Chapter 50
After the commander and his men had left, I found myself walking between Nera and Kaya. Nera, with her red hair, walked quickly ahead, while the tall, mustachioed Kaya walked directly behind me, nudging me with the tip of his weapon when I slowed down. He completely ignored my lack of resistance, as if I were just a piece of furniture being moved.
"Calm down, man, I won't hurt you. You're wasting your time with me," I said hoarsely as he pushed me toward a dirt road. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, trying to find out my fate.
"To the border checkpoint, as ordered by the commander," Nera replied without looking at me. "Your identity will be verified there, and then they will decide what to do with you." Her voice was cold, devoid of any compassion as if she were reading an official report.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at an open space. I saw a building with mechanical devices on its roof that looked like surveillance radars. Around the building, there was a group of soldiers wearing the same blue uniforms. This must be the border checkpoint Nira had mentioned.
Kaya pushed me forward, while Nira sat down on a wooden bench outside the building.
"We caught this guy," Kaya said to one of the soldiers sitting outside, pointing at me. "He says his name is Thayron, and he was running like crazy in the forest."
The soldier looked at me suspiciously, then nodded. "Take him inside until the commander comes back."
Kaya pushed me into the small building, where darkness reigned. I couldn't see anything until I was pushed hard into a cell. It was a small cell, no more than two meters by three, separating me from the outside world by a few iron bars.
Clang!
The soldier closed the cell and left, leaving me alone in the dark with my thoughts.
After Kaya closed the cell door, I felt the darkness surrounding me, taking my breath away. The room was small, no more than two meters by three, surrounded by thick iron bars.
I heard Kaya's footsteps as he walked away, leaving me alone in this dark cell. I thought of the commander who was unlike any other commander, and I knew I shouldn't wait for him. Escape was my only option.
"Sit down."
A deep voice came from the corner of the cell, piercing the silence.
When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw an old man with completely gray hair and a gray mustache. He was wearing a torn uniform and looked like he had spent a long time in this place. His eyes held a deep wisdom as if he had gone through countless experiences that had deeply carved his features.
"Who are you?" the man asked.
"My name is Thayron," I said quietly as I approached him and sat down on the ground. "And you?"
"I'm just a stupid fool who can't do anything," said the old man, his eyes flashing with a mixture of sadness and anger as if they were a mirror reflecting a story yet to be told.
I laughed and said, "The night is what makes the sunrise worth waiting for. Don't be so pessimistic, man."
The old man looked at me and smiled a small smile. "You don't understand... but you will soon." His words carried weight as if warning me of a fate that awaited me.