Chapter 3: What Escaped with the River
Page 1
The masked man strikes the ground with a powerful punch next to the Father's face, enraged.
The Father, despite the blood and chains, looks at his wife lying beside him. A calm smile appears on his face, the smile of a man who knows he has lost everything except for one thing.
The masked man finishes his words with a quick whisper, then turns to Boomer.
"I believe I don't need you anymore. You may leave."
The masked man turns away. He casts a final look at the Father. A heavy look, filled with a meaning that no one understands but the two of them.
Page 2
The masked man exits from among the soldiers with calm steps, as if the forest does not frighten him.
Boomer looks at him in silence. Then he claps his hands twice.
Two soldiers who were hidden among the trees descend from the darkness.
"Follow him stealthily. If you see him do anything strange… kill him."
The Father looks at them. He is still smiling.
Page 3
The masked man moves with lightning speed in the opposite direction.
He runs along the riverbank. The sound of the water and the sound of his footsteps are the only things filling the night.
Page 4
The sound of branches breaking behind him.
He realizes he is being pursued.
He increases his speed. The pursuers increase theirs with him.
Then… amidst his rapid breathing, he hears something he didn't expect.
The crying of an infant. Weak. Coming from the river.
He stops for a fraction of a second. He looks toward the forest. Then he continues running even faster.
Page 5
He reaches the source of the sound.
A small infant crying on a piece of wood accelerating with the current.
The masked man looks at the baby. Then he raises his eyes toward the horizon.
Page 6
At the end of the river, a massive waterfall.
Mist rises from its bottom like white smoke. The roar of the falling water fills the night like an unseen beast.
If the piece of wood reaches the edge, nothing will remain of the child.
The masked man draws his sword quickly.
Page 7
He ties the sword with a rope. He jumps and throws it toward the wood.
A terrifying, slow-motion moment…
The sword pierces the wood right next to the infant's face. Wood splinters fly. The baby's crying intensifies.
A small necklace shines on his chest under the moonlight.
He secures the sword. The masked man pulls the rope. But the current is stronger than him, dragging the wood toward the waterfall mercilessly.
Page 8
The thud of footsteps behind him. Slow. Confident. As if they are in no rush.
The masked man freezes.
"So… the King's hunch was correct."
A cold voice. No anger in it. No tension. Much worse than that.
"You too… are a traitor."
The forest goes completely silent. Even the wind holds its breath.
Two men in the darkness. Their faces reveal nothing. Their swords gleam coldly under the moon.
One second stretches like eternity.
Then the masked man looks at the infant.
He jumps.
Page 9
He stands on the piece of wood. The infant rises into the sky and suddenly the masked man jumps again.
He catches the child in mid-air with one hand.
He lands on the other bank with difficulty. He pulls his sword by the rope. He places the infant on the ground gently. He pats his back slowly.
Page 10
"Time for punishment!"
The two assassins jump toward the bank. Suddenly, they are in the air.
The masked man throws his sword. A piercing sound in the air, the masked man's sword pierces the chest of the first assassin.
The second catches his companion and pulls him with him before they fall into the river.
Page 11
The masked man pulls the sword. He leaves the infant behind. He walks slowly toward them.
The first one clutches his wound: "Damn… the wound is deep."
They grab their swords and charge.
Page 12
A long swing with the tied sword. One of them deflects the blow.
The second flies toward the masked man. He aims his sword at him, and suddenly the masked man catches the sword with his bare hands and breaks it.
The assassin retreats. He looks at his broken sword: How did he do this? He doesn't understand.
Page 13
The masked man charges and grabs the assassin by his clothes. A harsh headbutt. He throws him to the ground. He sits on top of him, pulls a knife from his sleeve and unleashes a barrage of quick stabs.
Page 14
"No!"
The second stabs the masked man in his back.
The masked man stands up quickly with the sword hanging in his back, he responds with a punch. The assassin dodges it.
Page 15
He carries him and throws him to the ground.
The masked man falls to the ground and the sword enters deeper into his back.
The masked man moves despite the pain and grabs the assassin's legs and brings him down with him. He pins him with a strong choke.
The assassin bites him with desperate ferocity.
The masked man pulls the knife. He slashes his throat with terrifying smoothness.
Page 16
He pushes the corpse away from him. He turns onto his stomach. He puts his face on the ground and screams in pain as he pulls the sword from his back with great difficulty. The masked man lies down while blood comes out of him profusely, looking at the sky.
The sound of the infant's crying mixes with the sound of the flowing waterfall. As if it were a death anthem yet to be written.
He stands with difficulty, bandages the wound with extreme difficulty, goes to the infant. He covers him. And he departs into the darkness without looking back.
Page 17
The night passes slowly.
The infant sleeps in his arms, not knowing who saved him nor what he lost on that night.
The masked man reaches a small village just as dawn is about to break.
He enters one of the houses quietly. He places the infant. And he leaves immediately without looking back.
Page 18
In his palace, news reaches Boomer that the bodies of the two assassins were found at the waterfall.
The first's throat is slashed. The second is full of stab wounds.
Traces of blood head east, but they end suddenly after a short distance. As if the man vanished into thin air.
Page 19
Boomer says with a cold smile:
"So they discovered his secret, and he killed them to hide it. We have no evidence now… but watch him closely. We will soon reveal what he is hiding."
Page 20
On the morning of that day.
An old grandfather with kind features walks with a small boy in the middle of the village.
"Carry some bags for me, Thian, my back can't take it anymore."
They reach the house. The grandfather opens the door.
Suddenly… the crying of an infant comes from inside the house.
Page 21
He finds the infant on the table crying.
He approaches quietly. He examines the place with eyes that read everything.
He finds a folded letter in the infant's clothes. And a small necklace engraved with the name "Mabo."
Page 22
He picks up the infant. He goes to the kitchen. He gives him milk.
He whispers to himself as a mysterious smile appears on his face:
"I think I'm going to be a babysitter… again."
He looks at the beautiful infant in his hands.
Page 23
He opens the letter. He reads it quietly. He puts it aside.
He looks at the infant and says with a calm, confident voice:
"Welcome to the family… Mabo."
Page 24
Thian enters and asks: "Grandfather… who is this?"
"Just between you and me, Thian… this is your new brother."
Thian looks at the infant. He smiles innocently.
"My brother!"
He hugs the little infant gently.
To be continued in Chapter 4