I am Shrey Solanki. I am a storyteller drawn to worlds where power, emotion, and choice collide. This novel began as a question what happens when strength comes at a cost, and when the line between right and wrong is no longer clear.

Through this story, I have tried to create characters who feel real in their struggles, their pain, and their decisions. Every action carries weight, and every moment leads to something greater.

it is a story of people, of loss, of power… and of what it truly means to FIGHT TOGATHER.

And This is only the beginning.

About the Novel

This story unfolds in a world shaped by hidden powers, broken alliances, and a war that refuses to end.

At its center is Hairo a boy caught between fate and choice, holding a power he does not fully understand. As battles rise and truths begin to surface, he is forced to face a reality where strength alone is not enough.

Enemies are not always what they seem. Allies may carry secrets. And some battles… are decided long before they begin.

This is a journey through conflict, identity, and the cost of power.

And this is only the beginning.

PART 1 The Earth

On March 6, 1376, Two gods Eram and Mayur met at Bugo the place between two kingdoms. Village and forest

And from that meeting… she was born.

After 9 years both kingdom started fighting for power in Bugo in that war they didn’t care about people of bugo they neglected them and They started to commit atrocities against them. Because of that Bugo secretly started a group that is known as Bendits of bugo even whole bugo doesn’t know about them.

Present Day September 12, 1654

“Mother… where are you?” Hairo shouted.

“I’m here. What happened?” Alice replied, stepping out of the dim light.

“What date is today?”

“It’s the 12th of September… I remember.”

Hairo looked at her. “Do you know what today is?”

Alice froze. Her lips trembled. A tear slipped down her cheek.

“…Today is the birthday of God.”

Hairo nodded slowly. “Then we should do something good today… right?”

Alice forced a weak smile. “Of course… we must.”

“…Then I’ll go to the forest. I’ll bring firewood.”

Alice hesitated, then spoke carefully, “You’re turning sixteen next week… it’s time. Go but listen to me.”

Hairo turned.

“If you see anyone who is not from Bugo… run. There is war in the forest. Don’t stop. Don’t look back.”

“…Okay, Mom.”

Hairo walked into the forest, excitement mixed with fear.

He looked older than his age tall, slim, almost like a grown man but his body lacked real strength. Still, there was something striking about him.

The two kingdoms had been at war ever since the day of the gods’ meeting. Not for land, but for something hidden deep inside the forest of Bugo. Because of this endless war, the village had fallen into deep poverty. People wore clothes taken from fallen soldiers.

Hairo wore the faded red shirt of a Nisag soldier. He never thought it would matter.

He had been gathering dry branches for only a short while when four Creyog soldiers spotted him through the trees. Their grey cloaks were dirty and torn, but the insignia was clear.

They didn’t shout warnings. They didn’t ask questions.

One of them simply growled, “Nisag filth,” and raised his bow.

Arrows flew.

Hairo panicked. He hurled his small hand-axe wildly and ducked behind the thick trunk of an old oak. His heart slammed against his ribs.

A pained scream cut through the forest. The axe had buried itself in one soldier’s shoulder, not his head. The man dropped to his knees, howling and clutching the wound, blood soaking his grey cloak.

Another soldier rushed forward to help his comrade. In the chaos, the wounded man thrashed in agony and swung his short sword blindly. The blade sliced across the second soldier’s throat in a hot spray of blood. The man gurgled once and collapsed.

Hairo stared in horror. He hadn’t even touched the second one.

The remaining two soldiers froze, eyes wide with sudden fear at how quickly their patrol had turned deadly.

An arrow slammed into the tree near Hairo’s head, snapping him out of his shock. Without thinking, he turned and ran, crashing through bushes and low branches. Another arrow grazed his left arm, leaving a burning cut.

Behind him the two surviving soldiers shouted curses but did not chase far. They were too shaken to pursue.

The forest fell quiet again.

Hairo kept running until he burst through the door of their small cottage, gasping for breath, blood trickling down his arm and smeared across the stolen red shirt.

“WHAT HAPPENED!?” Alice rushed toward him. “Why is there blood on you!?”

Hairo collapsed to his knees on the dirt floor. His whole body was shaking.

“T-there… there were Creyog soldiers… I was scared…”

His voice broke completely.

“I threw the axe… one got hit… then the wounded one killed his own friend with his sword. They’re dead, Mom… because of me.”

Tears streamed down his face.

“I killed them… I’m a murderer…”

Alice froze for a moment, then slowly knelt beside him and pulled him into her arms.

“No,” she said, her voice firm but gentle. “You are not a murderer.”

Hairo looked up at her, eyes broken.

“You were afraid. You only wanted to live.”

“But I ”

She held his face gently with both hands.

“Listen to me carefully… this world is broken. Ever since Eram and Mayur met here in 1376, the kingdoms have been tearing each other and us apart for whatever power they think lies in this forest. It forces innocent people to do things they never wanted to do.”

She wiped his tears with her thumb.

“What matters is not what happened today… but what you choose to become after this.”

Hairo’s breathing slowly steadied, though the horror still lingered in his eyes.

“But why… why did this happen today?”

Alice’s expression changed. For a brief moment, real fear crossed her eyes. She glanced toward the open doorway as if someone might be listening.

“Because…” she whispered,

“some things don’t happen by accident. Not on this day. Not in Bugo.”

Part 2 The Hell

Before he could answer, a strange smell drifted in from outside. Blood. It grew stronger with every passing second. Then came the sound screams, distant at first, then closer, sharper, filled with fear.

Hairo’s body trembled.

“I-it’s… them… I think…” he said, his voice shaking as he cried.

Then A knock on the door.

Heavy. Sudden. Unwelcome.

Alice’s expression changed instantly. Fear disappeared, replaced by something cold and focused. Slowly, she reached behind her back and pulled out a hidden blade.

The knock came again. Louder.

She moved toward the door carefully, her steps silent. Her grip tightened around the blade.

In one swift motion, she opened the door and attacked.

The blade flashed forward without hesitation.

Before anyone could react, she slammed the door shut again, blocking the entrance.

She turned quickly to Hairo and grabbed him firmly.

“Listen to me,” she said in a low, urgent voice. “When you reach the border of Creyog, there will be an attack. You must not be scared. They will help you. Remember that, do”

CRASH.

The door burst open, wood shattering across the floor as Creyog soldiers forced their way inside.

One of them stepped forward slowly, a cruel smile on his face.

“Bitch…” he said, almost amused.

Another spoke impatiently, “Kill her already. We want the boy nothing more.”

The first soldier looked at Hairo, then at the blood on him. “So this kid… he’s the one who killed our two?” He smirked. “They deserved to die.”

Alice didn’t reply.

Instead “RUN, HAIRO!!!”

Her voice cut through everything.

She threw her blade.

It spun through the air and struck the first soldier, killing him instantly.

Hairo froze.

He had never seen his mother like this. Not weak. Not afraid.

Strong. Deadly.

He stood there, trembling, tears falling uncontrollably.

“L-let go of my hand…” he whispered, barely able to speak.

A figure stepped in front of him.

Neler.

“Where do you think you are going?” he said calmly. “Don’t you want to see your mother?”

“STOPPPP!!!” Hairo screamed.

But it was too late.

The soldiers attacked Alice together.

Steel clashed. Movement blurred.

And then She fell.

Injured.

Still.

Hairo’s world broke in that moment.

The soldiers grabbed him and dragged him away.

He didn’t fight back.

He couldn’t.

The road out of Bugo was rough, uneven, and stained with the marks of war. The soldiers dragged Hairo forward without care, their grip tight, their movements harsh. His feet stumbled against the ground again and again, but they did not slow down.

Hairo said nothing.

His eyes were open but empty.

The image of his mother falling replayed in his mind, again and again, refusing to fade. The sound of steel, the moment she hit the ground, the silence that followed it all echoed inside him, louder than the soldiers’ voices, louder than the world itself.

“Move faster,” one of the soldiers snapped, shoving him forward.

Hairo nearly fell but caught himself weakly. His body hurt, but the pain felt distant… unimportant.

“Pathetic,” another muttered.

They laughed.

Hairo didn’t react.

Not to the words. Not to the pain.

Nothing.

Time passed, though Hairo could not tell how much. The forest slowly thinned as they moved closer to the border. The air felt different here colder, heavier, as if something unseen was watching every step they took.

Neler walked at the front, silent, his eyes scanning the path ahead.

“Stay alert,” he said without turning. “We’re close.”

The soldiers tightened their formation slightly. Shields shifted. Hands moved closer to weapons.

Hairo noticed

For the first time since they took him he noticed.

Then A sound, Sharp, Fast.

An arrow cut through the air.

It struck the front soldier in the throat.

He dropped instantly, choking, collapsing before anyone could react.

For a heartbeat No one moved.

Then everything broke.

“AMBUSH! Shields up!”

Another arrow followed, slamming into a shield with force, cracking it. A third struck clean another soldier fell.

Panic spread through the group. Formation wavered.

“Where are they!?” someone shouted.

From the rocky ridge ahead, figures began to appear.

Dark silhouettes against the fading light.

Silent. Still. Watching.

Then they moved.

Fast. Controlled. Precise.

Neler drew his sword instantly. “Close ranks! Protect the boy!”

Two soldiers grabbed Hairo roughly, pulling him back. He stumbled, breathing unevenly but his eyes…

His eyes were no longer lost.

He was watching.

One of the figures dropped from above, landing behind the last row of soldiers. A single, clean strike and a man fell. Before anyone could react, the attacker rolled away into the shadows.

“They’re everywhere!” a soldier shouted, fear rising in his voice.

Another figure slipped between shields, striking quickly before disappearing again.

One fell. Then another.

Within moments, three soldiers were down.

Neler blocked an incoming strike, steel clashing sharply as he pushed the attacker back.

“Stand your ground!” he shouted. “Do not break!”

The soldiers regrouped, forcing their shields together, trying to rebuild their formation.

For a moment… it worked.

The attackers struck again but this time, the soldiers were ready.

A spear thrust forward.

One of the shadows fell.

Another rushed to pull him back

An arrow pierced his chest.

He dropped beside his ally.

Silence crept in for a brief second.

Everything slowed.

The clash of steel faded into the background.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

Then A sharp whistle echoed across the ridge.

Clear. Commanding.

Every shadow stopped.

No hesitation.

No confusion.

They pulled back instantly.

Smoke erupted across the road, thick and blinding, swallowing everything in seconds.

The soldiers coughed, swinging blindly into nothing.

Neler grabbed Hairo firmly, holding him in place.

“Stay still.”

Hairo didn’t resist.

He didn’t speak.

He just listened.

Slowly…

The smoke began to clear.

Shapes returned.

The road…

The soldiers…

The silence.

They were gone.

Every single one of them.

Only bodies remained.

Three of them.

No symbols. No armor marks. No sign of who they were.

One soldier looked toward the ridge, unease clear in his voice.

“Sir… they could have taken the boy.”

Neler wiped his blade clean, his expression unreadable.

“No.”

He looked toward the hills, eyes narrowing slightly.

“They wanted us to know they were here.”

The wind began to move again.

The march resumed.

But something had changed.

No one spoke. No one relaxed.

And no one felt safe.

Because somewhere beyond the ridge Someone was still watching.

Part 3 the judgement

The border of Creyog fell behind them at sunset.

No resistance. No battle. Only silence.

Hairo walked in chains between armed soldiers. His hands were bound in iron. His face looked calm… but his fingers tightened slightly against the cold metal.

His breathing was steady too steady.

As if he was forcing it.

Ahead, the capital rose from the hills like a black crown.

Necergo.

Tall stone towers. Massive iron gates. Banners of King Platy waving in the wind.

When the gates opened, the people were already waiting.

Whispers followed him.

“That’s him…” “The boy who killed soldiers…” “He doesn’t look afraid…”

Hairo heard every word.

His chest tightened for a moment.

But he didn’t look at them.

He kept walking.

His eyes fixed on the palace.

For a brief second, his gaze dropped just slightly toward his bound hands.

Then he lifted his head again.

The Throne Hall

The doors opened with a deep echo.

Marble floors. High pillars. Torches burning along the walls. At the far end, seated above everyone King Platy.

A silver crown. Cold eyes. A ruler who had never been questioned.

Hairo was forced to his knees.

“Kneel properly!” a soldier barked.

“I am kneeling,” Hairo replied quietly.

His voice did not shake.

But his shoulders tensed.

“…So this is the child,” King Platy said.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Neler replied. “He eliminated six of our men.”

“Six trained soldiers… defeated by a boy.”

Silence settled across the hall.

“They entered my home,” Hairo said.

“And that gives you the right to spill royal blood?”

“They spilled first.”

Murmurs spread through the hall.

King Platy leaned forward slightly. “You speak boldly for someone in chains.”

Hairo looked up. For a moment just a moment fear flickered in his eyes.

Then it disappeared.

“Chains don’t make you right.”

Silence.

Even the torches seemed to dim.

“Do you understand where you stand?” the king asked.

“In front of a king.”

“And do you understand what that means?”

Hairo paused.

His breath caught just once.

Then he answered, “That you decide my death.”

“Correct.”

The king stood. His voice carried through the hall like a blade.

“At sunrise, three days from now, you will be hanged in the central square of Necergo. Let every citizen witness what happens to those who defy Creyog.”

“Long live King Platy!” a soldier shouted.

The hall echoed.

Hairo lowered his head slightly.

Not in submission

In thought.

Then slowly… he raised it again.

“Make sure they all come.”

The king’s eyes narrowed.

“Take him away.”

The chains tightened.

As the soldiers pulled him up, Hairo’s hand shifted slightly within the iron bindings subtle, almost unnoticeable.

Like he was making sure something was still there.

The doors closed behind him.

Night One — The Cell

The underground prison was cold and damp.

A single torch flickered beyond iron bars.

The door slammed shut.

Metal echoed.

For a while, there was only silence.

Hairo sat still.

But now alone his breathing was no longer steady.

It came in slow, uneven waves.

His eyes closed tightly for a moment.

Not in weakness but In control.

Then footsteps approached.

A guard stopped in front of the cell.

“You’re quieter than most.”

“Most prisoners?”

“They scream.”

Hairo opened his eyes.

“I won’t.”

The guard studied him.

“You killed trained men. How?”

“They underestimated me.”

“And now?”

Hairo looked at him.

For a second, something uncertain passed through his expression fear, doubt Then it hardened.

“Now your king is underestimating me.”

The guard scoffed. “You’re a boy in chains.”

Hairo leaned back against the cold wall.

“For now.”

The torch flickered violently for a moment.

The guard frowned. “Strange draft down here…”

Hairo didn’t answer.

His gaze lowered again just slightly.

Then he closed his eyes.

He was afraid.

But he was not breaking.

He was waiting.

Day Two — Rumours

Necergo buzzed with anticipation.

Merchants spoke in low voices about the execution. Children argued over where to stand for the best view. Soldiers worked in the central square, raising the wooden platform piece by piece.

The whole city was waiting.

In the cell, Hairo sat still.

The same position. The same silence.

Only now, his eyes were open.

Awake. Watching nothing… and everything.

Footsteps approached again.

The guard.

He pushed the food inside without speaking at first.

“The platform is almost finished,” he said finally.

Hairo looked at him.

“Good.”

The guard frowned. “Good?”

Hairo’s voice was calm. “It should be strong.”

“You won’t break it.”

Hairo’s fingers tightened slightly against the chains.

“No,” he said quietly. “But something might.”

The guard hesitated. Something about the boy felt… wrong.

“You talk like you know something.”

Hairo lifted his head.

His expression was steady but deep inside, something moved. Fear… held tightly under control.

“Don’t stand too close tomorrow.”

“To what?”

Hairo met his eyes.

“To me.”

The torch flared suddenly, the flame stretching unnaturally high for a brief moment.

The guard stepped back without realizing it.

Night Two — Rain Over Necergo

Rain poured over the city.

Heavy. Relentless.

Thunder rolled across the sky, shaking the towers of Necergo. Water dripped through cracks in the prison ceiling, echoing softly in the darkness.

Hairo sat against the wall.

Drops of water fell near him.

One. Two. Three.

His breathing matched the rhythm.

Slow. Controlled.

The guard returned one last time, stopping at the bars.

“Tomorrow is your last sunrise.”

Hairo didn’t look at him immediately.

“No.”

The guard frowned. “No?”

Hairo lifted his head slowly.

“Tomorrow is the first.”

“First what?”

Hairo’s eyes held something deeper now fear still there, but buried under something stronger.

“The first crack in your king’s crown.”

The guard stared at him, unsettled.

“You’re not normal.”

Hairo gave a faint, almost tired breath.

“I know.”

Then A low tremor passed through the ground.

Barely noticeable.

But real.

The guard stiffened. “Did you feel that?”

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

Hairo looked forward into the darkness.

For a moment, his calm slipped just slightly.

Not panic.

Anticipation.

“It’s waking up.”

The torch burst violently.

Darkness swallowed the cell.

The Day of Hanging

Morning came cold and clear.

The rain was gone.

But the air felt heavy.

The entire capital gathered in the central square. Thousands of people, packed together, whispering, waiting.

“There he is…” “He doesn’t look scared…”

Hairo was brought forward.

Chains removed.

Hands tied.

He walked up the wooden platform slowly.

Each step echoed.

His heartbeat was loud now.

For the first time Fear rose again.

Real. Sharp.

His fingers twitched slightly against the rope.

But he kept walking.

He reached the top.

The executioner stepped forward.

“Any last words?”

Hairo looked at the crowd.

So many faces.

Then at the king.

Then at the sky.

For a brief moment, his breath faltered.

Then steadied.

“Watch carefully.”

“Proceed,” King Platy ordered.

The lever was pulled.

The platform dropped.

The rope tightened.

For a fraction of a second Everything stopped.

Hairo’s eyes widened.

His body reacted.

Fear real, human, unavoidable And then

CRACK.

The rope snapped.

Gasps exploded through the crowd.

The ground trembled violently.

Soldiers lost their balance, falling to their knees.

The wooden platform split down the middle.

“Protect the king!”

“What is happening?!” King Platy shouted.

The earth beneath the square fractured.

Black cracks spread outward like veins, crawling across stone and ground alike.

The sky darkened unnaturally.

Wind howled through the square.

Hairo hit the ground and landed on his feet.

Untouched.

The ropes around his hands snapped apart.

“It’s him!” a soldier shouted.

“Impossible!” King Platy roared.

Hairo stood still.

His chest rose and fell once.

Fear… gone.

“You wanted everyone to see.”

The cracks deepened.

A deafening roar rose from beneath the city itself.

Buildings trembled.

People screamed, scattering in panic.

“This is not an external attack!” Neler shouted.

“Then what is it?!”

Neler’s eyes locked onto Hairo.

“It’s responding to him…”

Hairo’s voice remained calm.

“You built your kingdom on fear.”

The ground split open further.

Dark energy surged upward like a storm breaking free from the earth.

“Now feel it.”

The balcony beneath King Platy cracked. He stumbled back.

“Stop this!”

Hairo didn’t move.

“You had your judgment.”

The wind spiraled violently, throwing soldiers aside. Armour cracked. Weapons scattered.

The capital of Creyog trembled under something ancient.

Something awakened.

Hairo stood at the center.

Not screaming. Not raging.

Just standing.

And the people of Necergo realized The execution was never his.

It was theirs.

Part 4 Going Home

There was an earthquake. Then thunder roared across the sky.

Everyone saw her…

Citizen: “It’s her… the goddess! Why is she here?!!”

Everything stopped suddenly.

An arrow shot through the air fast, precise and struck King Platy directly in the head.

He died instantly.

Chaos erupted everywhere. Citizens screamed and ran in every direction.

Hairo felt his vision blur. His body gave up, and he fell hard onto the ground, unconscious.

On the stage, death moved quickly. One by one, royal guards, captains even Commander Neler was killed before they could react.

The attackers moved like shadows.

Within moments Hairo was gone.

No one knew who they were. No one knew where they came from.

Neler lay on the ground, barely breathing. Blood spread beneath him.

A surviving soldier knelt beside him.

Neler: “Th-they… we…re the… ban…da… bandats… of… bu…”

His voice faded.

Soldier: “Bandits… of Bugo… They must have taken him back to Bugo… I must report to the queen…”

Hairo slowly opened his eyes.

He was in a cave.

The air smelled of blood.

Dim light flickered along the walls.

A voice came from the corner.

Strange Man: “So… you’re awake?”

Hairo turned quickly, fear rising in his chest.

Hairo: “Who… who are you?”

His voice trembled.

Hairo: “Are you… Cartal?”

The man stepped forward slightly.

Strange Man: “So… you got the note?”

Hairo’s expression softened just a little.

Hairo: “Thank you for saving me, sir.”

Cartal: “Don’t thank me. Your mother told me everything.”

Hairo froze.

Shock filled his face.

Hairo: “You… know my mother?”

Cartal: “She’s here. Guarding the gate.”

Hairo’s eyes widened.

Hairo: “I want to meet her.”

Cartal: “Don’t worry. We’re going to her now.”

Outside the cave Hairo saw her.

Alice stood there, holding a large sword, alert and ready.

Cartal: “Alice… someone is worried about you.”

Alice turned And everything else disappeared.

Alice: “Oh… my boy…”

She dropped her sword and ran toward him.

She pulled him into a tight embrace, holding him like she would never let go. Tears streamed down her face.

Alice: “Are you hurt? Tell me what did they do to you?”

Hairo: “I’m fine… just my throat hurts from the rope…”

Alice held him even tighter.

Alice: “I’m sorry… I left you alone…”

She didn’t let go.

Cartal: “We should move. We have to reach Miso.”

A woman nearby suddenly turned, alert.

Erish: “Someone is coming this way.”

Hairo leaned closer to his mother and whispered.

Hairo: “Who is she?”

Cartal: “Wait here. We’ll check.”

Alice: “Okay.”

She looked at Hairo.

Alice: “She’s Erish… your father’s sister. Your aunt.”

Hairo’s curiosity rose instantly.

Hairo: “Then… is father here too?”

Alice’s expression changed slightly.

Alice: “No… he’s not with us.”

Hairo: “Where is he then? He’s been missing for a year…”

Alice: “We don’t know… but we’re searching for him and”

Cartal returned, cutting her off.

Cartal: “We have to go. Now.”

He wiped blood off his blade.

Cartal: “The path is long. We’ll have to find the horses we lost in the wild.”

In the palace Queen Weleia stood in silence.

Queen Weleia: “The bandits of Bugo will not stay quiet after this. My husband is dead… Now my elder son will take the throne.”

She turned sharply.

Queen Weleia: “Make sure this news does not reach Nisag.”

Soldier: “Yes, my queen.”

Queen Weleia: “Everything must go perfectly for the crowning ceremony.”

Rolio entered.

Rolio: “You called me, mother?”

Queen Weleia: “Yes. Did you hear the news?”

Rolio: “Yes… about father’s death…”

Queen Weleia: “You must take control of the nation now. Are you ready?”

Rolio straightened.

Rolio: “Yes, mother. I am ready. I will do my duty… and I will not let them escape.”

PART 5 A Obstacle

Cartal Whistles the horses they doesn’t come they had to walk a 79 km long road by themselves

But after starting to walk one horse returned but there was a problem only 2 people can ride one horse

Cartal could walk and fight

Hairo and Alice was young and important for them but they don’t know the road to miso as Alice always stays in bugo but did mission for the bandits

Erish was well trained by Thy she can protect the person on horse

Cartal ordered “Erish take Alice with her on horse Hairo will walk with me”

Alice hesitated “But Cartal We can’t leave Hairo like this you know it”

Cartal “its an order and your son is powerful also he must get trained”

Alice “bu..”(Erish stopped Alice)

Erish “don’t forget”

Alice “You are right (Turned to Hairo)Hairo you have to live”

(Erish and Alice left)

Cartal: “Take this blade if anything happens you must fight”

Hairo: “But I don’t know how to fight”

Cartal: “You will learn in Sometime just be prepared”

(They were walking on logging road in deep forest)

Hairo: “I wanted to ask what is miso?”

Cartal: “it’s a village where we all bandits of bugo hide its like our hideout” Imprisonment

Hairo: “And what are Bandits of Bugo”

Cartal: “You ,Me ,Your mother everyone from bugo we suffer from Imprisonment of Nisang and Creyog we suffer from poverty we don’t get freedom we were slaves of this two kingdoms for the people of bugo and save the bugo a group fights they are Bandits of bugo”

Hairo: “what does it have to do with the goddess?”

Cartal: “I can’t tell you now about it. You will know after you we reach miso.”

Hairo: “How long will it take to reach miso”

Cartal: “For us 4 to 5 days and for you mother and Erish it will take 2 or 1 and a half day as they are on horse”

(The deep forest was swallowed by darkness, and the path they traveled was a raw, treacherous road that made every step a struggle. While food and water could be scavenged from the wild, the constant threat of predators made finding a safe place to rest nearly impossible. Driven by a cold fire, they resolved to push through the night to reach the other side quickly. Rollio was consumed by a single, unwavering purpose: to hunt down and kill the man who had murdered his father, the King.)

Queen welelia: “Are you ready for the fight ahead Rolio? the way is long you must think and order the soldiers”

Rolio: “Yes Mother I am ready and I will kill the bandits and avenge father’s death like he did for grandpa”

Queen welelia: “yes son he is still rotting in the mountain on that island”

Rolio: “yes mother he will be rotting for his whole life”

Queen welelia: “Now go and capture them”

Rolio ordered the army to find the best soldiers and summon them in prince’s room

9 Soldiers were summon in room

Rolio chose the two most skilled soldiers, Jane and Ira.

Ira had fought in the Great War of Nations and had led one of the greatest teams in the war and rescued king Uana king platy’s father 4 times from thy and his team

Jane, on the other hand, fought alone against 200 bandits of Bugo. Even after losing all his soldiers during the mission to capture them, he continued fighting and killed many of them.

In the end, only 20 to 25 bandits managed to return, and even they were badly injured.

Rolio,Ira and Jane started finding Hairo and bandits who helped him to get away from creyog

First night

Cartal told Hairo to stay where he was and went deep into the forest to find food and water. After some time, he came back. He had food and water, and also a horse with a saddle.

Cartal: “Hairo, this horse is Berte. He is one of the trained horses we have. When we attacked at the border, when we gave you the note, this horse was lost. We found it that means we are near the border… that is a problem.”

( Cartal sat on the horse, Hairo sat behind him)

Hairo: “How can we be near the border? We started walking in the opposite direction?”

Cartal: “That’s what I was thinking… but I think it’s himLeshy.”

Hairo: “What is Leshy? Is it a ghost?”

Cartal: “Leshy is a spirit of the forest. It lives in the trees and controls the paths, making people lose their way. It can copy voices and watch without being seen. It is not always evil, but it is not your friend either, so never trust what you hear in this forest.”

Hairo: “So we are lost? Do we have to fight him?”

Cartal: “You don’t fight Leshy… you outlast it. Keep your direction fixed pick one path and never change it, no matter what you see or hear. Don’t follow voices, don’t chase shadows. Mark the ground or trees as you walk so you know if it’s turning you in circles. Stay calm, stay together, and move without fear… if Leshy sees you’re not reacting, it loses interest and lets you pass.”

Hairo: “When will we rest? It’s been like 7 to 9 hours till we are walking… I’m tired now.”

Cartal: “You are Thy’s son. Don’t forget… and move forward.”

Voices started coming from the forest “Hairo… hey Cartal, it’s me, Thy… wait for me… where are you going…” “Hey Cartal…” (the voice was a mother’s voice it was Cartal’s mother)

Cartal: “Don’t turn. Move ahead.”

(After an hour, the voices stopped coming… but they were at Miso)

Cartal: “H..h..ho… how!? How did we reach Miso in just 10 hours? It’s a long way…”

They were still on the horse.

Hairo looked around. The village was there.

Houses. Fire. People walking.

Everything looked real.

Hairo: “We reached… Miso?”

Cartal didn’t move. His eyes were scanning everything.

Cartal: “Something is wrong…”

A man walked past them.

Man: “You’re late, Cartal.”

Hairo: “He knows you…”

Cartal stayed silent.

The horse, Berte, suddenly stopped moving.

It refused to go forward.

Cartal pulled the reins.

Cartal: “Move…”

The horse didn’t respond.

Hairo: “Why did it stop?”

Cartal slowly got down from the horse.

Hairo followed and stepped down too.

Cartal: “Animals feel it first…”

Hairo: “Feel what…?”

The wind stopped.

No sound.

No movement.

The people in the village… stopped.

All at once.

Hairo: “ Cartal…”

Slowly Every person turned toward them.

Smiling.

Cartal: “Don’t look in their eyes.”

Hairo’s breathing got heavy.

Hairo: “This… isn’t real… right?”

The houses flickered.

For a second

They were gone.

Only forest.

Then everything came back again.

Voices echoed

“Stay…” “You are home…” “Don’t leave…”

The horse started panicking.

Cartal grabbed Hairo’s arm.

Cartal: “This is not Miso. This is his trap.”

Hairo: “Leshy…”

The ground felt unstable.

The people started walking toward them.

Slowly.

Still smiling.

Cartal: “Close your eyes.”

Hairo: “What!?”

Cartal: “NOW!”

Hairo shut his eyes.

Cartal held the reins tightly and turned the horse.

Cartal: “Hold me and don’t open your eyes!”

The horse ran.

Fast.

Voices screamed behind them

“Come back…” “Hairo…” “ Cartal…”

The air twisted.

The ground shifted.

But they didn’t stop.

Didn’t look.

Didn’t react.

After some time Everything went silent.

The horse slowed down.

Cartal: “You can open your eyes now…”

Hairo opened them.

No village.

No people.

Only forest.

Hairo: “That… felt real…”

Cartal looked ahead, serious.

Cartal: “Now you understand… why you don’t fight him.”

Far in the forest A whisper moved

“…interesting…”

Cartal: “We are still inside his forest.”

The forest was quiet… too quiet.

Cartal and Hairo rode forward on the same horse Berte. The saddle creaked under their weight, but the horse kept moving steadily. The path looked normal, but something felt wrong. The trees stood taller than before, their shadows stretching unnaturally across the ground.

Cartal: “Hold tight. Don’t lose balance.”

Hairo nodded, gripping tighter from behind.

Far behind them something moved.

Not a man. Not an animal.

A whisper passed through the trees.

“…they are leaving…”

The branches shifted slightly, though there was no wind.

“…two… one horse…”

“…toward miso…”

The forest carried the voice.

Miles away, near the edge of the forest

Rolio stood with Jane and Ira.

The soldiers behind them were silent, waiting.

Then the leaves above him moved.

Rolio: “Show yourself.”

For a moment nothing.

Then the air bent.

A presence formed between the trees.

Not fully visible. Not fully real.

Leshy.

“…you search for them…”

Ira stepped forward instantly.

Ira: “My prince, step back.”

Jane didn’t move. His eyes were locked ahead.

Rolio: “Where are they?”

The whisper shifted through the branches.

“…lost… but moving…”

“…on one horse…”

Jane: “So they’re not far.”

Leshy’s voice carried a strange tone

“…they walk… yet return…”

Ira frowned.

Ira: “Speak clearly.”

A pause.

Then

“…follow the path that repeats…”

Rolio understood.

Rolio: “They’re trapped in circles.”

Jane: “Then we intercept.”

Leshy’s last whisper came, fading

“…hurry…”

Silence returned.

Rolio turned.

Rolio: “Move.”

The soldiers advanced.

Jane moved ahead, scanning the ground. He noticed markscuts on trees, repeated again and again.

Jane: “They tried to track their path… but they’re looping.”

Ira: “Then we close distance fast.”

Rolio: “The boy stays alive.”

Back in the forest Berte suddenly slowed.

Cartal tightened the reins.

Cartal: “Something’s wrong…”

Hairo: “What happened?”

Cartal looked around carefully.

Cartal: “We’ve passed this tree before.”

Hairo’s grip tightened.

Hairo: “That’s not possible…”

Before Cartal could reply A sharp sound

An arrow struck the ground in front of the horse.

Berte reared violently.

Hairo: “ Cartal!”

Cartal: “Hold on!”

More arrows followed hitting around them, forcing the horse to stop.

Cartal pulled the reins hard and jumped down, dragging Hairo off the horse with him.

Cartal: “Stay behind me!”

From the shadows Soldiers emerged. Silent. Controlled.

Then.

Rolio stepped forward.

Behind him Jane and Ira.

Hairo froze.

Cartal stepped in front of him, blade ready.

Cartal: “So the forest betrayed us…”

Jane moved slightly, observing.

Jane: “No. You were already lost.”

Ira: “End this.”

Rolio’s eyes locked on Hairo.

Rolio: “Take the boy.”

Jane moved first fast, precise.

Cartal blocked the strike, metal clashing.

Ira attacked from the side instantly.

Cartal struggled to hold both.

Hairo tried to climb back on the horse but a soldier grabbed him from behind and pulled him down.

Hairo: “Let me go!!”

He fought but couldn’t break free.

Cartal saw it.

Cartal: “HAIRO!”

He pushed forward, forcing Ira back for a moment

But Jane stepped in again.

A sharp hit

Cartal lost balance.

Ira struck again, knocking him to the ground.

Before he could rise

Blades surrounded him.

At his throat.

Rolio walked closer.

Rolio: “Enough.”

Hairo was forced to his knees, hands restrained.

Chains tightened around his wrists.

Cold.

Heavy.

Unbreakable.

Hairo: “ Cartal!”

Cartal tried to move but a hard punch on his head made him unconscious

Rolio turned.

Rolio: “We’re done here.”

Berte stood still nearby, breathing heavily.

No one touched the horse.

The forest slowly grew quiet again.

Far away

A whisper moved through the trees.

“…interesting…”

Leshy watched.

Not helping.

Not stopping.

Just watching.

Rolio: “Move.”

The soldiers began their return.

Hairo was dragged forward.

Cartal was injured and unconscious

Defeated.

Behind them The forest swallowed the path.

As if they were never there.

PART 6 Cartal

(Nisag year 1604, 6th April, Falric village) “It’s a boy.” “Really?” Her voice trembled with both relief and awe. The midwife nodded, smiling tiredly. “Strong and healthy. He’ll grow up tough, just like these lands.”

Outside, the wind whispered through the village streets, carrying the scent of earth and wood, as if welcoming the newborn to the world.

A man entered the room, a cigar in his mouth, saw the boy, and left. The mother started crying the man was her husband.

Year 1610. At the age of six, the boy lost his mother.

The man came again that day, saw everything, saw the house they were living in. “What is your name?” he asked, watching the child. “What is name?” the child asked back.

The man paused, then said nothing more and walked away. He turned back once and whispered, “ Cartal that will be your name. Don’t follow me. Pass the fences,” he pointed in the direction of Bugo, “and run as fast as you can. Before anyone asks, cross the river. There will be a woman who will take you ahead.”

Cartal’s voice trembled. “But what is name?” he asked again. “It’s an identity of your own. You’ll understand it when you reach the woman,” the man said.

Cartal did as he was told. He ran fast and reached the river but he didn’t know how to swim.

Cartal reached the riverbank, staring at the rushing water. His small hands trembled, and his chest felt tight. He had never seen water move like this. The current looked hungry, pulling at the rocks and mud.

He stepped in slowly, then stumbled, the cold water biting at his legs. Panic clawed at him, but he remembered the man’s words. He splashed and kicked, arms flailing, legs pumping, gasping as the water dragged him downstream.

Finally, he reached the opposite shore, collapsing onto the wet earth, shivering, soaked, and exhausted. Every breath burned, and his tiny body shook from the cold. The fear and loneliness pressed down on him like a heavy stone.

Through the mist, he saw a faint figure waiting, calm and still. Something in her presence made him crawl forward, every step heavy but determined. He didn’t understand why he had to go, or what would happen next.

The river behind him roared as if it wanted him back, but he kept moving, dragging his small feet across the mud and roots. Tears mixed with the rain on his face, but he forced himself to keep going.

He finally reached the figure, a woman whose eyes seemed to know everything. He sank to the ground, exhausted, shaking, and silent. The first step of his new life had begun, and the sadness of losing everything pressed into him like a shadow that would not leave.

The woman looked down at Cartal, her eyes calm but heavy. She didn’t ask anything. She just bent down, wrapped him in a rough cloth, and lifted him gently. Cartal didn’t resist. He was too tired, too cold, too empty to speak.

She started walking, carrying him through the trees. The path was long and silent. Cartal rested his head against her shoulder, listening to her steady breathing. For the first time since his mother died, he felt something close to safety, even if he didn’t understand it.

After hours, the trees began to thin, and the land slowly changed. The air felt diffHairot, the ground harder under her steps. Cartal opened his eyes slightly, watching everything without saying a word.

“Where… are we going?” Cartal whispered weakly.

“To Bugo,” the woman said softly.

Cartal didn’t know what Bugo was. He didn’t know why he was going there. But he didn’t ask again. His eyes closed as exhaustion took over, and he let the woman carry him forward into a place that would change his life forever.

Cartal stayed with the woman in Bugo. Days turned into months, and months into years. She gave him food, a place to sleep, and taught him how to survive. Cartal didn’t ask many questions. He worked, learned, and grew. The sadness never left him, but it became quieter.

He learned how to move silently, how to watch people, how to fight when needed. The woman was strict but never cruel. She spoke little, but Cartal understood her more with time. Slowly, Bugo became the only place he knew.

Years passed. Cartal was no longer the scared boy at the river. At fourteen, his eyes were sharper, his body stronger, but something inside him still searched for answers.

One evening, the door opened.

The man stood there.

Cartal froze. The memory hit him instantly the voice, the shadow, the day everything changed. The room felt smaller, heavier. The woman didn’t look surprised. She just stood still, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

The man looked at Cartal for a long second. “You’ve grown,” he said quietly.

The man didn’t stay long inside. “Come,” he said, turning away. Cartal followed without a word. The woman didn’t stop them. She just watched as they left.

They walked in silence until they reached a quiet hill. The wind moved softly through the grass. Cartal stood still, waiting.

The man looked at him for a long time. “I am your father,” he said.

Cartal’s eyes didn’t move, but his fists tightened. “Why did you leave?” he asked, his voice low.

The man exhaled slowly. “Because the life I lived… would have destroyed you. I was never just a normal man. I moved in shadows. I did things people don’t speak about. If you stayed, you would have been dragged into it.”

Cartal looked at him, confused and angry. “So you left me alone?”

“I sent you somewhere safe,” the man said. “Bugo was the only place where no one would look for you, where you could grow without being used.”

The wind grew stronger. Cartal’s thoughts raced, but nothing felt clear. This man, this stranger, was calling himself his father.

“Why come back now?” Cartal asked.

The man stepped closer, his voice quieter. “Because now you’re strong enough. Strong enough to hear the truth… and decide what you want to become.”

The man stood still for a moment, then looked out across the land. “There is something you need to know,” he said. “About this place… about Bugo.”

Cartal stayed silent, watching him closely.

“Seventy years ago, a group was formed here,” the man continued. “Not soldiers. Not kings. Bandits… but not the kind people think.”

Cartal frowned slightly. “Bandits?”

“They lived outside the rules,” the man said. “They didn’t follow any kingdom. They moved in shadows, took what they needed, and survived when others couldn’t. Some called them criminals… others called them freedom.”

The wind passed between them. Cartal listened without speaking.

“They were started by a man who had nothing left to lose,” the man said quietly. “He built them to fight control… but over time, they changed. Some became worse. Some disappeared. But their roots are still here, hidden in Bugo.”

Cartal’s eyes sharpened. “And you?”

The man paused, then answered, “I was part of them.”

Silence fell again, heavier than before. Cartal looked at him diffHairotly now not just as a stranger, not just as a father, but as someone tied to something dangerous and unknown.

Cartal didn’t look away. “If you were part of them… then what were you doing in Nisag?”

The man was quiet for a moment. “I worked there,” he said.

“Worked as what?” Cartal asked.

“A commander,” the man replied. “To them, I was loyal. A soldier who followed orders.”

Cartal’s eyes narrowed. “But you said you were part of the bandits.”

The man looked at him steadily. “I was placed there… as a spy. I served the bandits from inside Nisag. I watched, listened, and passed information without anyone knowing.”

Cartal frowned. “So you lied to everyone.”

“Yes,” the man said. “That was the only way to survive.”

The man stood in silence for a long moment, then spoke, his voice lower than before. “There is one more thing you need to know.”

Cartal didn’t respond. He just watched him.

The man looked away, as if the words were heavier than anything he had said before. “Your mother… she found out about me. About what I really was.”

Cartal’s expression didn’t change, but his body went still.

“She was going to tell everyone,” the man continued. “If she did, everything would have ended. The bandits, my work… all of it.”

The wind moved across the hill, but neither of them moved.

“So I made a choice,” the man said quietly. “I killed her.”

The words landed hard.

Cartal didn’t speak. His hands slowly tightened, his breath uneven now. He stared at the man, trying to understand, but nothing felt clear anymore.

The man didn’t step closer this time. He just stood there. “That is the truth,” he said.

Cartal took a small step back, not out of fear, but because something inside him had changed, something that would never go back.

The man stood in silence for a moment after speaking, then his voice softened. “Don’t run,” he said quietly to Cartal. “Stay where you are.” Cartal didn’t move, his body stiff, his mind still trying to understand everything.

The man looked out into the distance. “I’ve had enough of this life… enough of this work,” he said. “There’s nothing left for me now.” His voice carried no anger, no fear only emptiness.

Cartal watched him, confused, his chest tightening. “What are you doing?” he asked, but the words felt weak.

The man didn’t answer. He walked slowly toward the edge of the hill, each step steady, as if he had already decided long ago. The wind moved around him, but he didn’t stop.

For a brief second, he paused at the edge. Then he took one more step forward.

His body disappeared from sight.

A heavy sound echoed below.

Cartal stood frozen. He didn’t run. He didn’t scream. He just stared at the empty edge, the silence around him louder than anything he had ever heard.

Cartal stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty edge, his face blank, his thoughts distant and heavy. The wind moved around him, but he didn’t feel it anymore. Then, without saying a word, he turned around.

He walked down the hill slowly, his steps steady, his expression unchanged. There were no tears, no anger, nothing on his face. It was as if something inside him had gone quiet.

The path back felt longer than before, but Cartal didn’t stop. He didn’t look back even once. The hill, the man, everything that had just happened he left it behind with every step.

When he reached the house, the woman was there, standing as she always did. Cartal looked at her for a second, then walked inside like nothing had happened.

He sat down in his usual place, silent, still, as if the day had been no diffHairot from any other.

But something inside him had changed forever.

After a moment, Cartal spoke, his voice calm and steady. “I want to join the bandits of Bugo.”

Mirel(The woman) didn’t react immediately. She studied his face, searching for doubt or fear, but found none.

“You know what that means?” she asked quietly.

Cartal didn’t move. “I don’t need to understand everything,” he said. “I just need to become strong.”

The room fell silent. Mirel looked at him for a long second, then turned slightly away before speaking again.

“Then your life as a child ends here,” she said.

The men took Cartal with them without asking anything more. He walked between them in silence, not looking back. Mirel turned and began walking home, and beside her walked Dren Rugger, her husband, a man Cartal had seen but never truly known. Neither of them spoke as they disappeared down the path.

Cartal was led through narrow trails and hidden turns until they reached a cave. The entrance was dark, almost invisible between the rocks. Inside, shadows moved along the walls from faint torchlight. The air was cold, and the silence felt heavy.

The men stopped and looked at him. “You want to join?” one of them asked.

Cartal nodded once.

They didn’t ask his past. They didn’t ask where he came from. To them, it didn’t matter. Only what stood in front of them mattered.

One man stepped closer, studying his eyes. “If you stay, you follow our rules. You fight, you survive, and you don’t question what keeps you alive.”

Cartal didn’t speak. He just stood there, still and steady.

The man nodded slightly. “Good. Then you stay.”

Cartal moved deeper into the cave, leaving everything behind without a word. No one there knew who he was, where he came from, or what he had lost. And Cartal didn’t tell them.

From that moment, his past was gone. Only what he would become remained.

Present day

Cartal’s eyes opened slowly, the world around him blurred and heavy. Pain throbbed through his head, but he didn’t move. He stayed there, lying still, listening to the silence left behind.

The forest was quiet now. Too quiet.

He stared at nothing, his breath slow, his body refusing to rise. For the first time in years, his mind didn’t think about the next move, the next fight. It went back.

What if he never joined?

What if he had stayed with Mirel? Stayed in that house, sitting in the same place, living a quiet life he never understood?

What if he never went to that hill? Never followed those men? Never stepped into that cave?

His fingers twitched slightly against the ground.

Would his mother still be gone? Would anything have changed? Or would he just be someone weaker… someone who didn’t survive?

The questions stayed, unanswered, heavy.

Cartal closed his eyes again, not to rest but to escape the thoughts that came too late.

Cartal forced himself up, pain running through his body, but he didn’t stop. His eyes locked ahead. Nearby, Berte stood restless. Cartal grabbed the reins and pulled himself onto the horse in one sharp motion.

He kicked hard. Berte surged forward, faster and faster, tearing through the forest. The wind hit his face, branches snapping as they passed. Cartal leaned low, pushing the horse to its limit, following the trail without hesitation.

The marks were clear. Broken ground. Crushed leaves. They wHairo’t far.

Then he saw them.

Rolio’s army, moving ahead, unaware.

Cartal didn’t slow down. He drove Berte straight toward them. The distance closed fast. Soldiers began to turn, confusion spreading too late.

He rode straight into them.

Steel flashed. The first soldier fell before he could react. The formation broke as Berte forced through, scattering men. Shouts rose, weapons drawn, but Cartal didn’t stop. He struck again from above, clearing his path.

At full speed, Cartal jumped off Berte.

He hit the ground hard, rolled, and came up instantly, blade already in his hand. The moment his feet found balance, he moved forward.

Soldiers rushed him. He cut through them one by one, not rushing blindly, but pushing steadily, every strike precise, every step bringing him closer. The fight stretched, slowing him, testing him, but never stopping him.

Rolio turned.

Their eyes met across the chaos.

Cartal kept moving, cutting down the last man in his path. The noise faded as he reached him.

Rolio stepped forward, ready. They circled once then clashed.

The fight was long. Steel met steel again and again. Rolio was skilled, controlled, holding his ground. Cartal pressed harder, faster, forcing him back step by step. Time stretched with every strike.

Cartal took hits, but didn’t stop. He adapted, watching, waiting.

Then an opening.

He moved instantly. One step forward. One final strike.

The blade went through.

Rolio stopped.

For a moment, everything was still. Then his body fell.

Cartal stood there, breathing steady, the fight finally over.

Jane and Ira stood in shock, their eyes fixed on Cartal. The forest had gone quiet, the fight over, but the weight of it still pressed around them.

Hairo was held in Ira’s grip, his arms tight against him. But her hold had weakened just slightly. Enough.

Hairo felt it.

In one quick motion, he pulled free just enough to reach the blade Cartal had given him in the forest. His fingers closed around it.

For a second, he just held it.

Then his grip tightened.

He lifted his head, eyes locking onto Cartal.

He cut both Jane and Ira’s neck

Other surviving soldiers ran towards the Necergo to the queen to report

On the field there only remained dead bodies and some horses

Hairo sat on beret while Cartal sat on another horse and rode thought the forest this time leashy doesn’t mislead them but showed them the way.

PART 7 Miso village

The forest had thinned, but the exhaustion stayed with them.

Cartal rode ahead, his posture steady but worn. Hairo followed on the second horse, his grip weak, his body leaning forward with every step the horse took.

Berte moved with strength despite the long journey. The other horse unnamed followed, slower, sensing Hairo’s condition.

Hairo’s throat burned. His vision blurred slightly.

Hairo: “Water…”

Cartal didn’t respond at first. His eyes scanned the path ahead. Then he saw it.

A lake.

Still. Quiet. Hidden between the trees.

Cartal pulled the reins and stopped. Hairo didn’t wait. He slid off the horse, stumbling as his feet hit the ground, then rushed toward the water.

He dropped to his knees and leaned forward, hands shaking as they touched the surface.

Cold.

He drank fast, too fast. Water spilled down his chin, but he didn’t stop. His body pulled in everything it could.

Cartal stepped down from Berte and walked to the edge, kneeling beside him. He drank slower, controlled, watching the ripples move outward.

For a moment, there was only silence.

The horses stood behind them, breathing heavily.

Hairo finally pulled back, gasping slightly, wiping his mouth with his arm.

Hairo: “Why… were the bandits made?”

Cartal didn’t answer immediately.

The wind passed over the lake, soft but cold.

Cartal: “Because people like us had nowhere else to go.”

Hairo looked at him, still breathing unevenly.

Cartal: “Nisag and Creyog don’t fight for land. They fight for control. Bugo was never meant to survive between them.”

Hairo stayed quiet.

Cartal continued, his voice low.

Cartal: “People here lost everything homes, families, names. The bandits wHairo’t made to steal… they were made to exist.”

The water moved gently in front of them.

Hairo looked down at his reflection. It didn’t feel like him anymore.

Hairo: “So… we’re just fighting to survive?”

Cartal: “No.”

Hairo looked up.

Cartal: “We’re fighting so one day… we don’t have to.”

Silence returned.

Behind them, Berte shifted slightly. The second horse stood still, quiet, waiting.

Far ahead beyond the trees Miso was close.

Hairo stayed quiet for a moment, then looked up again, his voice still weak but clearer now.

Hairo: “But… why doesn’t all of Bugo know about this?”

Cartal didn’t move.

Hairo: “If everyone fights together… we can win faster, right?”

The lake stayed still.

Cartal let out a slow breath.

Cartal: “That’s what people think.”

Hairo frowned. “Then why not?”

Cartal looked at the water, not at him.

Cartal: “Because not everyone wants to fight.”

Hairo stayed silent.

Cartal: “Some people just want to live one more day. Some have families. Some are already broken. If you tell them to fight… you’re asking them to lose everything they have left.”

The wind moved lightly across the surface.

Cartal: “And even if they agree… they won’t last.”

Hairo: “Why?”

Cartal: “Because this isn’t just war.”

Hairo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Cartal: “This is control. Nisag and Creyog don’t just fight with soldiers. They control food, routes, information… fear.”

Hairo looked down again.

Cartal: “If Bugo rises all at once, it won’t be a battle.”

A pause.

Cartal: “It will be a slaughter.”

Silence.

Hairo’s grip tightened slightly on the edge of his clothes.

Hairo: “Then… what are we doing?”

Cartal finally looked at him.

Cartal: “We fight in the dark.”

The words stayed in the air.

Cartal: “We stay hidden. We break them slowly. We survive… until the time comes when fighting openly won’t kill us all.”

Hairo didn’t reply.

He just stared at the water, thinking.

For the first time

He understood…

Winning wasn’t about strength.

It was about timing.

Cartal stood up slowly, wiping the water from his hands. He looked at the sky for a brief second, judging the fading light.

Cartal: “Let’s go.”

Hairo looked up, still sitting near the edge of the lake.

Cartal: “It’s getting late.”

Hairo pushed himself up, his body still weak.

Cartal: “We’re hungry… and there’s food ahead.”

Hairo didn’t reply, but his eyes showed it. They hadn’t eaten for two days.

The silence said enough.

Cartal walked back to the horses and grabbed the reins. Berte shifted slightly, ready to move again. The second horse stood still, waiting.

Hairo followed slowly and climbed onto the unnamed horse, his movements heavier now.

Cartal mounted Berte and looked ahead into the forest.

Cartal: “We didn’t come this far to stop now.”

Hairo tightened his grip.

Without another word, they moved forward.

The forest opened slowly before them And somewhere ahead

Miso waited.

After an hour or more, Miso appeared. A small, seemingly normal town but as Cartal and Hairo passed through a narrow, hidden lane, a plain wall loomed before them. Cartal reached out, and in the blink of an eye, they were inside a temple.

An old monk spoke, his voice calm but sharp.

Old Monk Rensu: “You’re early… wHairo’t you walking?”

Cartal: “No, Rensu. We were not. Let’s go inside I will tell you the whole story.”

Rensu, chanting mantras: “Ho, God of Heaven and God of Hell, for the sake of the silver, please lead us… your power.”

Suddenly, a stone on the floor shifted, moving silently as if guided by unseen hands. A hidden staircase was revealed, descending into darkness, its secrets waiting silently below.

They went down the hidden staircase. At the bottom, nine people were waiting. Their eyes followed the staircase, tense and expectant.

Cartal stepped forward, joining them. Among the group were Alice and Erish, their expressions cautious but alert.

When Hairo arrived shortly after, the group’s attention shifted again. His eyes immediately found his mother, Alice it had been two days since they last saw each other, and the reunion carried a heavy, unspoken weight.

Cartal’s voice cut through the quiet. “The forest… Leshy was controlling it. But we can go back. It’s clear now.”

He exhaled slowly, as if letting go of something heavy. “Rolio… Jane… and Ira… they’re dead. I killed Rolio. Hairo… he killed Jane and Ira.”

The words hung between them, heavy, unspoken. No one moved. No one breathed louder.

Hairo’s hand tightened slightly, but his voice was calm. “It’s done… we survived.”

Cartal nodded, feeling the friction of the moment the weight of the battle, the loss, the choices. The forest outside waited, dangerous and alive, but now it was theirs to face.

Before anything could settle, a voice cut in

Marco: “So you finally made it back.”

Cartal turned. “Marco… you’re here too?”

Marco stepped forward, urgency in every breath. “I didn’t come empty. I have news.”

Cartal: “Say it.”

Marco didn’t hesitate. “Thy is alive.”

The room exploded

“What?!”

“Alive?!”

“Where is he?!”

Marco raised his voice. “Kiopa Island. Near Bugo. Under Creyog’s control.”

“No way…”

“They would’ve killed him!”

“Why keep him alive?!”

Erish stepped forward, sharp. “You’re sure? You saw him?”

Marco: “I saw the transfer. Chains. Guards. Ships. He’s there.”

Alice’s voice broke through, louder than before. “Then we go get him.”

Someone snapped back, “Go? To Creyog territory? That’s death!”

Another voice: “We don’t even know the island layout!”

“We’ll be wiped out before we land!”

Alice didn’t back down. “That’s my husband.”

The room got louder

“We need a plan!”

“We need numbers!”

“We need to think!”

Hairo stood there, silent. His hands clenched slightly, his breathing uneven. He wasn’t thinking about plans or war.

Just one thing

His father is alive.

He looked at the ground, then at Alice, but said nothing.

Cartal watched everything, then spoke, cutting through the noise

Cartal: “Enough.”

The voices didn’t stop completely, but they lowered.

Cartal: “If Thy is alive… this isn’t just another mission.”

Erish: “Then what is it?”

Cartal: “It’s a risk we choose… or don’t.”

Voices rose again

“We can’t ignore this!”

“We can’t rush either!”

Alice: “I’m not leaving him there.”

Silence didn’t come but something else did.

Division.

Some ready to go.

Some afraid to move.

And in the middle of it Hairo stood quiet, lost in the weight of something he didn’t know how to face.

Rensu stepped forward, his voice cutting through the rising noise.

Rensu: “Numbers are not the problem.”

The room shifted.

Rensu: “What we need… are elite soldiers.”

Murmurs spread

“Elite…?”

“From where?”

Rensu continued, calm but firm. “Some are in Bugo. Some… are in Nisag.”

The name itself brought tension.

Rensu: “You have to go to Nisag.”

Voices rose again

“Nisag?!”

“That’s enemy land!”

“That’s worse than the island!”

Rensu didn’t stop. “You know about Uri.”

A pause.

Erish frowned. “Uri… he’s still alive?”

Rensu: “He is. And he’s there.”

Cartal’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Rensu: “Find him first. We need him.”

Alice: “Why him?”

Rensu’s voice lowered. “Because he is the one… who has met the Goddess.”

That changed everything.

“No…”

“You’re lying…”

“That’s not possible…”

Rensu: “We are going against Creyog. Against what they control. We don’t just need numbers… we need power.”

The word stayed in the air.

Hairo lifted his head slightly at that but still said nothing.

Cartal spoke, steady, thinking ahead.

Cartal: “And we haven’t seen Commander Jake of Creyog.”

The room went tense again.

Cartal: “He must be there… guarding the island.”

Erish: “If Jake is there, this isn’t just security… it’s a fortress.”

Alice clenched her fists. “Then we break it.”

Voices clashed again

“We’ll die!”

“We can’t fight Jake!”

“We don’t even know Uri will help!”

Rensu: “That’s why you go first.”

Cartal looked at him.

Rensu: “Find Uri. Bring him back. Then we plan the attack.”

Hairo stood still, quiet, the noise fading around him.

Father alive.

Goddess.

War.

Things far bigger than him

And yet somehow pulling him in.

Cartal finally spoke.

Cartal: “Then we move.”

The room didn’t agree.

It didn’t settle.

But the path had been decided.

The noise hadn’t settled when Cartal spoke again, quieter this time but clear.

Cartal: “What if we don’t go in blind?”

Some of them turned toward him.

Cartal: “We already have spies in Nisag.”

A few voices answered at once

“You mean contact them?”

“That’s risky…”

“They could already be exposed…”

Cartal didn’t react to the doubts. His tone stayed even, almost too controlled.

Cartal: “We use them first. Get information. Find Uri before we step inside.”

For a moment, his expression didn’t change but something behind it did.

A memory. A man living in shadows. A man who never came back.

A man who chose death over being caught.

Cartal continued, as if nothing touched him

Cartal: “We don’t repeat mistakes. We move with certainty.”

Erish watched him closely. “And if your spies fail?”

Cartal: “Then we go ourselves.”

Alice spoke immediately. “That wastes time.”

Cartal looked at her. “Rushing in wastes lives.”

The room split again

“He’s right!”

“No, we don’t have time!”

“Thy is already in their hands!”

Rensu raised his hand slightly. “Spies first… then movement.”

The argument didn’t fully stop but it shifted.

Hairo stood in the middle of it, silent again.

He didn’t understand plans, spies, or strategy.

Only one thing stayed clear in his mind His father is waiting.

Cartal didn’t say anything more.

But inside He had already decided.

If the spies failed

He would walk into Nisag himself.

“Then it’s decided.”

“Yes.”

“No more waiting.”

“We move with this.”

Alice: “Just bring him back.”

Erish: “And don’t fail.”

Cartal: “We’re already too deep to turn back.”

Hairo: “…Bring him back…”

Rensu: “I will try.”

No one argued.

No one stopped him.

The decision settled over everyone heavy, final.

“Let him do it.”

“We wait here.”

“Don’t interfere.”

Rensu moved away toward the temple.

No one followed.

The air outside felt tighter than before.

“What if it doesn’t work…”

“It has to.”

“If Uri refuses ”

“Then we go ourselves.”

Cartal: “Be ready for that.”

Alice: “I already am.”

Hairo stayed quiet.

Time slowed.

Every second stretched.

Inside the temple

Everything depended on one thing.

Whether Uri would answer… or not.

Cartal: “Rest.”

Some looked at him, still tense, still not ready to stop.

Cartal: “Rensu needs time. What he’s doing… it’s faster than any of us reaching Nisag or Bugo.”

Erish: “Even with speed, finding Uri there won’t be easy.”

Cartal: “Exactly. That’s why we wait. If he manages it quickly… we save days.”

Alice: “And if he doesn’t?”

Cartal: “Then we move. But not like this.”

A pause settled.

Cartal: “Between us and Nisag… there’s the forest.”

Someone muttered, “Leshy…”

Cartal: “Yes. And you’ve seen what it does. It doesn’t just slow you it controls you.”

Hairo stayed quiet, remembering.

Cartal: “If we go in without a clear path, we don’t reach Nisag. We just walk in circles until it wants us out.”

Erish: “Or not at all.”

Cartal: “So we rest. We wait. And we move only when it matters.”

Silence followed not agreement, but acceptance.

Hairo: “…If this works… we don’t have to go through it again?”

Cartal: “Maybe.”

Alice: “Then it better work.”

Cartal: “It has to.”

Part 8 Uri

Rensu closed his eyes.

Where are you…

Nisag was too large, too controlled. Uri could be anywhere or nowhere.

Rensu: “…Uri…”

No answer.

Only distance.

Not searching the land Searching beyond it.

Rensu: “Eram… guide me.”

For a moment

Nothing.

Then

A presence.

Not seen.

Not heard like a normal voice.

But felt.

Eram: “You call again.”

Rensu didn’t react.

Rensu: “I need to find him.”

Eram: “You always need something.”

Rensu: “This time it matters.”

Eram: “It always ‘matters’ to you.”

A pause.

Rensu: “Uri is in Nisag.”

Eram: “I know.”

Rensu: “Then show me.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Eram: “Why should I?”

Rensu: “Because if he doesn’t help… this fails.”

Eram: “Then let it fail.”

Rensu: “…People will die.”

Eram: “People always die.”

The words didn’t shake him.

Rensu: “Thy will die.”

Eram: “…So that’s why you’re desperate.”

Rensu: “I’m not desperate.”

Eram: “You reached for me. That is desperation.”

Rensu stayed silent.

Eram: “Uri is not hiding.”

Rensu: “Then what is he doing?”

Eram: “Waiting.”

Rensu: “For what?”

Eram: “For something worth his time.”

Rensu: “…Then show me where he is.”

Eram: “I won’t show you.”

A pause.

Rensu: “Then tell me how to reach him.”

Eram: “You already are.”

Silence.

Rensu understood.

Not place Connection.

Rensu: “…Uri.”

Far away Something shifted.

Not in the world But between it.

A faint response.

Not clear.

Not stable.

But there.

Eram: “Careful.”

Rensu: “Why?”

Eram: “Once he notices you… he decides what happens next.”

Rensu didn’t stop.

Rensu: “Uri… answer.”

Uri didn’t answer.

But the presence didn’t disappear.

It stayed watching.

Rensu: “…Uri.”

A pause

Then

Uri: “…My lady?”

The voice had changed.

Not guarded.

Not cold.

Something else Respect.

Uri: “Is it you… my lady?”

Rensu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Rensu: “No.”

A brief pause.

Rensu: “It’s me. Rensu.”

Silence.

Then

Uri: “…You.”

The tone shifted.

The respect vanished.

Replaced by something colder.

Uri: “You shouldn’t be in my mind.”

Rensu didn’t move.

Rensu: “And yet… I am.”

Silence.

Rensu didn’t answer.

Uri didn’t speak.

Eram: “You must understand your enemy… and your ally both.”

The words settled between them.

Heavy.

Unavoidable.

Rensu: “Then make me understand.”

A pause.

Long.

Then

Uri: “…You wouldn’t understand.”

Rensu: “Try me.”

Silence again.

But this time It didn’t feel empty.

It felt like something was about to break.

Eram: “You must understand your enemy and your ally both.”

Rensu’s voice stayed calm, but sharper now. “Then make me understand.”

Eram didn’t answer lightly this time. “When me and Mayur made the Goddess, something went wrong. Some power leaked… more than it should have.”

Rensu felt it in the way he said it. This wasn’t just a mistake.

Eram: “That power became Anziym.”

Rensu frowned slightly. “Anziym…?”

Eram: “He’s not like us. Not like the Goddess either.”

Rensu’s tone lowered. “Then what is he?”

Eram answered without hesitation, but there was weight behind it now.

Eram: “A god… or a devil.”

Rensu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And what does that have to do with Uri?”

Eram’s tone changed, more serious now. “Anziym didn’t just exist. He created… in his own way.”

Rensu stayed focused.

Eram: “He made humans. Not like normal ones.”

Uri didn’t interrupt, but his presence felt heavier.

Eram: “Uri is one of them. Part of that blood.”

Rensu: “…His family?”

Eram: “Yes.”

Rensu’s voice lowered. “Then control him.”

Eram: “We can’t.”

Rensu looked at him, sharper now.

Eram: “That family… doesn’t belong to us. Not to me. Not to the Goddess.”

Eram: “They don’t follow rules.”

The weight of it settled in.

Eram: “They choose for themselves.”

Rensu’s expression hardened. “Then what happened to Anziym?”

Eram’s voice lowered, more serious now. “After that… he left us.”

Rensu: “Left?”

Eram: “He went to Creyog.”

That name carried weight.

Rensu: “…Why?”

Eram: “He made some kind of deal there.”

Rensu didn’t like the sound of that.

Eram continued, steady but heavy. “After that, he started killing. Many from Bugo.”

Rensu’s jaw tightened.

Eram: “We fought him. We tried to stop it. We saved Bugo… but we couldn’t control him.”

Rensu: “So you killed him.”

Eram: “No.”

That answer came clearly.

Eram: “We couldn’t kill him.”

Rensu didn’t speak.

Eram: “He lost… but he didn’t die. He left again.”

Rensu: “…Back to Creyog?”

Eram: “Yes.”

Rensu’s voice lowered. “Where is he now?”

Eram: “Kiopa Island.”

The words settled heavily.

Eram: “He’s there… guarding the prison.”

Rensu’s voice lowered. “So… he is guarding Thy.”

Eram agreed without hesitation. “Yes.”

Rensu stayed still, taking it in. “Then this is worse than we thought.”

Eram didn’t deny it. “It is.”

Rensu: “And Uri…?”

Eram’s tone shifted slightly. “Uri was different from the start.”

Rensu listened.

Eram: “When he was born, he was always curious. About everything.”

Rensu: “That doesn’t make him special.”

Eram: “No. But what he did after does.”

Rensu didn’t interrupt.

Eram: “By the time he was seventeen, he had already joined the bandits.”

Rensu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Eram: “And in his free time… he explored Bugo.”

Rensu: “…Explored?”

Eram: “Places no one goes.”

Rensu felt something shift. “Where?”

Eram answered clearly.

Eram: “Chilop.”

Rensu’s expression changed instantly. “Chilop…?”

Eram: “Yes.”

Rensu’s voice dropped. “That’s where the Goddess was born.”

Eram added calmly, correcting him slightly.

Eram: “And Anziym too.”

That made it heavier.

Rensu didn’t speak for a moment.

Uri finally spoke, his voice cutting in.

Uri: “Are you going to tell him everything?”

Eram answered immediately.

Eram: “No.”

Uri: “…Why?”

Eram: “Because they need to understand things on their own.”

Rensu didn’t argue.

But he didn’t fully agree either.

Rensu didn’t argue.

But he didn’t fully agree either.

Eram continued, his voice steady.

Eram: “Near Chilop… there is a cave.”

Rensu focused.

Eram: “That’s where the Goddess’s power is. That’s where she lives.”

Rensu: “Then tell me where it is.”

Eram: “We can’t.”

Rensu’s expression hardened slightly.

Eram: “Even if we wanted to… we don’t give that place away.”

Rensu didn’t respond.

Eram continued.

Eram: “But Uri found it.”

That changed everything.

Rensu: “…He went inside?”

Eram: “Yes.”

Rensu: “And met her?”

Eram: “Yes.”

Rensu’s voice lowered. “What did they talk about?”

Eram: “I don’t know.”

That answer felt incomplete.

Eram: “But after that… he changed.”

Rensu stayed silent, listening.

Eram: “From that point on… he knew things.”

Rensu: “What kind of things?”

Eram: “Everything.”

The word landed heavily.

Rensu: “…And his power?”

Eram: “He gets it from the Goddess.”

Rensu: “…So his power… comes from the Goddess.”

Eram: “You already knew that.”

Rensu didn’t deny it.

Eram: “And you’ve used it carefully… more than most would.”

Rensu’s voice stayed steady. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Uri finally spoke, his tone calm but distant. “Now you do.”

Rensu looked toward him. “Then say it.”

Uri: “Your goal is simple.”

Rensu didn’t react.

Uri: “Kill Anziym.”

A brief moment passed.

Uri: “And save Thy.”

Rensu’s expression didn’t change, but his focus sharpened.

Uri: “He’s your only hope.”

A slight shift.

Uri: “…Or your last one.”

The words didn’t stay long.

Almost like they weren’t meant to.

Uri looked away from the connection.

Uri: “In the end… they’ll die anyway.”

Rensu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Rensu: “Then why help at all?”

Eram answered instead, calm as ever.

Eram: “I know.”

A small moment passed.

Eram: “But they still have to understand it themselves.”

Rensu looked toward him, his voice steady.

Rensu: “Will you help?”

Uri didn’t take long this time.

Uri: “Yes.”

Rensu didn’t react immediately.

Rensu: “…That’s it?”

Uri: “We don’t have time for anything else.”

Rensu’s focus sharpened.

Rensu: “Then you understand what this means.”

Uri: “I do.”

Rensu: “Anziym… Creyog… Kiopa Island.”

Uri: “I know where I’m going.”

Rensu watched him closely.

Rensu: “Then we move soon.”

Uri: “Don’t waste time.”

Rensu: “Then come to Miso Village.”

Uri: “Why there?”

Rensu: “I’m calling everyone I can reach. Bandits, soldiers, anyone still fighting.”

Uri: “You’re gathering them in one place?”

Rensu: “Yes.”

Uri: “That will expose all of you.”

Rensu: “We don’t have another option.”

Uri: “You’re planning to move on Creyog from there.”

Rensu: “After you arrive.”

Uri: “You’re putting a lot on this.”

Rensu: “I know.”

Uri: “Miso Village, then.”

Rensu: “Come as fast as you can.”

Uri: “I will.”

Rensu: “All of you, listen.”

Voice: “Rensu?”

Voice: “Where are you?”

Rensu: “Miso Village. Come there.”

Voice: “Why?”

Rensu: “We are gathering everyone. No more scattered groups.”

Voice: “That’s risky.”

Rensu: “Staying apart is worse.”

Voice: “Who is coming?”

Rensu: “Anyone who can fight.”

Voice: “Is this about Thy?”

Rensu: “Yes.”

Voice: “Then we’re coming.”

Voice: “How soon?”

Rensu: “As fast as possible.”

Voice: “Understood.”

Voice: “We’ll be there.”

Rensu opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He stepped out of the temple and saw that it was already night.

He walked down into the underground basement. Everyone was asleep, resting after the long day.

He looked around for a moment, then turned and went back up.

Outside, the air was quiet.

Cartal was sitting at the edge of the temple, looking out into the dark.

Rensu walked toward him.

Cartal: “You’re done?”

Rensu: “Yes.”

Cartal: “Did he agree?”

Rensu: “He’s coming.”

Cartal: “Uri?”

Rensu: “Yes.”

Cartal nodded slightly.

Cartal: “And the others?”

Rensu: “They’re on their way.”

Cartal: “How many?”

Rensu: “Enough to start.”

Cartal looked ahead for a moment.

Cartal: “That means we don’t have much time.”

Rensu: “We don’t.”

Cartal: “We move when they arrive.”

Rensu: “Yes.”

Cartal: “Then rest while you can.”

Rensu: “You should too.”

Cartal: “I will.”

Rensu stood there for a moment, then turned and walked back inside.

Cartal stayed where he was, watching the dark.

It was the first time since Hiron was taken by Creyog that they had rested properly.

Morning came.

One by one, people woke up. The basement slowly filled with movement again.

Some got up and checked their weapons. Others sat quietly, still tired but better than before.

Hairo woke up and sat there for a moment. He looked around but didn’t say anything.

Alice noticed him.

Alice: “Stay here.”

Hairo nodded.

The others were already moving.

Cartal stood up first. Erish followed. Rensu came down from above.

Rensu: “Come up.”

Cartal: “He’s here?”

Rensu: “Yes.”

That was enough.

Cartal, Erish, Alice, and a few others went up.

Hairo stayed behind.

Outside the temple

Uri was already there.

Cartal walked toward him.

Cartal: “You came fast.”

Uri: “You called.”

Erish: “We’re not ready yet.”

Uri: “Then get ready faster.”

Alice: “We’re going to Kiopa.”

Cartal: “We plan first.”

Uri didn’t argue.

Cartal: “Say everything clearly.”

Uri: “Kiopa Island is under full control of Creyog.”

Erish: “We know.”

Cartal: “Commander Jake is there.”

Uri: “Yes.”

Erish: “If Jake is there, it’s a fortress.”

Cartal: “No one walks in and out of a place guarded by him.”

Alice: “Then we don’t fight everything. We take Thy and leave.”

Uri: “If that was possible, he wouldn’t still be there.”

No one replied.

Cartal: “Then what are we missing?”

Rensu stepped forward.

Rensu: “There’s someone else on that island.”

Erish: “Another commander?”

Rensu: “No.”

Cartal: “Then who?”

Rensu: “Anziym.”

Erish: “Never heard of him.”

Cartal: “Doesn’t matter. Jake is still the biggest threat.”

Uri: “Jake is the strongest soldier.”

That matched what they knew.

Uri: “But Anziym is not a soldier.”

Alice: “Then what is he?”

Uri: “If Jake makes it a fortress… Anziym makes sure no one leaves it alive.”

That line stayed with them.

Cartal: “Then we don’t move without information.”

Rensu: “Spies are already on it.”

Erish: “And soldiers?”

Rensu: “I called them. They’ll reach Miso.”

Alice: “We don’t wait too long.”

Cartal: “We wait enough to survive.”

Uri: “Prepare while you can.”

No one argued after that.

They all understood one thing This wasn’t just a rescue anymore.

Down in the basement Hairo sat quietly.

He didn’t know everything.

But he knew something was wrong.

And whatever it was They weren’t ready for it yet.

Hairo stayed for a moment… then stood up.

He walked toward the stairs and went up.

Outside, everyone was already talking.

Cartal looked at them all.

Cartal: “Me, Uri, and Rensu will plan this.”

Erish: “And us?”

Cartal: “You stay here. Wait for the others. Get ready.”

Alice didn’t like it, but she didn’t argue.

Cartal: “We move when the plan is ready.”

Uri said nothing. Rensu nodded once.

Cartal turned and walked toward the temple with them.

Uri and Rensu followed.

The rest stayed back.

Hairo stepped closer.

He looked at Erish, then at Alice.

Hairo: “Train me.”

They didn’t respond immediately.

Hairo: “I’m not staying behind like this.”

Erish looked at him carefully.

Erish: “This isn’t a game.”

Hairo: “I know.”

Alice stepped forward.

Alice: “You’re not ready.”

Hairo: “Then make me ready.”

That landed.

Erish glanced at Alice.

Alice stayed quiet for a second, then spoke.

Alice: “You won’t last if you rush.”

Hairo: “I’m not rushing.”

Alice: “You just said you want to fight.”

Hairo: “I want to learn.”

Erish crossed his arms.

Erish: “Training won’t fix everything in one day.”

Hairo: “I don’t need one day.”

Alice looked at him again. This time longer.

Alice: “You’ll listen?”

Hairo: “Yes.”

Erish: “You’ll do exactly what we say?”

Hairo: “Yes.”

A small pause.

Alice: “Fine.”

Erish let out a breath.

Erish: “We start now.”

Hairo didn’t say anything.

He just nodded.

Alice: “First rule forget everything you think you know.”

Erish: “Second don’t try to win.”

Hairo looked at them.

Erish: “Try to survive.”

Alice stepped back and picked up a wooden blade.

She threw one toward Hairo.

He caught it.

Alice: “Come.”

Hairo tightened his grip.

This time He wasn’t just watching anymore.

Hairo stepped forward.

Erish moved in first.

Erish: “Don’t hold back. I won’t.”

Hairo didn’t reply.

They started.

Erish attacked first fast, controlled.

Hairo barely blocked. The impact pushed him back.

Erish: “Too slow.”

He attacked again.

Hairo moved late but his body adjusted mid-motion. The block landed… awkward, but correct.

Erish noticed it.

Erish attacked again, changing angle.

Hairo reacted

Not clean.

Not trained.

But right.

Wood clashed again.

Alice’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Erish stepped back once.

Erish: “Again.”

This time Hairo moved first.

Not perfect but faster.

He swung.

Erish blocked easily but something was off.

Hairo changed direction mid-swing.

That wasn’t trained.

That was instinct.

The hit slipped past

Tap.

It touched Erish’s side.

Not strong.

But it landed.

They both stopped.

Alice noticed it immediately.

Erish looked at Hairo for a second.

Erish: “…You didn’t plan that.”

Hairo: “No.”

Erish stepped back again, now serious.

Erish: “Again.”

This time He didn’t go easy.

Fast.

Clean.

Precise.

Hairo tried to keep up.

One block miss.

Second late.

Third

Erish knocked the weapon out of his hand.

Hairo hit the ground.

Silence for a second.

Erish: “That’s the difference.”

Hairo breathed heavily but didn’t look away.

Alice stepped forward.

Alice: “You saw it?”

Erish nodded.

Erish: “Yeah.”

Alice looked at Hairo.

Alice: “You’re not strong.”

A small pause.

Alice: “But your body learns fast.”

Erish: “Too fast.”

Hairo picked the weapon back up.

Hairo: “Then we continue.”

Erish almost smiled but didn’t.

Erish: “Now you’re talking.”

They stepped in again.

No hesitation this time.

Erish attacked first sharp, straight.

Hairo blocked

Cleaner than before.

The impact still pushed him back

But his feet held.

Erish saw it.

He shifted angle immediately.

A quick side step

Then a low strike.

Hairo reacted late

Pulled his weapon down

Too slow.

The wooden blade slid past his guard

Hit his forearm.

A dull crack.

Hairo flinched.

His grip loosened for a second

But he didn’t drop the weapon.

Erish pulled back.

Erish: “That’s where you lose.”

Hairo tightened his grip again.

No reply.

They moved again.

Erish attacked faster now.

No testing.

Just pressure.

Hairo blocked one

Missed the next

Got hit on the shoulder

But stayed in.

His breathing got heavier.

His stance broke Then corrected.

Again.

Something was changing.

Not skill.

Not technique.

His timing.

Erish noticed.

He attacked

Hairo moved before the strike fully came.

Not planned.

But early.

Their weapons clashed

Harder this time. Hairo stepped in again

Too close.

But this time He didn’t stop after the block.

He pushed forward

Turned his wrist mid-contact

And struck straight down.

Erish raised his sword to block

But the angle was wrong.

Crack.

The wooden blade split.

Half of it dropped to the ground.

Silence.

Hairo stood there Breathing hard

Still holding his position.

Erish looked at the broken sword.

Then at Hairo.

Erish: “…You felt that, didn’t you?”

Hairo didn’t answer.

But his grip tightened.

Alice stepped closer.

Alice: “That wasn’t luck.”

Erish nodded slightly.

Erish: “No.”

A small pause.

Erish: “Do it again.”

Hairo lifted the sword.

No hesitation.

Hairo: “Again.”

Inside the temple

Cartal, Uri, and Rensu stood around a rough stone table.

No noise from outside reached here.

Rensu spoke first.

Rensu: “I called you here for one reason. We don’t have time to repeat mistakes.”

Uri leaned slightly against the wall.

Uri: “Then don’t.”

Cartal ignored the tone.

Cartal: “Kiopa Island. Creyog control. Commander Jake is there.”

Uri nodded once.

Uri: “If he’s there, it’s not a prison.”

Cartal: “It’s a fortress.”

Rensu: “And we don’t break a fortress with numbers.”

Uri: “You don’t break it at all.”

Cartal looked at him.

Cartal: “Then say what we do.”

Uri didn’t hesitate.

Uri: “We don’t attack first.”

A small pause.

Uri: “We enter.”

Cartal: “How?”

Uri: “Not as soldiers.”

Rensu watched him carefully.

Rensu: “You already have something in mind.”

Uri: “Creyog moves supplies to the island regularly. Food. Weapons. Prison transfers.”

Cartal understood immediately.

Cartal: “You want to use that.”

Uri: “Yes.”

Rensu: “That gets us inside. Not out.”

Uri: “Getting in is the hard part.”

Cartal: “Getting out with Thy is harder.”

Uri didn’t argue.

Uri: “That’s where timing matters.”

Rensu: “And Anziym?”

Uri went quiet for a second.

Uri: “We don’t fight him unless we have to.”

Cartal: “If he’s guarding Thy, we have to.”

Uri looked at him.

Uri: “Then you die.”

Silence.

Rensu stepped in.

Rensu: “Then what’s the alternative?”

Uri: “Distraction.”

Cartal: “From who?”

Uri: “From inside or outside. Doesn’t matter.”

Rensu: “It does. Outside means war.”

Uri: “Then don’t do it outside.”

Cartal’s eyes narrowed.

Cartal: “Inside means someone risks everything.”

Uri: “Yes.”

No one spoke for a moment.

Rensu broke it.

Rensu: “Spies?”

Cartal nodded slightly.

Cartal: “We already have some in Nisag. If any reached Kiopa…”

Uri: “Find them.”

Rensu: “And if they’re dead?”

Uri: “Then we adapt.”

Cartal: “That’s not a plan.”

Uri: “That’s reality.”

Silence again.

Then Cartal spoke, more grounded.

Cartal: “We split this into steps.”

Uri didn’t interrupt.

Cartal: “First confirm routes to Kiopa.”

Rensu: “Second contact spies.”

Cartal: “Third entry through supply movement.”

Uri: “And fourth improvise.”

Cartal looked at him.

Cartal: “No. Fourth we get Thy out.”

Uri: “That depends.”

Cartal: “On what?”

Uri held his gaze.

Uri: “On whether he’s still alive when we reach him.”

That landed heavy.

Rensu stepped forward.

Rensu: “He’s alive.”

Uri didn’t argue.

But didn’t agree either.

Cartal exhaled slowly.

Cartal: “Then we move fast.”

Uri pushed himself off the wall.

Uri: “Then don’t waste time here.”

Rensu: “I’ve already sent word. Bugo soldiers and spies are coming to Miso.”

Cartal: “How many?”

Rensu: “Not enough.”

Uri: “It’s never enough.”

Cartal looked between them.

Cartal: “We move when they arrive.”

Uri: “I don’t wait.”

Cartal: “You will.”

Uri: “Or I go alone.”

The air tightened.

Rensu stepped in, firm.

Rensu: “You won’t.”

Uri looked at him.

Rensu: “Not this time.”

A moment passed.

Then Uri looked away slightly.

Not agreeing But not leaving either.

Cartal: “Good.”

He turned toward the exit.

Cartal: “Because if we do this wrong…”

He stopped for a second.

Cartal: “…there won’t be a second chance.”

No one disagreed.

Outside Morning was already moving forward.

And this time They were walking into something much bigger than a mission.

By evening

They started arriving. One after another. No announcements. No structure. Just presence.

Rensu stood at the entrance. Watching. Recognizing some. Not recognizing others. He didn’t react.

Cartal: “That’s all?” Rensu: “More might come.” Cartal: “Might.”

That word stayed there.

The courtyard filled. Not organized. Not calm. Just people waiting.

Uri didn’t move from his spot. Eyes shifting. Counting. Not impressed.

Time passed.

Enough for everyone to understand This was it.

Then

Footsteps. Fast. Uneven.

A spy entered. Breathing slightly off. Not injured. But not steady either.

Cartal noticed immediately.

Cartal: “Report.”

The spy looked at Rensu first. Then Uri. Then back to Cartal.

A small delay. Too small for most Not for them.

Spy: “We lost contact.”

Silence.

Rensu: “With who?” Spy: “All of them.”

Uri’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Uri: “Since when?” Spy: “Three days.”

Cartal: “No signal?” Spy: “Nothing.”

That answer landed wrong. Too clean. Too empty.

Rensu: “You’re sure?” Spy: “We checked twice.”

Uri stepped forward. Slow. Controlled.

Uri: “Say it again.”

The spy hesitated. Just for a second.

Spy: “…Nothing.”

Uri held his gaze. Didn’t blink.

Uri: “Not even a mistake?”

No answer.

That was the answer.

Cartal exhaled quietly.

Cartal: “Then we’re blind.”

Uri: “No.”

They looked at him.

Uri: “We’re being kept blind.”

That changed the room.

Rensu: “By Jake?” Uri: “No.”

A pause.

Uri: “By Anziym.”

No one reacted loudly. But the silence shifted. Heavier.

Cartal: “Meaning?” Uri: “Meaning this isn’t failure.”

A beat.

Uri: “It’s control.”

Outside

The noise in the courtyard continued. Unaware. Unchanged.

Inside

Everything had already changed.

Rensu: “We move anyway.” Cartal: “We have to.” Uri: “Then don’t expect it to go clean.”

Rensu: “It never does.”

Uri didn’t respond.

Outside

Hairo stood still. Watching the temple doors.

Something felt wrong. Not loud. Not obvious. Just enough to stay.

Erish stepped beside him.

Erish: “You feel it?”

Hairo nodded.

Hairo: “Yeah.”

Erish looked toward the temple.

Erish: “Good.”

A pause.

Erish: “Don’t ignore it.”

Hairo tightened his grip slightly.

Because whatever was waiting on Kiopa

It already knew they were coming.

Cartal stood at the entrance of the temple, his presence alone enough to quiet most of the courtyard. Faces turned toward him from every side, rough and hardened men waiting for something solid to hold onto. Uri stood to his right, still and unreadable, while Rensu stood to his left, watching the crowd more than the speaker. Cartal scanned them all carefully, counting not just numbers but strength, wounds, doubt, and intent.

Cartal: “Two hundred and twenty-six.”

A low wave of voices spread across the crowd as people began counting in their heads, looking around, measuring who stood beside them.

Cartal: “That includes the spies. Everyone here who can move, who can think, who can fight.”

He let his words settle, his eyes still moving through the crowd.

Cartal: “Hairon is not counted.”

Before the murmurs could settle, Erish stepped forward, his voice cutting through everything with force.

Erish: “Count him too.”

The reaction was immediate. People turned, some confused, some annoyed, some curious.

Erish didn’t slow down.

Erish: “He can fight. Let him fight.”

A few bandits scoffed quietly, others leaned in to hear more.

Erish stepped further into the open now, not backing down under the weight of so many eyes.

Erish: “He’s Thy’s son.”

That made more people pay attention, the name carrying weight across the courtyard.

Erish pointed toward Hairon without hesitation.

Erish: “He broke my wooden sword without any training. Not by luck. Not by chance. He didn’t even know what he was doing and still did it.”

Now the murmurs were louder, more focused.

Erish: “And he didn’t stop there. He killed Jane. He killed Ira.”

The courtyard shifted.

This time it wasn’t noise it was shock.

Some stepped back slightly, others stared directly at Hairon, trying to match the boy they saw with the names they knew.

Erish’s voice didn’t shake.

Erish: “Alone.”

That word hit harder than the rest.

Erish: “Two of Creyog’s strongest soldiers. And he’s still standing.”

Now the chatter broke out fully. Questions, disbelief, low arguments. Some didn’t believe it. Some clearly did. Some just watched Hairon differently now.

Cartal didn’t speak.

He stood still, listening to the noise, watching how the crowd reacted, watching Hairon, watching Erish.

Measuring again.

Not just strength this time

Risk.

After a few moments, Cartal raised his hand slightly. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough. The voices began to fall.

His eyes moved once more across everyone present.

Then he spoke.

Cartal: “Two hundred and twenty-seven.”

Rensu stepped forward before the noise could rise again, his presence steady, his eyes moving across every face as if weighing who would stand and who would fall. When he spoke, his voice carried control, not force, but it was enough to pull the crowd back into focus.

Rensu: “Listen carefully. What we’re walking into is not just a fight.”

The courtyard settled, attention tightening around him.

Rensu: “Anziym isn’t like anything you’ve faced before. You can’t treat him like a soldier, or a commander, or even a king.”

A few exchanged uncertain looks, but no one interrupted.

Rensu: “He’s not just powerful. He’s one of them.”

That line hit differently.

Uri stepped forward slightly, his gaze sharper now, more direct.

Uri: “A god.”

The word spread through the crowd without anyone speaking it.

Uri didn’t slow down.

Uri: “And no you’re not meant to understand that fully. Not all of it.”

He glanced once at Rensu, then back at them.

Uri: “But you need to understand enough to survive.”

Rensu continued from there, his tone steady.

Rensu: “Eram and Mayur created the goddess. That power wasn’t perfect.”

Some frowned, trying to follow.

Rensu: “Something leaked from it. Something that wasn’t meant to exist.”

Uri: “Anziym.”

Now the name carried weight.

Uri: “Not created. Not controlled.”

Rensu: “He became something on his own.”

The crowd listened more closely now.

Uri: “Something even they couldn’t fully stop.”

A few shifted uncomfortably.

Rensu: “They fought him.”

Uri: “They couldn’t kill him.”

That landed hard.

Rensu: “He left. Went to Creyog. Made deals. Built his own ground.”

Uri: “And now he stands on Kiopa… guarding it.”

No one spoke. No one laughed.

Because now it felt real.

Rensu took a small step forward.

Rensu: “You’re not just walking into a battlefield.”

Uri: “You’re walking toward something that already knows how to win.”

That line stayed with them.

Then Uri changed direction slightly, bringing it back to the present.

Uri: “So no this won’t be won by numbers.”

He pointed slightly between himself and Rensu.

Uri: “I carry the power of the goddess.”

Then toward Rensu.

Uri: “He carries the power of Eram.”

Now the connection became clear.

Uri: “Separately… it’s not enough.”

Rensu didn’t deny it.

Uri: “But together…”

He looked at Rensu again, this time with certainty.

Uri: “…we can reach him.”

Rensu: “If we align it right.”

Uri: “If we don’t lose control.”

Rensu: “We can kill him.”

That word finally came out.

Kill.

Not defeat.

Not stop.

Kill.

The courtyard didn’t react loudly, but something shifted inside it fear mixed with belief.

Cartal stepped in before that belief could grow into something reckless.

Cartal: “We also have something else.”

He raised the folded map in his hand.

Cartal: “One of our spies sent this before contact was lost.”

All eyes moved to it.

Cartal: “It shows a path to Kiopa.”

Hope flickered Then he cut it.

Cartal: “But we don’t guarantee it’s true.”

The tension returned instantly.

Cartal: “We’ve tried reaching her again. Nothing.”

The same word again.

Nothing.

Cartal: “So understand this clearly.”

He looked at every single one of them.

Cartal: “We move forward with power we don’t fully understand…”

Then at the map.

Cartal: “…and a path we cannot trust.”

He lowered his hand slowly.

Cartal: “That’s what you’re choosing to follow.”

This time No one spoke.

Because now they understood what this really was.

Cartal unfolded the map slowly and held it out where everyone could see. He didn’t explain where it came from again. He didn’t need to. The moment the paper opened, all attention locked onto it.

He pointed toward the upper edge.

Cartal: “Here. This cliff.”

His finger stayed there long enough for everyone to mark it.

Cartal: “Erish, Alice, and fifty of you will go here first. You’ll move before the rest. No noise, no mistakes.”

He looked up briefly, making sure Erish understood.

Cartal: “You stay hidden. Camouflaged. No engagement until the signal.”

His finger moved across the map, sliding toward a narrow break in the terrain behind the prison.

Cartal: “Marco.”

Marco stepped slightly forward.

Cartal: “You lead the second team. Uri, Rensu… you go with him.”

Then his eyes shifted toward Hairo for a moment.

Cartal: “Hairo goes with you.”

A few heads turned again, but no one argued this time.

Cartal: “Seventy bandits. You move through this path behind the cliff crack, behind the prison walls.”

He tapped the spot twice.

Cartal: “You stay hidden. You wait.”

Then his hand moved downward to an open ground area.

Cartal: “I take one hundred.”

His voice hardened slightly.

Cartal: “We go from the front.”

Now everyone understood.

Cartal: “We distract.”

The word carried weight.

Cartal: “We make them look at us. We make them commit.”

He looked back at Marco.

Cartal: “When we give the signal… your team plants the explosives behind them.”

Marco nodded once.

Cartal: “You don’t rush it. You don’t panic. You make sure it lands.”

His tone made it clear failure there meant everything collapsing.

Cartal: “The moment the blast hits ”

He shifted his finger back to the cliff.

Cartal: “Erish.”

Erish’s eyes locked in.

Cartal: “You strike. Arrows first. Aim for the densest group. Break their formation.”

Erish gave a slight nod.

Cartal looked back at everyone.

Cartal: “After that there’s no structure.”

His voice didn’t rise.

But it got heavier.

Cartal: “You fight.”

No one questioned it.

Then he added the part that mattered more than the rest.

Cartal: “If Thy is found…”

The name alone tightened the air again.

Cartal: “Signal it.”

He pointed at Hairo without hesitation.

Cartal: “His sword will be with him.”

All eyes moved to Hairo.

Cartal: “If Marco’s team finds Thy first ”

He looked at Marco again.

Cartal: “Give him the sword. Let him fight. And send him to me immediately.”

Marco didn’t respond with words. Just a firm nod.

Cartal: “If we find him first ”

He raised two fingers.

Cartal: “We blast two explosives at once.”

Everyone understood that one.

Cartal: “That signal means he’s found.”

Then he raised one finger.

Cartal: “Retreat is one large explosion.”

The meaning was clear.

No confusion.

No second guessing.

Cartal looked across the entire crowd one last time, making sure every face had heard, understood, and accepted it.

Cartal: “Once it starts… it doesn’t stop.”

His hand slowly lowered from the map.

Cartal: “So don’t hesitate when it does.”

A voice rose from the crowd, uncertain but strong enough to reach the front.

Bandit: “How do we even reach Kiopa?”

The question spread quickly. More voices followed, some pointing at the map, others glancing toward the distant direction of the sea.

Rensu didn’t rush his answer.

Rensu: “Through Bugo’s sea shore.”

That only made the murmurs grow louder.

Bandit: “That route isn’t easy.” Bandit: “We’ll be exposed.” Bandit: “Too many people moving someone will notice.”

Rensu stepped forward slightly, his expression unchanged.

Rensu: “It will take time.”

The noise didn’t stop, but it weakened enough for him to continue.

Rensu: “The route itself isn’t the problem.”

Now they listened more carefully.

Rensu: “Moving all of us is.”

That hit closer to what they were thinking.

Rensu: “We don’t move like a single group.”

Some confusion appeared, but he didn’t slow down.

Rensu: “We spread out along the shore. Small groups. No patterns.”

Cartal crossed his arms, watching the crowd settle into the idea.

Rensu: “No fires. No noise. No attention.”

A few of the older ones nodded slightly.

Rensu: “We move like we don’t exist.”

That line stayed.

Rensu looked across all of them, making sure no one missed it.

Rensu: “It will take time.”

This time his voice carried certainty, not warning.

Rensu: “But we will reach.”

Cartal stepped forward and raised his sword high above his head, the metal catching what little light remained. The movement alone was enough to pull every eye toward him again.

Cartal: “Is everyone ready?”

His voice carried across the entire courtyard, strong and sharp, leaving no space for doubt.

For a moment, no one answered.

Then

Voices rose.

Not perfectly together. Not disciplined.

But real.

Bandit: “Ready!” Bandit: “We move!” Bandit: “Let’s end this!”

The energy spread fast, turning into something louder, heavier. Weapons were lifted. Feet shifted. The hesitation that once filled the space was gone.

Cartal lowered his sword slightly, watching them, measuring that fire.

Rensu didn’t speak.

Uri didn’t move.

But both saw it They were ready.

Or at least Ready enough.

PART 9 At Kiopa

Night had already taken over when they began to move, the kind of night where even the sky felt heavy, as if it were watching but refusing to interfere. The temple stood silent, hidden deep enough that no outsider could sense what was happening inside it, and yet every person there knew that once they stepped out, nothing would be the same again.

They didn’t leave together.

They couldn’t.

Small groups began to slip out one after another, each one timed, each one spaced carefully so that no pattern could be noticed from the outside. No torches were lit. No instructions were shouted. Even footsteps were controlled, softened against the ground as much as possible.

The people of Miso village slept unaware.

That was the plan.

That had to be the plan.

Inside the temple, the air felt tighter with every group that left. The crowd slowly thinned, voices disappearing, presence fading, until what was once filled with bodies and tension started to feel hollow.

No one spoke loudly.

Most didn’t speak at all.

Those who did kept their words short, close, almost swallowed before they fully formed.

Weapons were adjusted in silence. Straps were tightened. Final glances were exchanged not emotional, not dramatic, just enough to acknowledge that they were still there.

Still moving.

Still part of this.

Time stretched.

Minutes felt longer than they should.

Every group that left took a piece of the weight with it, but at the same time, made what remained feel heavier.

An hour passed.

Then more.

No one rushed the process. Rushing meant noise. Noise meant attention. Attention meant failure before it even began.

So they moved carefully.

Patiently.

Like something that had done this before even if most of them hadn’t.

At the edges of the temple, the last few groups prepared to leave. They checked each other without words, nodded once, and disappeared into the same darkness that had swallowed the others.

The silence that followed their exit felt different.

Deeper.

Now the temple was no longer a gathering place.

It was emptying.

Nearly two hours passed before it was finally done.

No more footsteps leaving.

No more shadows moving toward the exit.

Only a few remained inside.

Hairo stood near the entrance, his body still but his mind far from it. The quiet around him didn’t calm him it made everything louder inside his head. Every step that had echoed before, every voice, every plan… all of it now sat with him.

Cartal stood a few steps ahead, unmoving, as if he had been placed there and left to watch until the end. His grip on his sword was relaxed, but not careless. His eyes moved once across the temple, not searching for anything new just confirming what was already known.

Rensu stood slightly behind, his expression unreadable, his thoughts clearly somewhere deeper than the moment. He wasn’t watching the room anymore. He was already ahead of it.

Uri remained still, quiet in a way that didn’t feel like calm. His presence didn’t fade with the silence it became sharper, more noticeable, as if the less noise there was, the more he existed within it.

Alice leaned lightly against one of the pillars, arms crossed, her gaze fixed toward the exit. There was no impatience in her stance, only readiness.

Marco stood near Hairo, keeping a quiet watch over him without making it obvious. Not protective in a weak way but aware.

Erish adjusted his grip once, then let his hand fall back to his side, his eyes steady, already focused on what came next rather than what was ending.

Cartal finally moved.

Just one step forward.

Then another.

He turned slightly, his gaze passing over each of them not as a leader giving orders, but as someone making sure the right people were still standing.

Still here.

Still ready.

Without saying anything, he turned toward the exit.

That was enough.

The others followed.

They stepped out of the temple one by one, leaving behind the last trace of what had been built there.

No sound followed them.

No sign remained.

The entrance disappeared back into stillness as if nothing had ever existed inside it.

Outside

The night felt wider.

Colder.

More real.

The path ahead wasn’t hidden anymore.

It was waiting.

Cartal didn’t stop.

He moved forward, and the rest followed without question.

Hairo took one last glance back not long, not enough to slow him down but just enough to feel it.

Then he turned away.

Together They began moving toward Bugo.

Not as a crowd.

Not as an army.

But as something quieter.

Something harder to see.

Night passed.

By the time the sky began to pale again, the night had already stretched into something longer than it should have been.

They didn’t stop.

Not fully.

Short pauses. Quick breaths. Then moving again.

What was meant to be a silent exit turned into a silent march.

Half a day.

And a full night.

That’s what it took.

Groups that had split apart now began to appear again.

Not all at once.

One by one.

From different paths.

From different directions.

Each carrying dust, exhaustion, and the same quiet understanding.

The dock at Polien, at the edge of Bugo, slowly filled.

Not loudly.

Not suddenly.

But steadily.

Some arrived first and didn’t speak.

They just waited.

Watching the water.

Watching the horizon.

Listening for anything that didn’t belong.

Others came later, stepping out of the dark like they had been part of it the whole time.

A few nodded at familiar faces.

Most didn’t react.

Everyone knew This wasn’t the place for relief.

The sea stretched wide in front of them.

Dark.

Restless.

Unforgiving.

Hairo reached with Marco’s group not long after.

His steps slowed the moment he saw it.

The water.

Endless.

Moving.

Alive in a way that made him uneasy.

Erish’s group was already there.

Positioned slightly away from the rest.

Watching.

Always watching.

Cartal arrived later.

Not rushed.

Not delayed.

Right on time.

His presence alone shifted the weight of the place again.

Rensu and Uri came with him.

Neither spoke.

Neither needed to.

By now Almost all of them had gathered.

Not in formation.

Not in order.

But present.

All two hundred and twenty-seven.

No one celebrated reaching.

No one relaxed.

Because this wasn’t the end of the journey.

It was the edge of it.

Cartal looked out at the sea.

Then back at the people.

Then at the boats waiting at the dock.

Cartal: “This is where it gets harder.”

No one disagreed.

Because everyone could feel it

The land was behind them.

And what came next Would not forgive mistakes.

Cartal stepped forward onto the dock, the wood creaking slightly under his weight as he looked out over the dark water. The boats tied there were few, broken, or useless for something like this. He didn’t waste time staring at them.

He turned back to everyone.

Cartal: “We don’t have boats.”

A few expected that. Some didn’t.

The reaction stayed quiet.

Cartal continued, his voice steady, practical.

Cartal: “But the forest is ours.”

Now a few understood.

Others waited.

Cartal: “We build them.”

That landed differently.

Cartal: “We cut what we need. We shape it. We move.”

No hesitation in his tone.

Cartal: “There’s no other way.”

He looked across them, making sure no one thought this was optional.

Cartal: “Most of you haven’t been home in a while.”

That shifted something in the crowd.

Not weakness

Something deeper.

Cartal: “Go.”

A few lifted their heads slightly.

Cartal: “Get what you need. Axes. Tools. Anything that helps us move faster.”

He gave them a clear limit without needing to explain it.

Cartal: “You don’t have time to stay.”

That made it real again.

This wasn’t a return.

It was a stop.

The crowd began to break again, smaller groups heading back toward the village paths they knew too well.

Not rushed.

But not slow either.

Hairo stood still for a moment.

Alice beside him.

Neither moved immediately.

Alice let out a small breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

Alice: “It’s been a while.”

Hairo nodded.

Not fully calm.

Not fully tense.

Something in between.

Hairo: “Yeah…”

There was something else in his eyes Not just the mission.

Home.

Alice glanced toward the path leading back.

Alice: “You ready?”

Hairo looked in that direction.

Then back at the dock.

Then forward again.

Hairo: “I don’t know.”

That was honest.

Alice gave a faint smile not light, but real.

Alice: “Same.”

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Excitement sat there.

So did uneasiness.

Memories they hadn’t touched in a while.

Then Hairo exhaled quietly.

Hairo: “Let’s go.”

They turned together and started walking toward the village.

Not as fighters.

Not as part of the plan.

But as people going home

Even if only for a moment.

Alice stopped in front of the door for a moment before opening it. Her hand rested on the wood, still, as if something inside was holding it back. Then she pushed it open.

The door creaked softly. The house stood exactly as it was left nothing moved, nothing changed. Dust had settled, but not enough to erase what it used to be.

Hairo stepped in behind her, slower. His eyes moved across the room without stopping on anything for too long. He recognized everything, but he didn’t want to.

Alice walked inside, her fingers brushing lightly against the table.

Alice: “Feels smaller…”

Hairo didn’t answer. He just stood near the entrance, not fully inside, not fully outside.

Alice turned slightly toward him.

Alice: “You were really small back then. Running around… you wouldn’t even stay in one place.”

A faint smile came, but it didn’t stay.

Alice: “Your father was here too… Thy.”

Hairo’s expression changed, just a little. Enough.

Alice didn’t stop.

Alice: “For those two days… it felt normal. Like nothing was wrong. Like we could just stay like that.”

Hairo looked away.

Alice’s voice lowered.

Alice: “Then everything changed.”

Hairo: “Don’t.”

It was quiet, but clear.

Alice paused, looking at him.

Hairo: “We don’t have time.”

He stepped further inside now, but not to stay just to move.

Hairo: “We came for tools. That’s it.”

Alice watched him for a moment. She understood.

But still

Alice: “First your father left.”

Hairo’s grip tightened slightly on the edge of the table.

Alice: “Then… you were taken.”

Hairo: “I said stop.”

This time it was sharper.

Not loud.

But enough.

The room felt heavier now, like it was holding onto something neither of them wanted back.

Hairo didn’t look at her.

Hairo: “I don’t want to remember that.”

No anger in his voice.

Just refusal.

Alice didn’t push further.

She turned away, moving toward the corner where tools were kept.

Alice: “Fine.”

A small pause.

Alice: “Then don’t.”

Hairo exhaled slowly, forcing himself to focus.

Not the past.

Not this place.

Just what they came for.

Because staying even a moment longer than needed

Felt dangerous.

In just an hour, the shore had changed completely. What was empty before was now filled with movement. Trees had already been cut down, logs dragged across the ground, wood split and shaped. The sound of axes striking, ropes tightening, and wood cracking echoed through the area.

No one waited for orders anymore. They worked like they already understood everything. Some were building the base frames, some cutting planks, others tying structures together so they would hold against the sea. Every movement was fast and precise. There was no space for mistakes.

Rensu moved between groups, watching quietly, correcting where needed without saying much. Uri stayed slightly apart, observing everything, his eyes catching small details others missed.

The boats were starting to take form.

Not perfect.

But enough.

A little away from the main work, Cartal stood still, not looking at the boats, but at Hairo.

Hairo was working without stopping, lifting, cutting, tying like he had done this many times before. There was no hesitation in him.

Cartal walked toward him and stopped a few steps away.

Hairo noticed but didn’t stop.

Cartal: “You’re keeping up.”

Hairo: “I said I could.”

Cartal watched him carefully, not just his strength but the way he carried himself.

Cartal: “Erish wasn’t wrong.”

Hairo paused for a moment, then continued working.

Hairo: “Doesn’t matter who’s right.”

Cartal: “It does now.”

Hairo looked at him this time.

Cartal didn’t look away.

Cartal: “You’re not here because of him.”

A small pause.

Cartal: “You’re here because you chose to be.”

Hairo’s grip tightened slightly.

Hairo: “I’m here because I have to be.”

Cartal: “That’s not the same thing.”

Hairo didn’t respond. He just worked harder, focusing on the wood in front of him.

Cartal spoke again, calmer but firm.

Cartal: “This isn’t something you can walk away from.”

Hairo: “I know.”

Cartal: “Once it starts ”

Hairo: “I know.”

He cut him off, not angrily, just certain.

Cartal studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod.

Cartal: “Good.”

He turned and walked away.

Behind them, the first boat was already standing. Then another. And another.

They were building fast.

Faster than they should have been able to.

But they didn’t stop.

Because once those boats were ready

They were going to Kiopa.

And there would be no turning back.

Uri stood still for a moment, his eyes not on the boats, not on the people somewhere further than all of it.

Uri: “This is our last mission.”

He said it simply, like he was stating something already decided.

Rensu glanced at him, just for a second, then went back to tying the rope in his hands.

Rensu: “Might be.”

Uri didn’t correct him.

Didn’t repeat himself.

He just shifted his gaze back to the work in front of them.

Rensu tightened the knot and pulled it firm.

Rensu: “I’m a fifty-nine-year-old monk.”

A faint, almost careless tone.

Rensu: “If it ends here… I won’t complain.”

Uri watched him quietly for a moment, then looked away again.

Around them, no one stopped. No one reacted much. The words passed through like everything else.

Work continued.

Wood struck wood.

Ropes pulled tight.

Because whether it was the last mission or not

By the time the sun had shifted, the work was done.

Rough.

Heavy.

But ready.

The boats stood lined along the shore, uneven in shape but strong enough to carry them across.

No one celebrated.

They just looked once

Then moved.

One by one, the boats were pushed forward. Wood scraped against sand, then met the water. The first wave hit, testing the build. It held.

Others followed.

Soon, the shore was filled with boats half in water, half still touching land.

Cartal stepped forward.

Cartal: “Move.”

No delay.

People started getting in, spreading out exactly how they had planned. Weight balanced, no overcrowding, no confusion.

Paddles were picked up.

Rensu stepped into one of the boats, steady despite his age. Uri followed, silent as always. Hairo climbed in with the others, gripping the edge for a moment before settling.

The water shifted under them.

Unstable.

Alive.

Cartal looked across all boats one last time.

Cartal: “Push off.”

The final contact with land broke.

Boats drifted out slowly

Then the paddles hit the water.

Together.

Again.

The rhythm formed quickly.

Clean.

Controlled.

The shore of Bugo started to move away.

No one looked back for long.

Because ahead

There was only Kiopa.

And whatever was waiting for them there

Was already ready.

The boats drifted just enough to clear the shore.

For a brief moment, they moved without direction

Then Cartal’s voice cut through everything.

Cartal: “Everyone, move forward!”

Paddles struck the water together.

Once.

Then again.

The motion wasn’t perfect at first, but it didn’t need to be. Within seconds, rhythm formed. Each boat adjusted, matching pace, cutting through the water in steady lines.

Water splashed against the sides. Wood creaked under pressure. But nothing broke.

Rensu kept his balance easily, his movements controlled as he rowed. Uri didn’t rush, but every stroke he made was precise. Hairo pushed harder than most, his grip tight, his focus straight ahead.

No one spoke now.

They didn’t need to.

Cartal stood at the front of one boat, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Cartal: “Keep the line. Don’t spread too far.”

The formation tightened.

Boat after boat aligned, moving like one body instead of many.

The distance between them and the shore grew with every stroke.

Bugo was already fading behind them.

The sea opened ahead.

Cold.

Wide.

Unforgiving.

But they didn’t slow.

Because turning back

Was no longer an option.

By the next morning, the sea had changed.

The long stretch of water behind them was now quiet, distant, almost unreal. The night had passed without rest, only steady movement, paddles rising and falling in rhythm until it became instinct.

And then

Land.

Kiopa.

At first, just a dark shape against the horizon.

Then clearer.

Closer.

The island stood still in the early light, surrounded by sharp cliffs and rough edges, like it didn’t want to be reached. The waves struck against the rocks harder here, breaking with force.

The boats slowed.

Not by order

But by instinct.

Everyone was looking at it now.

Cartal stepped forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the island.

Cartal: “This is it.”

No one replied.

They didn’t need to.

Rensu watched quietly, his expression unchanged, but his grip on the paddle had tightened just enough.

Uri’s gaze moved across the island, not just seeing it reading it.

Hairo leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on the cliffs ahead.

No excitement.

No fear.

Just focus.

The boats moved closer, carefully now, avoiding the sharper rocks as they searched for a place to land. The sound of waves grew louder. Stronger. Real.

Cartal raised his hand slightly. Cartal: “Slow it down.”

The paddles eased. The boats drifted the last stretch.

Kiopa was no longer distant. It was right in front of them.

And whatever waited on that island was no longer something ahead. It had already begun.

The boats touched the shore one by one, wood pressing against wet sand as the waves pushed them forward and pulled them back.

No one rushed out.

They stepped down carefully, boots sinking slightly into the cold ground of Kiopa. The air felt different here, heavier, quieter, like the island itself was watching them arrive.

All 227 gathered close, not in perfect lines, but close enough.

Cartal stepped forward.

He didn’t raise his voice, but everyone heard him.

Cartal: “From here… there’s no turning back.”

The words settled into them. Not loud, but final.

Cartal: “We didn’t come this far to fail.”

His eyes moved across all of them, stopping nowhere, yet seeing everyone.

Cartal: “We will win.”

A slight pause, his grip tightening on his sword.

Cartal: “We take Thy back.”

The name carried weight. It straightened backs, sharpened focus.

Cartal: “And don’t die easily.”

A few shifted slightly at that, but no one spoke.

Cartal: “There’s always someone waiting for you.”

His tone didn’t soften, but something in it changed.

Cartal: “And if there isn’t…”

He lifted his sword just a little.

Cartal: “Then die in a way that means something.”

No cheers followed. No shouting.

Just silence, heavy and ready.

Cartal lowered his sword.

Cartal: “Move.”

And just like that, they stepped onto Kiopa.

Everyone took their positions.

Cartal was ready. Everyone was ready.

The first signal was taken by Marco.

A small explosion was set off by Cartal’s team.

As soon as it exploded, Marco’s team triggered a bigger explosion on the backside of the wall.

The ground shook. Dust rose into the air.

Kiopa had been breached.

PART 9 At Kiopa

He said it simply, like he was stating something already decided.

Rensu glanced at him, just for a second, then went back to tying the rope in his hands.

Rensu: “Might be.”

Uri didn’t correct him.

Didn’t repeat himself.

He just shifted his gaze back to the work in front of them.

Rensu tightened the knot and pulled it firm.

Rensu: “I’m a fifty-nine-year-old monk.”

A faint, almost careless tone.

Rensu: “If it ends here… I won’t complain.”

Uri watched him quietly for a moment, then looked away again.

Around them, no one stopped. No one reacted much. The words passed through like everything else.

Work continued.

Wood struck wood.

Ropes pulled tight.

Because whether it was the last mission or not

By the time the sun had shifted, the work was done.

Rough.

Heavy.

But ready.

The boats stood lined along the shore, uneven in shape but strong enough to carry them across.

No one celebrated.

They just looked once

Then moved.

One by one, the boats were pushed forward. Wood scraped against sand, then met the water. The first wave hit, testing the build. It held.

Others followed.

Soon, the shore was filled with boats half in water, half still touching land.

Cartal stepped forward.

Cartal: “Move.”

No delay.

People started getting in, spreading out exactly how they had planned. Weight balanced, no overcrowding, no confusion.

Paddles were picked up.

Rensu stepped into one of the boats, steady despite his age. Uri followed, silent as always. Hairo climbed in with the others, gripping the edge for a moment before settling.

The water shifted under them.

Unstable.

Alive.

Cartal looked across all boats one last time.

Cartal: “Push off.”

The final contact with land broke.

Boats drifted out slowly

Then the paddles hit the water.

Together.

Again.

The rhythm formed quickly.

Clean.

Controlled.

The shore of Bugo started to move away.

No one looked back for long.

Because ahead

There was only Kiopa.

And whatever was waiting for them there

Was already ready.

The boats drifted just enough to clear the shore.

For a brief moment, they moved without direction

Then Cartal’s voice cut through everything.

Cartal: “Everyone, move forward!”

Paddles struck the water together.

Once.

Then again.

The motion wasn’t perfect at first, but it didn’t need to be. Within seconds, rhythm formed. Each boat adjusted, matching pace, cutting through the water in steady lines.

Water splashed against the sides. Wood creaked under pressure. But nothing broke.

Rensu kept his balance easily, his movements controlled as he rowed. Uri didn’t rush, but every stroke he made was precise. Hairo pushed harder than most, his grip tight, his focus straight ahead.

No one spoke now.

They didn’t need to.

Cartal stood at the front of one boat, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Cartal: “Keep the line. Don’t spread too far.”

The formation tightened.

Boat after boat aligned, moving like one body instead of many.

The distance between them and the shore grew with every stroke.

Bugo was already fading behind them.

The sea opened ahead.

Cold.

Wide.

Unforgiving.

But they didn’t slow.

Because turning back

Was no longer an option.

By the next morning, the sea had changed.

The long stretch of water behind them was now quiet, distant, almost unreal. The night had passed without rest, only steady movement, paddles rising and falling in rhythm until it became instinct.

And then

Land.

Kiopa.

At first, just a dark shape against the horizon.

Then clearer.

Closer.

The island stood still in the early light, surrounded by sharp cliffs and rough edges, like it didn’t want to be reached. The waves struck against the rocks harder here, breaking with force.

The boats slowed.

Not by order

But by instinct.

Everyone was looking at it now.

Cartal stepped forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the island.

Cartal: “This is it.”

No one replied.

They didn’t need to.

Rensu watched quietly, his expression unchanged, but his grip on the paddle had tightened just enough.

Uri’s gaze moved across the island, not just seeing it reading it.

Hairo leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on the cliffs ahead.

No excitement.

No fear.

Just focus.

The boats moved closer, carefully now, avoiding the sharper rocks as they searched for a place to land. The sound of waves grew louder. Stronger. Real.

Cartal raised his hand slightly. Cartal: “Slow it down.”

The paddles eased. The boats drifted the last stretch.

Kiopa was no longer distant. It was right in front of them.

And whatever waited on that island was no longer something ahead. It had already begun.

The boats touched the shore one by one, wood pressing against wet sand as the waves pushed them forward and pulled them back.

No one rushed out.

They stepped down carefully, boots sinking slightly into the cold ground of Kiopa. The air felt different here, heavier, quieter, like the island itself was watching them arrive.

All 227 gathered close, not in perfect lines, but close enough.

Cartal stepped forward.

He didn’t raise his voice, but everyone heard him.

Cartal: “From here… there’s no turning back.”

The words settled into them. Not loud, but final.

Cartal: “We didn’t come this far to fail.”

His eyes moved across all of them, stopping nowhere, yet seeing everyone.

Cartal: “We will win.”

A slight pause, his grip tightening on his sword.

Cartal: “We take Thy back.”

The name carried weight. It straightened backs, sharpened focus.

Cartal: “And don’t die easily.”

A few shifted slightly at that, but no one spoke.

Cartal: “There’s always someone waiting for you.”

His tone didn’t soften, but something in it changed.

Cartal: “And if there isn’t…”

He lifted his sword just a little.

Cartal: “Then die in a way that means something.”

No cheers followed. No shouting.

Just silence, heavy and ready.

Cartal lowered his sword.

Cartal: “Move.”

And just like that, they stepped onto Kiopa.

Everyone took their positions.

Cartal was ready. Everyone was ready.

The first signal was taken by Marco.

A small explosion was set off by Cartal’s team.

As soon as it exploded, Marco’s team triggered a bigger explosion on the backside of the wall.

The ground shook. Dust rose into the air.

Kiopa had been breached.

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Journey To Bugo — 1

About the Author

About the Novel

PART 1 The Earth

Part 2 The Hell

Part 3 the judgement

Part 4 Going Home

PART 5 A Obstacle

PART 6 Cartal

PART 7 Miso village

Part 8 Uri

PART 9 At Kiopa

PART 9 At Kiopa

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