That night, the atmosphere in Uncle Elro's house was heavy.
Kael sat on the long wooden bench, his breath still uneven from the escape earlier that day. On the table, an oil lamp flickered softly, casting a warm yellow glow across the room. Rana had already gone to sleep in the back room, unaware of what had happened.
Teren stood by the window, peeking outside into the silent darkness. "It's empty… but I feel like we're being watched," he whispered.
He turned to Kael. "Kael… that thing they were holding earlier… the one that lit up red… what was it?"
Kael shook his head slowly, still staring at the floor. "I don't know, Ren. But whatever it was… it looked dangerous."
Elro, who had been silent until now, stood from his seat and stepped closer. His face looked grim, as if carrying the weight of a long-buried truth.
"Was it shaped like a long, narrow tube… with a barrel at the front and a grip underneath?" he asked quietly.
Kael nodded quickly. "Yes! One of them carried something like that. The other had a smaller device on his belt. It glowed red."
Elro took a deep breath, then sat down in front of them. "That… is a firearm. They call it a gun. It fires small metal bullets, but with deadly speed. It can take down a large deer in one shot… and if it hits the head… it can kill instantly."
Teren froze. "W-we don't have anything like that in Ticonic…"
Elro looked at them both seriously. "That's because they don't want us to. All that technology… it's hidden. Forbidden to us. We're only allowed to live in this simple world. But now… you've both seen the other side of it."
Kael clenched his jaw. "So they've been keeping the truth from us. Locking us inside the wall."
Elro nodded. "Because they're afraid. The outside world holds power… and fear. And you two… you just touched the fire."
Teren gritted his teeth, his expression serious. "Damn, Kael. We almost got taken by them. I don't know what would've happened to us. We could've ended up as prey for those ancient tigers, or worse, experiments for them."
Kael sighed, his eyes filled with concern, but he tried to stay calm. "We need to be careful, Ren. They didn't just follow us by coincidence. They know more than we think. Maybe... we're the real threat to them, not the other way around."
Elro, who had been listening to the conversation, nodded slowly. "You've stepped deeper into this than you realize. What you saw today... isn't just a wall. It's a doorway to a bigger world, and that world won't let you walk away so easily."
Teren looked down, reflecting. "So what do we do now, Uncle Elro? They have those strange weapons. We only have bows and arrows."
Kael stared at the map that was still lying on the table, eyeing the points Elro had marked. "We need to know more. If we can get to their center, maybe we'll find something to help us... or at least get some clues about why they locked us in here."
Elro looked at them, his face filled with worry. "If you decide to go further... you'll have to face things you can't even imagine. The world outside isn't like ours. And the people watching the wall... they aren't ordinary humans."
Kael looked back at Elro, his face serious. "We're ready, Uncle. If this is about life and death... we don't have a choice."
Teren looked at Kael, then nodded slowly. "We have to find out more. No one's stopping us now."
Elro's wife, Yara, appeared from the kitchen carrying a large bowl of warm soup. Her face was gentle, but there was a hidden concern behind her eyes. "Don't rush off tonight," she said as she placed the bowl on the table. "You've just gone through something big. It's better if you rest tonight, so you can think clearly tomorrow."
Teren looked at Kael, unsure. "She's right, Kael. We just ran away from something... really strange. Maybe we should sleep and think things through tomorrow."
Kael sighed, looking tired but still worried. "I know, Ren, but we can't wait too long. Something bigger is waiting for us out there."
Yara looked at Kael with a caring gaze and then said softly, "But remember, Kael... there are times when we need to stop and make a plan. There's nothing more dangerous than acting impulsively without thinking things through."
Kael looked at Yara and nodded slowly. "Alright, we'll stay the night. But we leave early tomorrow."
Yara smiled, relieved at Kael's decision. "That's for the best. I'll prepare a room for you. Eat first, then rest. Tomorrow, we can talk more."
After a warm meal, they were shown to the guest room on the side of the house. The room was simple but comfortable, with thick blankets and the calming scent of wood. Teren immediately flopped onto the bed, his eyes growing heavy. Meanwhile, Kael sat by the window, staring out at the dark night sky. His mind was full of images of the massive wall and the mysterious guards they had encountered.
Despite his physical exhaustion, his mind remained wide awake, weighing the next steps.
Kael woke up from his restless sleep. His heart was filled with doubts and unanswered questions. He felt he couldn't sleep any longer, so he quietly left his room and walked to the living room. There, only a small fire was burning in the fireplace, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Kael sat by the fire, staring at the flames as they danced. His mind was full of questions—about the wall, the bigger world behind it, and about his father who had gone missing.
Not long after, Elro appeared at the door. His face still seemed alert, even though it looked like he had just woken up. Elro sat next to Kael calmly, gazing at the same fire.
"What's wrong, Kael? Why aren't you asleep?" Elro asked softly.
Kael lowered his head, his voice quiet but full of emotion. "Uncle Elro... I've been waiting for my father for so long. It's been years. I... I still want to know what happened to him. Did he... did he stay on Earth? Is he still alive?"
Elro was silent for a moment, looking at Kael with an unreadable expression. He took a deep breath and spoke carefully, as though choosing his words carefully. "Kael... your father... he's lost. He went fishing in the sea, just like he always did. But then a great storm came, and the boat he was on was swept away. We searched for him, but we never found any trace of him. That's the reason why he never came back."
Kael stared at Elro, his eyes full of doubt. "Swept away by the sea?" Kael repeated quietly, almost as if searching for clarity.
Elro nodded, his face serious, though his eyes were tinged with sadness. "That's what we all believe, Kael. That's the explanation that everyone accepted. Your father... he may not be with us anymore. But you have to be strong, Kael. You have many things to fight for here."
Kael clutched his chest, trying to hold back the whirlwind of emotions. "But I... I can't just accept that. There are too many things that don't add up, Uncle Elro. If he really was swept away, why did I never see any trace of him? Why doesn't anyone know more about what really happened?"
Elro looked at Kael with a deeper gaze, as if he knew that Kael was starting to sense something much bigger than just his father's disappearance. "Kael... there are many things we can't control or understand. Sometimes, it's better to keep moving forward and accept the reality. The most important thing is to remember that your father was a strong and brave man. You should be proud of what he did, even if we can never know everything."
Kael fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. But his heart still felt unsatisfied. There was something more that he felt, something that remained hidden, and he knew that somehow, this journey would bring him closer to the answers he was looking for.