was before Farouk had fallen for her). Enya tells Farouks she never wants to see him again and joins the Architect.

ACT III

After his identity was revealed to Enya - and Enya found out that Farouk was the one who had made her life that miserable in the first place - Farouk left the Eclipse and escaped for into the North. There, mirroring his downfall of his past, he collapsed into the snow due to blood loss of the previous battle which ended in the reveal of his identity. The local Thieves Guild found him and took care of him. At the Guild, Farouk has the opportunity to start all over once again. A new name, a new identity, a new persona. He spirals back into his old pattern again. However, Farouk struggles more than before with the immense guilt of his crimes, of everything he has done and hidden. He decides to leave the Guild, slowly facing the fact that he has to take responsibility for his past and returning back to the Eclipse.

At the Eclipse, Farouk reveals every informtion about the Knot of the World he had withdrawn from them in order to protect his fake persona. He also gives them the information of how the residence of the Architects is build and where most Guards stand and what do expect of each Ex-Architect. Farouk's goal is still the unraveling of the lies of the Architects about the Knot of the World - but this time with the goal to face his past and admitting who is and who he was.

ACT V

After Cahal bombed the East, he captures Enya and Farouk. Thus also being Farouk's and Enyas' fully reunion after his identity being revealed. They both get placed bombs onto their body and just one mistake would mean their death while being locked up. There, Farouk makes clear that he does not want Enya's forgiveness but also making clear that his love and all the affection has been real - and not part of his fake persona.
Enya and Farouk manage to escape due to the help of Cub and the others of the Eclipse. In preparation of the final battle, Enya gets blamed and scolded by Cub for everything that had happened since she'd joined the Architect's side and helped Cahal. Meanwhile, Farouk does not defend her since he has learned that one have to be held accountabile for their mistakes.

After the Knot of the World has consumed the East and Maeve (The wife of the host of the Knot) has been killed, the East is barely recognizable anymore, especially with the destroyed land. Farouk, Enya and the rest of the Eclipse gather their strength one last time to challenge Society. While Enya goes to challenge Fedora (the host of the Knot of the World), Farouk battles Cahal.
However, the first battle ends up in a defeat and the overall battle escalates. When Cahal attemps to kill Enya, Farouk ultimately loses his egoism and uses his mechanical arm (which was the personifaction of his egoism, the thing he had most cared about) as a shield to save Enya. However, it injures him but Enya is able to slaughter Fedora and free Society of the lies of the Knot (and leading it to doom since the faith of the people has now been robbed).
After the Battle and a couple of losses, Farouk and Enya spend one last evening together, discussing everything that had happened. Enya makes clear she will not kiss Farouk until he has tried his best to redeem himself as his past as Architect as best as he could.
Farouk leaves Enya without a word the next day and lets her rebuild society without his influence and seeks out (off-screen) his mother who still thinks her son would never do such crimes. (Off-Screen) Farouk helps everyone he has wronged, works and gives all the money he has earned to villages and helps funding the developing democracy. He returns to Enya fifteen years later and kisses her.