At night, a heavy silence reigned over the palace of Anshan, broken only by the whisper of the wind through the trees and the distant voices of the guards. The stars in the sky shone like countless diamonds, as if witnessing a fateful moment. Harpagus, the imposing commander of the Medes, now Kourosh's secret ally, arrived in Anshan under the cover of darkness. In a brief and private meeting with Cambyses, the king of Persia, he finalized the last coordinations—details of Kourosh's grand escape plan and the beginning of the secret revolution. The moment of farewell arrived; a moment in which the heavy sorrow of separation mingled with the excitement of the great future plan in the hearts of all three: little Kourosh, Cambyses, and Mandane.
Mandane, seeing her little son having to be handed over to the enemy for their grand plan to succeed, could not control her tears. Hot, silent tears, like pearls, streamed down her cheeks, and her heart ached with sorrow. She held Kourosh tightly in her arms, as if wanting to hide him within herself forever, safe from the clutches of fate. Behind this deep sorrow and a mother's love, a silent and burning hatred for her father, Astyages, had taken root in Mandane's heart; a hatred for a father who, out of fear and selfishness, had condemned his daughter's child to such a bitter fate and forced her into this great sacrifice. This pain, from a mother's heart, was directed towards the despotic king of the Medes, pushing her towards revenge, however hidden.
Cambyses, with a look that was a mixture of self-reproach and firm resolve, gazed at his son. At the moment of farewell, a deep sense of powerlessness and self-blame filled him. He blamed himself for not being powerful enough to protect his family and for placing the heavy burden of this decision on his little son's shoulders. But at that very moment, his eyes shone with an iron will. He swore to himself to take a different path; a path to gain absolute power, so that never again would he and his loved ones have to submit to an imposed destiny, and they could defend their land and family with all their might. This oath was not just a promise, but a vow for the future of Persia.
Cambyses embraced the weeping Mandane. He rested his head on his wife's shoulder and whispered in a firm voice that concealed his sorrow, audible only to Mandane's ears, "He will return, stronger than ever. We must be ready. Ready for a battle that will change destiny." That night, Anshan witnessed a farewell that, on the surface, was the end of a life and the beginning of an exile, but in reality, was the beginning of a secret and fateful revolution.
Kourosh, with a calmness beyond his years, set off with Harpagus and several of his father's trusted men, who were specialists in commerce, espionage, and military affairs and had been chosen for this perilous mission. The journey towards the towering Zagros mountains began; a dangerous and mysterious journey in which every step was part of a grand deception. Kourosh temporarily entrusted the management of the paper and printing workshop to his father, ensuring that the secret production line of paper and printing would continue uninterrupted, and that knowledge would continue to spread in his absence.
Along the way, the silence of the night mingled with the sound of horses' hooves and the rustling of leaves. Kourosh, while in Harpagus's arms, as if a child oblivious to everything, whispered in a low voice, only for Harpagus's ears, "Harpagus, I know this path is difficult and many dangers lie ahead. But this is the first step. Did you know that to accomplish great things and to change destiny, one must sometimes first disappear from the stage and grow in the shadows?" His words, as if rising from the depths of wisdom, made Harpagus ponder.
Harpagus, who was amazed by Kourosh's intelligence and insight and had become completely loyal to him, replied, "Prince, your wisdom surpasses your age. Your predictions of the king's madness and this grand plan astonish me. Who would have thought a child could have such a plan in mind and see such a future?" Kourosh smiled, "Destiny, Harpagus. But destiny can be guided to a desired path with wisdom and prudence. Our plan has begun, and we will see it to its end." Their conversation along the way focused more on the details of the rescue plan, the secret ways of communicating with Cambyses's men, and how to manage information during his absence.
Harpagus, now loyal to Kourosh, asked him about the secret communication channels with Cambyses's men and how to manage information during his absence. Kourosh, with complete detail, outlined the structure of his secret commercial and espionage network for Harpagus; a network that was supposed to keep him connected from afar with the pulse of events in Anshan and Media, and also to provide the necessary financial resources. Their journey into the heart of the Zagros mountains, towards a destination unknown to the world but perfectly clear in Kourosh's mind, continued; a journey that was the beginning of a new chapter in history.