" Will we meet again? …I'm so happy to have met you."
Eliad's smile lit up his wrinkled face, overflowing with joy beyond words. This old man wished only to see others live their lives fully. Deep inside, a feeling stirred something fleeting, impossible to hold on to.
Eliad departed on his own path. The two young travelers each had their journey to follow. He chose a different road, while the young man and woman set out together perhaps sharing the same path only for a short while.
"What do you like to do in your free time? …I just like to take it easy. Honestly, I don't really do much."
Kael walked backward playfully, both hands resting behind his head, his eyes fixed on Mira.
Her fingertip brushed against her soft, pale cheek as she closed her eyes for a moment, thinking while walking.
"I like reading novels… and journals written by people from the past."
Kael's eyes lit up, though he kept walking as before. He looked at Mira's smiling face, her cheeks glowing with a faint blush.
"How long have you been traveling?" Mira asked him. Kael shifted his steps, walking normally again. His left hand wiped sweat from his forehead with his scarf.
"Two years… I used to live in a big city. It was a huge challenge to change my life like this, but it's been fun. What about you?"
"I've been traveling for five years." Mira smiled faintly, though her eyes trembled, betraying something heavy hidden deep inside. Kael turned toward her suddenly.
"Wow… that's incredible. Five whole years of traveling!"
"I used to be part of a group called the Intras. We eventually went our separate ways… but maybe one day we'll meet again."
Her eyes weakened as she spoke, trembling with exhaustion. Her words carried the weight of someone bearing more than she could endure. She handed him an old piece of paper.
Kael took it, glanced at it, and gasped so hard the paper slipped from his hands. Shock struck him.
"Oh my god… oh my god… this can't be real!"
Mira froze, staring at the paper and then at Kael. Her eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth as she stepped back until her back hit the trunk of a massive tree.
"What is this… magic? Are you a witch?!" Kael's voice shook with fear. He stared at her in disbelief. Tears welled in Mira's eyes as she saw his reaction.
She said nothing. Fear and pressure consumed her, while Kael too was shaken. In these times, the suspicion of witchcraft often led to death. What Kael had seen in that paper had shaken his view of Mira entirely.
Kael's heartbeat grew erratic. He saw Mira avoiding his eyes. Was she afraid of him? No—it was him who had made her afraid. Slowly, he picked up the paper and stepped toward her.
He stopped before her. Mira glanced up at him, her eyes wet with tears, her flushed face twisted with despair. Could the man she trusted most now be the one to destroy her?
"I'm scared… I can't trust anyone. Any woman suspected of being a witch is killed. Just… tell me the truth. Is it real?"
"…I don't have the right to decide your life. You're the one who chooses your path."
Still, Mira remained silent, trembling harder, looking away from him. Kael gently moved to her side. He reached for her left hand and then knelt beside her. Mira's knees weakened; she collapsed onto the ground.
Kael stared into the distance—at the vast plain, at carts rolling by.
"I won't leave until you tell me the truth."
He lifted the paper again and showed it to her. But what was on it differed from the terrifying scene they now faced.
It was an old photograph-like image, showing a group of people together, smiling, their faces captured in warmth.
It was…
Mira finally parted her lips, forcing herself to speak.
"I come from Pejera, in the northern lands… a coastal place connected to other realms."
Kael's eyes widened. A realization flickered in his mind.
"What you showed me… it's not magic. It's technology, from a land called Rektes."
"…Rektes? I thought that was just a myth."
Kael held one side of the paper, while Mira held the other.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have judged you. Damn it!"
Kael slammed his fist against the tree. The bark scraped his skin, blood trickling down.
"Kael, your hand!" Mira cried out. She rushed forward to stop him, but he raised his left hand to block her.
"Don't come closer!"
He turned his eyes trembling Mira was shocked she never thought Kael would hurt himself like this
"Your hand…"
Kael lifted his eyes to the canopy above the leaves the drifting clouds.
"I'm twenty two. I regret the wasted years of my life. I chose to forget my past… and now I give my smiles and happiness to new people I meet."
"…I m twentyone. And I'm happy to have traveled so far. In my five years of wandering, I've never met anyone as reckless as you. You're different from everyone else." Mira gazed up at the sky just as Kael did.
"Lucky for you, you met me first." Kael gave a small smile cold, almost emotionless.
Mira smiled faintly in return warm, gentle.
"Yes… hahaha. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead already."
"Can you tell me what it's like there… as much as you know?" Kael placed his hands on his knees, still staring at the bright sky.
"If it's you… I know you'll believe me."
Mira lifted her gaze, following his. They sat beneath the great tree, the breeze stirring Mira's hair and brushing Kael's cheek.
"It's not so different from here. But some things there are hard for people here to believe. The first time I heard its thunderous roar, I thought it was a monster… but it was just a machine, created by their brilliant minds. Their ingenuity is incredible."
Mira's eyes shimmered as she looked down at the paper again. Kael sat quietly beside her, listening. The picture showed their old traveling companions like a family.
A large, broad-shouldered man with a beaming smile, hugging two playful boys.
A lively woman with a mischievous grin, holding a flintlock pistol though dressed in simple clothes. Mira herself sat in the center, polite and graceful, her gentle smile radiant.
Behind her stood a short-haired, blond young man, burdened with a massive travel pack, yet smiling warmly.
"What's his name?" Kael pointed at the blond man. Mira flinched, glancing at him before looking back at the paper
"His name is Edward Lusbreck. He was a traveler from Rektes. We journeyed together briefly. Yes… this photo came from him."
Kael leaned closer, almost brushing against Mira, studying the image.
"He looks cool… simple clothes, but mysterious. Very stylish."
"No way… do I really like their style that much?" Kael groaned, clutching his head with both hands and turning away quickly.
"Hahaha… Kael, you look just like a child. So cute." Mira laughed softly, her face glowing with joy. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about… I like it too."
Kael gave a faint, hidden smile she didn't see. They remained under the tree for a long time. Around them, travelers passed—carts carrying goods, wagons rolling by, people walking along the road.
Then, suddenly, rustling erupted from the bushes nearby. Both Mira and Kael turned their heads. Perhaps it was a wild beast. They rose to their feet.
"Get behind me," Kael ordered. Mira only stepped back slightly, refusing to hide completely.
"Oh my…!!!" A young man's voice cried out from the bushes. He burst through, stumbling into the clearing. He looked at the two standing to the left, then froze, startled by Mira's beauty.
"Hey you there! I'm Rogan. And you, scarf-boy you're pretty cool too. If I live through this, see you around!"
Without another word, he bolted past them. Kael and Mira were stunned into silence by his sudden appearance.
Then an entire herd of wild boars thundered out from the forest, charging after Rogan.
Mira gasped in horror, nearly screaming, but Kael quickly wrapped his arm around her, covering her mouth. Her cheeks flushed crimson as the beasts stormed past, chasing the strange man.
"I swear, I really want to punch that guy." Kael muttered, scowling toward the direction Rogan had fled.
To be continued…