Chapter 10

  Dreaming of the World Beyond

  That morning, Maya awoke unusually early.

  The night before, his heart had been too restless for sleep, and he drifted in and out of shallow dreams. Yet when he opened his eyes earlier than usual, Amna was already gone.

  He knew she had returned late the previous night, but for some reason he had pretended to sleep instead of greeting her. That still weighed on his mind, yet Maya assumed she must have gone out this morning to help with the festival cleanup.

  After nibbling a piece of fruit, Maya headed toward the village center.

  In the square, many villagers were already at work, carrying away the remains of food stalls and lantern frames. The glitter of last night’s flames and the songs of the people had vanished as if they had never been, replaced by the quiet of daily life.

  Yet the ashes and scorch marks at his feet told him that yesterday’s events had not been a dream or an illusion, but a true reality.

  One after another, memories of the festival welled up in Maya’s chest.

  The brilliance of the colorful cloths, the lively streets adorned with decorations.

  The softness of the Elbas’ fur, their great ears twitching, and little Lolo’s playful antics.

  The unfamiliar wares, the exotic scents of spices.

  And the side of Amna he had never seen before.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Suddenly, Maya recalled the sting in his chest when he had seen the pillar depicting the War of Unification.

  Along with that feeling came the memory of Fael’s words from the night before.

  “If you wish to hear the rest…”

  Maya looked around in haste, but Fael was nowhere to be seen in the square.

  Unable to stay still, Maya began asking people about him.

  At last, he found Serio, the apprentice, giving water to an Elba at the well.

  “Excuse me! Fael—where is he?”

  Maya asked breathlessly, and Serio answered in surprise.

  “Not with us today… but now that you mention it, he said he was meeting Amna.”

  For a moment Maya brightened, but then remembered he had not seen Amna since morning either—not in the square, nor near their home—and his hope sank again.

  Thanking Serio, Maya left the well and wandered on, pondering what to do.

  Then suddenly, a memory surfaced.

  —The hill he had once climbed with Amna and Melvil.

  “From there, I should be able to see the whole village.”

  The moment the thought struck him, Maya broke into a run toward the hill.

  Panting, he reached the hilltop, looked around, and climbed up onto the highest rock.

  Below him the entire village spread out—rooftops, furrows of fields, winding paths.

  Beyond lay the road leading to the “Dogs’ Valley,” and forests connecting to the “Nutwood Hamlet.”

  When Maya raised his gaze, mountain ranges stretched endlessly, one after another, as far as he could see.

  “It feels like I can see farther than before…”

  Without realizing it, Maya sensed that his “eyes to see the world” were widening.

  Then he noticed a flock of migratory birds flying over the distant mountains. As he watched them, Maya thought:

  —Beyond where those birds fly lies a world I have never even imagined.

  As that thought took hold, Maya felt his inner world expand, and joy welled up within him.

  He watched the flock until it vanished into the distance, and, for reasons he could not name, felt at peace. The breeze on the hill carried his gaze over the vast scenery, and he lingered there for a long while.

  That afternoon, on his way back from the hill, Maya spotted Amna walking down the street beside Fael.

  He ran to them at once, telling them he had been searching, and then pelted them with questions in his excitement.

  Though surprised by his intensity, Amna and Fael exchanged a glance and a smile, and answered each of his questions with care.

  That day, the three of them spent long hours together at Amna’s home, sharing a meal and talking about many things.

  With the memory of the hilltop still in his heart, Maya formed a firm resolve.

  He was still the innocent nine-year-old boy he had always been, yet his face was no longer the same as it had been the day before.

  In his eyes there now burned a strong will, and deep within them shone a certain light.

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  AI disclosure: I am a non-native English writer and have used AI for partial translation and light editing. No AI-generated prose.