Vane Mountain Range.
Crossing the small hills, where only a few harmless insects could be seen, Aven and Shuron reached the western outskirts' cross-section after half an hour.
They stopped to rest in a clear area beside the crossing. Shuron wasn't tired, thanks to his young age and his daily exercise. Aven, however, felt the strain. Sitting in an office chair all day with little physical activity had weakened his body, even though he was only thirty-five.
While Aven rested, Shuron took out the water bottle from his backpack, which he had brought along, and handed it to his father.
After drinking, Aven looked at him and said, "Alright, enough rest. Shuron, we've reached the western outskirts. Now tell me, where is the place from which you are 'hearing a cry for help?'"
He paused briefly before adding, "And remember, we don't have much time. We need to head back home soon. Evening is almost here, and I don't want your mom giving me a lecture. So finish this quickly."
Shuron nodded seriously. He needed to find that location as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only would his mother scold them for being late, but the forest would also grow more dangerous as night approached.
He then said, "Dad, we just need to head north from here."
Aven nodded once. "I understand. And Shuron, don't leave my side. The forest is dangerous. Understand?"
"I understand, Dad," Shuron replied. After that, he said nothing more and simply followed the dirt road leading north. The path had likely been formed by the footprints of those who had come before them to explore.
After walking along the road for more than ten minutes, Shuron suddenly stopped in his tracks and moved toward a large tree. With a bright smile, he said to his father, "Dad, we've reached our destination. You can relax now."
As he spoke, he turned around and placed his hand on the tree, more specifically on a crack in its trunk.
He began examining it carefully, trying to figure out what was so special about it that made that mysterious voice guide him here.
On the other hand, Aven watched Shuron, who kept touching and inspecting the crack on the tree trunk. He wondered what Shuron was trying to do, but he didn't interrupt. Instead, he remained silent and alert, tightening his grip on the rod, ready to protect his son if any danger appeared.
A minute passed. Shuron was still examining the crack.
Five minutes passed. He began circling the tree, closely checking every detail.
Twenty minutes passed. Shuron tested the crack by throwing small rocks inside, but it led to no result.
Twenty-five minutes passed. He picked up a fallen branch and used it to feel the inside of the crack.
Thirty minutes passed. He tried using his fingers, pushing them into the crack, but they couldn't reach the end.
He felt helpless. "There must be something here... why else would I be brought to this place?" he thought.
Finally, he decided to widen the crack.
His gaze shifted to his fists. They would only break or start bleeding if he used them. He looked around and soon spotted a rock nearby.
He walked over and picked it up. Just as he returned with the rock in his hand, he saw his father standing beside the tree, leaning toward the crack, which rose from the ground to nearly his waist.
His father was using his phone's flashlight to look inside the crack, murmuring to himself, "Well, it's empty here..."
He then straightened up and turned toward him. "Well, Shuron, there is nothing here. It's empty. So, should we go home now? Or do you want to keep researching? Tell me if there's something I can help you with."
When Shuron heard his father's words, he felt like a stone-age person using crude methods to solve problems. He should have just used the flashlight to look inside the crack.
But he didn't dwell on his embarrassment. There were more important things to consider.
He said, "We should go home now. It's going to be evening soon. I am going to stop now. And no, Dad, you can't help me with this."
In his mind, he thought, "Even after checking so many times, I still can't find anything. And that voice that guided me here isn't saying anything now. There's nothing special about this crack or this place. Anyway, I have to go home. It's already dangerous coming here. I can't stay longer, not when I won't gain anything without direction."
On the other hand, when Aven heard this, he nodded. "Alright, follow me. We should head back now."
At the same time, a thought lingered in his mind. "What is that thing I can't even help with?"
"Hmm… is it about that complex question? But that was just something Shuron made up… right?"
"Was it actually true?"
"Still, I can't understand his intention in coming here. He just examined that crack, searched around it, even tried to force it open. But in the end, it was empty. And now he's leaving? Strange… I'll ask him later. This isn't a safe place."
He then began leading the way back in the direction they had come from.
Shuron followed his father. But after walking about five meters, he suddenly paused.
He couldn't describe what he had just experienced. It wasn't pain, happiness, anger, hostility, fear, or anything he had ever felt before.
It was something entirely unfamiliar.
He tried to understand that strange feeling, to make sense of whatever he had just experienced, but there was nothing he could grasp or interpret.
At that moment, he heard a familiar voice.
It felt as if it emerged directly from his soul, carrying no emotion at all. It spoke a few words, then fell silent again. The same pattern as before, but with different words this time.
And those words were etched deeply into Shuron's soul. He knew that in this lifetime, he would never forget them.
"Still the storm inside."
"Open what is blind."
"Find what has begun to breathe."
These words came from that being. Individually, they were simple enough to understand, but when he tried to connect them, they made no sense at all.
Still, he calmed his mind. "It's just the first attempt," he thought, and tried again.
He repeated the words in his mind, separating them, examining them from different angles, using every bit of his mental strength to decipher their meaning.
"Still… the storm inside… is it telling me to calm myself? My heart? Like meditation? Hmm… and the next line…"
"Open what is blind… is it telling me to open my eyes? No, that's not it. My eyes aren't blind. Then what does it mean?"
"Ugh… why is this so hard to understand?"
"And the last line… find what has begun to breathe…"
"What does that even mean? Who has breathed? Dad? Or this tree? Why couldn't that being just say it normally like before?"
Frustration built up within him.
"Fine… I'll just meditate for now," he decided.
Deciding this, he looked at his father, who was already watching him, wondering why he had stopped. With a hint of hesitation but also hope, he said, "Dad… I forgot to check something. Can I try it?"
Worried that his father might refuse to stay any longer in such a place, he quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, it won't take much time."
Hearing his son's words, Aven studied Shuron's hopeful expression for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, do it. I'll wait. But be quick."
Shuron gave a light smile and nodded. He then walked back to the tree with the crack, sat down beside it, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
Then he didn't move at all.
When Aven realized that Shuron was meditating instead of continuing to examine the crack like before, he was surprised.
He had expected Shuron to try something else, but not this meditation. What use could it possibly have in this situation?
"He really is a strange child… still, he's mine," Aven murmured, shaking his head.
He stopped focusing on Shuron and instead turned his attention to the surroundings, staying alert for any sign of danger.
On the other hand, Shuron, who had begun meditating, murmured softly to himself, "Still the storm inside… calm down… focus…"