A man in his forties stepped forward, his eyes as sharp as blades fixed on Helmo. The boy recoiled, his heart hammering against his ribs as if the entire forest were watching him.
The man wore a white cloak striped with black, paired with gray trousers and black boots. Yousafer observed the terrified Helmo, then crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze locking onto the approaching man.
The man halted with a smirk, his right hand resting on the hilt of a relatively short sword at his hip. His eyes traveled between Yousafer and Yuray.
"What do we have here?" he asked mockingly. "Two boys alone in this forest? What brought you here? Haven't you heard that bandits and revolutionaries haunt these woods?"
Yousafer smiled disdainfully. "Actually, we heard about the bandits and revolutionaries. We just hadn't heard there were zebras in this forest."
The words hit like a stone dropped into a still well. As the man caught Yousafer's pointed look at his striped cloak, his temper flared. He gripped his sword hilt and snarled, "It seems you're seeking your own death, boy!"
Yuray took a step forward, the golden light of the setting sun dancing before his closed eyes. He spoke in a low voice that Helmo heard clearly: "Helmo... is this one of the factory supervisors?"
Helmo stammered, caught off guard. "Yes... he's one of them."
The man sneered at Yuray. "What about you, blind boy? Do you have something to say?"
Yousafer stepped in, placing a hand on Yuray's shoulder with a cunning grin. "Let me handle him."
The man's rage intensified; he bared his teeth and drew his sword. "You're coming with me!"
Yousafer raised an eyebrow, looking at the man with strange curiosity. "Where are you taking us? To work in the factories?"
The man's mockery returned. He chuckled, pointing his blade at Yousafer. "Good, you know what's in store for you!" He gestured arrogantly to the right. "The path is this way. Walk in front of me."
Yousafer turned to Yuray, who remained indifferent. "Should we kill him or torture him a little?"
"Let's torture him slightly and extract some information," Yuray replied calmly.
"Exactly what I was thinking," Yousafer smiled, gesturing with his thumb toward Yuray.
Helmo stared at them in shock. *What are they doing? What torture are they talking about? Have they gone mad?*
"You have no idea who you're messing with!" the man roared, lunging toward Yousafer with his sword.
Yousafer simply ducked; the blade hissed over his head, and his fist drove straight into the man's abdomen.
**BOOM!**
The air rippled from the force of the blow, sending dry leaves swirling around their feet. The man staggered back with a faint groan, his fury reigniting. He gnashed his teeth and charged again. "You little—!"
Yousafer didn't retreat. A mocking smile played on his lips as he held his hand out in front of him. The man didn't care and rushed forward, but suddenly, a strange silence fell over the clearing, as if the world had stopped. Then, a sharp metallic sound rang out:
*Clink... Clink!*
A black chain erupted from beneath Yousafer's right sleeve with blinding speed, coiling around the man before he could even reach them. He froze. His sword clattered to the ground as he collapsed, writhing like a worm.
The man gasped, bewildered. *What is this?* His entire body felt bound by something unnatural; he couldn't even turn his head to see what held him. Yousafer stood over him, his face twisted in derision.
The man trembled, sweating profusely. He couldn't tell if it was his body shaking or if the thing binding him was slowly draining his soul. *P-possessed?!* he thought, a shiver running through him. *What is a Possessed doing in a place like this? Who are these two?!*
"It's over for you..." Yousafer whispered.
"F-forgive me, young man," the man's voice shook. "I... I didn't know you were a Possessed."
Fear had conquered every other sense. Yousafer leaned down with a predatory smile. "A moment ago you were as arrogant as a zebra. Why are you writhing like a worm now? If I weren't a Possessed, what would you have done? You would have killed me, wouldn't you? Just as you swung that sword at me."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I was wrong!" the man pleaded. But Yousafer's smile offered no comfort; it was the look of someone who was merely beginning to enjoy himself.
Helmo stood with his mouth agape. Having lived in the forest for years, he knew nothing of the outside world. This fantastical scene made him think he was dreaming. He began slapping himself repeatedly—*Smack! Smack!*—until his face turned red.
Yuray turned his head toward the sound. "What is he doing?"
Helmo pinched his skin hard and winced. He wasn't dreaming. He looked at the chain, which emitted a faint purple aura. Upon closer inspection, he saw black eyes embedded in some of the links.
"What is that thing?!" he whispered, backing away.
"Helmo, don't be afraid," Yuray's voice rang out.
Helmo turned to him. "What is it?"
"We'll tell you later. Don't worry," Yuray replied calmly, his words soothing the boy's fear.
The man hadn't seen the eyes on the chain because his neck was being forced upward toward the sky, his gaze locked onto Yousafer's face—otherwise, he might have fainted from sheer terror.
Yousafer stared at him in silence. The man's breath grew shallow, his face turning pale. *Damn it... what have I gotten into? A Possessed in this forest! I never expected this...*
Yousafer narrowed his eyes. "You seem to be thinking too much."
**BAM!**
His fist descended on the man's head, knocking him unconscious.
Yousafer stood up and turned to Yuray. "I'm hungry. Let's eat first, then we'll question this wretch."
Yuray smiled. "Is that why you knocked him out?"
Yousafer released the chain from the man's body, leaving it coiled only around his leg. He glanced at the rabbit Helmo was carrying. "That rabbit looks delicious. Won't you invite us to your home?"
Helmo hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Come... follow me. My house isn't far."
***
They reached Helmo's home, which, like the others, resembled a giant mushroom but was deep red in color. Its windows were narrow rectangles, and its chimney curved backward. A small garden stood in front, featuring a lemon tree laden with yellow fruit.
Helmo opened the door and entered, followed by Yousafer and Yuray after they had tied the unconscious man to the lemon tree.
Inside, Yousafer chose a chair by a square wooden table and sat down; Yuray did the same.
"Wait a moment," Helmo said. "I'll cook the rabbit. Rest for a while."
The house was two stories, simple but tidy. As Helmo began using kitchen tools, silence filled the room, broken only by the sounds of cooking.
"I wonder," Yuray said, "who is behind these factories?"
Yousafer leaned back, closing his eyes. "Someone extraordinary, no doubt. They must have massive influence to suppress the media. Even the army stays away—there must be an inside deal. A very powerful individual."
Yuray smiled. "And this is only our first day in the world."
Yousafer laughed softly. "Did you expect anything else?"
"When do we move?" Yuray asked, knowing Yousafer wouldn't wait long.
"Let's eat first. Then we wait. They'll surely send someone to check on their missing colleague."
A few minutes later, Helmo sat with them, staring at Yousafer with intense curiosity.
"Why are you staring?" Yousafer narrowed his eyes.
"The chain..." Helmo whispered.
"Haven't you seen a Possessed before?"
"Possessed?" Helmo repeated. "What is that?"
Yousafer looked at Yuray with a look of exhaustion. "You explain it. I'm saving my energy for the food."
Yuray crossed his legs. "Since you know nothing of the world, I will tell you. I'll only explain the surface, but it should clarify a few things.
This world is vast. Let's start with the army. They belong to a global organization called the **Church of the Union of Nations**. They call themselves the guardians of the world, and anyone who does not fly their banner is labeled a rebel.
Then there are the **Revolutionaries**. They are people who rejected the army's corruption and chose their own path. But some use the name only for tyranny and power.
As for the **Possessed**, they are users of the **Germ Ability**. A Germ is a microscopic organism that a person is inoculated with. Once it enters the body, the person becomes a 'Possessed' and gains unnatural powers. That chain you saw coming from Yousafer's hand? That is his Germ's ability."
***
At that moment, deep in the forest, a man held a strange device shaped exactly like a sunflower. "I've searched for him for a long time," he said into the device, "but found no trace."
A voice crackled back: "Search harder. Inform me if anything happens."
"Understood," the man replied. "Wait for my call."
**End of Chapter**