The sun had shifted from its peak, and the sailors sat waiting for Abu Bakr's return. He had disappeared into the forest after claiming to have seen a young girl among the trees, his curiosity leading him to pursue her, despite the group urging him to stay. The sailors, sitting in small groups on the beach, passed the time with idle conversation. Some dreamed of returning to their kingdom and telling their stories of the journey, while others began discussing the possibility of building larger ships to travel faster. But for me, my mind was consumed with the land before us, wondering what secrets it held. At first glance, the island appeared as if it had never been touched by human hands, a paradise untouched by time. The trees were unlike any I had ever seen—towering, with leaves so broad and dense that they nearly hid the ground below. The vegetation was lush, and the land seemed pristine, like a virgin territory that had never known the hands of men.
I couldn't help but wonder: How could this land be untouched by civilization? If there were humans here, why hadn't they reached out to us? Had they never built ships and crossed the vast blue sea as we had? Had they believed, like we did, that the ocean stretched on forever? The questions swirled in my mind as I tried to make sense of what this land represented, the mysteries that lay beneath its surface.
When I had joined Abu Bakr on this journey, I never imagined it would lead us to a land like this. I only knew that I wanted to fulfill that burning desire inside me—to sail the very ships I had built, to feel them cut through the waves, to see what lay beyond the horizon. It was the explorer's spirit within me, the drive to seek the unknown. I had always believed that the first humans were explorers, and somewhere along the way, the world stopped giving birth to such souls. People became content to live ordinary lives, satisfied with knowing only what was in front of them. They stopped asking questions, stopped wondering, "What is the sky hiding from us?"
At first, this might seem like a simple question, one that doesn't warrant much thought. But if we reflect on it for a moment, it becomes clear that it is a profound question. What lies beyond what we know? I imagined the first human asking such questions, searching for answers that remained elusive. And so, generations followed, searching and learning, until we discovered what we know today. But there were some, like Abu Bakr, who were born with a passion to discover what no one else had. He was not content with an ordinary life; he sought to push beyond the boundaries, to learn what others had not yet dared to imagine.
The rest of the world had settled for "living," but Abu Bakr was different. He was driven by a passion to uncover the unknown, to add something new to this world. That was why I joined him on this journey, why I built the ships, and why I traveled with him. The world needed something new, and perhaps we could leave a mark on it that others would build upon in the future.
Suddenly, Abu Bakr's voice broke my thoughts: "Let's go, I found something. Follow me." He disappeared into the forest, and the group quickly followed him, each of us eager to see what he had discovered. His steps were quick, almost running through the dense underbrush, and we had to jog to keep up with him. After a few moments, he stopped, and we found ourselves standing in front of a small hut in the heart of the forest.
The sailors looked at each other in disbelief. An old man stood at the entrance of the hut, scrutinizing them with an appraising gaze. A little girl hid behind him, peering at us with wide, fearful eyes. The old man's skin was pale, almost translucent, and the wrinkles on his face marked him as someone who had lived far beyond his years. He wore simple cloth, poorly made, while the girl was wrapped in thick wool to protect herself from the cold. The fear in her eyes was unmistakable, and she clutched the old man's foot, seemingly on the verge of tears.
"I talked to them. They are from the island," Abu Bakr said, stepping forward toward the old man. The man relaxed slightly but continued to stare at the sailors with a cautious look.
"You spoke to them? How? Do you speak their language?" one of the sailors asked, bewildered.
Abu Bakr turned to the old man, who nodded in agreement. "You say they speak our language, don't you, sir?"
The sailors exchanged confused glances. "How can people as far away from us as the sky is from the earth speak our language?" one of them asked aloud, unable to comprehend the reality of the situation.
But they had no idea that what awaited them was far more astonishing—and terrifying—than they could have imagined.