The World is Full of Adventure, and Halyna is Ready

Chapter 6. Moving Forward

On a bright day, birds flew back and forth over the mountains, heading towards a place that felt like paradise to them. Below, nestled within the mountains, was a place inhabited by people. They went about their usual activities, like setting up tents and preparing food for their flock. Cooking was their mandatory activity. The food was served, everyone got a portion of it, and it reached a fifteen-year-old girl. Even though the food reached her, she refused to eat it at all and pushed it away from her. Because she didn't want to eat, their leader intervened. He went towards the girl, to make her want to eat. Elena was in a place far away from the people, a little darker than the light, where Halyna was confined. Elena started to enter that place and approached Halyna who was like being locked up.

With a chair in front of Halyna's cage, Elena sat down. Halyna, who had been silent before, immediately became alert when she saw Elena coming. A sweet smile was etched on Elena's face, her eyes fixed on Halyna.

"You're not eating, darling? It's a waste, you know," said Elena, her smile widening sweetly, her eyes sparkling.

Halyna, confined within, could only stare at Elena with an expression that was hard to decipher. Serious, angry, and sad, all mixed together within her.

"No! I'm not hungry," she replied, her eyes looking down.

"How can you not be hungry? You haven't eaten at all. Come on, eat," said Elena, taking the food and extending her hand towards Halyna.

"I said, I don't want to!" Halyna pushed the food away roughly, causing it to fall to the floor. Her movements were full of anger, her eyes blazing.

Elena didn't get angry, she just moved the food away and sat back down, her eyes still fixed on Halyna. Silence. Only the sound of their breaths broke the silence. Halyna began to feel uncomfortable, bored with Elena's continuous gaze at her. She spoke, her voice trembling, filled with fear and sadness.

"You... Why are you doing this...? Is it in the prophecy that you confine me here? What should I do to be released?"

Hearing Halyna's desperate words, Elena stood up. She stuck out her chin, as if triumphant. "You want to know? Why I want to do this to you?" said Elena, and Halyna nodded in response.

"Okay, listen carefully. We're not bad people. We're doing this because of the prophecy. The prophecy says that you will resist and fight us, putting us in prison. We don't want that to happen, so we're confining you here... Now do you understand?"

Halyna just remained silent, her eyes wide, filled with disbelief at what was said. Then Elena returned to her seat, her eyes still fixed on Halyna. She took a deep breath, then began to speak again.

"Like I said, we're not the bad people you think we are. We are the most oppressed people in Echary. We are insulted, talked down to, and shunned. We are constantly oppressed, until we met our god, the Earth God. He helped us, taught us how to survive. We left the city center and lived in the mountains. When..."

Before she could continue her words, she suddenly stood up from her chair, resuming her words again.

"She was locked up here, actually we didn't know she was locked up here. But from her voice whispering for help from here, we immediately went and stayed here. Now you understand? We have to do this, we have no other choice, besides the best way with this." Elena stepped towards the door, pausing before going out.

"I'll bring you more food. Don't worry, you won't starve here." She left the place, actually Halyna wanted to say something, but she chose to remain silent, keeping her words while waiting for Elena to return...

On the other side of the underground, Kevin, Chris, and Seris stepped cautiously, following the path. They were looking for Halyna, who had been kidnapped by Elena's group. Seris, with full confidence, guided them through the paths. However, after a while, Chris began to doubt. He glanced around, observing the path they were taking, and Chris began to doubt Seris' navigation skills. He started to approach Kevin and started talking to him.