"Caw... Caw..."
The dawn sun broke over the island of Ceylon.
The sky was a clear blue. Seagulls cried out loudly above.
Yousafer and Yuray slung their baggage onto their backs and stepped out of the wooden hut.
The village was eerily deserted. Not a soul was visible.
Both Yousafer and Yuray knew exactly where the villagers had gathered.
The two young men pressed forward with steady steps and unwavering resolve.
They understood that the path ahead was a grueling trial. It demanded immense determination.
They were keenly aware that a single misstep on this journey could easily cost them their lives.
After a few minutes, they quickly reached the shore where their small boat was moored.
There, they found more than ninety men and women, alongside a large number of children.
Across the way, the revolutionary Nelo and his group were gazing intently at the two prominent figures.
One of Nelo's followers spoke:
— That's our leader; he forced them off the island!
— Captain, how did you manage that? — another follower asked.
Nelo cleared his throat, then said with a smug smile:
— Who do you take me for? I am the greatest revolutionary of all ages!
— This island is under my command. How could I allow two unknowns who beat up my followers to remain?
— That's why I expelled them.
Another follower declared:
— That's our leader; he looks out for us!
A smirk spread across Nelo's face as he closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a shiver shot through him. It made the hair on his arm stand up.
He snapped his eyes open and found Yousafer looking straight at him.
Nelo glanced quickly from side to side.
His proud smirk immediately dissolved into a friendly smile as he rubbed his hands together.
Nelo suddenly recalled his early morning meeting with Yousafer and the village chief.
They had agreed that he would protect the island for six months before being granted his freedom.
But in reality, Yousafer was indifferent to whether Nelo stayed or left.
The sole purpose of his threat was to deter Nelo from harming the island.
Yousafer had intimidated him.
He reasoned that even if Nelo stayed, it would benefit the villagers.
He had been explicitly ordered to help them, not just protect them.
Voices erupted from the opposite side, where the islanders had gathered to bid farewell.
They all pressed toward the two young men:
— Yousafer! Yuray! My brother Yuray, my brother Yousafer, we will miss you; we will long for you.
— You will leave the island empty.
— We will miss those expressions, Yousafer...
— Uh, uh, uh...
The village chief raised his hand. Everyone fell silent.
— My son Yousafer, my son Yuray, take good care of yourselves.
— I know you are strong, not like us ordinary folk, but this world is very cruel; you must be cautious.
— There is a final message your grandfather asked me to deliver to you when the time came for your departure.
Yousafer showed a flicker of curiosity and asked:
— What is the message?
The old man replied:
— You must go to the Kingdom of Usan, whose capital is Hajar, located in the far southwest of this continent.
— When you arrive, seek out Gooza Lardor; he will share details about this world with you.
Yousafer considered this for a moment, then nodded:
— Alright, thank you, Grandfather.
Yousafer and Yuray then approached a woman in her late thirties, dressed in loose fabrics with a purple hat and a black feather.
She was reasonably beautiful.
They bowed respectfully:
— Thank you, Nanny Catherine.
Catherine smiled. Tears immediately streamed from her brown eyes.
She pulled the two close and burst into tears. The droplets fell onto her flushed cheeks.
Yousafer and Yuray felt a profound sadness, especially Yousafer.
She had raised him since he was two years old. He was like her own son.
— I will miss you... Yousafer... Yuray...
Broken words escaped her.
A man in his forties, presumably her husband, placed a hand on her shoulder:
— Catherine, the boys must go.
"Hic... Hic..."
Catherine lowered her hand upon hearing her husband's words.
Just as a small boy, who resembled her, gripped her leg.
— Take good care of yourselves. — she said quietly.
The two nodded, then placed their belongings inside the boat.
The boat's existing contents included a fishing net, two fishing rods, and two small, identical black boxes.
They pushed the boat toward the sea, then climbed aboard.
At that moment, they heard the old man speak again:
— Yousafer, this old man doesn't have much life left.
— Please let me see the world you told me about years ago...
Yousafer raised his thumb:
— Don't worry, you will definitely see it.
— Whatever trials you face, do not despair.
— And know that with despair comes relief.
When the old man mentioned the word "despair," a strange sensation washed over Yousafer.
The feeling quickly vanished.
The two nodded, picked up the oars, and began to sail.
The small boat pulled away from the island, carrying two young men, adolescents who knew little of the world.
These two, unknown to anyone today, will one day make this world tremble in their presence.
Yousafer and Yuray watched the island recede.
With every meter they gained, memories and emotions from all the places they had spent their lives there flooded their minds.
— Yousafer, you idiot.
— Yousafer! Come here!
— Yuray, you stupid skinny guy!
— Yousafer, where are you?
— Yousafer, what's wrong with that face? Hahaha, what a rogue!
— Yousafer! Yuray! Come help me!
— The sea is dangerous for you two brats!
Yousafer... Yuray... Yousafer... Yuray...
Yousafer, his gaze fixed on the island, finally turned his back and stated in his mind:
— The time for ease is over; it's time for work.
The boat gradually pulled away from the island.
With their continuous rowing, they disappeared from the island's sight.
— We will miss them so much, Mom... — said the boy holding the woman's leg.
The woman bent down, placing her hand on the boy's hair:
— They will return someday... Don't worry.
— Yousafer, I forgot to tell you. Didn't you feel anything peculiar about that revolutionary?
— Yes, I felt like he was under the influence of something.
— But strangely... why didn't he use his Germ? — Yuray suddenly wondered.
A look of surprise flashed across Yousafer's face as he too realized something.
— What did I tell you when we were heading toward them to greet them?
— You told me you would beat them so severely their mother wouldn't recognize them.
— So they wouldn't dare return.
— But your attitude changed the moment we arrived.
— I didn't understand anything. I even forgot to mention that he felt manipulated.
After a moment of silence:
Hahahahaha
Yousafer burst out laughing:
— He really tricked us; he warped the way I thought.
A slight smile appeared on Yuray's face:
— The bastard... his ability is incredible.
Back on the island, Nelo stood aboard his ship:
— We must leave quickly; they will figure it out at any moment.
— My ability is limited by distance.
— Come on, sail. Since those rogues went west, let's head east. — he muttered to himself.
— Come on, sail east!
— There's not much time left; let's make some people hate me.
— Captain, you told us we would stay for several months.
— Why the sudden change of heart?
— What? Are you questioning my orders?!
— No, Captain! I will go with you anywhere!
— Even to hell, we will follow you there!
Nelo thought to himself:
— You rogues... you'll be the death of me one day...
— I nearly died because of you.
— If it weren't for my Germ, and if I hadn't managed to alter his thought process in time, we would all have perished.
— And if that rogue had been at the Third or even Second Vain level, there's a high probability my ability wouldn't have worked against him.
— It seems he is still at the First Vain level.
— His ability is very strange. That chain and those eyes...
— They made me feel dread. I got out safely this time.
— It won't be long until I reach the Second level of the Germ.
— Then, if I meet him again and he is still at the First Vain level... I will tear him apart!
Nelo laughed out loud:
— No one can stand up to the great Nelo!
— They are leaving, Village Leader.
The old man replied:
— It is better for them to leave and not bother us.
— Since they are departing, they surely won't return to this island.
— I think that was Yousafer's plan all along.
In the middle of the sea, after sailing for an hour, Yousafer picked up one of the two black boxes and placed it on the water.
They then continued sailing.
As for why he placed it on the sea surface, only Yousafer and Yuray know the reason.
At this moment, they had changed their clothes.
The boat launched into the sea, with waves striking its sides.
An hour later, Yousafer and Yuray encountered a very large warship.
Above the ship, a flag fluttered.
It was black, bearing an inverted red five-pointed star in the center, flanked by two infinity symbols.
— The ship was manned entirely by soldiers.
Several soldiers peered down at them from the deck.
After watching for a while, a soldier among them gestured with his hand and raised his voice:
— Stop! Where are you from? And what are you doing here?
Yousafer looked up at the soldier:
— What? Can't we just be sailing and trying to catch some fish?
The soldier looked at the small boat, seeing only some fish, two fishing rods, and a net.
The soldier said:
— Do you have a permit to fish in this location?
— Do we really need a permit just to catch some fish? — Yousafer countered.
The soldier looked at them for a moment, then said:
— What are your names?
Yousafer's expression hardened into a strange look, and he said:
— I am Yousafer, and this is Yuray.
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances because of Yousafer's expression.
Yuray smiled but remained silent.
The soldier, unsettled by the strange look on Yousafer's face, thought:
— What's wrong with this idiot?
Then he said loudly:
— Wait!
The soldier who had spoken turned and walked with quick, heavy steps across the wooden deck.
The sound of his black boots striking the deck echoed with every stride.
The warship had entirely black sails, with many ropes twisted on both sides.
Several small, window-like gaps ran along the hull, each overlooking a cannon.
On the deck, there was a room.
In the floor was a stairwell leading down to the ship's first level.
The soldier entered the room, which contained a wooden table and a chair, bearing many books and papers.
Two long, square white candles illuminated the desk.
The soldier ignored the table and headed toward a cabinet filled with regularly placed books of varying sizes, and several documents.
He selected a medium-sized book and began to examine it.
He turned its pages one by one.
Each sheet in the book contained three photos of people along with their personal information.
After a few minutes, he exited the room.
The soldier headed toward the bow of the ship.
As soon as he arrived, his voice rose again:
— Hey, you two! You may leave, but if we catch you again in this part of the sea without a fishing license, blame no one but yourselves!
Yousafer smiled and tilted his head to the side:
— So, we are free to go now?
The soldier waved his hand:
— You can go.
Yousafer and Yuray picked up the oars and set off again.
High above the ship, in the crow's nest, two figures stood watching the small boat disappear into the distance.
End.