Chapter 4: Shadow and Light
As Aytekin walked slowly through the stone-paved streets of the village, every corner, every stone felt like a familiar place. In the last light of evening, he searched for memories growing behind the golden-washed walls and stretching shadows of the houses. Each step seemed to carry traces of the past—as if something long gone was fated to return one day.
Bayram, on the other hand, was more restless. His eyes brimmed with a desire to discover. He lived each moment like a race, always trying to make things move faster. Unlike Aytekin, he saw life not as it was, but as it ought to be.
"We're going to climb the mountain one day," he said, nodding toward the satchel swaying at his side.
Aytekin gave his usual calm nod. "The places you long to see are often farther than your eyes can reach."
Bayram was silent for a moment, then looked down. "You might be right… but I want to see from the mountaintop. Maybe when you're closest to the sky, everything becomes clearer."
Aytekin smiled at his brother. In many ways, Bayram was a mirror—one that reflected his unspoken longings. Bayram always looked up and beyond, while Aytekin sought to go inward and downward—into the earth, the village, and the quiet rhythm of nature.
"We'll do that one day, Bayram," he said. "But first, you need to grow a bit more."
As the sun slowly set, they made their way toward the village square. The day's work was done, and people were preparing for dinner. Aytekin caught the scent of warm bread from his father's bakery. Inside, his mother and the other women were chatting. Bayram picked up a stick and began to draw on the ground, as if about to start one of his traditional games.
Suddenly, a stranger's voice from outside shattered the stillness. A man was entering the village in haste. He wore coarse, dark fabrics, his face was streaked with dirt, and his eyes held a deep, shadowed emptiness. Without pause, he strode into the village square—and for a brief moment, his eyes met Aytekin's.
A silence hung for a few heartbeats. Then the man, perhaps driven by urgency, turned sharply and headed toward the far end of the village.
Aytekin's heart began to pound. He looked at Bayram and said,
"Something's wrong."