At that moment, Gelan thought, "I'm so glad to have a son like this." When she let go of her only son, she turned to look at his only friend, Neim. Neim's right ear was red, and there was a handprint on his right cheek. Seeing this pained her deeply. She approached Neim.
Gelan: "Neim, my son, what happened to you? Are you alright?"
Neim, who had been looking at the sky, suddenly lost focus—he was startled. Then, he put on a face far more tolerant than his age.
Neim: "It's just how things usually are with my family, Aunt Gelan. Don't worry about it."
Gelan spoke in a sorrowful and pained tone.
Gelan: "I wish I could do something, my son."
Neim smiled.
Neim: "Just thinking about it is enough, Aunt Gelan."
At that moment, Fahg the Village Headman was approaching with two men. The men carried thin blankets and pillows in their hands. Fahg reached the two children sitting on the chairs.
Fahg: "You acknowledged your crime without objection. If the well has dried up, I will sincerely respect you. Of course, I don't want the well to dry up."
Though Fahg had acted generously a moment ago, he quickly returned to his usual strict and just demeanor.
Fahg: "You'll sleep with these. We'll give you food after the darkness lifts and just before it falls. That means we'll bring your meal soon. I'll say it again—entering the houses is forbidden."
Neim: "Alright, Fahg Abi."
Duis: "Understood."
Just as Fahg finished his explanation, Hol and his team arrived. Hol immediately walked up to Fahg.
Hol: "Fahg Abi, the water in the well is gone. Handling the tools, figuring out where it is… We can only start by the next lifting."
Fahg: "Then I'll leave that matter to you. You'll find the tools behind the door. If you carve them, they'll be more useful."
Then, turning to Neim and Duis,
Fahg: "You have a four-darkness punishment. Don't try to escape it, or the consequences will be worse."
Neim: "We wouldn't do such a thing, Fahg Abi. Right, Duis?"
Duis: "Yes."
Fahg: "Everyone, back to work!"
Fahg headed toward the administration house. Hol and his team, gesturing at Duis, muttered among themselves, saying things like, "He's definitely going to do something." Duis didn't care, but Gelan was saddened.
Duis got up from his chair and went to his mother.
Duis: "Come, Mom, let me take you home."
Gelan: "Take care of yourselves, alright?"
Neim: "Don't worry, Aunt Gelan."
Duis: "Neim, I'll take my mom home and come back. Wait for me."
Neim: "Alright."
Neim gazed at the sky again, waiting for their food to arrive.
● ● ●
The food was arriving. Neim thought to himself, "Finally! But Duis isn't here... Did something happen?" He turned to look in the direction Duis had gone—right behind him. Suddenly, he saw something extremely close to his face and let out a scream.
It was none other than Duis!
Neim, furiously:
Neim: "What are you doing?! I thought I was going to die!"
Duis burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. As he wiped them away, he said:
Duis: "You're too tense. Relax a little."
Neim, reproachfully:
Neim: "Are you really the one saying that?"
Duis shrugged.
Duis: "Well, you have a point."
Their food had arrived. A poorly prepared sweet potato salad, some walnuts, half an apple, and very little water…
Neim thought to himself, "Why did they do this? There's plenty of water in the administration house… Anyway, this won't be enough for us. We'll have to go to the well, but we'll be too exhausted to make it back. Since the well is almost dry, it'd be better to sleep there."
As he was thinking this, his eyes fell on Duis's food. Duis wasn't eating a portion of it. Neim became curious.
Neim: "Duis, why are you eating like that?"
Duis: "I'm saving some for my mom. Since I bought new clothes, there isn't much left to eat."
Neim put a quarter of his salad, part of his apple, and a bit of his walnuts into Duis's bowl. Duis was utterly shocked.
Duis: "Neim, what are you doing?"
Neim: "You know I eat little. I thought I'd give you some."
A genuine and deeply grateful smile appeared on Duis's face.
Duis: "I'm so lucky to have a brother like you."
Neim: "I should be the one saying that."
Neim smiled and lightly tapped Duis's shoulder.
Neim: "After we eat, we'll go to the well for water, right? We might as well sleep there. And we can check if it happens again."
Duis: "Oh, right! Maybe if its happen again. We can also talk about what it is."
After finishing their meals,
Duis: "Alright, I'll go give this to my mom."
Neim: "Okay, I'll take the blankets and go ahead. When you return, you can drop off the dishes and bring the pillows."
Duis: "Got it."
● ● ●
Some time passed, and the darkness began to fall. Since dinner, they hadn't spoken a word. They just watched the cave carefully.
Darkness fell, and when they looked…
Yes, it was really there. They had seen that thing again.
Neim: "This is what appeared before the darkness fell… Doesn't it look like the sky above?"
Duis: "You're right. Does this feeling seem familiar to you?"
Neim: "Like when we first met?"
Duis: "Yeah, exactly… Like a new beginning."
● ● ●
Let's go back ten years.
Neim was five, Duis was eight… Duis had been shunned by children his age and was walking home in tears. At the same time, Neim had been thrown outside until darkness fell because he hadn't eaten properly while smiling and being gentle. Neim, wandering sadly, began exploring the village.
They met at the intersection of a street. Neim's left eye was bruised. Neim pointed at Duis and spoke first:
Neim: "Hey! Who are you? I've never seen you before. Who are you?"
Duis: "M-me?"
Neim: "Yes. Are you alright?"
Duis wiped his tears, surprised. Neim was trying to understand what was going on. At that moment, they both felt something strange-the same feeling they had when they saw that thing in the cave.-
Duis's attention turned to Neim's bruised eye.
Duis: "A-are you okay? What happened to your eye?"
Neim: "Why are you talking so stammering?"
Duis: "S-sorry."
Neim: "It's fine. I got this for not eating properly."
Duis: "What did you do?"
Neim: "I don't know, hahaha…"
Neim's laughter made Duis laugh too.
Neim: "What's your name?"
Duis: "Duis. Yours?"
Neim: "Neim. Nice to meet you."
Duis: "Likewise."
For the first time, Duis was having a normal conversation with someone. He felt both very happy and very excited. Neim was happy too. This moment would be the foundation of their lifelong friendship.
● ● ●
Back to the present…
After a long silence, Neim spoke:
Neim: "So, are we going to tell anyone?"
Duis: "No one would believe us. Even if they did, it's forbidden."
Neim: "You're right… So, should we go check it out?"
Duis: "Are you saying we should break the rules again?"
Neim: "I mean, not exactly. Just take a look and come back."
Duis took a deep breath and fell silent. Then, suddenly, he asked:
Duis: "Neim, do you know what my dream is?"
Neim: "You want to be like Fahg Abi and lead this village."
Duis: "No. Actually, I want to see what's beyond these mountains."
Neim was shocked.
Neim: "What? But that's—"
Duis: "Yes… The reason my father was burned alive."
[Duis' father was executed by burning. When Duis cried and reached out to save his father, the top of his right hand was burned. He was only six years old and didn't think he would get burned.
His father was burned, not because he wanted to, but because he had encouraged more than one person to take advantage of outside resources, as the village was running out.
"This was done by the two previous headmen of the village. The village headmen usually serve less than 5 years. -Fahg's 2. year-" ]