Mihon awoke. The screams ceased, and the pain that was tearing him apart quieted. He slowly left the room, as the three—Youray, Amis, and the Silent One—turned their gaze toward him. They approached him.
Mihon sat down, leaning his back against the wooden wall. His face was pale, and sweat poured from him heavily. His breath was faint; his voice was barely audible. Something had changed. It was not a change in his appearance, but within him, the aura surrounding him had shifted. It had become colder, more still, as if heralding an impending storm.
"Mihon, are you alright?" Youray asked.
Mihon did not answer, for the echo of that voice still rang in his ears: "Break the shackles."
He did not know who that boy was, or why those words were spoken to him. The question echoed in his mind: Who are they? And why do these visions come to him?
A heavy silence prevailed. And deep within that stillness, Mihon felt something strange in his chest... an invisible chain, yet its presence was clear, slowly winding around his heart.
After taking a few breaths, he regained control of himself and said reassuringly:
"I'm fine… don't worry."
"Are those visions still bothering you?" Amis asked.
Mihon answered,
"A little…"
"What do you think causes them?" Amis wondered.
"I don't know the reason yet, but I will find the answer someday." (Then he changed the subject) "Is there anything to eat?"
"We have some jerky on the ship. Wait, I'll bring it with some water," Amis said.
---
After two hours, everyone finished their meal. They sat again, but this time not to examine the skull or the concrete.
Mihon turned to the Silent One, then said quietly:
"Is anyone from your family still alive?"
The Silent One did not react immediately. She looked at Mihon in silence. She had sworn never to trust anyone. What had trapped her in the Kingdom of Randor was caused by a girl she once thought was her friend… but who had betrayed her.
However, her encounter with Mihon and Youray, and their rescue of her, planted a seed of doubt in her decision to shut herself off. And when they told her what they knew about her family, she felt something stir in her heart… something like hope.
She raised her hands and gestured as if asking, "How did you know about my family?"
Mihon and Youray understood her and told her what they knew. She was surprised, but smiled inwardly… certain that she had chosen the right path.
"So, do you know if anyone from your family is still alive?" Youray asked.
She shook her hands to indicate that she did not know. She had been kidnapped at the age of eight. She did not remember her homeland, and the only memories she had were the features of her parents and her older brother.
Mihon said,
"We will learn everything about your family in due time… don't worry."
They continued their journey aboard the small ship, the wind moving its white sails, and the red flag — Mihon's banner — fluttering above them.
After three days, they crossed the borders of the Kingdom of Randor, heading west.
Mihon said,
"We will take the western route."
Then he turned to Amis:
"Is there a detailed map of this continent?"
"Yes, it's in the room," Amis replied, then looked at the Silent One:
"Could you please bring it?"
The Silent One went and brought a map made of black cloth, marked with many gray lines showing the main roads.
Mihon examined it, then said,
"Since we left Randor to the west, and considering the terrain of this area, it seems we are here." (He pointed to a mountainous region.)
Amis added,
"Look… here is a large lake. There must be a village nearby where we can resupply food and water. Our supplies have run out, and this is the closest point to us."
Mihon said,
"Since it's on our way, let's take a look."
Amis headed to the bow of the ship and began steering it toward the lake.
After sailing for a while above the clouds, the lake began to appear before them. The view looked like a painted picture: a vast lake with a great island in the middle, covered with houses. The island was round, rising about four meters above the water's surface, as if it were a giant floating rock. Four bridges connected it to the mainland from all four directions: east, west, north, and south.
The ship landed on the lake and slowly advanced toward the island, which was four times larger than the island they had departed from.
"We need to find a safe place to leave the ship," Mihon said.
"You're right, we don't know what awaits us here," Youray replied.
As they sailed alongside the island, a dark cave appeared before them.
"Head toward it," Mihon said.
They entered the cave, which seemed large and spacious. But they began to collide with invisible objects because the interior was dark.
Youray approached the edge of the ship and started feeling what they were bumping into.
"It seems we are hitting tree trunks hanging from the ceiling," he said.
"How long they are," Amis remarked.
Finally, the ship docked on the side of the cave. They disembarked, and the path leading out was narrow. They moved very slowly. The Silent One slipped and almost fell, but Youray caught her and gently lifted her up:
"Be careful… the path is slippery."
She nodded and continued walking.
After exiting the cave, they began ascending toward the island.
Elsewhere, inside a cave located on the island, a man entered, panting, and bent to his knees:
"Sir, a ship has arrived at the shore."
"Is it from the United Nations Alliance? There are still two days… why did they come early?" the seated man asked.
"No, sir. It's small. And the flag flying above it does not belong to the Alliance."
"A rebel then?… To which group does that flag belong?"
"I have never seen it before," the man said.
Silence fell, then the seated man spoke in a deep voice:
"Watch them closely. If they don't interfere where they don't belong, leave them be. But if they do… bring them to me immediately."
"Understood, sir."
The man left, while the seated person remained thinking… It had been a long time since a rebel came to these lands… What is his goal?
He was large-bodied, wearing animal fur clothing, barefoot, with a necklace of green stones around his neck.