Two figures stood atop the crow's nest, their gaze fixed on the small boat as it drifted further away.
"What do you make of them, Ron?" one asked.
Ron felt a strange prickle of curiosity; he didn't know why, but the unnatural silence of that white-haired boy made him feel as though something was hidden behind that calm demeanor.
After a moment of silence, the dark-haired man answered, placing a hand on his chin. "The one with his eyes closed—the white-haired one—he piqued my interest."
"And the other?" his companion asked again.
Ron, whose face bore a peculiar intensity, replied, "He seemed ordinary to me; nothing curious about him except his strange features. And you, Darum?"
Darum tilted his head. "I also felt something wasn't right with the one whose eyes are closed; it was his silence that drew me in most. Should we track them?"
Ron held a small book, similar to the one the soldier had taken from the shelf. "They haven't done anything that warrants tracking; their names and photos aren't in our records. However, there's no harm in following them until they reach the shore."
He turned to Darum. "Send two soldiers after them. Tell them not to be lenient."
"Understood," Darum replied, beginning his descent from the crow's nest.
Ron was a Lieutenant, the third rank after the Veteran Soldier. A man in his late twenties with dark brown hair, he wore a gray cap emblazoned with the same emblem as the flag fluttering beside him. His dark gray attire was distinct from the pale gray of the common soldiers, and a gold star shone on the left side of his chest.
Darum, the Deputy Lieutenant, was a veteran soldier in his early twenties with blonde hair, sharp brows, and piercing blue eyes. While his uniform matched the others, a yellow band wrapped around his left arm distinguished his rank.
A small boat launched from the warship—larger than the one Yousafer and Yuray sailed—carrying two soldiers. they set off rapidly, maintaining enough distance to remain unnoticed.
***
Yousafer and Yuray continued their sailing, unperturbed despite sensing the pursuit. After two hours, land appeared on the horizon like a swaying thread. As they drew closer, they saw tall trees lashing back and forth in the wind, as if welcoming them.
They approached a shore guarded by jagged rocks. The sound of waves crashing against them could be heard from a distance.
"Yuray, row to the side!" Yousafer commanded.
Yuray tilted the oar, mirroring Yousafer's movements, and the boat began to veer right.
"We have to head for the gap between the rocks." Yousafer's eyes were locked on a narrow opening directly ahead.
The boat surged through the rocks; the waves rose high, making the passage in such a small craft a suicidal endeavor.
"Hahaha!"
Yousafer's heart pounded with excitement as he laughed aloud, feeling the thrill as the waves tried to capsize them. Yuray's thin hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of his focus. Sea spray erupted into the air, soaking them both, but they soon cleared the jagged stones. It was nothing to them, though ordinary people would have found it impossible to escape without their boat being splintered.
They arrived at a beach composed of smooth pebbles. They stepped out and hauled the boat onto the shore. Yousafer leaned down to grab two waterproof animal-skin bags tied beneath the boat; he tossed one to Yuray and kept the other. They changed out of their fisherman's clothes; they had planned this well to appear as simple hunters. They hid the bags to avoid any later suspicion—a decision that proved wise after their encounter with the warship.
At that moment, they saw the soldiers' boat approaching from a different angle, as if the soldiers knew the terrain well. The soldiers spotted the two bundles on the youths' backs, but they were too late; Yousafer and Yuray vanished into the giant trees with blinding speed.
Water droplets flew from their hair as they ran, the distance between them and the shore growing rapidly. The air was cold beneath the canopy, and the snap of branches echoed under their feet with every stride. The soldiers acted quickly upon landing; one tracked their footsteps into the forest while the other returned to the sea to report to the warship.
***
At that moment, an hour and a half away from the island... and an hour away from the warship... a small black box floated alone in the middle of the sea.
It had been still since Yousafer placed it, but now, it began to vibrate. The shaking started faintly, then intensified as if gripped by an invisible hand. Suddenly, the box snapped open, and something shot into the sky followed by a cloud of gray smoke. It climbed higher and higher until it reached a specific altitude, then a massive explosion rocked the heavens.
**Ten days before their departure:**
The two boys had stood by a table in the wooden hut. Before them was a drawing of a red banner. In the center was a hand wrapped in a chain, gripping a torch—but atop that torch was not fire, but a glowing sun.
"Is this our banner, Yousafer?" Yuray had asked.
Yousafer smiled. "This banner is our emblem from now on."
Yuray nodded. "It looks good. From now on, we'll be wanted by the Church of the Union of Nations."
Yousafer held the drawing up, scrutinizing it. "And who cares about the Church of the Union of Nations, or whatever they call themselves?"
Yuray grinned wide and said nothing.
Yousafer folded the drawing. "I'll take this to Auntie Mary. She'll make us many copies to hide in our clothes, and one as a flag for our future ship."
**The Present:**
The massive explosion could be seen from twenty kilometers away at sea. High above, a banner of rising smoke formed—the very same banner Yousafer had designed.
On Ceylon Island, everyone looked up in shock at the sound of the blast. The Village Chief smiled, holding the same banner in his hand. Unlike the others, he knew. And so did Auntie Mary, who had spent nine days sewing that very symbol. Memories flooded her heart—memories of the boy whose clothes she had mended for years. A single tear fell from her pink eyes.
On the warship, every soldier, including Ron and Darum, witnessed the explosion. They saw the banner formed of smoke despite the distance. Shock and awe washed over them.
"What is that thing?"
"Look at that banner... has anyone seen it before?"
The soldiers talked amongst themselves, eyes wide with curiosity, waiting for a word from their leader.
Ron and Darum stared at the explosion. After a short silence, Ron gave his command: "Head there immediately!"
The warship, which had been heading North, was turned toward the site of the blast.
***
Back at the explosion site an hour later, the warship arrived. A black box floated there, a pole extending from it, topped with the red banner. A hand wrapped in a thin chain gripping a torch with a glowing sun.
Ron slid down a hemp rope onto the deck, followed by Darum. They stared at the banner.
Ron gestured to a soldier. "You there! Go down and retrieve that thing."
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
The soldier stripped down to his yellow floral underwear—to the hidden laughter of his comrades—and dove into the sea.
The box was placed on the deck, and a circle of curious soldiers formed around it. What was the explosion? What was this banner? Who caused it?
Ron broke the silence. "Search the records for this banner."
Three soldiers rushed to the cabin, flipping through books, but found nothing.
"Lieutenant, we have no record of this banner."
Ron pondered. "It's a new banner then... but to whom does it belong?"
Darum interrupted. "What about those two boys? Most likely they are behind this. We've been here for three days and haven't seen anyone else."
Ron clenched his fist so hard the sound of grinding iron echoed, startling those nearby. In truth, Yousafer and Yuray hadn't intended to draw attention to themselves; the explosion was merely a farewell to the people of Ceylon. Yousafer had wanted to place it on the island's mountain, but didn't want to risk a malfunction damaging the island.
"Ron, what now?" Darum asked.
"Nothing," Ron replied. "We continue our mission to capture that revolutionary."
"And the banner? Do we ignore it?"
"Of course not. We'll send it to headquarters and report what happened. Let them decide."
"Our target is that revolutionary—the one they call the **'Human Demon'**."
Ron's voice turned cold. "No wonder. Everyone born in that **Cursed Year** is considered a demon. We, the guardians of this world, must eradicate them. Have you heard of the **'Children of the Devil'**?"
"Cursed Year? Children of the Devil?" Darum asked in shock. "Why?"
"You were too young to know," Ron answered. "In that year, disasters struck the world. Earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes that had been dormant for centuries erupted. Millions died. But what made it truly terrifying was that the sun vanished for an entire month. We saw no light. In its place, two eyes appeared in the sky for a full day. They were horrifying; just looking at them made your blood freeze."
"That period was between mid-2999 and mid-3000. It was called the Cursed Year because of the unnatural phenomena. Anyone born during that time was named a 'Child of the Devil'."
The soldiers were silent, gripped by Ron's words.
"When did the sun fade?" one soldier asked.
"The tenth month of 2999," Ron replied calmly.
Darum spoke up. "I've heard that every child born then was killed. Weren't they all purged?"
"Ninety percent of them were," Ron said without hiding anything. "The remaining ten percent were hidden by their families. Higher authorities deal with them; it's beyond our jurisdiction."
**End of Chapter**