After a while, Yousafer and Yuray exited the house, leaving behind the father and son speaking with utter relief. Night had already fully descended, and the village was now teeming with people. No one paid attention to Yousafer and Yuray; the lighting in the village was dim and flickering, and even the bound man was not seen—otherwise, a great commotion would have swept through the village.
However, the man was no longer in his place; his bonds had been severed, and he had vanished.
Yousafer looked at the cut rope, then turned to Yuray with a faint, knowing smile, saying:
— "It seems we are in for a long night."
Yuray raised his hand toward the sky, interlacing his fingers until a crisp pop echoed from his joints. He replied with a smile:
— "Yes, it will be very long indeed, and the bones of my body haven't moved in quite some time."
At the same time, after the father and son finished their conversation, the father said:
— "Helmo, there is no water left. Go and fetch some from the well."
— "Alright," Helmo answered, nodding his head.
Helmo rose from the table and walked toward the room to bring out a large jar. He stepped out of the house to find Yousafer and Yuray standing, gazing at the village. He looked to his side and realized the bound man was gone; astonishment and anxiety gripped him, and he let out a sharp, low gasp:
— "Where is the man?"
Yuray answered him:
— "They have smuggled him away."
Fear cast its shadow across Helmo's face:
— "They must know about you by now... what will you do?"
Yousafer muttered in a low, steady voice:
— "There is nothing to do... we will wait for them to come. And if they don't... we will go to them."
— "You would go to them? Why?" Helmo wondered in amazement.
— "To pluck some weeds," Yousafer said, his eyes scanning the people walking along the path.
Helmo whispered to himself: "What is this madman saying? Weeds?". But he did not comment; he had realized that these two were powerful and far from ordinary after seeing the man dragged by that black chain.
— "Will you come with me to fetch some water?" Helmo asked.
— "Where will you get the water from?" Yuray inquired.
— "From the well," Helmo replied.
The two nodded in agreement:
— "And where is this well located?"
— "In the center of the village, near the Chief's house."
The three walked in a single file between the tightly packed houses, while the aroma of food wafting from the windows filled the air. This time, the village was pulsating with movement, unlike before when it seemed like a ghost town.
Gazes drifted toward them, and people began to whisper. Even the children, who were running and playing, stopped in their tracks to stare at them; the atmosphere grew slightly strained.
Helmo said:
— "The people here haven't seen strangers in a long time. it's natural for them to look at you this way, do not worry."
— "And who told you we care about their stares?" Yousafer retorted.
Yuray said:
— "I have a question, Helmo."
— "What is it?" he replied with curiosity.
— "The children—when their parents go to work, where do they go?"
— "They accompany their families to the factories, but they stay outside in a place called the Horse Stables. There, the villagers prepared a spot for their children to play together. During lunch, the parents come out to eat with them, then return to work while the children go back to playing, and so it goes until sunset. This was at the request of the villagers; they didn't agree to it at first, but after a while, they relented."
— "That is why we didn't see anyone before," Yuray noted.
— "It's only natural; who would stay with the children if the parents were at work?"
As they conversed, they reached the well, where a large group of people had gathered around it, while others sat in front of their homes.
The whispering began to escalate: *muttering...*
— "Who are these people?
Who are those beside Helmo?
Did they come from outside the forest?
How did they get here?"
Inside one of the houses, an old man was resting. Suddenly, he heard a loud noise outside. He muttered in surprise while staring into an old mirror before him:
— "What is happening?"
The old woman, who was clearing the remnants of food from the table, wondered as well. She went to the window, but returned and said:
— "I saw nothing; the darkness outside is absolute."
The old man rose from his bed, stepped across the wooden floor, put on his leather shoes and a white cloth vest, and walked outside with slow, heavy steps.
He pushed the door open forcefully:
— "What is happening? What is all this shouting?"
The old man's gaze fell upon the villagers, and everyone fell silent. His eyes wandered among them until they settled on Helmo and the two individuals with him. He stared at them for a long time, then called out:
— "Helmo, come here."
Helmo advanced toward him, carrying his jar. When he reached him, he bowed and said:
— "Greetings, Village Chief."
The old man asked him directly, pointing his hand:
— "Who are these two?"
Helmo looked at Yousafer and Yuray, then answered everything—except for the incident of the man and the black chain; he did not mention that.
The old man raised his white eyebrow while staring at them, then said:
— "Come inside."
At that moment, a powerful gale erupted, lashing the trees until they swayed as if on the brink of snapping, accompanied by light, cold droplets of rain. The hair of Yuray and Yousafer danced wildly as they stepped toward the old man.
Once they reached him, he asked:
— "Are you from outside the forest?"
— "Yes, and we are headed to the capital, Randor," Yousafer answered.
The old man had many questions, but he did not know where to start:
— "Do you know the reason people do not venture into this forest?"
Yousafer recounted all the rumors circulating about the forest.
The old man's face darkened, signs of rage surfacing on his features. He clenched his fist:
— "Curse them.. curse those scoundrels. It seems everything was planned!"
— "Then why hasn't the army intervened?" the old man asked.
— "If you are waiting for the army to liberate you from this catastrophe, you will remain here forever," Yousafer said with calm sarcasm.
— "And why is that?" The old man's tone shifted.
— "Do you think the army doesn't know?" A trace of disappointment appeared on Yousafer's face, then he fell silent and looked aside at the trees that were shaking violently.
The wind intensified, and the old man narrowed his eyes as he looked at Yousafer's face. The latter noticed his gaze, and his expression changed. What the old man was staring at was a black dot above Yousafer's left eyebrow, and when the wind moved the other strands of his hair, it revealed a second dot above it.
The old man's eyes widened as if he had unearthed an ancient memory, and he muttered to himself: "Impossible.. it cannot be a coincidence!".
Yousafer said with annoyance:
— "What is it with you, old man?"
But the old man was drowning in his thoughts: "Is it possible that this youth is the same one I saw sixteen years ago?".
He didn't snap out of it until Helmo touched his shoulder:
— "Chief!"
— "Ah, sorry, I drifted away for a moment." Then he asked suddenly: "How is the old man?"
Yousafer and Yuray were taken aback by his question:
— "Which old man do you mean?"
— "I am talking about Adelaide," the Chief said quietly.
Yousafer and Yuray exchanged a look of sheer astonishment; for that was the name of the old man they knew.
Yousafer asked in confusion:
— "How do you know Adelaide?"
The old man answered as he retrieved his memories:
— "That man came here approximately sixteen years ago, carrying a small infant in his arms. He stayed for three days and then departed. Before his departure, he insisted that I and the villagers leave the village, but he did not explain why; he was in a great hurry."
The old man looked around and saw eyes fixed on them and the wind growing more fierce, so he said:
— "Come, let us continue our conversation inside."
Driven by curiosity, Yousafer followed the old man without hesitation.
The four entered the house, greeted the old woman, and sat around a comfortable table. The house was orderly, with red curtains covering the doorways. In its center stood a table with five chairs, and upon the table was soft fur and white feathers.
Yousafer asked:
— "And what happened after Adelaide left?"
The old man replied with sorrow:
— "After he left, I did not want to leave; for the village was thriving with merchants and people. That is what I regret most in my life. Because of me, many have suffered, and they are still suffering."
— "Was the old man accompanied by anyone other than me?" Yousafer asked.
The old man replied while drinking from a cup nearby:
— "No, you were alone back then."
Suddenly, the man remembered something and stood up, saying:
— "Wait here."
He entered one of the rooms and began searching, then emerged carrying a black metallic box, ornate with leaves and topped with the infinity symbol.
— "What is this?" Yousafer asked.
— "Adelaide gave this to me when I refused to leave, and he told me it was something that would help me protect the village. Then he rushed off and disappeared among the trees. I never understood how to use it, and I could never open it."
— "Can I open it?" Yousafer whispered slowly.
— "Please," the old man said.
*Flash.. Flash.. Flash..* (Lightning)
Yousafer lifted the box and moved to open it, but before he could do so, they heard noises from outside—a commotion and the thundering of horse hooves that stopped in front of the house. Someone pounded on the door, saying:
— "Sir, the factory supervisors are here."
The old man stared at the two, while Yousafer looked at Yuray and smiled, then set the box aside.
Yuray stood up and prepared to head out along with Helmo. The old man also moved to fol
low them, but Yousafer stopped him and gripped his hand, whispering a few words to him. The old man's face transformed instantly. Then, the four of them exited together.
End of Chapter