William finally spoke, his voice unable to hide the confusion and anxiety within it.
"Could you tell me… what you want from me?"
The old man slowly raised his head and cleared his throat before answering.
His voice was calm and deep.
"I simply… want to enjoy myself."
The sentence left his mouth clearly.
But at the same moment…
William heard something else.
A faint voice inside his mind.
"I'm trying to save you from becoming a sacrifice… and save myself from unnecessary trouble."
William's eyes widened instantly.
The thought was clear—too clear.
And it wasn't his.
He stared at the old man in visible shock.
He didn't understand what was happening.
But the old man noticed his reaction immediately.
His expression shifted slightly, his calm gaze narrowing into something closer to suspicion.
His eyes studied William carefully.
A short moment of silence passed.
Then he asked,
"What is it?"
William didn't answer.
He only kept staring.
The old man's gaze sharpened further.
Then he slowly stood up.
He walked toward a dark corner of the cabin, bent slightly, and pulled something from behind an old wooden crate.
It was a small device… worn and dusty, as if it hadn't been used in years.
He placed it on the table and pressed a button.
A faint mechanical sound came from it.
Then a dry artificial voice emerged from the device:
"Mind-reading attempt failed… please try again."
The air inside the cabin froze.
The sound snapped William out of his daze.
He quickly lifted his head, looking first at the device… then at the old man.
The old man, meanwhile…
was looking at him differently now.
A look of understanding.
A slow, faint smile appeared on his face.
Then he said quietly,
"So… that's how it is."
William's heart froze.
Because that look…
clearly said one thing.
The old man had understood.
And that frightened William far more than he expected.
Before William could speak…
the old man spoke first.
His voice was not loud, but it was firm enough to cut through any hesitation.
"You are lucky, boy."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Not everyone develops an ability after torture."
He leaned slightly forward.
"So…"
he said slowly.
"Tell me exactly what your ability is."
His eyes narrowed as he added in a strict tone,
"And do not go around in circles."
"Understood?"
Silence filled the cabin again.
William swallowed with difficulty.
His throat was dry, and his heart was beating too fast to hide.
His fear wasn't only about what the old man might do…
but about how easily the man had uncovered the truth.
William lowered his gaze for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts.
Should he tell the truth?
Or lie?
But the old man's earlier words echoed in his mind.
"Do not think of lying to me."
William slowly raised his eyes again.
The old man had not moved.
He barely blinked.
He was waiting.
And what frightened William the most…
was the feeling that the man might not even need to hear the answer to know it.
William opened his mouth slightly…
but no words came out.
He remained silent.
The old man watched him a moment longer, then released a short breath.
"Don't tell me you don't know."
He gestured toward William's head.
"I saw you earlier."
"You froze when I thought something I didn't say."
He paused, then smiled faintly—a strange smile.
"So…"
he said slowly,
"Either you read thoughts…"
"or you hear them."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Which one is it?"
William's heart trembled.
Because the man…
was very close to the truth.
William finally spoke, though his voice was weak and hesitant.
"I… really don't know."
He paused, searching for the right words.
Then he continued,
"I just… sometimes hear the person's voice when they speak…"
"…even when they haven't actually said anything."
He lowered his gaze slightly before adding,
"It happens suddenly… and then disappears."
The old man looked at him for a long time without interrupting.
His expression was not suspicious.
It was thoughtful.
After a few moments, he exhaled slowly.
"So…"
He moved the chair slightly and sat down again.
"Let us study this ability."
He paused before adding,
"And eventually we will learn exactly what it is."
He moved his chair closer to the bed where William sat, until the distance between them was short.
Then he intertwined his fingers and rested them on his knees.
"Now…"
he said in a calmer tone.
"Tell me about the times you heard those thoughts."
His gaze remained fixed on William.
"Every single time."
"Leave out no detail."
Silence filled the room briefly.
It was clear that the old man was not asking out of curiosity.
He was analyzing something important.
As for William…
he began replaying those moments in his mind.
The first… with Kaite.
Then… during the final game.
Then…
here.
He slowly raised his head.
And it was clear that this conversation…
might be the beginning of understanding something far greater than he had imagined.
William told the old man everything he remembered.
He described the first moment with Kaite…
when he heard a thought that had never been spoken.
Then he told him about the final game…
the moment when he knew the punishment before it happened.
Then he described what had just happened inside the cabin.
The old man listened without interrupting.
His eyes were half closed, as if assembling the pieces of a puzzle inside his mind.
A long time passed before he finally spoke.
He exhaled slowly and said,
"It seems… that your ability protects your mind from madness."
William blinked several times.
He didn't understand.
The old man noticed immediately and leaned forward slightly to explain.
"The ability to read minds…"
he said slowly,
"…is a great power."
Then he continued in a more serious tone:
"And it is derived from one of the greatest abilities that exist."
He raised a finger, emphasizing his words.
"The ability to control atoms… the power belonging to the immortal body."
He paused briefly, then shook his head slightly.
"But that is not something easy to understand right now."
Then he looked directly at William.
"So for now… focus on understanding your own ability."
"And thank your Creator for choosing to protect you."
William continued staring at him with a confused expression, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Finally he said,
"What are you talking about?"
"I… didn't understand anything."
The old man sighed again.
It was clear he hadn't intended to go into such a long explanation, yet he did.
This time his voice was slower.
"At its core… mind-reading means that you pierce the human mind directly…"
"…to reach the essence of the soul."
He raised his hand slightly as he continued.
"But if this ability remained active all the time…"
He paused and looked directly into William's eyes.
"Do you know what would happen to you?"
William didn't answer.
So the old man continued himself.
"You would lose your mind."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Then he added,
"Because of the countless thoughts you would hear."
"Even the idea of standing among people would become terrifying."
"You would not be able to stand among more than a few people without your mind drowning in their voices."
He pointed to his own head.
"Their thoughts… their fears… their desires… their impulses…"
"Everything."
Then he lowered his voice slightly.
"You would live in a hell of thoughts that are not yours."
"Strange thoughts… heavy thoughts… sometimes dark ones."
He paused before adding,
"And in the end…"
"You wouldn't even be able to hear your own thoughts anymore."
He finished speaking and leaned back in the chair calmly.
"So…"
he concluded,
"it is better that the ability does not remain active all the time."
William stared at him.
His mouth slightly open.
His eyes wide.
As if his mind was still trying to absorb everything he had just heard.