For the first time, the skylark wondered if the bright sky's rules were truly meant to protect her… or simply to keep her from seeing the world below. From then on, she wondered; although she felt lonely, everything was fine before she flew down. She was not constantly watched and was never threatened with punishment. She thought to herself '' it was me all along who created this mess, never my sky. I should have never interacted with the other gloomy sky.''
She sat by herself near the fluffy, majestic clouds, thinking about the bright force. What if the bright force was a warning, not an act of cruelty? She's been with these skylarks for years, and never had they released a bright yellow force to the sky.
Days passed, and her curiosity increased the more she glanced at the other skylarks. The skylarks kept quiet; they often didn't speak around her, until one day, all the skylarks were gone; she saw a shadow behind the luxury palace. She didn't think much of it, but something didn't feel right.
One day, she flew close beneath the raging storm, sensing something was deeply wrong. 'Why do they only disappear when I'm not here…?' she whispered, her voice trembling with betrayal. A heavy feeling settled in her chest, as if she no longer belonged. She wanted to stand up for herself, to follow the skylarks and understand what they were hiding quietly. But then she froze. Their voices reached her through the storm, and as the words sank in, her eyes widened. A shaky hand rose to her mouth, trying to hold back the gasp that escaped.
Little did the skylark know that eavesdropping on the elder skylarks was forbidden. As she drifted closer, their voices grew sharper, and the older skylarks began to sense her presence. They acted swiftly, without hesitation. The skylark awoke to the sound of harsh whispers echoing around her. Her eyes blinked open, and panic surged through her. She was chained, her wings bound, trapped inside a clear, shimmering bubble that pulsed with light. She pressed against it, but it didn't crack, didn't bend. It was unbreakable. And she was completely alone.
Even though he's injured and afraid, something inside him knows she's in danger. A strong sound blasted in his ears, remaining until he could no longer endure it, as the sounds started to fade. A faint whisper then echoed through his ear. The whispers sounded as if they were in danger and were asking him for help. A sudden burst of energy shot through his body, and he drifted somewhere he thought he would not come back to.
The bird was stopped. An old figure flew towards him, telling him, "She needs you now more than ever.''His words ran around his mind as he drifted towards the bright sky, but nothing stopped his fear from being threatened by the skylarks again. He knew this was not going to be a simple rescue, but a sacrifice for his companion.
As he searched the sky for her, something strange caught his eye. He looked around to ensure no skylarks were around. That's when he dared to fly towards it, although he was scared. In the corner of his eyes, a figure could be seen desperately seeking his attention.
The skylark and the bird both met eyes, and the more the small bird gazed at her eyes, the more he felt like there were metal wires wrapped around his neck. The shimmering bubble felt impossible to break; no matter how much he tried, it would not even move slightly.
Feeling hopeless, he whispered to her '' i promise to come back, promises can never be broken.'' Since then He decided to go back to his sky and visit the old man. With every flap of his wings, the weight of his promise pressed heavier on his chest. Before he knew it, the old bird stood in front of him without saying a word. ''You told me she needed me more than ever, you knew this would happen, it's your fault…'' he said with full rage. The old bird continued to fly without saying a word as if he did not take anything to heart. The old man returned to his gloomy, silent place, giving the small bird some time.
Beneath the fluffy clouds, the old man saw a figure; he immediately recognised who this was. Through consistent patience, the old bird reached out his wrinkled hand to the small bird. The small bird reached out his hand, but his head remained low. The old man softly smiled and said ''When I said she needed you more than ever, I meant that her first wish was simply to see you again. She didn't care whether you could save her in that moment; she knew it would be hard, yet she had trusted you from the very beginning.''
The small bird finally lifted his head, and the old man could see the fear hiding behind his eyes. "You're carrying too much," the old man said softly, "but you're not as alone as you think." The small bird swallowed, the image of the skylark trapped inside that unbreakable bubble burning in his mind. His promise felt heavier than his wings, almost too heavy to hold. "I don't know if I'm strong enough," he whispered. The old man shook his head gently. "Strength isn't something you wait for. It's something you choose, even when you're scared."
A quiet breeze drifted past them, almost like the skylark's voice was still somewhere in the sky, calling for him. The small bird's wings twitched, a tiny spark of courage flickering through him. He knew going back meant facing the same force that once tore him down, but he also knew he couldn't leave her there, not after everything she had done for him. He stepped toward the edge of the cloud, the sky stretching endlessly in front of him. "I'm going back," he said, his voice low but certain. "No matter what's waiting for me." The old man nodded, his tired eyes warm with pride. "Then go," he murmured. "She believed in you from the start. Sometimes, that's enough to change everything.