Chapter 10
The valley
Thiago had been training without rest.
He was trying to unlock the hidden power—
But every attempt failed.
All night, he had not slept.
He read the ancient book again and again.
Still, nothing happened.
No light.
No awakening.
No change.
Now he was sitting alone on the edge of the mountain behind the village.
Morning had arrived.
The first rays of sunlight spread across the sky, painting it in soft gold and pale blue.
Cold wind moved across the peak.
His hair swayed gently with the breeze.
He stared at the horizon in silence.
Only five days remained before the competition.
And he still had not obtained the power.
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Kayaku woke up calmly and rubbed his eyes.
"He is somewhere nearby," he said in a quiet, steady voice
Both of them stepped out of the tent. Kayaku lifted his arms above his head and took a deep breath, stretching as the cool morning air filled his lungs.
Kayaku stretched his arms and looked at her.
"Dodo-Chaa… I need your tea first."
He spoke in a calm, slightly sleepy voice, as if the morning was perfectly normal despite everything that had happened.
Dodo looked at him in disbelief.
"Kayaku-saa…!" she protested loudly.
Kayaku suddenly laughed.
Kayaku: "Dodo… that man with us is still completely unknown. And he is stronger than both of us, so we can't move forward without him. Let's just wait."
Kayaku walked toward the dying fire. Only a few red embers glowed softly in the ashes. He sat down beside it in silence. Dodo sat down beside Kayaku.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kayaku looked at her.
Kayaku: "What was the dream?"
Dodo: "It was about my mama… and my sister."
Dodo: "That day… I can never forget it."
Kayaku: " happened has happened. No one can change it."
Kayaku: "Why don't you talk about your dad? Who is he?"
When she heard that, a faint smile appeared on her face. She looked at Kayaku and said,
"I've never met him."
Dodo: "When I was a child… my mama told me, 'Your father is…'"
Just then
Crunch… crunch…
The sound of footsteps echoed across the frozen ground.
Dodo and Kayaku both turned their heads at the same time.
A figure was slowly walking through the morning light.
As the sunlight touched the ice valley, his shadow stretched across the snow.
It was Atoi, calmly returning to the camp, Atoi walked closer to them.
When he reached the camp, he gave them a warm smile.
"Good morning, guys," he said calmly.
Dodo and Kayaku quickly stood up as he approached them. The morning sun shone across the ice valley, turning the snow golden around them. Dodo and Kayaku looked at each other.
Kayaku crossed his arms slightly and asked,
"Where did you go so early this morning?"
Atoi answered calmly,
"Just for a walk."
Atoi smiled slightly and said,
"Hey guys, get ready quickly. I want to show you something."
Dodo and Kayaku looked at him with curiosity.
"Show us what?" Kayaku asked.
Atoi simply turned toward the mountains.
"You'll see."
They began packing their bags for the journey. The cold morning air moved quietly through the frozen valley. Dodo was tying her bag when her eyes suddenly stopped. She noticed a wound on Atoi's right arm. The sleeve of his clothes was slightly torn, and a thin scratch ran across his skin. Dodo stepped a little closer, her eyebrows tightening with concern.
"Atoi…" she said.
He looked at her.
"What is that scratch on your arm?"
For a moment, Atoi glanced down at it as if he had just noticed it himself.
Then he simply shrugged lightly.
"It's nothing," he said calmly. But Dodo felt something was strange. Kayaku, standing nearby, silently watched the mark on Atoi's arm. They finished packing their bags and secured them on their horses.
The cold wind moved quietly through the valley.
After everything was ready, they began their journey.
The three of them walked slowly through the wide ice valley, their horses following behind them.
Atoi walked in front, leading the way.
The morning sun shone across the frozen land, turning the ice and snow into a field of gold.
Behind him, Dodo and Kayaku followed in silence, their footsteps echoing softly in the vast valley. They crossed the frozen glacier and passed between towering mountains. Cold rivers flowed through the valley, their water clear and icy. For hours they walked through the silent white land. Finally, in the distance, they began to see something different. A forest. Tall snow-covered pine trees stood ahead of them. They crossed a small river, the cold water flowing gently over the stones. After stepping onto the other side, they finally reached the forest. The pine trees were enormous. Each tree stood at least fifty feet tall, their branches heavy with snow. The wind moved softly through the forest, making the tall trees whisper quietly above them. And Atoi continued to lead the way deeper into the snowy pine forest. They continued walking deeper into the pine forest. The tall trees stood like silent giants around them. No one spoke. Only the soft sound of footsteps on snow and the quiet breathing of the horses could be heard. Time passed in silence.
Then suddenly
Atoi raised his hand slightly.
"Stop."
His voice was calm, but serious.
Dodo and Kayaku immediately halted behind him.
The forest became completely still. Dodo and Kayaku quickly stepped forward and came to Atoi's side.
They looked around the silent forest, trying to understand what had made him stop.
"What happened?" Dodo asked, her voice low. Atoi slowly turned his head and looked at them.
Then he raised his hand and pointed toward a spot deeper in the forest.
Without saying a word, his eyes stayed fixed in that direction.
Dodo and Kayaku followed his gaze.
They both turned and looked toward the same place among the tall pine trees.
The forest ahead was quiet… almost too quiet. Dodo squinted her eyes and looked carefully in the direction Atoi pointed.
"Are you serious…?"
"Is that… a pillar?"
For a moment, Atoi looked at her.
Then he smiled slightly and placed his hand on the back of his head, almost playfully.
"Yeah… looks like it," he said calmly.
Kayaku leaned forward, trying to see through the tall pine trees. Atoi kept his eyes on the distant shape.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Come on."
Without waiting, he started walking toward the pillar.
Dodo and Kayaku looked at each other for a moment, then followed him. Step by step, they moved through the snowy pine forest, getting closer to the tall structure standing silently among the trees. They continued moving toward the pillar. As they walked deeper into the forest, something strange became clear. The trees were not growing randomly. Instead, they were forming a border along a narrow path, as if guiding the way forward.
Dodo noticed it first.
"These trees…" she whispered.
Kayaku looked around carefully.
"They look like they're marking the path."
Ahead of them, the tall pillar stood silently, waiting at the end of the forest path. At last, they reached the pillar.
Dodo and Kayaku stepped closer, studying it carefully.
The pillar stood tall and ancient, its surface worn by time.
Around it, the tall pine trees formed a perfect circle, as if guarding it.
The forest felt strangely quiet there.
No wind.
No sound.
Dodo stepped closer to the pillar and carefully looked at its surface. Strange symbols were carved into the stone, running from the bottom to the top. She traced one of them lightly with her eyes.
"What are these symbols on the pillar?" Dodo asked softly.
Kayaku also leaned closer, studying the carvings.
"They look… like very old symbols," he murmured.
Suddenly, the map in Atoi's hand began to glow again.
A soft light spread across the old paper.
Dodo and Kayaku immediately looked at his hand.
Kayaku pointed at it.
"Atoi… look at the map."
Atoi carefully opened the map.
The glowing light slowly revealed new markings.
They had reached the second point.
Then words began to appear on the map:
"A key will unlock the path.
The farther you go the more nature will teach you.
Find the three keys… and unlock me."
The three of them stared at the message in silence.
The mystery had only grown deeper.
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