After some time, Yousafer and Yuray left the house, leaving the father and son to speak in peace. Night had fully claimed the sky, and the village was now teeming with people. No one paid much attention to the duo; the dim lighting acted as a veil, and even the man tied to the tree went unnoticed—otherwise, the village would have been in an uproar.
However, the man was no longer there. His bonds had been cut, and he had vanished.
Yousafer stared at the severed rope, then turned to Yuray with a faint smile. "It seems we're in for a long night."
Yuray raised his hands toward the sky, cracking his knuckles with a rhythmic pop. He grinned. "Yes, a very long one. My bones haven't moved like this in far too long."
Meanwhile, inside the house, Helmo's father spoke. "Helmo, we're out of water. Go fetch some from the well."
"Right," Helmo replied, nodding.
He rose from the table, grabbed a large jar from the side room, and stepped outside. He found Yousafer and Yuray standing there, gazing out at the village. When he glanced toward the lemon tree and saw the empty space where the captive had been, he gasped. "Where is the man?"
"They smuggled him out," Yuray answered calmly.
Fear washed over Helmo's face. "They must know about you by now... what are you going to do?"
"Nothing much," Yousafer murmured. "We'll wait for them to come to us. And if they don't... we'll go to them."
"Go to them? Why?" Helmo asked, bewildered.
"To pull up some weeds," Yousafer said, his eyes scanning the villagers walking the path.
*What is this madman talking about? Weeds?* Helmo thought. But he didn't argue. He had already realized these two were anything but normal after seeing that black chain in action.
"Will you come with me to get water?" Helmo asked.
"Where is this well?" Yuray inquired.
"In the center of the village, near the Chief's house."
The three walked in a single file between the clustered houses, the scent of cooking drifting from open windows. The village was now a hive of activity, a sharp contrast to the ghost town they had encountered earlier. Eyes followed them. Whispers broke out. Even the children stopped their games to stare, thickening the air with tension.
"The villagers haven't seen outsiders in a long time," Helmo whispered. "It's natural for them to stare. Don't worry."
"And who told you we cared about their stares?" Yousafer shot back.
Yuray added, "I have a question, Helmo. Where do the children go when their parents are at work?"
"They go with them to the factories, but they stay outside in a place called the Horse Stables. The villagers set up a spot there for the kids to play together. During lunch, the parents come out to eat with them, then go back to work while the kids play until sunset. The villagers demanded this; the supervisors refused at first, but eventually gave in."
"That explains why we didn't see anyone earlier," Yuray noted.
As they spoke, they reached the well. A large crowd had gathered nearby, and others sat on their porches. The whispering grew louder—a low hum of curiosity and suspicion.
"Who are they? Why are they with Helmo? Did they come from outside the forest? How did they get here?"
Inside a nearby house, an old man was resting. Hearing the commotion outside, he peered into a dusty mirror and muttered, "What is going on?"
An old woman clearing the table looked out the window but shook her head. "I can't see a thing; it's pitch black out there."
The old man got out of bed, his boots thumping on the wooden floor. He donned a white cloth vest and stepped outside. He threw the door open with force. "What is all this shouting about?"
The villagers fell silent. The old man's eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on Helmo and the two strangers. He stared at them for a long moment, then called out, "Helmo, come here."
Helmo approached, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Village Chief."
The Chief gestured toward the duo. "Who are these two?"
Helmo explained their presence, though he intentionally omitted the incident with the chain and the captured supervisor. The Chief raised a bushy white eyebrow, looking them over. "Come inside."
At that moment, a violent wind gusted through the village, bending the trees as if they might snap. A cold, light rain began to fall. Yousafer and Yuray's hair whipped wildly as they followed the Chief.
"Are you from beyond the forest?" the old man asked.
"Yes. We are heading to the capital, Randor," Yousafer replied.
The Chief had a thousand questions. "Do you know why people stopped coming to this forest?"
Yousafer recounted the rumors circulating in the outside world. The Chief's face darkened with rage, his fist clenching. "Curse them... those bastards. It seems everything was planned."
"Then why hasn't the army intervened?" the Chief asked.
"If you're waiting for the army to save you," Yousafer said with a cold, mocking edge, "you'll be here forever."
"And why is that?" the Chief's tone shifted.
"Do you really think the army doesn't know?" Yousafer looked away, watching the swaying trees with a look of disappointment.
The wind intensified. The Chief narrowed his eyes, focusing on Yousafer's face. As the wind pushed back the boy's hair, it revealed a black dot above his left eyebrow—and another just above it. The Chief's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. *Impossible... it can't be a coincidence!*
"What is it, old man?" Yousafer asked, annoyed.
The Chief was lost in thought. *Could this boy be the same one I saw sixteen years ago?* He didn't snap out of it until Helmo touched his shoulder. "Chief!"
"Ah, sorry. I drifted off." Then, he asked abruptly, "How is the old man?"
Yousafer and Yuray froze. "Which old man?"
"I am talking about **Adelaide**," the Chief said quietly.
The two youths exchanged a look of sheer shock. That was the name of the old man they knew.
"How do you know Adelaide?" Yousafer asked, his voice wavering with confusion.
"That man came here about sixteen years ago," the Chief recalled. "He was carrying a small infant in his arms. He stayed for three days and then left. Before he departed, he urged me to lead the villagers away from here, but he wouldn't explain why. He was in a great hurry."
The Chief looked around at the prying eyes and the worsening storm. "Come. Let us finish this inside."
Driven by curiosity, Yousafer followed without hesitation. They entered the house—a tidy space with red curtains and five chairs around a central table covered in soft fur and white feathers.
"What happened after Adelaide left?" Yousafer asked.
"I didn't want to leave," the Chief said, his voice heavy with regret. "The village was thriving with merchants and life. It is the greatest regret of my life. Because of me, so many have suffered—and continue to do so."
"Was the old man with anyone else? Besides me?" Yousafer pressed.
"No," the Chief said, taking a sip from a cup. "You were alone."
Suddenly, the Chief stood up. "Wait here." He went into a back room and returned carrying a black metallic box, ornate with leaf patterns and topped with the **Infinity symbol**.
"What is this?" Yousafer asked.
"Adelaide gave this to me when I refused to leave. He said it would help me protect the village, then he vanished into the trees. I never understood how to use it. I couldn't even open it."
"Can I try?" Yousafer whispered.
"Please," the Chief urged.
*Flash... Flash... Flash...*
Yousafer lifted the box, preparing to open it. But before he could, a noise erupted from outside—shouting and the rhythmic pounding of horse hooves stopping at the door. Someone banged on the door. "Sir! The factory supervisors are here!"
The Chief looked at the two boys. Yousafer looked at Yuray and smiled, setting the box aside. Yuray, Helmo, and the Chief stood to leave. Yousafer stopped the Chief, grabbing his hand and whispering a few words that made the old man's face turn pale. Then, the four of them stepped out together.
**End of Chapter**