Chapter 12 – Ash and the Gate
The grey sea whispered under the cold light of dawn, a gentle wind brushing the torn sails as if bidding them farewell. At the dock, the weary ship finally came to a stop.
Adam was the first to disembark, his steps heavy, his black hair soaked and clinging to his neck. Gyro followed, wrapped in his worn coat, glancing at the mist like it was a beast waiting to devour them.
Old Burhan was tying the ropes in silence. His expression was sorrowful, as if he knew this would be the last time he touched the port. He lifted his head and said with his coarse voice:
"This is where I leave you, boys. I'll take this ship and return to my village. But I need some provisions for my children. I have nothing left."
Adam looked at him for a long moment, saying nothing. Then he turned his head to a few curious workers nearby.
"Take enough supplies from these crates for this man. Load them onto his ship. Take your wages from this."
He threw a pouch of coins.
The workers hesitated. They glanced at him with fear, but the gleam of silver beat their caution, and they began moving the crates.
Burhan looked at Adam. A small tear formed, but didn't fall:
"You didn't have to. People here only take. They never give."
Adam spoke quietly, his voice raspy:
"Because I don't want to be their master or their slave. I want them to know I count everything… even loyalty."
He paused, then added slowly:
"If I pay them their due, they'll understand that what I ask isn't a favor or slavery. Everything has a price. Even trust and allegiance."
Burhan gave a sad smile.
"Your math is heavy, Adam. Remember… too much mercy breeds wolves. Be just, but never soft."
Then he turned to Gyro, still hiding behind Adam:
"And you, little one… just one piece of advice: don't follow a man until you know where he's leading. Or he might kill you in a place you never chose."
He patted his head with a cracked hand.
Gyro opened his mouth, but found no answer.
Burhan gave a faint smile, waved his hand, and slowly climbed back onto his ship. It began to disappear into the fog, the creak of ropes and the cawing of gulls his farewell.
Adam waited a while, watching the ship vanish. He exhaled like a man leaving part of his burden at sea.
Then he turned to Gyro:
"Come. There's a city whose secrets we must uncover."
---
The city lay like a rotting corpse on the shore. The alleys were narrow and damp, reeking of rotten fish, urine, and smoke. Tired eyes stared at them from the shadows.
Adam said little. He entered a crowded tavern full of drunks, sat at a shaky table, and ordered a drink he never touched.
He whispered to Gyro:
"Watch. Who's watching us. Who's reaching for a blade. Who smiles too much."
Then he summoned the bartender and calmly asked:
"Who controls this city?"
The man stammered, stepped back, then whispered:
"Karok. A cruel man. Stone warehouse at the end of the market. Slaughters anyone who crosses him. His men are in every corner."
Adam tossed him a silver coin:
"Forget you saw us."
He left the tavern, hands in his pockets, but eyes tracking every move. He asked a merchant about prices, a sailor about the port, a child about the back alleys.
When the sun set, he whispered to Gyro:
"That's enough. I know what I need."
---
They walked out of the city. Found a dense forest, its roots twisted like snakes. Near the sea, a cave overlooked the black waves.
Adam stood at the entrance, observing it.
"This is where we sleep. This is where we learn."
He lit a small fire with damp wood. Smoke curled into the air.
Gyro sat trembling from cold and exhaustion.
Adam looked at him, voice steady:
"Tomorrow we start. I'll teach you how to open your gate without sound. How to control its size. But not in one day. You'll scream. You'll cry. I'll hit you. You'll fail many times. But you'll learn."
---
Days passed in the cave, slow and brutal.
In the mornings, Adam forced him to run through the forest, hunting him like prey.
"Leave no trail! A broken branch tells me where you are."
He struck him with a stick when he failed.
At noon, he made him sit still for hours:
"Open your gate without moving a finger. Just your mind."
Gyro would sweat, scream, sometimes cry:
"I can't!"
Adam silenced him with a calm slap:
"You can. Or you die."
At night, he made him open it in the dark, where every sound felt like a death scream.
The boy trembled. Sometimes a spark came out. Sometimes a whistle.
Adam watched, merciless.
"Again."
"Again."
"I don't sleep until you master it."
Gyro lost his voice from screaming. His hands scratched, wrists bloodied. But with time, the openings grew silent. Their light shrank. Their size obeyed his thoughts.
On the fourth day, he collapsed to the ground, drained.
Adam approached, sat before him, voice low:
"Now you can escape a hunter. Or kill a guard unseen."
He placed a hand on his shoulder:
"Today, you're no longer a victim."
---
At night, Adam sat alone by the fire.
He took off his coat, revealing his heavy white wings. For the first time since the island, he looked at them with genuine curiosity.
He reached for a large feather.
"I didn't notice back on the island…"
He ran his fingers over it. It was solid. Sharp like a blade.
He drew his knife and sliced the feather. It split slowly, revealing fibrous threads.
He whispered to himself:
"These aren't just for flying. This is a shield. This is a blade. I didn't discover them in the blood and fighting. I fought like a beast, but I never understood."
He pressed on the feather. Sparks flew into the fire.
"Strength, flexibility… like the strings of a killing machine. I fused the island creature into my body, but I didn't understand it. It killed with the wings of birds. That's its secret."
He folded his wings, wincing slightly.
"The World Government would tear me apart to learn this. I'd be their eternal lab rat. This is my secret. My last card."
He looked at Gyro, asleep in his coat.
"I promise… I won't let you be anyone's slave."
---
At dawn, he put out the fire.
He spoke with a deep voice:
"Today we train opening the gate in the rain. The sound covers you, but the light betrays you. You'll learn to make it only shadow."
Gyro stared at him with tired eyes but nodded.
Adam reached out and yanked his arm roughly.
"This time, no hitting. But your punishment is silence. A whole day without food if you fail."
---
As the sun set, they sat at the cave's entrance, watching the distant harbor lights.
Adam muttered under his breath:
"Tomorrow we move toward the boss. Tomorrow, the real fight begins."
Gyro said nothing. He trembled, but looked at Adam with a strange stead
iness.
Adam whispered to himself:
"That's how I want you. Not a slave. Not a foolish weapon. I want you to be a choice. A will."
> End of Chapter 12 –