《Eternal Darkness》


 Chapter 1 - Cabin

    I''m feeling very cold. This wooden hut, or rather, it can''t even be called a hut, it''s a ruin; it''s very cold. There''s no enclosed space, and it''s raining outside. My name is Ta?k?n. I don''t know my last name. I don''t know my age. I have no idea what day I was born, what day of the month it was. But I must be seven or eight years old. I''ve been here for as long as I can remember. Just outside, about twenty or twenty-five steps from this miserable ruin, there''s a big house. The people who feed me live there.


    At regular intervals, someone brings me food. When I try to say something or look at them, they beat me. Once, just because we made eye contact, they beat me with an iron rod. The people who bring me food keep changing, but it''s always the same two people. A woman and a man. I only see their faces.


    I only know the faces of two people in my life. I have no idea what I look like because I''ve never seen myself before. I don''t know who they are. My body hurts a lot, I''m constantly in pain, but I guess the pain becomes more bearable every day. I don''t know what I did to them, why they treat me like this. I''m very scared of the sound of the rain and the flashes of lightning. I cover my head and ears with my arms. I''m very scared; it''s as if every lightning strike physically hurts me. I flinch every time lightning strikes.


    I have a friend here. He''s a mouse, and he comes to me every night. I see him in the faint light provided by the small bulb hanging from the ceiling. He''s my only friend. I wish he could talk to me; we would play games together. I wonder what other children my age are doing. Sometimes, on calm days, I hear children''s voices coming from afar, laughing. I don''t know if they would run away from me or play with me if they saw me.


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    Days come and go. How much longer will I stay here? Will my whole life pass in this hut? I don''t know. The hut is surrounded by fences, but there are gaps in some places. I''ve escaped a few times from those gaps, but I''ve been caught every time, and I''ve paid the price with many bruises on my body. It''s morning now, the weather is very nice, and I hear the children''s voices again, but this time they''re closer. There''s a window in my hut, but I can''t reach it, so I put a small stool and climb on it to look around. A ball fell into the yard; I climbed to the window and jumped down. My feet hurt a little, but I didn''t care.


    The ball had fallen to the back of the hut; so even if they looked from the house, they couldn''t see that I had come out, the ball stayed at the level of the hut. The window was also at the back of the hut. I picked up the ball. It was an orange ball, I liked it very much. Just holding the ball in my hand made me happy for some reason. Also, I don''t really know how to play with a ball. Most likely, a child hit it a little too hard, so the ball fell where I was; otherwise, why would they throw the ball here?


    I saw a girl from afar; she was coming towards me. She was about my age or younger. I didn''t know what to do. Would the girl run away if I tried to talk to her? Would they see me if I went to her? I thought it was worth the risk. I walked towards her with the ball in my hand. She got scared when she saw me, and her face changed. It''s as if she was disgusted with me and she put her hand on her nose. I guess I smelled very bad, but I didn''t smell anything.

 Chapter 2 - Pain

    I don''t know what to say, or if I should say anything at all. The girl is looking at me, and I''m looking at her. The girl seems like she''s about to say something.


    "Could you throw the ball to me?"


    I don''t know what I should do. I looked at the ball nestled under my left arm and then back at the girl.


    "If I give you the ball, will you come back to see me again?"


    The girl didn''t take her eyes off the ball. I guess she was upset and very afraid of losing the ball.


    "Okay," she said.


    I threw the ball to the other side. She caught it and left without saying a word.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have thrown the ball. I''m afraid she''ll never come back again. It''s evening now, and it''s gotten really cold. My torn clothes provide no protection, and I''m freezing. It''s also quite cold through the window. The gate of the house''s yard opened. Someone is coming! Why are they coming? Did they see me talking to that girl? They''re getting closer, I can tell by their footsteps. They opened the door. I cowered in the corner of the hut and buried my head in my arms, staring fixedly at the ground. Why aren''t they saying anything or doing anything? They came closer to me and leaned down. They smell of alcohol.


    "How are you, Ta?k?n?"


    What''s this now? Why is he asking such a question? Could they be looking for something from me? Should I tell them everything? Will they get very angry? What should I do?


    "I''m... fine."


    The words won''t come out of my mouth, I''m trembling from the cold, and I can feel them staring at me intently.


    "It''s nice that you''re fine. By the way, despite being young, you have a very nice body, did you know?"


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    "There''s no luck with women tonight. She didn''t let me fuck her because I smelled like alcohol. Ta?k?n, spread your legs! If you don''t, I''ll break your arm."


    Why does he want me to do this, what''s on his mind? But if I don''t do what he says, terrible things will happen. Why am I experiencing all of this? I wish someone would just end my life. I have to do what he says. I spread my legs.


    "You''re really beautiful, Ta?k?n."


    I''m wearing shorts, they''re also very old and torn in many places. He touches my legs, moving towards my groin. What should I do, would someone come to help if I scream?


    "Ta?k?n, from now on, you won''t make a sound until I''m done with my business. If you do, I''ll make you regret being born. Now lie face down and lift your pretty ass up."


    What does this mean? What will he do to me? He started to take off my shorts. Startled, I threw myself to the side all of a sudden. At that moment, I met his eyes. He looked very angry, I could tell from his face. He punched me in the face, I thought my jaw broke, and then another one, and another one. My nose was bleeding.


    "What did I tell you! Why can''t you stay still, you son of a bitch!? I''m giving you one last chance. Lie face down like before and lift your ass up now!"


    It hurts a lot, the blood from my nose is soaking the long-sleeved sweater I''m wearing. I''m too scared to even move. Why am I alive, why am I living this life? He keeps staring at me angrily.


    "It seems you won''t lie down as I said. Then I''ll make you lie down."


    He grabbed my arm and started licking it from end to end. He turned me towards him so my back faced him, put his left hand on my waist, and with his right hand, pushed me down to the ground from my back. I can hear sounds, he''s undoing his pants.


    "It''ll hurt a little, but you''ll get used to it next time."


    He was laughing as he said these words. Something entered me. It hurts a lot, it feels like something is tearing. Something warm is flowing from behind. A few minutes later, he threw me against the wall without saying anything and left. There''s a very intense burning sensation on my back, I put my hand there, and there was blood. It keeps bleeding. I don''t know what to do, how to behave. It hurts a lot. I put my boxer and shorts back on. I curled up in the corner of the room, but this time I lay down because I can''t sit. It hurts too much when I sit. There''s a very dim light in the hut. It''s enough for me to see around a little. While lying down and staring blankly into space, I saw a broken piece of glass. I calmly picked it up. It reminded me of when he licked my arms. I''m disgusted! I''m disgusted with myself! I''m disgusted with everything! I took the glass in my hand and started cutting my arm where he licked. It didn''t hurt, or maybe I didn''t feel the pain? I was just cutting my arm. My arm was warm. Blood was flowing onto the wooden floor.

 Chapter 3 - Elif

    The sky brightened, morning had come. I can hear the chirping of the birds. The warm rays of the sun hit my face gently. With difficulty, I rose from my place and stood up. I stepped to the window and began to look around. There wasn''t anything else for me to do anyway. Oh, what''s this! The girl I had given the ball to before was back. I immediately went over to her. She saw me, but this time there was no disgust on her face like before. Somehow her eyes welled up. Had I done something to upset her? But I hadn''t even said a word.


    "A-Are you o-okay? Did I do something to upset you?"


    "No, you didn''t do anything, but your face reminded me of my mom."


    "My dad sometimes drinks too much, and my mom''s face looks like that, and she''s in a lot of pain, she keeps crying all the time. When I see her like that, I cry too, and I gently put my hands on my mom''s face and smile, and when I do that, my mom tells me all her pain is gone and that I don''t need to cry anymore."


    I didn''t know what to say, but seeing the girl in front of me crying, my heart ached as if there was a pain in it.


    "Please don''t cry, I''m perfectly fine and not in pain, don''t worry," I said and smiled.


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    "No, you''re lying just like my mom."


    As she said these words, her crying had almost stopped. I didn''t say anything, just smiled. After a while, her crying had completely stopped. Suddenly, she extended her right arm through the fence towards where I was and held the left side of my face. I flinched and pulled back when she touched my face like that. When I did, she got scared too. Then I approached her again, slowly she put her hand on my left cheek. Her hand was very warm. I could stay like this forever.


    "What''s your name?"


    "M-My n-name is -Ta?k -Ta?k?n. What''s your name?"


    "My name is Elif."


    "Does your name have a meaning, Ta?k?n?"


    "I-I don''t know."


    "The meaning of my name is graceful."


    I didn''t know what graceful meant. So, I asked what it meant.


    "Graceful means beautiful, it also means pleasing to the eye and admired."


    Honestly, I had no idea about the meanings of words. But I wanted to keep looking at Elif. Her hair falling to her shoulders. Looking into my eyes with a smile. I just wanted to look at her. I wonder what her reaction would be if I brought my hand to her face. Would she run away scared? Should I try it? I decided against doing it for now. After a while, she withdrew her hand from my face.


    "Ta?k?n, I have to go now, see you later."


    Will we see each other? Does this mean she''ll come back to see me again?


    "W-Will you come back to me again?"


    "Yes, I will," she said with a smile.


    I feel strange. I wanted to jump, roll on the floor. What was this strange feeling?

 Chapter 4 - Shower

    A few hours later, the door of the house opened, and after a while, the woman entered the cabin. I was lying in the corner of the cabin without speaking. The woman didn''t say anything for a while; I didn''t know where she was looking, but she was probably looking at the blood on me and on the floor.


    "Get up and follow me."


    What''s happening? Where are we going? I wanted to ask, but I couldn''t even open my mouth. I just did as I was told. I''ve been in this cabin for as long as I can remember, and it''s the first time I''m entering this house. The place we entered was the back door of the house, the garden door. The house was two stories high. As we entered, I looked around. The house was quite spacious. There was a long hallway with three rooms on the right and two on the left. We started moving forward. The first room on the right seemed to be the kitchen. I could smell delicious food. The large white cabinets in the kitchen, the various pots on the counter, and the dining table caught my attention. The first room on the left was a large dining room; there was a huge table surrounded by many chairs. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated every corner of the room.


    We continued forward. There was noise coming from the second room on the right. It sounded like a machine was running. The door to the room was closed, so I couldn''t see inside. The second room on the left was quite spacious, with a large black screen on the wall and people playing inside. It was truly amazing, what was this? I paused for just a second, and the woman turned around and kicked me in the stomach.


    "Who gave a worthless creature like you the right to watch TV! You are a pathetic being, you should be thankful to be alive. And who gave you permission to look around? Get up and stop looking at the ground!"


    I barely did as told and stood up. So that big black screen was a television. I wish I could have looked at it a little longer. We were coming to the third room on the right. There was a door right in front of me. I guess this door opened to the outside. The third room was not a complete room, it had a large opening, and there was a staircase leading to the second floor of the house. The woman paused for a moment and turned around. I kept looking at the ground, her feet were turned towards me. She leaned in close to my ear and whispered.


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    "Try to escape if you want. Go out through this door and scream at the top of your lungs ''save me''. Come on, don''t hesitate."


    I didn''t say anything and didn''t take my eyes off the ground. I knew she was testing me. If I tried to say anything, she would scold me and beat me, asking, "Did you ask for permission to look away from me?" After whispering to me, she straightened up again.


    "Good dog. We''ve trained you well. Now keep following me."


    There was a turning staircase. We went up. There was a long hallway here too. There were several rooms on the left and one room on the right, and there was a corridor turning right ahead. I glanced quickly. Then I fixed my eyes on the ground again. After a while, the woman stopped.


    "Wait for me here."


    She went and closed the open doors. It was clear she didn''t trust me and didn''t want me to see inside the rooms. She came back to me, and we started walking again. We entered the room opposite straight ahead. It was a dazzling room. It seemed to be shining.


    "I''ll adjust the water in the bathtub, start taking off your clothes."


    I started sweating coldly. Memories of what happened before came to my mind. Tears started flowing from my eyes. My hands and legs were trembling. I looked at the wounds on my right and left arms. The blood had dried. Also, the bathtub seemed to be what she filled with water. In the middle of the room, there was a large oval surface with high edges. It was empty at first, and the woman started filling it with water. It was almost half full. I should start taking off my clothes now, or who knows what would happen. As I took off my shorts, I noticed something. There was too much steam coming from the bathtub. I was left with only the boxer I had been wearing for a long time. The bathtub was almost full. The woman turned off the tap where hot water was flowing.


    She looked at me and said, "When I said take off everything, I meant everything, you dog."


    I took off the boxer too, trembling. I was naked and scared. I kept looking at the ground. For the first time in a long time, I saw my body. Thin legs and lots of scars, bruises, and wounds dominated my body.


    "Come on and get into the bathtub," the woman said.


    I approached her but was afraid to get in. What if she''s testing me, and if I get in, she''ll burn me. But even if I didn''t get in, she could beat me.


    "Come on, I can''t deal with you all day, get in there right away."


    I put my right foot into the bathtub and screamed. What kind of heat was this? It felt like I was being boiled alive. I pulled my foot out with a reflex and got a violent slap, falling to the ground. Blood was flowing from my lips.

 Chapter 5 - Visiting

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    If I didn¡¯t get up, he would continue to hit me. I knew that.


    I got up.


    "I think the water has gotten a bit too hot."


    After I said that, he started laughing. I was just looking at the floor. My right foot was burning intensely. I was definitely going to get into the tub, but the later I got in, the better. Maybe the water could cool down a bit. I needed to buy some time. I gathered my courage and asked my question while still looking at the floor.


    "Why are you doing this to me?"


    The woman stopped laughing. I couldn''t see her face, so I couldn''t say anything, but I''m sure she was angry.


    "Why are we doing this? Because you''re scum. You shouldn''t exist. You have no one. You have no relatives; no one will call you if you die. You''re our stress ball. Why are we doing this? Because we can. Because you''re weak."


    She started laughing again. I continued to look at the floor. It didn''t matter what kind of answer she gave. The longer she talked, the better for me. But even her laughter was very frightening to me. I didn''t think a single word would come out of my mouth anymore. And as I expected, it didn''t. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.


    "That''s enough!" She shouted.


    "Get into the damn tub already!"


    There was nothing I could do. I had to get into the tub. Fearfully, hoping the water had cooled down a bit, I put my left foot into the tub. It was still very hot, but a little cooler than before. I put my right foot in too and sat down in the tub. My back hurt when I sat down, but I didn''t show it. If she noticed, she could beat me again. My nose was still running, and the blood was dripping into the water in the tub.


    "Take this sponge and shampoo and clean yourself up."


    Why do they want to see me clean? I don''t understand. I lathered my hair and started cleaning my body with the sponge she gave me. She was standing over me the whole time, never taking her eyes off me. I was very afraid that water would splash out of the tub by accident. At that moment, I heard music from outside. The woman said, "Who is calling now?" and turned to me, saying, "If you make a wrong move, you''ll pay for it," and walked away. I felt a little relieved when she left. My whole body was in pain, but the hot water relieved all the discomfort. It felt really good. It was the first time in my life that I was bathing with hot water in a tub. After cleaning up a bit more, the woman came back.


    "Get out of the water, I''ll bandage your wounds."


    I don''t know why she''s helping me, but I''m very curious.


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    "Go up on the stool in front of the mirror and sit."


    I did as she said and sat on the stool. When I looked in front of me, I felt very strange. In front of me was a person with skin and bones, visible ribs, dark circles under their eyes, and cuts and wounds all over their body. It was me. For the first time, I had the opportunity to examine myself in such detail.


    The woman took the mirror I was looking at and opened it. She took out cotton, bandages, and a liquid, then closed it again.


    "Extend your left arm."


    I just looked at her face. I didn''t know which of my arms was left and which was right. The woman moved to my side in an irritated manner, grabbed my arm, and squeezed it hard. It hurt a lot.


    "This arm I''m holding is your left arm; the other arm is your right!"


    She let go of my arm and went back to her place, saying, "Extend your left arm" again.


    I extended my arm as she said. She poured some of the liquid onto the cotton and started pressing it on my wounds. The previous wounds didn''t hurt, but the new cuts burned. She applied the liquid to all my wounds and started bandaging them. I had a lot of questions in my mind. Why did she suddenly start treating me nicely? I''m really curious about what''s behind all this. While she was bandaging my arm, I was focused on the small drops trickling from the faucet. They were falling one by one. Then they disappeared between the small holes. If they were alive, they could go wherever they wanted, unlike me. The woman finished bandaging my arm and moved to the other side.


    "Extend your right arm."


    She did the same thing to my right arm.


    "Wait here for a while, don''t move."


    She left the room, this time without any music playing. But it didn''t matter why she left anyway. I feel much safer when I''m alone. I wanted to explore a bit inside, but I didn''t move from my place. I could imagine what would happen if she came back and I wasn''t sitting here. I noticed from the footsteps. She was coming back. When she opened the door, I turned towards her reflexively. I couldn''t believe my eyes. In her hands were clothes that were just right for me. The sweater and pants she brought had small cute animal figures on them. The sweater had tiny black buttons. I guess the sweater and pants were a set. She had also brought an undershirt and boxers. I was already starting to feel cold. I had been sitting naked for minutes. The water droplets on me were making me even colder.


    "Quick, put these on."


    I started getting dressed without a word. As I was trying to put on the boxer shorts, the woman started talking.


    "You''re probably wondering why they''re treating me well, buying me new clothes, cleaning me up, and bandaging my wounds. Actually, the reason is very simple. Our neighbors are coming over for dinner tonight, and we''re going to give them the impression of a happy family. Your father, me, and you. Our one and only son, Ta?k?n."


    I was frozen as I tried to put my head through the sweater. What did she say!? S-son!? Am I their child!? What is happening now? Should I say something? But what would I say? I continued to dress slowly. It was getting dark. She took me down to the living room with the television and made me sit on the couch.


    "My husband will be here soon, and then most likely the guests will come. You''re lucky today; you''ll have a full stomach, but I''ll hold you responsible for the meals you eat."


    My eyes were filled with tears. My feet weren''t touching the ground, and I had both of my hands on my knees, looking down. After a while, the door opened, and the man came in. He came to the room where I was and saw me.


    "Ta?k?n, you look even better today. I want to lay you down right away and tear off your clothes."


    As he said this, he touched my legs with his right hand and kissed my neck. Disgusting! I want to vomit. I want to disappear! I don''t want to live!

 Chapter 6 - Unexpected Visit

    At that moment, the doorbell rang. The guests had arrived. The woman was muttering as she came.


    "They arrived faster than I expected."


    She gave me a stern look before opening the door.


    "I better not see any wrong move from you."


    I nodded my head up and down. The man had also stood up. Both of them moved in front of me. The woman opened the door. There were three people. A man, a woman, and a child. The man entered first. Then he turned around and said sharply, "Why don''t you come in?"


    The woman and child immediately came in and started taking off their coats.


    "I believe your name is Hasan, right?" the man said. It was the first time I learned anything about them. That disgusting man''s name was Hasan. At that moment, Hasan briefly turned around and looked at me before turning back.


    "Yes, my name is Hasan. What was yours again? I''m sorry, my memory isn''t very good."


    The man''s face changed very briefly, he seemed a bit upset, but he didn''t let it show.


    "My name is Mehmet, pleased to meet you, Hasan."


    "Nice to meet you too, Mehmet."


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    It was as if a completely different person was in front of me. His mannerisms, his behavior, changed all of a sudden. Then they started talking about the house. Since I was focused on their conversation, I momentarily forgot about the woman and child who had entered.


    When I looked at them, I saw a pair of eyes looking at me. That little girl was Elif. I quickly turned my head away. I wanted to look at her for a long time, but if it was noticed that we were looking at each other, it would cause trouble for both of us. The woman next to her was probably her mother. She had a split lip and some bruises on her face. Elif''s words came to mind when I saw the woman''s face. Mehmet and Hasan had finished their conversation and were heading towards the room with the TV. Elif''s mother looked at the woman next to me.


    "Hello, I''m Damla."


    I was caught between them. The woman was slightly behind me, and Elif''s mother was in front of me. The woman came over, took my hand, and started squeezing it before I could understand what was happening. It hurt a lot, but I couldn''t say anything.


    "My name is Melis, nice to meet you."


    Damla said nice to meet you too and looked at me.


    "Who is this handsome boy?"


    I was staring at the ground steadily. Melis had stopped squeezing my hand.


    "Ta?k?n," I said in a low voice.


    Damla must not have heard because she didn''t say anything. Then, in a slightly louder voice, I said, "Ta?k?n."


    "You have a very nice name."


    Turning to Melis, she said,


    "One usually doesn''t ask such things, but does he have an illness or something? He looks very thin."


    "He doesn''t like any food. I make all the dishes he wants, but then he says he doesn''t like them, that they''re too cold or too hot. In short, he makes excuses not to eat. I mean, it''s not like I''d let my precious son starve, right?"


    She laughed after saying this. Damla seemed a bit regretful for her comment. "Please don''t get me wrong, I didn''t mean to imply such a thing."


    "Of course, I understand, I was just joking. If you want, we can go inside now and then have something to eat."


    "Sure, that sounds good," Damla said. We all went inside together.

 Chapter 7 - Fake Family

    I constantly wanted to look at Elif, but at the same time, I was very scared. If they realized we had a prior connection, it wouldn''t be good at all. I had to be careful. Even worse, did Elif notice the situation? If she mentioned that we had talked before, I wouldn''t be able to deny it. As I walked, these thoughts raced through my mind. We reached the room with the TV. There was a low table in the middle and couches around it. Hasan and Melis sat on one of the couches. Damla, Mehmet, and Elif sat on the couch opposite them. There were a total of three couches, arranged to face each other. I was left standing. Should I sit alone on the empty couch or go over to those two awful people? The situation was becoming increasingly awkward. Elif and her family were sitting on the couch, looking at me. I decided to head towards the empty couch, thinking whatever happens, happens. Just then, Hasan spoke.


    "My lovely boy, why don''t you come sit with us? Why are you just standing there?" He then turned to Elif''s family. "I''m sorry, he does this whenever we have guests. He''s very shy."


    I had no choice but to sit between them. When I lifted my head, I made eye contact with Elif. She was smiling and waving at me.


    Damla noticed this first.


    "The children seem bored. Maybe they should play while we talk. There''s nothing for them to do here anyway."


    It hadn''t turned out as I feared. I wanted to be alone with Elif. But I didn''t know what Elif''s father and Hasan would say to this. Elif''s father, Mehmet, was the first to speak.


    "Good, good, let them do whatever as long as they don''t disturb us."


    I hadn''t warmed up to this man from the moment I saw him. At least he didn''t object to this.


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    Then Hasan spoke.


    "Yes, children get bored when adults talk. Let them go play and get to know each other. But somehow, I get the feeling they''ve met before."


    He laughed a bit after saying this. My blood ran cold. I started to sweat coldly. Did he know everything from the beginning? But how? It''s impossible he noticed when they arrived, I kept avoiding looking at Elif. Maybe Elif kept looking at me, and Hasan understood from that. Or maybe he was just joking. Yes, yes, he didn''t know anything. He was just testing me. All I had to do was stay calm. I was about to say something, but then I saw Elif''s father. He seemed to take the comment very seriously and was looking at Elif sternly. Elif hadn''t noticed this because she was looking at me. When I realized I was looking at her father, he and I made eye contact. Damla immediately hugged Elif with her right arm. It was clear Elif was extremely afraid of her father. After making eye contact with her father for a very short time, her eyes filled with tears. Then she lowered her head.


    At that moment, I felt an emotion I had never felt before. It was as if a warmth rose to my brain. I started to plan in my head. Could I slit Elif''s father''s throat with the small piece of glass I used to cut my own arms? Or should I find a knife and cut off his fingers one by one? But I was too weak. In my condition, even if he bumped into me accidentally while walking, I wouldn''t be able to get up. I barely had the strength to walk. And I had no chance against a large man many years older than me. But seeing Elif in that state consumed me. Finally, I spoke up.


    "No, Eli- cough, cough, we''ve never met before. I don''t have any friends. I would love to be friends with her." I almost said Elif''s name and ruined everything. I recovered so quickly that no one noticed. Since I spoke in a very low voice and already looked sickly, my sudden cough didn''t arouse suspicion. Then they turned their attention to Elif. She didn''t say anything, just nodded her head. Her mother, Damla, immediately spoke up.


    "Alright then, kids, go play!" Damla didn''t want Elif to stay near her father either. She wanted to get her away somehow. This game and getting-to-know-each-other excuse worked for her. I jumped off the couch and went over to the couch where Elif was sitting. She got down too, and we left the room and stepped into the hallway. Even though my back was turned, I could feel them watching us until we left the room. Despite everything that had happened, I was finally alone with Elif.

 Chapter 8 - Scarring

    Elif and I were looking at each other. I wanted to be alone, but I hadn¡¯t thought about what to say to her once we were. First, I wanted to ask if she was okay because she didn¡¯t look well earlier. She seemed very scared, and if she was still frightened, telling her about my experiences would only make things worse.


    ¡°E-Elif, are you okay? You didn¡¯t look well earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. I¡¯d rather be with you than with that man.¡±


    Given that she didn¡¯t even mention her father by name, she must really hate him. It¡¯s not surprising, though. From what she had told me before, I could guess as much. Even if she hadn¡¯t said anything, her mother¡¯s expression spoke volumes. As I thought about these things, I stopped wanting to ask Elif for help and instead wanted to help her. But how could I help her? What could I do? How could I protect Elif when I couldn¡¯t even protect myself? Elif was looking into my eyes, probably expecting me to say something. What was I supposed to say? At first, I was going to ask her for help, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to help me; rather, she and her mother needed help.


    ¡°Elif, isn¡¯t there anything you can do about this situation?¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t ask directly, she understood what I meant. She shook her head no, her eyes filled with tears, and she lowered her head. I could see the tiny droplets falling to the ground. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Seeing her like this was heartbreaking. I hugged her tightly, almost reflexively. She was still crying, but she slowly started to calm down. I quietly suggested that we move away from the door, as they might hear us, or worse, see us hugging.


    Given my current situation, asking Elif for help wasn¡¯t an option. If I told her, I could predict what would happen. She would likely tell her mother, who would then go to Damla¡¯s house. Once there, Melis or Hasan would be questioned, and they would somehow persuade Damla to go back. Since I was the only one who could explain everything to them, they would confront me. Besides, what Hasan had said earlier was still confusing me. Was he trying to get information out of me, or did he really know? By then, we had reached the door at the end of the corridor. Behind the door was the small shed where I stayed. Elif probably thought it was a place where I played games or something. I wanted to go outside because I felt confined and tense inside.


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    ¡°Elif, would you like to go outside for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    We opened the door and went outside. There was a bench on the grass to our right. We sat on it, our feet not touching the ground because it was a bit high, so we swung them back and forth. I didn¡¯t want to lose Elif. She was my only friend. Wait, was she my friend? We had never talked about it. We had only met twice before, and this was our third meeting. What did she think about me?


    ¡°Elif, are we friends?¡± When I asked this, she stopped swinging her legs and turned to me.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re friends.¡± For some reason, hearing this comforted me.


    ¡°Ta?k?n, why don¡¯t you ever smile? Do you remember the last time you laughed?¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything but thought about it. When was the last time I laughed? Or had I ever laughed?


    This time, I wanted to ask her a question.


    ¡°Elif, why do you always smile?¡± Her face fell, and she lowered her head.


    ¡°What else can I do but smile?¡±


    As I listened to her, I looked at her dress. She was wearing a blue dress that came down to her knees, and it looked very cute on her. Her brown hair fell just below her shoulders. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her. She seemed like my guardian angel. You might wonder what she was saving me from. She saved me from my own thoughts. Yes, she saved me from my own thoughts. When I was alone, I was always filled with dark thoughts, but whenever I saw Elif, even if we didn¡¯t talk, just looking at her was enough. While thinking about this, my eyes were drawn to Elif¡¯s arm. Her dress had short sleeves. Although it was already dark, her arm seemed even darker. Was it a stain, or had she dirtied her dress somewhere? Without asking, I reached out to touch the spot, thinking it was dirt, and tried to clean it. When I did, Elif winced in pain and moved away a bit. She looked at me, surprised and scared.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Elif. I thought it was dirt.¡± I now knew it wasn¡¯t dirt but a bruise. I didn¡¯t want to delve into it further, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how far that disgusting excuse for a human being had gone. I prayed that what had happened to me hadn¡¯t happened to her.

 Chapter 9 - Unknown Entity

    While I was thinking about these things, Elif''s father''s voice rose from inside the house, calling for Elif. I immediately turned to Elif. She was trembling and had turned pale. Before I could ask if she was okay, she quickly composed herself and rushed inside. I followed behind her.


    Elif entered the TV room quickly; her father and mother were standing up, apparently ready to leave. Elif''s father started speaking angrily, looking at Elif.


    "You bitch! Where were you! I''ve been calling you here, what were you doing with that kid!?"


    Elif was gripping the sides of her skirt tightly with her hands, staring fixedly at the ground. I could see tears falling to the ground; she was crying. Hasan and Melis were watching calmly. I couldn''t miss the slight smirk on their faces. They seemed to be enjoying what was happening. Elif''s father spoke again.


    "Look at me right now!"


    Elif kept looking at the ground and didn''t say a word.


    "So you don''t care about me at all, is that it?" He raised his right hand in the air and struck Elif''s face with all his might. Elif collapsed to the ground from the impact.


    At that moment, something inside my head started talking to me.


    Why are you hesitating? Attack him! He hurt your friend, someone you care about. Kill him! Murder him! Slit his throat! Skin him alive and rip out his heart! He deserves everything!


    "Wh-What are you? W-Why are you saying such things?"


    I''m your friend, Ta?k?n. Don''t be afraid. There''s nothing to fear.


    I''m hearing voices inside my head. I think I''m going crazy.


    I''m real, Taskin. You''re not crazy.


    I''m starting to lose myself. I can''t think logically. Even if I tried to do something, what could I do? I''m just a kid. What power do I have?


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    You''re truly pathetic! I''m here for you, Ta?k?n. I want to help you. That man is worthless scum. Look what he did to your friend! Wouldn''t it be fun to gouge out his eyes while he''s still alive? Or cut off his fingers? We''ll have a lot of fun together, Ta?k?n! Just listen to me. You won''t regret it. You''re strong, and you''ll become even stronger in the future! No one will be able to stand in our way!


    "Stop!"


    I yelled at Elif''s father. Everyone seemed shocked. No one expected something like this to happen. I stood in front of Elif. Looking into her father''s eyes, I spoke.


    "If you ever harm her again, I''ll kill you!"


    That''s it, Ta?k?n! There''s no need to be afraid; I''m with you!


    For a moment, my gaze shifted to Hasan and Melis. They were looking at me in astonishment. Elif''s father turned to Hasan and Melis.


    "You obviously haven''t taught your kid how to behave in front of elders. Then I''ll teach him!"


    He raised his right hand again, about to strike me this time.


    Watch now what''s going to happen, Ta?k?n! h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    Just as he was about to strike me, I quickly grabbed his right hand with my right hand. It wasn''t difficult at all, as if he were trying to hit me in slow motion. I looked into his eyes. He was scared, not knowing what to do. I squeezed his hand a little and immediately released it. I noticed he felt the pain, but he didn''t flinch. Hasan and Melis couldn''t understand what was happening. The smirk had disappeared from their faces. That was enough for me.


    After Elif''s father withdrew his hand, he stood dumbfounded for a few seconds, then started talking again.


    "I''ll forgive him this time, but it better not happen again. And I expect an apology."


    At this point, Hasan started looking at me. He wanted me to apologize. I would never apologize under normal circumstances, but I was afraid of what he might do to Elif. I had threatened him, but when they returned home, I couldn''t know whether he would do something to Elif or not. I bowed my head and began speaking.


    "I apologize, sir. Elif is my first friend, and I was very worried about her. That''s why I used harsh words against you."


    Then I raised my head and started looking at him. There was a satisfied expression on his face. That somewhat relieved me.


    "Alright. Let''s go, walk. Get up from the ground already!"


    Elif was trying to get up from the ground. I wanted to go and help her up by grabbing her arm, but I hesitated. I waited where I was. Elif got up, started walking towards her mother Damla.


    As she walked, she looked at me and smiled. She silently said;


    "Thank you for protecting me."


    Then she took her mother''s hand. Hasan and Melis escorted them to the door and bid them farewell. Now only Melis, Hasan, and I were left in the house.

 Chapter 10 - Milaz

    After a while, there was silence. I had been waiting for someone to say something, just so the silence would end. Hasan had returned to his seat after the guests had left, and he was just watching me. Then he started talking.


    "It''s really interesting, that guy, the one who beats his wife and daughter, the alcoholic, but he stopped himself from hitting you right in the face. You''ve got some guts. For a moment, I thought you actually stopped the big man''s slap." After saying this, he started laughing. The voice in my head was speaking.


    Look at this bastard. He''s looking down on us. We''ll make them all pay for what they did!


    He stopped laughing and started talking again.


    "Ta?k?n, what did you talk about with that girl outside? Did you ask them to save you, saying they''re torturing you? Hahaha."


    "No, I didn''t say anything."


    "Even if you did, it wouldn''t change a damn thing. That girl can''t even save herself, how could she save you, idiot?"


    "I really liked the dress the girl was wearing. It made my mouth water, you know. I wouldn''t mind tasting that too."


    He grinned nastily and looked at me. I wasn''t looking at the ground anymore. I was staring straight into his eyes.


    "What''s up, are you going to threaten me too, you son of a bitch? Did your ass get excited just seeing a couple of human faces?"


    His face was getting angrier by the moment. There was no smile left on his face now.


    He stood up and turned to Melis.


    "Go get the chains now."


    Melis started walking without hesitation, I could tell from the sound of her footsteps that she was going upstairs. I had a lot of bad thoughts running through my mind. Chains? What chains? What are they going to do to me?


    Melis was coming downstairs with noisy steps. She had the chains. Hasan started walking, and he called out to me.


    "Walk to your hut." I followed behind him. Melis was also coming behind me with the chains in her hands.


    We entered the hut. Hasan turned to me.


    "Take off your clothes now!"


    Involuntarily and with a loud voice, I said, "No!" I was trembling and sweating coldly. My eyes were filled with tears. Not again! I don''t want this. Disgusting!


    Melis started swinging the chains in her hand and hit me with them.


    "Don''t scream in the evening, you bastard, I''ll kill you here!" Hasan started advancing towards me. He raised his right hand. He was going to punch me. I tried to stop the blow like I did with Mehmet, but I thought my hand would break. He hit my chest. I couldn''t stop the punch in any way. But why!? What had I done wrong?


    I was writhing on the ground and coughing. My stomach was nauseous. I vomited a bit, but it was just water anyway. I wasn''t eating properly, so what else could I vomit. While I was writhing on the ground, both of them were looking at me. Melis wrinkled her face.


    "You disgusting creature. You''re making me sick."


    She hit me again with the chain in her hand. It hurt a lot. The coldness of the metal and the pain it caused to my body were unbearable.


    Hasan came up to me and lifted me up. He started taking off my clothes. I had no strength left to defend myself. It hurt so much. After a while, I had no clothes left on me. Hasan turned to Melis and started talking.


    "Chain this bastard to the wall by both arms. Leave a bit of room for movement, don''t stretch too much. After all, he''s our pet." They both started laughing.


    I hadn''t mentioned it before, but the hut was filled with old, worn-out items. Most likely, they were all useless and unnecessary items from the house. Also, there were large iron pipes on the walls. They extended upwards. I don''t know why there were these iron pipes in a wooden hut.


    Melis grabbed me and dragged me to where the pipe was. "Raise your arms," she said. I lifted my arms, struggling. She first chained my right arm, then my left, winding the chain around the iron pipe behind me and locking it with a key and a padlock.


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    "Go home and fill a bucket with water," Melis said, without hesitating, and Hasan went home.


    "Please, just leave me alone. Why am I like this? Why do I even live?"


    "We might have been too lenient with you, I guess? Now you''ll face the consequences," Melis returned to the hut with a bucket. Hasan took the bucket full of water and poured it over me. Then he began to remove his belt. The memory of a similar moment flashed through my mind. I recalled those dreadful moments vividly.


    I could hardly move properly; I was completely powerless. But I managed to move my legs a little and kept saying no.


    After Hasan removed his belt, he started hitting me with all his might. Each blow felt like my flesh was boiling. At least he didn''t do what I thought he would. I was resigned to being beaten rather than the alternative.


    I lost track of time, but it couldn''t have been long before he was still hitting me. I couldn''t even scream anymore; I couldn''t move; I just stood there. I could hear Melis''s voice.


    "That''s enough. If you hit him any more, he''ll die."


    "Let him die, the bastard!"


    "If he dies, who will we have fun with? Enough now, you can beat him again after he heals a bit."


    He stopped hitting me. "Fine," he said, and spat towards me. Then they both left the hut.


    It was very cold, and I was soaked. I was shivering intensely. The chains on my wrists were burning me. Where is the voice that always spoke to me? Why aren''t you talking now?


    So now you remember me. You never paid attention to me, never responded to what I said. Did getting beaten like this remind you of me?


    Are you just a trick of my mind? Something that doesn''t really exist? Just talking inside my head. You''re useless.


    Useless? How do you think you stopped Mehmet''s slap? Could a puny, weak child like you stop a slap from a grown man? I helped you. You''re a strong kid. There''s ferocity, anger, and thirst for revenge within you.


    Then why didn''t you do something about what just happened? You could have helped me again! Why didn''t you help!?


    You stopped Mehmet''s slap with a burst of anger from within, and of course, with my help. h???????????a????????h???????a????????h???????a????????


    You''re still a little kid, Ta?k?n. Your body has limits to its strength. But here''s the interesting thing. A normal child, even with my help, couldn''t have stopped the slap Mehmet threw. The reason I say you''re strong is that. You''re not like other people. These tragedies you''ve experienced are only making you stronger, and as you get stronger, I become stronger with you.


    So you''re not just in my head, you''re really helping me, aren''t you?


    I don''t have a specific form or body, not yet. h???????????a????????h???????a????????. For now, I''m in your head, but yes, I''m helping you. And I''ll always be with you. In fact, I''ve been with you from the very beginning, since your birth. I''ve always watched over you.


    Are you helping me!? When did you ever help me!? You''ve been with me since I was born, but you only helped me once, why!? Also, why were you watching me? What''s your purpose!?


    Actually, I''ve always been helping you. I''ve been helping you since you were born, and I''m still helping you now, you just don''t realize it.


    H-How so?


    Ta?k?n, as I said, you''re just a little kid. Do you think your body could withstand all that torture and pain without help? You may not realize it, but you have extraordinary resilience. And that resilience is because of me. Right now, you''re alive because of me. If you were a normal child, you would have died long ago.


    S-So why are you helping me?


    Because as you grow stronger, so do I. We both benefit from this. There''s no special reason.


    What''s your name then? What should I call you?


    My name is Milaz.


    Milaz... So you''ll always be with me, until I die, right?


    Yes.


    Tears started rolling down my cheeks. My wrists were burning from the chains. I tried to move my arms, but it hurt. I tried to move my legs, but I couldn''t. There was unbearable pain in my stomach.


    Milaz... Why did you save me? I''m always in pain. Why are they doing this to me!? Am I a bad person? Did I do something to someone? Did I unintentionally hurt someone? Why, why!? Why are they treating me like this!? I wish you hadn''t helped me and let me die.


    Do you really want to know why they''re doing this to you?


    Tell me, yes! I want to know!


    There''s no reason. They just want to. Because they can, and because you''re weak and powerless. You haven''t done anything wrong. They enjoy inflicting pain on you. That''s all there is to it. That''s how people are, Ta?k?n.


    S-So their only reason is to enjoy it. They enjoy my struggles and screams, all my begging, right?


    ...Yes.


    Then when I get stronger, I can do whatever I want to them, right?


    ... h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    Yes, of course. Together, we can do anything.


    Then why did you say you''ve been watching me since I was born earlier? Why were you watching me?


    I was trying to decide if you were ready.


    Ready for what?


    To become a bad person. h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    What? What do you mean?


    Ta?k?n, you just asked me, ¡°Am I a bad person?¡± Remember?


    Y-Yes?


    You''re not a bad person, but you will be. You''ll be the worst. h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Those who harm you, those who hurt you, they will all pay the price in the most severe way. We will massacre them! They will regret it! We will do such things to them that they will beg for death to take them. A long, agonizing, and painful death awaits them!


    Milaz''s words left me confused. Am I going to be a bad person? Will I cause pain to people? But why? Did I have to endure so much pain and oppression? The anger and desire for revenge inside me suddenly flared up. Yes, maybe I was a child now, but I wanted to become stronger. I had to be strong, I had to stand against them.


    With the power Milaz gave me, the anger inside me grew. I had to make those who harmed me pay the price. Right now, I was lying in the cabin, chained and helpless. But one day, one day I would become stronger to hold them accountable.


    Each of those who hurt me would cry out in agony. I wanted to make them suffer. I had to scare them, upset them, make them suffer. I had to make them feel helpless.


    I closed my eyes and breathed with the anger inside me. I would wait for the time to become stronger. Then, when the time came, I would take revenge!

 Chapter 11 - Chain

    "How are we going to do this? You said I have a weak and feeble body."


    "All you need to do is survive. Besides, what I said is only for now. As years go by, you''ll grow and become stronger. In time, you''ll have a power equivalent to that of many mortal humans. You''ll shatter their bones effortlessly. Your body will be like a mountain of iron. When I said no one will stand in our way, I wasn''t joking."


    "Will all this happen because of you?"


    "h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Of course, it will be because of me.


    "For now, what you need to focus on is survival. What you''re experiencing now is nothing; you''ll endure much more pain and suffering, but even amidst unbearable agony, your only thought will be how you''ll mercilessly slaughter those who caused you pain in the future!"


    "I wish they had killed me. Why am I like this!? It hurts so much. No one is helping! Why do I feel like everyone has turned their back on me!? I''m pathetic!"


    As I said these words, I was sobbing uncontrollably. It felt like I had no strength left to endure.


    "...Ta?k?n, I thought we left these behind. Crying and whimpering won''t gain you anything. No one will help you just because you''re crying. Only I can help you. So, stop whining!"


    At that moment, the door of the shack opened. Melis walked in. "We forgot to give you food today. Here you go, doggy," she said, placing a bowl of food in front of me. I couldn''t discern what kind of food it was, but it didn''t matter. Whatever it was, I would eat it. After giving me a smirk, she continued speaking.


    "The chain isn''t that tight. You have some room to move. Come on, eat your food."


    My wrists were hurting because of the chains. Constant contact had caused them to start blistering. I somehow crawled to where the food was.


    "Eat your food, Ta?k?n. Suppress your hatred, your anger, and your rage. Imagine how you''ll enjoy tearing that bastard apart in the future."


    Milaz was talking in my head again. I was getting used to it.


    As I leaned down to eat, Melis spat into my food.


    "Bon app¨¦tit, doggy." Hahaha


    She said this and left the shack.


    Tears welled up in my eyes again. Milaz might be right; crying won''t do any good, but this was unbearable. I was so hungry. I needed to eat to become stronger. Yes! When I become stronger, I''ll cut that bastard''s limbs off with pleasure! All I need to do to achieve these things is to survive.


    Reluctantly, I started eating the food as quickly as possible.


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    "h???????????a????????h???????a???????? That''s it, Ta?k?n. We''ll never be pitiful. We''ll make others pitiful. We''ll make them pay! We''ll shed blood!"


    I finished my meal and leaned back against the wall. I was shivering from the cold. I looked at my body, and upon seeing it, I started to believe Milaz a bit more. I really didn''t know how I was still alive. My body was completely ruined. My ribs were visible, and my arms were very thin. They seemed like they would break if someone applied a little force. I didn''t know how I had managed to withstand Mehmet''s slap with this condition.


    "h???????????a????????h???????a???????? I know. You stopped him because of me. If I hadn''t helped you, you would''ve received a slap from Mehmet like the punch you got from Hasan just now.


    "These days are temporary, Ta?k?n. Time flows like water."


    "Milaz, my wrists hurt a lot. Do you think I could somehow break free from the chains?"


    "No, you can''t. Even if you did, they would chain you again. It wouldn''t make sense."


    "What if I were in my strengthened state? I mean, if I were like I''ll be in the future, could I then break free from these chains?"


    "Firstly, if you were in your future state, you wouldn''t be standing here now. Because no being''s power would be comparable to yours.


    As for your question, of course, even without exerting much effort, you would break these chains as if it were a normal thing to do."


    "...I understand. I hope those days come soon. You''ll always be with me, won''t you, Milaz? You won''t ever leave me."


    "...Yes, of course."


    "I hope they give me clothes in the morning. I''m very cold. Even if I shiver from the cold, I somehow fell asleep.


    I woke up in the morning feeling warmth. I opened my eyes and saw Hasan. That disgusting creature was urinating on me.


    "Hahaha. Wake up. I called you first, but you didn''t wake up. I thought you were dead. I was really scared. If you die, who will we have fun with?"


    He was still urinating while saying these things. I was trying to cover my face with my hands, but since they were chained, I couldn''t cover my face completely.


    How''s my cock, Ta?k?n? I got a morning erection. Do you want to touch it?


    I just stared at him without saying anything. Apparently, he got angry because I was looking at him like that and started kicking me. My hands were chained, and I couldn''t protect my stomach. He kept hitting the same place.


    After minutes of beating, he left me alone. After a while, I don''t know how long, Melis came with a bowl of food in her hand. This was unusual because they only gave one meal a day. If they''re giving me food now, does that mean there won''t be dinner tonight?


    "Take it and eat it. To speed up your recovery, we''ll give you three meals a day from now on. We don''t want to deal with your corpse if you die."


    She left the food bowl in front of me and walked away. I took the food bowl in my hand and took a sip, then quickly dropped the bowl to the ground. I was coughing like crazy. I was bending down on the ground, coughing, and blood was dripping from my mouth.


    As I was getting beaten, I couldn''t help but move my wrists, causing the chain to start tearing the flesh around my wrists even more. Most likely, I hadn''t realized the pain of the beating I received last night, but my wrists had bled a lot even while I was asleep. I could see the dried blood on my arms.


    I wonder about Elif. I hope that scum who''s going to be her father hasn''t touched her.


    God! If you exist, please prevent any harm from coming to Elif. Protect her.


    There is no God! There''s only me! If there were a god, would you be here? Why would a god allow an innocent child to suffer like this? If you must plead, plead to me!


    I''ll plead to you too if necessary, just as long as nothing happens to Elif.


    Why do you care so much about this girl?


    Have you fallen in love with her? h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    What does love mean?


    ...


    Elif is my first friend. One day her ball fell into the area where my club was, and I threw her ball back to her. Since that day, she''s been my only friend.

 Chapter 12 - Risk

    Days go by. My arms are still chained. I have no clothes on, and I''m freezing. There''s enough space to move within the shack; the chains extend to some extent. It¡¯s a chain similar to the ones used to restrain dogs.


    Even though I can move, I prefer to stay still because my wrists hurt a lot.


    In my head, I''m constantly talking to Milaz.


    Most of the time, I think about Elif. I don¡¯t remember how many days have passed since they came here, but I always wish they would come again. I want to see her again. I wonder where their house is. Can I somehow escape here at night and find their house?


    But even if I find their house, what would I do? What would I say to Elif? Would I say that I ran away from home just to see her? But if I escape in the morning, maybe I could say, "I got permission to come play with you."


    After thinking about this, I remembered Melis and Hasan. One of them is always at home, and they don¡¯t leave the house. Could I somehow deceive them?


    Milaz, do you think we can deceive them?


    Ta?k?n, you can barely walk. Plus, your arms are chained. Even if they weren''t, how would you escape?


    Whether you help or not, I will somehow deceive them and escape from here.


    ... What¡¯s on your mind?


    It''s clear what''s happening to me. Anyone who sees me would think I¡¯ll die in a few days. I''m in a pitiful state.


    No doubt you¡¯re in a pitiful state.


    I¡¯ll make myself look even more pitiful.


    What?


    You heard me right. I¡¯ll hope that they pity me and take off the chains.


    Do you realize what you''re saying!?


    I know! I know. You can¡¯t stand seeing me in this pitiful state. But didn¡¯t you say these days are temporary?


    Trust me, I¡¯ll make them suffer and die in every way imaginable. I¡¯ll tear off their fingers and scalp them alive and gut them.


    Milaz was making strange growling noises.


    Milaz, I really wonder about Elif. What is she doing now, or did that alcoholic bastard do something to her? These thoughts constantly run through my mind.


    Let¡¯s say Elif¡¯s father abused or hit her. What will you do? Turn back time? Or blame yourself for not being there?


    I-I don¡¯t know. I just want to be with her.


    Ta?k?n, there is only one person you need to think about, and that is yourself. In this life, you only think about yourself because no one else is thinking about you.


    But Elif is not like you. She has a mother who protects her. They will manage somehow.


    But your situation is different. Instead of thinking about Elif, think about yourself. Is there anyone else protecting you besides me?


    If Elif suddenly disappeared, there would surely be people looking for her. But believe me, no one will look for you.


    What he said was painful but true. Still, no matter what, I wanted to go.


    I know what you say is true, but I still want to see Elif. Just seeing from afar that she is okay would be enough for me.


    Do you know where their house is?


    ... No, but it can¡¯t be very far from here, right?


    Ta?k?n, if you fail, you know you won''t get your revenge, right?


    Most likely, they¡¯ll either kill you or beat you to death and leave you badly injured in a deserted place where you¡¯ll die unnoticed.


    I told you your endurance is much higher than a normal human, but in the end, you are still human, for now. h???????????a????????h???????a????????.


    What I mean is, you¡¯re not immortal, your body is pushing its limits right now. If you get beaten severely in this state, you will die.


    Is that little girl really that valuable to you? More valuable than your own life?


    ... Milaz, you can¡¯t understand this. So let me put it this way.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    <div>


    <div>


    No matter what, I''m going. Elif was the only person in this world who treated me well.


    She looked at me and smiled. Can you believe it? Unlike Hasan and Melis, who looked at me with disgust. I felt that she valued me. She treated me like a human being.


    I was sobbing as I said these things.


    I could hear footsteps approaching from a distance.


    It must have been Hasan or Melis coming.


    The door slowly opened.


    W-what! What is this! It was Elif!


    I must have been dreaming. I was sleeping, right!? Yes, yes, I must be sleeping.


    I moved my wrists a little, and it hurt. But since it hurt, this couldn''t be a dream. But how!


    Milaz, is this a dream?


    This little girl is braver than I thought.


    What!?


    Elif froze as soon as she opened the door. I was trying to cover my private parts somehow. I was completely naked. She turned her head away.


    "I''ll find something to cover you."


    The hut was filled with old stuff. There were shelves and such. They had brought old or broken items from the house here.


    I was too ashamed to even look at Elif.


    Tears were streaming down my face.


    Elif was coming toward me with a piece of old cloth she had found.


    "E-Elif, p-please don''t look at me."


    She wrapped the piece of cloth around me. At least my private parts were no longer visible.


    At that moment, I started to wonder how Elif got here. It was very late. How could she have gotten here? Unless that disgusting being who was supposed to be her father tried to do something to her!?


    ''E-Elif, are you okay?''


    "I''m fine," she said. Then she hugged me. Small drops of water were falling on my shoulder. Elif was crying too.


    "E-Elif, did I upset you? Why are you crying? I''m very sorry if I upset you, please forgive me."


    After saying this, Elif pulled back and looked at me with tears streaming down her face.


    For a moment, a flash of realization struck me.


    Did Elif know about my situation from the beginning?


    When she first entered the hut, it was as if she expected to see such a sight.


    I was very confused. I needed to ask Elif what was going on.


    "E-Eli-


    "You idiot! Can''t you see the state you''re in right now!? How can you still think about me even in this state? Why are you so kind!?"


    As she said this, her crying intensified. I could barely understand her words.


    She hugged me again. She put her head on my shoulder.


    I hugged her back. The pain was so intense, it felt like the flesh on my wrists was completely torn, and the chains were digging into my bones. But no matter how much it hurt, it didn''t matter. When I hugged Elif, it felt like all the pain was gone. I can still remember her scent. I don''t think I''ll ever forget it until I die.


    While she was hugging me and crying, I wanted to ask her again.


    "E-Elif, did you know from the beginning?"


    She started to speak.


    "Do you remember the first time we met? My ball had fallen here, in the garden of this hut. You threw my ball back to me."


    She sniffled and continued talking. I think she had calmed down a bit.


    "I first had suspicions then. I thought you were a normal kid playing in the garden, but then I saw the scars on your body and how dirty your clothes were, and I began to think differently."


    "Honestly, I was scared when I saw you. Even though there was a fence between us, I thought you might hurt me-


    "Never!" "I would never do such a thing! No matter what!"


    Elif laughed softly, almost whispering. I heard it.


    "Yes, I know that. Now I understand much better how meaningless it was to be afraid of you."


    After saying this, she didn''t speak for a while and continued to hug me.


    I wonder how long this hug will last?


    You make me sick.


    I ignore him.


    Elif started talking again.


    ''After you gave me the ball back, I went home. My teacher had given us homework, and I had to do it, but I kept thinking about you. I couldn''t get the sight of you out of my mind. I was worried about you.


    "Elif, are you really worried about me?"


    "Yes, of course."


    Hearing this warmed my heart. I wanted to say something, but I didn''t know what to say, so I decided to stay silent.


    Now I had to ask her a few questions. There were things I was curious about.


    "E-Elif, are you okay? I mean, are you hurt anywhere?"


    How can I ask if her father has forced her to do something?


    She was silent for a while. Her silence scared me even more.


    "The other night, he came home drunk again. For no reason, he slapped me. Then my mother rushed to protect me, but unfortunately, he beat her up terribly this time. My mother was lying on the ground, her face covered in blood. Then he turned to me and took off his belt. He beat me with all his strength for minutes. My back hurts a lot."


    Hearing this, a deep and dark wave of emotion suddenly rose within me. I started breathing heavily, and my face and hands began to tremble.


    Someone seems angry.


    "Elif, would you be sad if I killed your father?"


    h??????????e????????h????e?????????. I like you more this way.


    She started to look at me.


    "W-What!? What are you saying, Ta?k?n?"


    "I''m saying, what if I tear out your father''s tongue alive and gouge out his eyes, and skin his head and throw it to the dogs, how would you feel?"


    She wasn''t saying anything.


    I think she was in shock.


    She held my cheeks with both hands and started to speak.


    I flinched involuntarily when she touched my cheeks.


    When Elif saw me flinch, she pulled her hands back and then slowly placed them on my cheeks again. Her hands were warm. I could stay like this forever. It felt like I was warming up inside.


    "Ta?k?n, your eyes don''t look at me the way they used to, they''re different now. It scares me. Why are you saying such things? This isn''t you. Please come to your senses."


    "Elif, I can''t stand it. Knowing that you are in pain is killing me, and I can''t do anything about it. Run away from that house, escape."


    "If I run away-


    Elif''s eyes suddenly fixed on something, and she froze, staring at it. I turned my head to see what it was, and it was my friend, the mouse.


    "E-Elif, look, this is my-


    Elif started screaming before I could finish. Then she immediately covered her mouth with both hands, but it was too late.


    I don''t know what time it is, but it was quite late. If Hasan and Melis were asleep, there''s a high chance they didn''t hear it, but if they weren''t asleep...-


    I could hear footsteps outside! If they saw Elif here, who knows what they would do to her! No! No!


    I was trying to move, but I was chained, and I had no strength left. I was just flailing in place.


    I needed to think quickly. Elif was in shock, just staring at me.


    "E-Elif, get under that shelf and hide, don''t move!"


    Elif quickly hid under the shelf.


    The hut was full of old items and shelves. They probably put unnecessary or broken items from the house here.


    The shelf she hid under had an old piece of fabric hanging down like a curtain or a sheet.


    Elif was almost invisible.


    When I looked closely, I could see a pair of eyes watching me, but it would be very hard for someone who didn''t know Elif was there to see her.

 Chapter 13 - Savior Angel

    The door slowly opened. Hasan entered. He reeked of alcohol.


    I was trying not to look at Elif, but I couldn''t keep my eyes off her. I silently prayed that Hasan wouldn''t see her.


    Hasan came right up to me and started staring. My gaze fell on the piece of cloth on me. I began to sweat coldly. What would I say if he asked how I got this piece of cloth? I have some room to move, but Hasan knows very well that I don''t even have the strength to walk. I just stared at Hasan''s feet. I didn''t dare look at his face.


    "What kind of child are you, for fuck''s sake? What kind of life do you have in you? Any other kid in your place would''ve been dead by now. How can you hold on to life so tightly? Where does this will to live come from?"


    He was swaying in place, struggling to stay on his feet. I raised my head a little and looked at his face. He had turned his head towards where Elif was. Elif was staring at me with frightened eyes, her hands covering her mouth! I had to do something, or else Elif would be noticed!


    "I-I''ll kill you when I grow up."


    He turned his eyes away from Elif and looked at me.


    "What?"


    "When I grow up and get stronger, you and that woman will die in agony. I''ll rip out every nail from your fingers and drive nails into them. I''ll cut off your ears and make you eat them, and I''ll scalp you alive."


    For a moment, his face changed. My words had scared him. How could a child who couldn''t even walk say these things to him? He was in shock. The man who was swaying from side to side moments ago now stood fixed in place as if nailed there.


    I don''t know how I said these things without fear. What is happening to me!?


    Hasan remained where he was, saying nothing, just looking at me. I could see the fear in his eyes. A few seconds later, he shook himself out of it.


    "So that''s how it is! You''re not going to wise up, are you, you little bastard? If you weren''t our toy, I''d have killed you already, but your time is limited. Once we find another toy, we''ll throw you out!"


    After saying this, he left the cabin. I immediately looked at Elif. She was still in the same position. I looked into her eyes and smiled. If I hadn''t said those things to Hasan, he might have seen Elif.


    I was about to signal Elif to come out of her hiding place, but then footsteps started coming from outside again.


    This time, the door opened harshly. It was Hasan again. He had a metal pipe in his hand.


    "You didn''t think there''d be no consequences for what you said, did you?"


    He walked towards me quickly and started hitting me with the pipe with all his strength. The first blow landed on my left arm. When he went to strike a second time, I raised my left arm to soften the blow, but this time he hit the section from my wrist to my elbow, and I heard the bone break.


    He kept hitting me with the pipe and sometimes kicking me.


    The bones in my arm were broken. I couldn''t even lift my arm anymore. The moment I heard that breaking sound, my left arm fell limply like a piece of dead meat. It just hung there from the elbow.


    Hasan kept hitting me with all his strength, swearing the whole time. I thought of lifting my right arm, but if I did, it would break too, and maybe something much worse would happen.


    I had barely any strength left, and I had used it all to lift my left arm. I couldn''t do anything to defend myself anymore. Reflexively, I put my right hand over my head. I couldn''t lift my left arm at all.


    He hit me wherever he could. My head, my face, my legs. A blow to my left ear caused my vision to blur for a moment. My ear was ringing madly. I could hear curses and yelling from my right ear, but my left ear was ringing completely.


    After that, I must have lost consciousness. I don''t know how long he kept beating me.


    Little droplets of water were falling on my face. Was I outside? Hasan had said they''d get rid of me once they found a new toy. Did they take me somewhere and dump me?


    Using all my strength, I tried to open my eyelids. I couldn''t open my right eye, but I managed to open my left. The first thing I saw was Elif''s eyes. The little droplets were from Elif. She had my head on her lap and was touching my face with her small hands. She was crying silently, trying not to be heard. She probably thought I was dead. Elif''s touch was the only thing that didn''t bother me.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I honestly thought you were dead this time.


    Milaz... I thought you abandoned me. You haven''t been talking for a while.


    Talking wouldn''t have made any difference. That''s why I chose to remain silent.


    What do you mean?


    Even if I told you to defend Elif and let her come out of hiding, you wouldn''t listen to me.


    Of course, I wouldn''t listen. I would never allow anything to happen to Elif.


    Elif is your weakness. You shouldn''t have any weaknesses in this life, Ta?k?n. If you have one weakness, you have one weakness. You can''t be a weak person.


    Didn''t you say I would become a very strong person in the future?


    ..


    ...


    Yes.


    Then if I become strong, I can protect Elif too.


    Do you think the person you''ll become in the future would want Elif by your side?


    What?


    You, in the future, will slowly and painfully kill everyone who caused you pain. They''ll kneel before you. They''ll regret what they did. You''ll become a ruthless and emotionless killer. Once you''ve killed one person, you''ll want to kill even more.


    Maybe Elif''s death will be by your hands too.


    What are you saying!? No way!


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    You keep thinking that way. You can''t even begin to imagine the person you''ll become in the future.


    No! Stop it! Don''t say such things! I would never harm Elif! I won''t become a killer!


    Yes. Of course.


    As I was talking to Milaz in my head, I started to smile looking into Elif''s eyes.


    I didn''t want to talk to Milaz anymore.


    Elif noticed that I was looking at her. She hugged me tightly without saying anything.


    "T-Ta?k?n! Y-You''re alive! Why did you go to such lengths for me!? You could''ve died!"


    I wanted to hug her tightly too, but I couldn''t move my body. I could only speak with difficulty.


    "Y-You came to me in the middle of the night, risking everything. I should do at least this."


    She didn''t say anything. She continued to hug me.


    I didn''t know what time it was, and I didn''t know how long I had been unconscious, but Elif had to leave now. It wouldn''t be good for her if they found out she had run away from home.


    "E-Elif. You need to leave now. You can''t stay here any longer. They''ll notice you''ve run away from home."


    She nodded silently and said, "uh huh."


    "Ta?k?n, one day both of us will be free. We''ll see better days. My only request is that you don''t give up. Never give up. We''ll make it together."


    I nodded my head as she did.


    "I''ll come back again. This time, I''ll bring bandages and ointment secretly from home."


    "No, Elif. They''ll notice. If they see bandages on my wounds, they''ll know immediately."


    Elif thought for a few seconds.


    "Then I''ll just bring ointment. They won''t notice the ointment. Besides, it disappears on its own after a while."


    I didn''t say anything, but she could be right.


    "Okay, then just bring the ointment."


    I hoped Elif was right. If they noticed the ointment, it wouldn''t be good.


    "What will you do if Elif brings the school books with her?"


    "I''ll say I lost them. They''ll give me new ones. It''s not a big deal."


    Actually, I was going to tell her not to bring the books, but we couldn''t talk anymore. Every second, I was afraid they would notice that Elif had run away.


    "Okay, Elif. We''ll do as you say, but please leave now. Otherwise, they''ll know you''ve run away."


    Elif looked into my eyes.


    "Okay. I''m going. I''ll come back to you as soon as possible."


    She gently lifted me up from the ground. I leaned against the wall. She covered me with the cloth again. Most likely, Hasan knocked me down while he was beating me.


    Elif stood up and started walking towards the door. Before leaving the room, she turned back and looked at me.


    "As I said, I''ll come back to you soon, Ta?k?n. We''ll get through this together. Never give up."


    After saying this, she smiled at me and quietly left through the door.


    Part of me wanted Elif to leave immediately, but the other part wanted her to stay with me all the time.


    She said she would come back, but it felt like I wouldn''t see her again.


    ...


    ..


    Milaz... Are you still there?


    I thought you wouldn''t want to talk to me for a while.


    Even if I don''t want to admit it, you''re always with me. Plus, if it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t be alive right now. And it seems you''ll be with me for a long time. So, I have to get used to you, and you have to get used to me.


    Yes.


    Everything I said was true, Ta?k?n. You''re only thinking emotionally.


    You change when it comes to Elif.


    Maybe yes, maybe no. But you can''t control me. Just because I''m alive thanks to you doesn''t mean you can make me do whatever you want.


    I don''t want to make you do anything. You said you would kill them.


    By the way, I never expected to hear such sentences from you. You''re changing as you wish... it''s quite beautiful.


    That''s the problem! I don''t want to change the way you want!


    Whether you want to or not, you will change. We''re connected to each other. You have a cursed power inside you that''s not divine.


    I don''t want to talk about such things! Please, enough, stop!


    ..


    Okay, but one day we must talk about these things.


    I won''t die, will I? My body is in pain.


    Your body is completely wrecked. There are many fractures and cracks all over. Your right eye is swollen shut. Your left arm is broken from elbow to wrist.


    You have superhuman resilience, but as I said, your body also has a limit. Right now, you''ve far exceeded those limits. You can''t endure another beating like that.


    Even though I don''t want to admit it, we need Elif''s help for you to heal quickly.


    It will take a very long time for you to heal. You need external support, like medication.


    You said it would take a long time to heal. So, can I heal without taking any medication?


    Yes, but as I said, it will take a very long time. Also, during the healing process, you must not be subjected to any attacks. Your body can''t handle any more.


    Elif is truly my guardian angel.


    ..


    You''re making me nauseous.


    I don''t care about what you say.

 Chapter 14 - Mouse

    I''m still chained up. It''s been three days since Elif left me. I don''t know which day she came to me, but I''m starting to worry. Maybe her father figured out the situation and did something to her?


    Also, for the past three days, Melis has been bringing me meals constantly. I haven''t seen Hasan since he beat me. Melis doesn''t say a word. No insults or disdainful looks. It''s more like she''s wary of me. She can''t look me in the eye. She just leaves the food and goes away.


    Did what I said really scare them that much?


    Of course, it did. People are cowardly creatures. Even though you''re just a little kid, what you''re capable of when you grow up frightens them.


    Honestly, after what you''ve told me, I don''t want to grow up. The person I''ll become scares me too.


    There''s no need for you to be scared.


    If you say so...


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????


    Besides, there''s a more important issue here.


    What?


    They''re probably planning to get rid of you now. They have the power over you for now, but when you grow up, you''ll be a threat to them.


    They''ll want to get rid of you as soon as possible. I think they already had the idea of getting rid of you from the beginning, but what you said to Hasan might have accelerated the process.


    So, what happens now? What are we going to do?


    We''ll see what happens. Don''t worry, just because I said they might have accelerated the process doesn''t mean they''ll come and kill you right away.


    They might be in the planning stage.


    After they kill you, where will they bury you without getting caught, or maybe they''ll cut off all your limbs and bury them separately. Or they might just burn your body¡ª


    O-okay, Milaz. You''ve explained enough.


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Sorry, I got carried away.


    Why hasn''t Elif come yet?


    ..


    The topic has come back to Elif again. What a pleasant conversation we were having.


    Yes, of course, why not, such a pleasant conversation.


    Maybe it''s better if she doesn''t come.


    What do you mean?


    If she comes, you''ll be at risk of getting caught.


    What if Melis or Hasan suddenly shows up while Elif is here?


    ...


    Milaz, are you trying to confuse me?


    I''m just thinking logically.


    I don''t know. I really don''t know what to think.


    All my thoughts are jumbled up.


    Ta?k?n! Look over here!


    I reflexively turned my head to where I was pointed. I was surprised myself. Milaz didn''t have a physical body, so he couldn''t point to a place for me.


    But I felt as if someone was there beside me and had pointed to a place with their hand.


    It was my friend, the mouse. He hadn''t been around for a long time. He stood still, looking at me.


    Ta?k?n, are you ready to kill a living creature for the first time in your life?


    What!?


    Kill the mouse. The piece of glass you cut yourself with is right here. There''s dried blood on it. Take it and crush the mouse before it escapes.


    Why?! It didn''t harm me. Why should I kill it when there''s no reason?


    Did you harm Hasan and Melis? Did you do anything to them? No, you didn''t!


    They''re keeping you here for their sick pleasures and tormenting you! There''s no reason at all!


    B-but I can''t do th-this.


    Also, didn''t you want revenge!? You screamed at Hasan. You said you would kill them like this and that. Were those words empty? Did you just say them for the sake of saying them? Are you that cowardly and weak? Stop acting helpless and pathetic, Ta?k?n! Enough!


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    ...


    ..


    I''m not weak! I''ll accomplish everything I told Hasan! I''ll kill them all!


    As I struggled to move my body, a sudden surge of power seemed to overcome me. I didn''t understand what was happening. My heart started beating fast and hard. I could hear its pounding.


    It was as if I wasn''t myself. I grabbed the piece of glass I had just cut myself with and turned towards the mouse. I wasn''t in control. The mouse looked at me, unmoving. With the piece of glass in my right hand, I swiftly swung towards the mouse. It attempted to escape but couldn''t. I had cut the mouse in half. My hand was covered in blood. The force of my strike had shattered the wooden floor of the hut. I didn''t know how I was capable of doing this.


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Yes, that''s it, Ta?k?n.


    Now eat it, Ta?k?n! Make me believe in you! Prove to me that you''re not a pitiful, weak human!


    What?... O-okay!


    I picked up the back half of the mouse. I lifted it by its tail and brought it to my mouth. Its blood dripped onto my face and into my mouth.


    Come on, Ta?k?n!


    I brought the mouse to my mouth and after a few seconds, I shoved it into my mouth and bit down with all my might. The tail snapped off in my hand. I tossed it into my mouth afterward.


    I started chewing. The mouse''s blood overflowed from my mouth, trickling down my chin.


    It''s not that hard, is it?


    How do you feel now?


    I-I feel great! My hand and mouth are warm with the mouse''s blood.


    What a wonderful feeling!


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Yes, indeed.


    How does it feel to kill a defenseless creature weaker than you?


    Wonderful! It feels so wonderful!


    I''ll become stronger! I''ll become the strongest!


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. That''s it, Ta?k?n! This is you! This is your true self!


    I snapped back to reality with the creak of the door.


    Elif was looking at me with fearful eyes.


    I looked at my hand, then back at Elif. I repeated this two or three times. It was as if I wasn''t myself, and I had no idea what to say in response.


    I spat out the mouse, startled. It was as if someone else had been controlling me just now, but now I was back in control.


    I immediately threw the glass shard from my hand.


    "E-Elif, l-look. I-I didn''t do this willingly. It''s like there''s someone in my head. It''s talking to me! It''s leading me astray! Please, Elif! I can''t bear to see you look at me like that. Don''t look at me with fearful eyes! Look at me with the same loving gaze you always have, please!"


    Ta?k?n said this while hitting his head with his right hand. Then he knelt and began to hit his head against the floor. His forehead was bleeding. He cried with sobs.


    "I-I really d-didn''t do it on purpose, Elif."


    Elif finally overcame her shock and began to speak;


    "O-okay, Ta?k?n. Calm down. I''m here. I-I know."


    "You don''t know anything!"


    Just shut up! Shut up!


    Ta?k?n always talked to Milaz inside his head, in his mind. But this time, he had expressed his anger outwardly.


    Elif stopped talking.


    "N-no, Elif, I didn''t mean you. It''s constantly talking in my head. It''s bothering me!"


    "O-okay, Ta?k?n. I understand. Just calm down. You would never do such a thing willingly. Y-you''ve gone through so much, things no one should ever have to experience. But it will all pass. Believe me."


    There''s nothing to pass. Everything''s just beginning.


    Enough!!


    Elif quickly came to Ta?k?n''s side and hugged him. Ta?k?n''s broken left arm swayed numbly. Blood trickled down his forehead from hitting it against the floor. The mouse he had cut in half dripped blood onto the wooden floor. But he had calmed down. He leaned his head towards Elif and took a deep breath. Then he completely surrendered himself. He was so weak, like a child due to malnutrition, that Elif easily held him and took him to the wall.


    Minutes passed, and Ta?k?n opened his eyes. Elif looked at him with worried eyes, wiping the blood from his face with a wet tissue.


    "E-Elif?"


    "Yes, Ta?k?n, I''m here. I''m by your side, there''s no need to worry. You''ve been unconscious for a few minutes. The lights in the house came on while you were like this, I hid somewhere and waited for a while, but no one came. Then I saw the lights went off. I think we''re safe. I was so scared because I heard noises for a moment."


    "Elif, I-I really didn''t do it willingly."


    "I know, Ta?k?n, I know. You''ve been through such difficult things, and you''re still going through them. I don''t want to say the same things again, but this will all end someday. We just have to endure."


    I wanted to reply, but nothing came to mind. I just stayed silent.


    Elif didn''t speak for a while either.


    Later, Elif reached back to take off her backpack and started talking.


    "Look, Ta?k?n, I brought you a book. You can read these and learn a lot of things."


    She handed me the book.


    The cover had smiling children holding balloons. There was some writing on it, but I couldn''t understand it.


    "E-Elif, I can''t read this."


    "What do you mean? Don''t you know how to read and write?"


    I shook my head.


    When Elif asked Ta?k?n this question, she thought she had made a mistake and hurt Ta?k?n''s feelings. She thought he knew how to read and write.


    "I''m sorry, Ta?k?n. I thought you knew how to read and write."


    "N-no, there''s no need to apologize. I wasn''t upset."


    "If you want, I can teach you how to read and write."


    No, we don''t want that.


    Shut up, Milaz.


    "Sure. I''d love to."


    She took the book from my hand and took out a smaller, thinner book from her bag.


    "I''m in third grade right now. I''ll bring you the reading and writing books they give in the first grade next time, but I don''t have them with me right now. So, I''ll teach you by writing in this notebook."


    It wasn''t a book she took out, but a notebook.


    After taking out the pen and eraser from her bag, Elif came to me. She leaned against the wooden wall of the hut and put the notebook on her lap.


    I watched her carefully. Her hair brushed against my shoulder, and it smelled really nice. I had smelled a similar scent when I was forcibly bathed at home before.


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    "Please focus your attention on the notebook, Taskin. I''m starting to explain now."


    As he said, I started to look at the notebook. But it was dark. The faint light from the cabin''s bulb wasn''t enough.


    "I-Elif, it''s very dark. I can''t see the notebook clearly."


    "Just wait a moment."


    She put her hand into her pocket and took out a small flashlight.


    When she turned it on, I could see the notebook very clearly.


    "Where did you find this flashlight, Elif?"


    Elif looked at me and chuckled softly.


    "It''s not a flashlight, Taskin, it''s a torch."


    She was still laughing. Seeing her like this made me very happy.


    While smiling, she started talking again.


    "That''s it, Taskin, look how beautifully you''re smiling. Smiling suits you so well."


    I smiled without realizing it. I don''t even know how I did it.


    I didn''t say anything.


    Elif turned her head to the notebook and started writing and explaining something.


    I was just watching her.


    "Yes, Taskin. The alphabet consists of twenty-nine letters. We will start learning from the first letter, which is ''a''."


    "Look, it''s written in both uppercase and lowercase. The uppercase looks like this, and the lowercase looks like this."


    I was listening carefully and looking at what she wrote.


    "I had struggled a bit to learn the alphabet at first, but then it started to become easier. I even helped my friends to learn. My teacher also praised me."


    She was both telling and talking. There was always a smile on her face. Having Elif beside me made me very happy.

 Chapter 15 - Death

    Elif continues to come to me every two or three days. I''m quickly learning the alphabet. It seems like I''ll also learn to read and write in a short time.


    We''re getting closer to each other with Elif. When she''s with me, I wish time would stop. And when she leaves, I want her to come back immediately.


    Melis is still acting strange. I haven''t seen Hasan again after the recent incident. Melis brings the meals. During her last visit, she saw the dent in the floor of the cabin and the half-eaten mouse, but she didn''t say anything.


    Milaz, how much longer will this continue?


    How much longer what will continue?


    Days are passing, and still, nothing has happened. You said that Hasan, Melis, and you would get rid of me, but they haven''t done anything yet.


    Killing someone isn''t easy, Ta?k?n. Or let me put it this way. Killing might be easy for some, but erasing the person who died is hard.


    Most likely, they couldn''t decide what to do after killing you.


    ...


    ..


    I''ll ask Melis to remove the chains and give me clothes during her next visit.


    Why would they remove their chains?


    I behave very well. Besides, you know that they''ve been acting strange lately. It''s as if they''re wary of me.


    It would be good if they removed the chains.


    Otherwise, the flesh on their wrists will start to tear apart soon.


    Clothes wouldn''t be bad either. If the weather gets colder, you won''t be able to endure like this for long.


    There wasn''t much time until nightfall. Melis would arrive soon.


    I heard it. The door of the house opened. Melis is coming.


    Melis opened the door and came in. As she always does, she put the food bowl on the floor and headed towards the door. As she was about to leave, Ta?k?n called out.


    "Could you unlock my chains?"


    Melis turned around.


    "How do I know you won''t do something stupid?"


    "No, really, I won''t. My wrists are hurting a lot."


    "What if you just drop dead right here, and we finally get rid of you."


    "Also, could you bring clothes, please? I''m very cold."


    Ta?k?n stared into Melis''s eyes, expressionless and dull. There was no movement in his face. He looked as if he had no emotions.


    "Okay, I''ll unlock them and bring clothes, but if you do something stupid, I''ll tie your legs this time."


    "Okay."


    Melis left and came back with the keys. She put the clothes she brought on the floor and went to Ta?k?n, unlocked the chains, then turned back as she left through the door.


    "Don''t be too happy that I unlocked your chains. You don''t have much time left."


    She slammed the door shut and left.


    I quickly put on the clothes on the floor. These clothes were also old, but they would at least keep me warm.


    Finally, we''re free from the chains, Milaz, and we have clothes.


    Yes, but it seems we don''t have much time left.


    ...


    I have an idea.


    Should we sneak into the house?


    You must want to be killed as soon as possible.


    ...


    No. I just wonder what''s inside the house.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    You''ve been in that house before.


    I have, but I couldn''t look around properly anywhere.


    No, Ta?k?n. You won''t do such a thing. You can''t risk yourself unnecessarily.


    Plus, you''re still barely walking; you haven''t fully regained your strength.


    B-b-but don''t we need to do something!?


    Should I just sit here and wait for them to kill me!?


    Also, it''s been four days since Elif''s last visit. I''m starting to worry about her.


    You should worry about yourself, not that girl. No matter what, you''ll think about yourself first, Ta?k?n!


    You know how important Elif is to me, Milaz.


    She''ll come eventually. Just be patient.


    Right now, we have serious problems to worry about.


    ...


    What''s on your mind, Milaz?


    Think of something, guide me, show me the way!


    Didn''t you say we''re connected?


    If we''re connected, if I die, you die too. Why are you so calm!?


    Do you think you have my feelings?


    What do you mean?


    I have no feelings, Ta?k?n.


    ...


    It''s terrifying.


    You''ll be like me eventually.


    What!? Never!


    Deny it as much as you want.


    ...


    ..


    Why isn''t Elif coming, I wonder?


    Hopefully, her family hasn''t figured out the situation. If her mother understands, I don''t think there will be a problem, but if her father understands... I''m very nervous.


    As much as you want to be nervous or scared, you can''t prevent what''s going to happen.


    Milaz, please, be quiet.


    Also, don''t even think about going to look for Elif.


    We''re already in a difficult situation.


    If you try to escape and get caught, they''ll definitely kill you.


    Because of your attachment to Elif, you''re going to ruin your own life.


    But what am I supposed to do!?


    You won''t do anything, you''ll sit and wait.


    Days passed. Hasan and Melis didn''t make any attempts. Ta?k?n listened to Milaz and stood still for days without doing anything. But did he have any patience left to endure more?


    It''s been exactly a week since Elif last came.


    If she doesn''t come tonight either, I''m going to search for her. Whatever happens, happens.


    Ta?k?n, no.


    I won''t listen to you, Milaz!


    ...


    Okay, calm down.


    You don''t even know where their house is. How will you find them?


    I think their house isn''t far away. After all, they came here on foot.


    As I sat leaning against the wall, I noticed the books Elif had left for me. She left them for me to study, but I hadn''t looked at them at all.


    Or rather, I had forgotten where I had hidden them. Thinking about these things, my heart ached even more. The smile she had when she gave me those books... it made my heart tremble.


    A few hours passed. Melis brought the food and left. I wanted to make sure they were asleep. I didn''t want to get caught.


    I didn''t know what time it was, but it was quite late.


    I had decided to leave now. I headed towards the door and opened it slowly.


    The door was opening inward? After it was open, I crossed the threshold slowly and turned to the right.


    B-but h-how!?


    Hasan was in front of me, grinning wickedly as he watched me.


    "Hehehe where were you going, Ta?k?n? To look for Elif? Sorry, but Elif won''t come here again."


    "Did you two idiots really think I wouldn''t figure it out?"


    "If you knew how many times I saw Elif sneaking into the garden secretly, you''d be surprised."


    "W-what di-did you do to her?"


    Ta?k?n started to cry as he spoke.


    "I assure you, I didn''t do anything. I just went to her father and told him that his daughter had been sneaking into our garden repeatedly, and also that I wouldn''t say anything, but once I saw you two doing indecent things inside the cabin, and that this could be a serious problem in the future, and that he needed to teach his daughter a lesson."


    "W-wha-what di-did-"


    Ta?k?n started to run frantically, but Hasan easily caught him.


    "Today is your last day, Ta?k?n. We''re tired of you. We''ll find ourselves a new toy. It''s time to throw away the old one. Haha."


    "But before throwing it away, I want to have fun with you one last time."


    What!? What does that mean!? What will he do to me? Or...?


    He grabbed me with both hands and threw me into the cabin. He turned me over. He started to take off my clothes.


    No! P-please, let me go!


    "P-please, let me go!"


    Ta?k?n started to raise his voice, and Hasan grabbed Ta?k?n''s head and repeatedly slammed it against the floor of the cabin.


    Then he continued what he was doing. Ta?k?n was screaming in pain. All his fingernails on his right hand were almost torn off from trying to escape.


    I-it hurts. E-Elif, p-please be okay.


    After Hasan was done, he stepped out of the cabin and grabbed the stick he had used to beat Ta?k?n before and came back.


    At that moment, Ta?k?n was crying uncontrollably and trying to put his boxer shorts and pants back on.


    "Goodbye, Ta?k?n."


    I-I might really die this time.


    Milaz, maybe if I had listened to you, this wouldn''t have happened. Maybe I should have always listened to you.


    He''s getting ready to hit me. This time not for fun but to beat me to death.


    Here he comes... I wish I didn''t have such a life.


    He hit me directly on the head. The next blow came to the left side of my jaw. I was losing consciousness. My eyes were closing.


    Hasan beat Ta?k?n with the iron rod for minutes to make sure he was dead.


    The last sight of Ta?k?n was heartbreaking.


    He lay lifeless on the floor.


    Every part of his body depicted the brutality he had endured. Blood was flowing from his head profusely. One of his jaws had been broken and dislodged from its place. His jaw had shifted considerably to one side, and his upper and lower teeth didn''t match. His lips were torn. One of his legs had turned upside down, and his shoe had come off the other foot. All his toes were broken, and the bones were sticking out due to the dozens of blows he had received. The fingers of his right hand were bent and broken at unnatural angles. Blood was oozing out from where his skin had burst from the blows of the iron rod.


    "Melis! Bring the bag and come here!"


    Melis came in a hurry.


    "Did you take care of it?"


    Hasan pointed to Ta?k?n with his hand.


    Melis looked at him with disgust.


    "Take him away quickly and bury this carcass somewhere."


    "Okay, and you clean the cabin, sweep up the blood."


    "Okay."


    Hasan put Ta?k?n in the large bag Melis brought and tied the bag shut. Then he placed Ta?k?n in his car''s trunk as if he were trash.


    He started the car and set off to dispose of Ta?k?n''s body.

 Chapter 16 - Revenge

    The car stopped in a dark forest.


    Hasan opened the trunk of the car, took the shovel lying next to Ta?k?n''s lifeless body, and began to dig a hole. The forest was dark and silent, with only the sound of Hasan''s digging echoing through the trees. Digging a deep hole took time; he worked for about an hour before finally finishing.


    From the open trunk, Hasan picked up Ta?k?n, still wrapped in plastic, and threw him into the hole. He began to cover him with dirt. The hole was next to some bushes and thorny weeds. Covering the hole with soil took less time than digging it. Once it was closed and concealed with the collected weeds, it no longer looked like a freshly dug grave from a distance. Hasan, thinking his job was done, got into his car and drove away.


    ...


    ..


    ...


    Darkness. Infinite darkness. Silence. Ta?k?n was in the hole. His body felt heavy, almost foreign to him. But his mind echoed with Milaz''s voice.


    "Ta?k?n!"


    "M-Milaz? Is that you?"


    "It seems we are truly connected as you said."


    "Even though I''m dead, you didn''t leave me alo-"


    "Wait, if I die, doesn''t that mean you die too? How is this possible!?"


    "You haven''t died yet, you fool!"


    "But you have very little time left! Very little."


    ¡°You want to run away!? You want revenge on those who did this to you!¡±


    "Milaz... I just want peace. Look at my body. I''m exhausted. If I had to use my mouth instead of my mind to talk to you, I couldn''t. My jaw is practically shattered."


    "All of this will end soon. It''s so dark here. Normally, this would scare me, but now I see this darkness as a relief."


    "Soon, I''ll let myself go into this infinite darkness and become one with the earth. Everything will be over."


    "No, Ta?k?n! What did we talk about! You will never give up! What happened to you!?"


    "I''ve given up, Milaz. As I said, I just want peace now."


    ...


    ..


    "What about Elif? Didn''t she tell you not to give up? Are you going to give up?"


    "Aren''t you worried about her? Don''t you want to protect and watch over her? If you die, how will you do these things!?"


    "Elif... I''d love to see her one more time."


    "Yes! If you listen to me, you can see her again!"


    "Milaz, right now, even you couldn''t save me from this situation."


    "No. I can absolutely save you."


    "But we need to make a deal."


    "What deal?"


    "Ta?k?n, there''s no time for this!"


    "Just accept!"


    "B-but I''m sc-scared."


    "Ta?k?n! There''s nothing to be afraid of!"


    "I-I accept!"


    "h???????????a????????h???????a????????h???????????a????????h???????a????????. That''s it."


    "You made the right choice, Ta?k?n."


    Ta?k?n''s body began to heal rapidly. His broken bones mended, his heart started beating again. The air filling his lungs reminded him of life, but would this air be enough for him to escape the hole?


    "W-what is this!? I''m alive! I''m in the hole!"


    Ta?k?n''s mind panicked.


    "Stay calm! You need to get out of here quickly!"


    Ta?k?n reached forward and his hands touched the plastic bag, which he tore open quickly. When his fingers touched the soil, they started to make progress in the soft ground. As breathing became harder, his panic increased. Each attempt to breathe was stifled by the soil filling his mouth and nostrils.


    "Yes, Ta?k?n! Keep going! Giving up isn''t for you!"


    He kept digging with all his might. Finally, he managed to thrust his right arm upward. The cold wind brushing against his hands was a sweet herald of freedom. Then, he brought his left arm out and pulled his body up with their help.


    Finally, I was on the surface. I managed to get out of that hole. I took a few steps away from the hole and, overcome by unbearable pain, fell to my knees. There was something wrong with my right hand.


    It burned like crazy, as if I had touched the flames of hell. I was crawling on the ground, writhing in pain. And that''s when I saw a symbol slowly emerging on my hand as if my skin was being scraped off. There was an eye in the center. M-Milaz, what''s happening!?


    Hang in there. It will pass soon.


    W-what!?


    The symbol had become clearly visible.


    I was scratching the top of my right hand furiously with my left hand, trying to remove the symbol, but to no avail. Nothing happened. I was only hurting myself. I had scratched so much without realizing it that my hand was bleeding.


    Milaz! What is this!? What''s happening!?


    Remember, you accepted the deal. This symbol is a sign that you accepted. You''re now marked.


    What does that mean!?


    Ta?k?n, just minutes ago, there wasn''t a single bone in your body that wasn''t broken, yet now you can walk.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I think the pain you just experienced is a very small price to pay for returning to life.


    Don''t you agree?


    B-but I don''t understand. You didn''t tell me about this!?


    Because there wasn''t time. If we had talked more, you would have died.


    ...


    Okay then. Can you tell me what''s happening to me now?


    There''s not much to explain. This symbol gives you certain powers.


    As you already know, you''re a strong boy. Physically resilient, mentally strong, and powerful.


    This emblem enhances those abilities even further and grants you an additional skill.


    W-What skill?


    Look around carefully. Does anything catch your attention?


    As Milaz said, I looked around. At first, I didn''t notice anything. It was dark and cold. But then I started to see them. I could clearly see the footprints of animals that had been here before. I also noticed tire tracks. They were Hasan''s car tracks. I could follow these tracks to find Elif!


    But how is this possible?


    Milaz, how is this happening? Why can I see these tracks so clearly?


    It''s a skill you gained thanks to the symbol on your right hand.


    A-And you mentioned a deal. You didn''t help me for free, did you? What do you want from me?


    What''s the price for coming back to life and gaining this ability?


    Actually, the price was taken the moment you accepted the deal.


    What!? What do you mean!?


    You''ll gradually lose your humanity.


    I-I don''t understand.


    In short, the moment you accepted the deal, a part of your humanity was lost, even if you didn''t realise it. In the future, as you kill more people, the same symbol will appear on other parts of your body. You will gain new abilities. You will become stronger. But as you become stronger, you will lose your humanity. You will become a soulless, emotionless, ruthless human being.


    N-no!


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Say no all you want. Humans are greedy beings, Ta?k?n. Over time, you''ll want to become even stronger.


    Besides, I can talk as much as you want, but weren''t you going to find Elif? What are you waiting for?


    Yes! Right. After everything that happened, I forgot for a moment. I need to go to Elif.


    The car tracks were clearly visible. I started running with all my might, following them. It felt like I was running faster. It also felt like I wasn''t getting tired. It seemed I could run forever.


    Milaz! Is this one of the powers I gained from the deal?


    Yes. Do you like it? This is just the beginning. Imagine how strong you''ll become when you grow up. You won''t even need to make a deal. As your body develops, you''ll be much stronger than you are now.


    I understand.


    I wanted to talk more about this, but I couldn''t focus because my mind was on Elif.


    I arrived at an area with houses that had gardens. Each house looked similar. I continued following the car tracks. Finally, I saw the car from a distance, parked.


    Making sure I wasn''t noticed, I entered the garden and confirmed it was the right house. It was the small wooden shed I''d known for as long as I could remember. I felt strange.


    I was beginning to realize what had happened. I was free now!


    I would take my revenge on Hasan and Melis, but my top priority was Elif.


    Milaz, I''ve come this far, but what should I do now?


    Just like you followed the car, follow Elif. Use your ability, Ta?k?n.


    Elif has come to this shed many times; you can follow her footprints to find her house.


    Okay.


    I started searching for Elif''s footprints. Hasan and Melis were definitely asleep because they thought I was dead. So I moved more freely but still cautiously. I was even happy. The thought of torturing Hasan and Melis filled me with a twisted joy.


    I found Elif''s small footprints and began following them. She had jumped over many fences to get to me. She really cared about me. Wait for me, Elif, I''m coming.


    Finally, I saw the house from a distance. Elif''s footprints led straight to it. But something was wrong. I heard shouting and screaming coming from the house. I quickened my pace. By the time I reached the house, the screams had stopped. I approached the garden gate and tried to open it. It wasn''t locked.


    I entered. The house, which had been full of screams moments ago, was now very quiet. I was terrified that something had happened to Elif. I wanted to call out to her but hesitated for fear of being heard. I started walking down the corridor.


    Ta?k?n''s steps moved silently along the corridor. The silence of the house made his heart race even faster. At the end of the corridor, he noticed a slightly ajar door. As he approached it, he saw bloodstains on the floor; they led to the room on the right.


    I noticed the bloodstains on the floor. They led to the room on the right.


    Don¡¯t step on the blood.


    Okay.


    Ta?k?n pushed the door open and entered the room. The room was messy and dark. It was clear that a struggle had taken place. The curtains swayed in front of the window, allowing a light breeze to fill the room eerily. Faded photographs hung on the walls in yellowed frames. He glanced at the photos. No one was smiling.


    In the center of the room stood a large, old table, covered in food stains and scratches. The table was cluttered with broken plates and empty bottles. Two worn-out chairs were placed around it. In one corner, a TV was on but muted, showing a snowy static screen.


    Ta?k?n began to look around the room more carefully. In the corner, he noticed a figure leaning against the wall. As he approached quickly, he realized it was Damla. She was lying on the floor with her throat slit, drenched in blood. Her eyes stared blankly and coldly at the ceiling. Blood had left a trail from the wall to the floor, staining everything.


    Next to Damla lay a broken frame and some scattered photos. One of the photos was of Elif and her mother. They were both happy and smiling. Now, this memory was shrouded in bloody tragedy.


    As Ta?k?n stared at Damla''s lifeless body, his grief and rage mixed. Her empty eyes seemed to look right at him, sending a shiver down his spine.


    Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.


    "Who the hell are you, kid!?"


    I turned around quickly and found myself face to face with Elif''s father. He was holding a bloody knife in his right hand. In his left hand... No! This can''t be!


    In his left hand was Elif''s severed head. Her eyes were still open, looking as if pleading for help. Something inside Ta?k?n snapped.


    Seeing Elif''s head in her father''s hand shattered Ta?k?n''s world. His heart pounded wildly, and he struggled to breathe. Tears filled his eyes, and his throat tightened. The pain and anger within him shook his entire being.


    "I''m talking to you, kid! Who are you!"


    "Wait a minute, I know you. You''re that kid. The boy I saw at Hasan and Melis'' house!"


    Ta?k?n''s face changed. His eyes stared blankly at Elif''s father, and he smiled.


    "W-Why are you smiling!?"


    Ta?k?n said nothing. Tears streamed down his face.


    Ta?k?n, there was nothing you could have done. What''s done is done. Now, the only thing you can do is avenge Elif. Kill that bastard. Make him pay. Avenge Elif!


    Yes, I''ll kill him! I''ll slaughter him!


    Through his tears, Ta?k?n said, "How could you do this to that angel!?"


    Ta?k?n charged at Elif''s father in a fury. The man swung the knife, but Ta?k?n deftly dodged it. For a small child, his actions were impossible.


    Rage was evident in his eyes. He tackled the man, and they both tumbled to the ground. The knife fell from the man''s hand. Ta?k?n pinned him down.


    A dark expression crossed his face. He grabbed the man''s head with both hands and started pulling it violently from side to side. The man''s screams echoed in the room.


    As his fingers tore at the man''s cheek, hot, sticky blood coated his hands. The man''s screams echoed in his ears, but Ta?k?n didn''t care.


    Yes, Ta?k?n! h???????????a????????h???????a????????! That''s it! Tear him apart!


    He brought his hands to the man''s jaw and pulled with all his might. The jaw snapped with a crack and came off in Ta?k?n''s hands. Blood spurted like a fountain. Ta?k?n began punching the man''s face repeatedly, each blow accompanied by the sound of breaking bones. The man''s face was unrecognizable.


    He stared blankly at the man''s lifeless body. Inside, he still felt rage, but also a deep sorrow and emptiness.


    Elif''s severed head lay a little farther away.


    He went over to the head, fell to his knees, and cradled it.


    When Ta?k?n took Elif''s severed head into his arms, his whole body trembled. He hugged her tightly, and his tears fell onto Elif''s hair. "I''m sorry, Elif," he whispered. "I couldn''t protect you. Please forgive me. I''m so sorry."


    What am I going to do now? Elif... what will I do without you?


    As Ta?k?n stroked Elif''s head, the emptiness and sorrow inside him overwhelmed him. Every moment, every laugh, every word of hers replayed in his mind. "I wish," he thought. "I wish I hadn''t thrown the ball to her at that moment. I wish I hadn''t talked to her. Maybe then she would still be alive."


    In the distance, sirens were sounding.


    Ta?k?n, we have to go now.


    Ta?k?n was standing motionless and not listening to Milaz.


    Ta?k?n, what are you doing? Move, come on!

 Chapter 17 - New Friends

    The sirens were getting closer.


    Ta?k?n was still kneeling next to Elif''s severed head.


    "Ta?k?n! You really need to get up now. Do you want to get caught!?"


    "You''ve been living a captive life for as long as you can remember, but now you''re free. Do you have any idea what will happen if the police catch you?"


    "They''ll send you to a juvenile detention center or an orphanage."


    "Either way, you''ll lose the newfound freedom you just gained."


    "Pull yourself together!"


    "O-okay. I''m leaving right away."


    I quickly left through the way I entered, careful not to step on the blood, and hurried away.


    I had walked for a long time. There was no trace left of those houses with gardens. I was wandering through narrow alleys. Since it was late, there weren''t many people around.


    I started looking for open spaces. Constantly wandering through these narrow streets was reminding me of bad things.


    In the distance, I saw a park. The ground was sandy and there were many playground structures. Spring horses, swings, and slides.


    I went to the swing and sat down. Everything had happened so suddenly.


    J-just minutes ago, I had killed a person! And the only important person in my life had died in a horrible way.


    Milaz. What are we going to do now?


    ...


    You still don''t get it, do you?


    I guess you still haven''t fully come to your senses.


    Why do you say that?


    Look at your clothes.


    When I looked at my clothes, I saw that they were covered in blood in many places. Elif''s blood must have spilled on me. Also, I was very dirty. After all, I had crawled out of a pit in these clothes, so it''s not surprising.


    Your first task will be to find some clothes.


    Look, there are garbage bins further ahead in the park. Rummage through them. People throw away their old clothes, spoiled food, and belongings there.


    Okay.


    I went straight to the garbage bins ahead.


    It smelled bad, but honestly, it didn''t bother me much.


    The garbage bins were overflowing, and the trash was piling up on the ground. I kept rummaging through the bags. Some contained spoiled food, others bottles. Nothing useful was coming out.


    "What are you doing in our territory, kid?"


    No need to be scared. Just a group of kids.


    Did I say I was scared?


    ...


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????.


    I continued rummaging through the garbage, ignoring them.


    "Look at this little brat! He doesn''t care about us at all."


    "Turn around and face us, you bastard!"


    It seems they won''t leave me alone.


    I turned around and looked at them. There were three of them. They were all about the same age.


    They took a few steps back when they saw me.


    One of them stepped forward.


    "W-what happened to you?"


    I didn''t want to talk, but they didn''t seem like they would leave. I decided to answer.


    "Nothing happened. Please leave me alone."


    They all looked at each other.


    They were whispering something among themselves.


    Meanwhile, I was looking at the light from the street lamps and examining the place I was in more carefully.


    The boy who spoke earlier started talking again.


    "Look, we might have scared you earlier. We''re sorry for that."


    "We''re like you. Some of us ran away from home, some were unwanted by their families. Some of us never had a family."


    "Actually, we can help each other. There''s a place where the four of us stay. You can stay there if you want. We can give you new clothes. You shouldn''t wear those anymore. If the police see you, you''ll get in trouble."


    What do you think, Milaz?


    Go with them. Our clothing problem will be solved. You won''t have to rummage through the trash. And you''ll have a place to stay.


    "Okay. I''ll go with you."


    They took me in and we started walking towards the place where they stayed.


    They asked me questions along the way. What''s your name? Why are you in this state? Where did you come from?


    I only told them my name.


    When I asked how much farther it was, they said we''d be there soon.


    One of them started to warn me.


    "Look, Ta?k?n. These places aren''t safe at all. Especially at night, you shouldn''t wander around here alone."


    "There might be people who want to harm you or do even worse things."


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Let them try. Let''s see who harms whom.


    "Okay, thank you for the advice. What''s your name?"


    "Ahmet."


    Just like Ahmet said, while we were walking, I saw people giving us nasty looks in the alleys or on the benches. None of the people here seemed safe.


    When we arrived, I was met with a familiar sight. The place where they stayed was quite old and decrepit.


    It wasn''t a problem for me. I had lived in worse ruins than this.


    And it wasn''t as small as the shack I used to live in. It had three rooms. A kitchen, a bathroom, and a large common room.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    We took off our shoes outside and went inside. We sat in the large room. They were all looking at me.


    The three of them were sitting across from me.


    Ahmet started talking first.


    "Then let''s introduce ourselves first, shall we?"


    "You already know my name since we met on the way here."


    I nodded my head in agreement.


    "Now, let''s introduce you to the other friends."


    Ahmet was sitting on the far left. The other two were lined up next to him on the right.


    The first boy sitting next to Ahmet started talking.


    "My name is Cengiz."


    "I''m eleven years old, I think. My family used to beat me all the time, so I kept running away from home. Then the police would somehow find me and take me back home. Even though the police saw my bruised body, they didn''t do anything. My bastard of a father must have bribed them. The last time my father was beating me for running away from home again, I hit him on the head with a plate from the table out of reflex and self-defense, and then I immediately ran away. They haven''t looked for me since. Of course, it worked out for me. I got rid of them."


    "You did the right thing. I would have done the same in your place."


    When I said that, he smiled at me.


    "Thank you, Ta?k?n."


    Then the one next to him started talking.


    "My name is Kerem. I''m fifteen years old. I''ve been an introverted child for as long as I can remember. I don''t know who my father is; my mother raised me. I was constantly bullied at school. They would come and pick on me for no reason and beat me up. I told the teachers, but they only scolded the bullies. They didn''t give them any real punishment. This made the bullies even angrier, and they did even worse things to me."


    "Why didn''t you tell your mother?"


    ...


    The kids lowered their heads. Did I ask something I shouldn''t have?


    "My mother had cancer, Ta?k?n. She was constantly going to the hospital. I couldn''t upset her too. I would come home from school with bruises all over my body, and when my mother asked if I was okay, I would sincerely say, ''I''m fine, mom, the teacher gave us homework,'' and then go to my room and cry my heart out. I thought about committing suicide many times, but I held back because if I died, what would happen to my mother? And my death would devastate her. So I always held back."


    "Weeks were passing by. My mother''s health was deteriorating rapidly. Additionally, the torment I endured at school was escalating. Since I didn''t speak up, they were doing whatever they pleased to me. I prayed for classes to never end and for the recess bell not to ring, because I knew the torment would continue during recess."


    "In the bathroom, they were stubbing out cigarettes on my body. They were trying to force me to drink water from the toilets. They were dragging me on the floor. Yet, despite everything, I endured it all for my mother."


    ...


    Kerem was about to continue when he fell silent. It was as if no words were coming out of his mouth.


    "Until that day."


    "I left school and went straight to the hospital. I was going to my mother''s room to look after her when I saw the doctor attending to her outside her room. As I was about to enter, he didn''t let me in. Inside, nurses were covering my mother''s face with a white sheet. I understood what had happened. Tears started streaming down my eyes."


    "Then the doctor began to speak."


    "Kerem, you already knew that your mother''s condition wasn''t improving. But if she had taken her medication, perhaps her life could have been prolonged."


    "When the doctor said this, I lifted my head from the ground and looked at him, saying, ''But wasn''t she already taking her medication?''"


    "It turns out my mother was lying to me. She couldn''t afford to buy her medication. She said she was taking them so that I wouldn''t worry."


    "My world crumbled. If she had told me, I would have found a way to get a job and buy those medications. But now, it was too late."


    "After my mother passed away, my aunt took over our house and didn''t want me. She somehow threw me out of that house. All that was left from my mother was one house. They took that away from me too."


    "After my mother''s death, I didn''t go to school for a while. While trying to sleep on benches on the streets at night, I kept remembering what happened at school. One day, I had enough and decided to go to school. I had nothing left to lose. I started walking towards the school in the morning. Maybe I had been expelled due to absenteeism, but I didn''t care about anything anymore. My reason for going to school was different now."


    "I entered the classroom. The first lesson had ended, and recess had begun. As soon as I opened the door, those who used to bother me noticed me and started coming towards me with laughter. This time, I started walking towards them. As I walked, I grabbed one of the mechanical pencils I saw on the desks. I was filled with fear, but I was determined no matter what. I was even ready to die. My mother came to mind at that moment. I started crying again. Sobbing, I walked towards those bastards and stabbed the one in the front in his eye. Then wherever I could hit his neck or head. When he collapsed and started crying, I attacked the others. I lost control of myself. I was both crying and screaming inside the classroom. Then the teachers came and calmed me down."


    "They took me to the principal''s office. He asked why I did it, and I told him everything. He said I should have told the teachers. All the teachers knew what was happening to me, but they didn''t care. I''m sure the principal knew too. He said I was expelled from school. Those who bothered me were seen as victims and didn''t receive any punishment."


    "I left school and started wandering the streets again. I had no purpose. While sitting on a bench at night, I cut my wrists with an old knife I found in the trash and waited to die. That''s when Ahmet came to my rescue. He happened to pass by while I was cutting my wrists and saw me. He immediately wrapped my wrists with an old cloth he found. When I asked him why he saved me, he said everyone has the right to live. There''s a long road ahead of you. Don''t give up, he said. That was about a year ago. So, I''ve been living in this house for about a year now."


    "No one became family to us, so we became family to each other."


    "Ta?k?n, I just noticed your tattoo. It''s beautiful. Striking and frankly, intimidating. I''ve never seen such a tattoo before. And at your age, how did you manage to get it?"


    When Kerem said this, the others started looking at my hand attentively.


    I put my hand behind my back and changed the subject to avoid further conversation.


    "Ahmet, you said you would give me some clothes, right? Would you give them now?"


    "Also, if you have spare shoes, that would be great. I only have one pair of shoes."


    "You turned out to be quite costly."


    They laughed a bit.


    They were joking, but I didn''t react. My mind was still on the events that had happened.


    Ahmet was getting clothes for me from the closet at that moment.


    "Here you go, Ta?k?n. These should fit you, most likely. Take the shoes too. They''re all old but durable. They''ll serve you for a long time."


    I started taking off what I was wearing.


    I didn''t want to stay in bloody clothes any longer.


    I took off my sweater and tank top, then the pants. At that moment, I saw them all looking at me with frightened eyes.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Kerem spoke up.


    "T-Ta?k?n, what did they do to you? Doesn''t it hurt at all?"


    I knew my body had many wounds, but I hadn''t expected such an exaggerated reaction.


    "I just have a few wounds. Who among you doesn''t have any wounds on their body?"


    This time, Ahmet started talking.


    "T-this isn''t normal, Ta?k?n. How can you even walk in this condition?"


    Upon hearing this, I carefully examined my body. Yes, there were scars, but... Wait a minute. There was something abnormal...


    "Is there a mirror in the bathroom?"


    Ahmet nodded frantically without saying anything.


    After learning there was a mirror, I went to the bathroom. They had placed a chair. Of course, they were all standing on the chair to look at themselves in the mirror. I climbed onto the chair and looked at myself.


    In the mirror, the image of myself resembled a corpse. My whole body was covered in bruises and scars. My body had miraculously healed, but the marks remained, apparently. Of course, I couldn''t tell them about what happened in the pit. Even if I did, they wouldn''t believe me.


    I hadn''t seen myself for a long time. I examined my body a little.


    My skin, devoid of even the slightest glimmer of life, was pale and pallid, as if it hadn''t seen sunlight in years. Every line, every crease on my face was a silent witness to the hardships I had endured. There were prominent, deep dark circles under my eyes; they were the marks of sleepless nights and endless tortures. It was as if I wasn''t human but a being resembling a human. My cheekbones were pronounced, my cheeks hollow, as if the flesh on my face had been drawn back. My lips were cracked and colorless, as if all life energy had been drained away.


    I went back to them and put on the clothes they had given me. I also placed the shoes outside the door.


    I knew they were expecting an explanation, but I had no intention of giving one. I was thinking more about what I would do in the future.


    When they realized I wouldn''t say anything, they began to prepare to sleep. Everything necessary was already in the room. Pillow, sheet, blanket. They spread them out on the floor.


    Ahmet spoke up.


    "As you can guess, we all sleep in the same room. I hope that''s not a problem for you."


    "No, it''s not a problem at all."


    They had arranged a place for me to sleep too. I went there and lay down.


    They had set up the beds side by side with a little space in between.


    I was on the far right. On my left were Ahmet, Cengiz, and Kerem.


    As I prepared to sleep, Ahmet came to mind. Everyone had told their stories, but Ahmet hadn''t.


    I wanted to ask, but I hesitated. I couldn''t ask someone to tell their story while I didn''t tell mine, but I wanted to try my luck.


    ...


    "Ahmet, what''s your story?"


    "Everyone has told their story, but you haven''t. Of course, if you don''t want to tell, I understand."


    There was silence for a while. I began to think he wouldn''t tell it.


    Then he started speaking.


    "They found me in a trash heap."


    "I don''t know who my mother or father is. I stayed in an orphanage for a while. Then a family adopted me. I was sad because I was going to leave my friends in the orphanage."


    "The people who adopted me seemed like good people. But it turned out their good faces were just masks."


    "They had adopted me to amuse themselves, it seemed. They cursed, beat, and forced me to work. I was eleven years old at the time."


    "I couldn''t take it anymore and secretly ran away from home. While wandering the streets, I found this abandoned house. The owner must have died a long time ago. Since there were no relatives, the house was left like that. No one bought it because of the area it was in."


    "While living alone, I found Kerem. Then the two of us started hanging out. Then Cengiz came. You came last."


    I had many more questions in my mind.


    "But how did-


    "Ta?k?n, it''s too late. Let''s sleep now; we''ll talk a lot tomorrow anyway."


    "Yes, we''ve allowed you to live here, but you''ll have to contribute to the household as well. You can''t just sit around doing nothing in this house."


    I had already guessed that.


    "Yes, I''ll help as much as I can."


    "You seem like a good person, Ta?k?n. Let''s sleep now."


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Just seem like it.


    ...


    We didn''t talk anymore and fell asleep.

 Chapter 18 - Home

    I woke up to the sound of voices in the morning. Everyone else was already awake except me.


    I turned my eyes towards the direction of the sounds. They were coming from the kitchen.


    Ahmet said, "I should go and wake up Ta?k?n."


    When he left the kitchen, we made eye contact.


    "I was just coming to wake you up. Go wash your face and hands, and come to the kitchen for breakfast."


    "Okay."


    After washing my face and hands, I went to the kitchen. They were all gathered around the table waiting for me. They hadn''t started breakfast yet.


    They said good morning.


    I smiled and nodded.


    There weren''t many different dishes, which I didn''t expect anyway. At least it was better than the meals I usually got.


    I sat in the chair designated for me, and we began to eat breakfast.


    Ahmet was on my mind last night. He had told me his story, but he didn''t mention his age.


    I decided to ask.


    "Ahmet, how old are you?"


    He stopped just as he was about to take a bite of bread and turned to me.


    "I''m fourteen."


    "Let''s leave the age talk and get to more important matters."


    "If you remember, I told you that you can''t just sit around in this house doing nothing."


    "Kerem has an idea about this."


    He directed the conversation to Kerem and resumed eating his bread.


    I turned to Kerem and waited for him to speak.


    "Yes, Ta?k?n, as you might recall, I had a tough time at school."


    "Because of that, I decided to improve myself and found a gym. They also teach many martial arts there."


    "Of course, I had no money and was too shy to ask the gym owner to let me in occasionally."


    "I kept hanging around in front of the gym until the owner noticed and called me over."


    "Why do you keep hanging around in front of the gym?"


    "N-nothing, just passing by."


    "Do you want to work out?"


    When he asked this, I got very excited but tried not to show it.


    "Y-yes, but I don''t have any money."


    The gym owner didn''t say anything for a while.


    Then he started talking again.


    "Look, as you can see, the gym is big, and I can''t handle all the work alone. If you want, you can work here, clean the gym, and exercise in your free time."


    "O-okay, sir, I''ll clean."


    I had given such an answer out of excitement. The gym owner laughed at my state.


    Then he took me to the gym and showed me around. He also explained the tasks I was responsible for.


    "So, Ta?k?n, the reason I''m telling you this is..."


    He took a sip of tea and continued.


    "I can''t handle all the work alone. If you want, you can work at the gym too. I''ll talk to the owner. You''re young, but the tasks aren''t heavy. You can handle it. Plus, you''ll get to work out. It''ll be very beneficial for you as you grow up."


    Accept it, Ta?k?n. You know you need to get stronger.


    "Alright. I accept."


    "Great, then we''ll leave together after breakfast and head to the gym."


    "Okay."


    Now that I think about it, I was the youngest member of the group and had just joined them. However, they never discriminated against me and treated me with kindness.


    Ta?k?n''s face turned sad as he thought about this. Not long ago, he was chained up like a dog. Now, he had friends and was having breakfast with them. He felt emotional. He was smiling, but tears were streaming down his face involuntarily.


    The kids panicked when they saw Ta?k?n like this.


    "What happened? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" They bombarded Ta?k?n with questions.


    Finally, Ta?k?n pulled himself together and answered.


    "I''m-I''m fine. It''s just that I''ve never had breakfast before."


    The kids'' faces fell at this response. They were saddened. They wanted to ask Ta?k?n many questions, but they knew they wouldn''t get any answers.


    Ahmet spoke up.


    "Don''t be sad, Ta?k?n. You''re with us now. We don''t know what you''ve been through, but you can be sure you''ll experience good things from now on."


    I nodded. I wiped my eyes and continued eating breakfast.


    I had questions for Ahmet and Cengiz. They must be working somewhere too. I was curious about where they worked.


    I decided to ask them in the evening.


    After finishing breakfast, we cleaned up the table together and left the house.


    Cengiz and Ahmet went their separate ways and wished us good luck.


    Kerem and I headed to the gym.


    While walking, I asked Kerem a few questions.


    "Ahmet told me to be careful around here and not to walk around alone, but he went off alone. Will he be okay?"


    Kerem looked at me.


    "When you get to know Ahmet, you''ll understand that he can defend himself comfortably. Even if he gets into trouble, he knows the area very well. He can easily escape. You don''t need to worry about him."


    Then I thought of Cengiz.


    "What about Cengiz? Will he be okay?"


    "Ta?k?n, when Cengiz ran away from home, he slept on the streets for a while. He didn''t start living with us immediately."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "In fact, he only told you a small part of his story. There''s a lot more he hasn''t shared with you."


    "I could tell you, but it wouldn''t be right."


    "If Cengiz ever wants to tell you himself, he will."


    "I understand... What kind of person is the gym owner?"


    "His name is Adem and... Well, we haven''t had any problems with him so far. We even joke around sometimes. You''ll probably like him too."


    "Are there other people besides Adem? I mean, other staff? You mentioned martial arts, so there must be instructors, right?"


    "In fact, there''s only one instructor. That''s Coach ?zkan."


    "What martial arts does he know?"


    "I don''t know, I never asked, but he must know many martial arts. Honestly, I''m a bit intimidated by him. He has a very stern face. Plus, no one knows what he used to do."


    "Didn''t you ask the gym owner?"


    "He doesn''t know either, or if he does, he hasn''t told me. From what he told me, he found ?zkan injured on the street one night and brought him to the gym to treat him. He''s been working at the gym since then."


    "I think there''s more to the story, but I''m not interested. It doesn''t concern me."


    "I see."


    The man described by my new friend seemed interesting.


    ...


    "Is the gym far from here?"


    "Not very, we''re almost there."


    A few minutes later, we arrived at the gym. Kerem introduced me to the gym owner, Adem, and asked if I could work there.


    "Hello, Adem."


    "Welcome, Kerem. Who''s your friend?"


    "His name is Ta?k?n. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."


    "What is it?"


    "Can Ta?k?n work here too? The gym is big, and it''s hard to manage everything. I can handle it, but it takes a long time to finish all the tasks. With Ta?k?n, we''ll get things done faster. Yes, he''s a bit young, but he''s a sturdy kid."


    "Do you trust this kid? I haven''t seen him with you before."


    "I trust him."


    ...


    "Alright, Kerem. He can work here. You teach him what he needs to do."


    Adem came up to me and extended his hand.


    "Congratulations, Ta?k?n."


    "Thank you."


    I shook his outstretched hand.


    "Kerem, I have to go. I have a few things to take care of. Good luck to you."


    "Alright. Goodbye."


    After Adem left, Kerem turned to me.


    "Ta?k?n, I told him I trust you, but I don''t fully trust you yet. We''ve only known each other for a day. Please don''t disappoint me."


    That bastard''s starting to get on my nerves.


    Milaz, shut up.


    "Thank you, Kerem. Don''t worry, I''ll do my best."


    "Okay, then let me explain the tasks you need to do. There''s not much to do. We''ll just clean the gym at regular intervals. That''s the easy part. The other task is to show the correct movements to the people who come here to exercise. I don''t think you know any of the movements. I''ll teach you everything, and when people ask, you can explain them properly."


    "Alright."


    Kerem began explaining in detail how to use all the equipment in the gym.


    I was listening intently, but at the same time, I was curious about the guy named ?zkan. My eyes were searching for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Kerem, where''s this guy you were talking about?"


    "You''re asking about ?zkan. He''ll be here soon. Why are you asking about him?"


    "I''m curious about what kind of person he is and what he looks like."


    "You''ll see soon enough. Just don''t be scared when you see him."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t be scared."


    "We''ll see about that."


    Kerem continued his explanation. About ten minutes later, a man walked in.


    "Look, ?zkan is here."


    I scrutinized him carefully. He was a giant of a man. I looked at his face. His eyes were cold and he was walking towards us.


    "How are you, Kerem? Who''s this?"


    "He''s my friend. He just started working here too."


    ?zkan inspected me closely. There was a scrutinizing look in his eyes, measuring me up.


    Milaz, what do you think of this guy?


    Something''s off. It''s clear he''s not a normal person.


    "Do you think we stand a chance against him?"


    Impossible.


    W-What? But I thought I had gotten stronger?


    Ta?k?n, you do realize you''re still just a kid, right? You killed Elif''s father in a moment of emotional breakdown, fueled by a surge of power.


    In your current state, it''s impossible to win. This guy is definitely very dangerous.


    So, what do we do then?


    We take advantage of him as much as we can.


    That idiot friend of yours mentioned that this guy knows martial arts, didn''t he?


    ...


    Yes?


    You''ll be trained by him then. Develop yourself as much as you can. Even though you might not realize it, you actually know how to fight pretty well.


    W-What do you mean? Really?


    You should have realized it when you fought Elif''s father. Your body moved on its own, didn''t it?


    Now that you mention it, yes. You''re right. It felt like someone else was controlling me.


    Exactly. You have talent, but these abilities aren''t under your control yet. They only come out during life-and-death situations or emotional outbursts. You''ll learn to control them over time. You''re just not at that level yet.


    When you grow up, many of the abilities you have in mind will increase to an incredible degree. Your agility, speed, strength, etc. If you start improving yourself now, it will be very useful in the future.


    In short, make sure to stay on good terms with this guy.


    Understood.


    While I was talking to Milaz in my head, ?zkan started speaking.


    "I like Kerem. Follow his instructions exactly. Don''t expect any special treatment just because you''re young. If you cause an accident, you''ll pay for it."


    I nodded without speaking.


    "In that case, there''s no problem."


    He extended his hand to shake.


    I shook his hand, but he wouldn''t let go. Then he quickly lifted my hand and looked at the symbol.


    I found an opening and pulled my hand back.


    "Why do you have a tattoo at this age? And what kind of tattoo is that?"


    "None of your business!"


    "Don''t touch me again, or you''ll regret it!"


    Kerem was looking at me with surprised eyes.


    "O-Okay, Ta?k?n, calm down. I think you scared him, ?zkan. He''s not usually like this."


    ?zkan was grinning at me.


    "So, you think you can make me regret it. How do you plan to do that with your frail form?"


    I was staring at him angrily.


    "HAHAHA. You''re really an interesting kid, Ta?k?n. Want to come to the ring? I''ll show you a few moves quickly. Maybe you can make me regret it there. Haha."


    He was mocking me. It made me even angrier.


    "Alright!"


    ?zkan stopped laughing. I guess he didn''t expect me to accept.


    "Come on then," he said.


    ?zkan started walking towards the ring. I was about to follow him when Kerem grabbed my arm and started talking.


    "Where are you going, Ta?k?n? Why did you talk to ?zkan like that? Apologize and let''s get back to work."


    "Take your hands off me, Kerem. I want to go. Besides, he won''t hurt me. He''s probably just going to give me a quick lesson."


    Kerem looked at me in shock. Then he let me go.


    We were both in the ring. ?zkan was showing me basic moves. Stance, punching, etc. He explained these to me for about ten or fifteen minutes. Then he started talking again.


    "That''s enough for today. I''m sure you have other things to do in the gym."


    "Alright then. Thank you."


    I was walking towards the edge to get out of the ring.


    Ta?k?n! Watch out!


    As Milaz''s warning echoed in my ear, I quickly pulled my head to the side reflexively without realising what had happened. A very fast punch had passed by my side. My hair was tossed with this sudden movement.


    That punch could have easily killed you.


    "W-What are you doing?"


    "I''ve never seen a reflex like that, Ta?k?n. What are you?"


    He was speaking casually, as if he hadn''t just tried to kill me.


    "Just a momen-"


    That''s enough!


    I turned my head to where the voice came from. The gym owner, Adem, had arrived.


    "?zkan, what are you doing!? Do you want to kill the kid!?"


    "No, sir. You know me. My sixth sense is strong. This kid has talent."


    "Whatever! I don''t want to see such behavior again."


    ?zkan was angry but tried not to show it. He bowed his head.


    "Okay, sir."


    Adem then turned to me.


    "Ta?k?n, come down from there. Get back to work quickly."


    "Alright, sir. I''m coming down."


    I got down from the ring and went to Kerem.


    He was looking at me in shock.


    "Ta?k?n, how did you dodge that punch like that? I forgot to tell you, but I''ve been training with ?zkan, and I still don''t have reflexes like that."


    "I don''t know. It was just an instinctive reaction. I''m sure it was just luck."


    Kerem was looking at me suspiciously.


    "Anyway, let''s not talk too much. Adem is already angry. Let''s get back to work. We''ll talk at home tonight."


    Ta?k?n was taken aback by the word "home." Up until now, he had never been in a place he could call home. What made a house a home anyway? Was it the size of the house? Or the people inside it?


    "Home, huh..."


    Kerem looked at Ta?k?n''s surprised face.


    "Sorry, I misspoke. I meant to say our home. It''s your home too now, Ta?k?n. You''re part of our family."


    Hearing this, Ta?k?n''s face lit up with a smile. He looked at Kerem happily.


    "Alright then. Stop smiling and let''s get to work."


    Kerem was smiling as he said this. He was slowly getting used to Ta?k?n.


    We didn''t talk much more and Kerem continued teaching me the moves.


    He explained everything in detail, so it was almost noon.


    "That''s enough for now. I''ll teach you more tomorrow. Now let''s move on to cleaning."


    "It''s noon. Are you hungry?"


    I was hungry, but I didn''t have any money yet to pay for food.


    I must have thought for too long because Kerem started talking again.


    "Don''t worry, Ta?k?n. Adem pays for our food expenses. Just tell me what you want."


    I was happy.


    "Alright then. Can I have a d?ner?"


    Kerem was smiling.


    "Haha. Of course, you can, Ta?k?n."


    "I''ll have a d?ner too. Can you eat a whole one or should I order a half?"


    "Order a whole one, please."


    "Got it."


    He called and ordered d?ners for us.


    After eating our d?ners, we got back to work and cleaned the gym thoroughly until the evening.


    When I looked at the clock on the wall, it was around ten in the evening.


    While Kerem and I were mopping the floor, we were also talking.


    From a distance, I saw Adem walking towards us.


    "You guys worked well. You can go now. There are no more people left anyway. I''ll close the gym soon too."


    We said okay and put the mops back where we got them from and left the gym.


    On the way back, Kerem started talking.


    ¡®Today was really fun, Ta?k?n. Especially the incident with ?zkan. I''m just getting over my astonishment.¡¯ Haha.


    I laughed too.


    "Yeah, I''m still shocked too. I never expected him to do something like that."


    "This ?zkan guy is really something else. He''s very strange."


    "Yeah, he is."


    We didn''t talk much more and walked quickly towards home.

 Chapter 19 - Breakfast

    When we returned home, Ahmet and Cengiz were already there and chatting.


    We opened the door, took off our shoes, and as we were entering, Ahmet spoke up.


    "Welcome, gentlemen."


    Kerem responded, "Thank you."


    I just nodded and smiled.


    We also went inside and sat down.


    Ahmet and Cengiz looked like they were about to ask me questions but were probably hesitant because they thought I wouldn¡¯t answer.


    They must have been curious about how my first day went.


    This time, I wanted to start the conversation first.


    "Are you curious about how my first day went?"


    Ahmet and Cengiz smiled and nodded affirmatively.


    I then recounted everything that happened during the day.


    When I finished, there was a look of fear on Cengiz''s face and a worried expression on Ahmet''s face.


    Ahmet spoke first.


    "I think you should stay away from this guy ?zkan, Ta?k?n. Kerem never told me ?zkan was like this."


    He turned to Kerem.


    "Are you taking fight training from a guy like this, Kerem? Judging by what he did to Ta?k?n, he doesn''t seem mentally stable. I don''t think he should even be working at the gym."


    Ahmet''s attitude and actions seemed to blame Kerem, although Kerem was not at fault.


    I decided to speak up.


    "I think Kerem is doing the right thing, Ahmet."


    Both of them turned to me. Cengiz was a bit further away, listening to the conversation without joining in.


    "It''s clear that this guy ?zkan is dangerous. But it''s also clear that he has a lot of knowledge."


    "Kerem is right to take lessons from him. I''m sure he''s learned a lot so far. In fact, I also want to take lessons from ?zkan. I will ask him when we go to the gym tomorrow."


    All three of them were surprised.


    Ahmet spoke again.


    "Ta?k?n, the guy almost tried to kill you. Why do you want to take lessons from him?"


    "Is there someone bothering or harassing you?"


    "If there is, tell us, and we''ll handle it together."


    "No, there''s no one bothering me. I just want to learn to defend myself."


    After a long silence, Cengiz spoke.


    "I think we shouldn''t interfere with Ta?k?n. He can do whatever he wants. It''s none of our business."


    "Besides, Kerem will be there to watch over him anyway. They''re always together."


    Ahmet turned to Cengiz impulsively.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, Cengiz. How can Kerem protect Ta?k?n?"


    "We''ve both seen this guy ?zkan before. What can Kerem do against him?"


    Cengiz fell silent after these words.


    I was getting tired of this topic. I decided to put an end to it.


    "Look, guys, there''s no point in talking about this any longer. As Cengiz said, I''m free to do what I want."


    When I said this, Ahmet didn''t insist any further.


    To change the subject and out of curiosity, I asked Ahmet what he did for a living.


    "Ahmet, where do you work?"


    "I work at a nearby grocery store."


    I turned to Cengiz.


    "And you, Cengiz?"


    "I work at a barber shop."


    One thing led to another, and we talked for a long time. It was already around two in the morning.


    We decided to go to bed because we had to get up early in the morning.


    We prepared the beds as we had the night before, and I laid my head on the pillow. I closed my eyes.


    I was finally going to get some rest. The tasks at the gym weren''t hard, but constantly being on the move and taking training from ?zkan, even for a short time, had exhausted me.


    Ta?k?n, when are you going to thank me?


    I saved your life today, remember?


    ...


    Ta?k?n, don''t even try to sleep, I won''t let you, you know that.


    You''re really not going to let me sleep, are you?


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Thank you.


    Is that good enough, Milaz?


    Ta?k?n, you haven''t been talking to me much lately.


    You''re always talking to those annoying kids.


    I''m jealous, h???????????a????????h???????a???????


    Don''t be ridiculous, Milaz.


    By the way, you could have really died today. That guy is a maniac.


    I''m well aware.


    Be cautious while taking lessons from him. Don''t let your guard down.


    Okay.


    This training will elevate your potential.


    In the future, when you grow up, you''ll learn almost all martial arts.


    What you''ll learn from ?zkan is nothing compared to what you''ll learn later on.


    ...


    Ta?k?n, are you listening to me?


    I''m telling you important things here.


    Y-yes, I''m listening.


    Got it, I''ll tell you these things another time.


    Alright, go to sleep.


    Good night, Milaz.


    Shut up.


    ...


    I woke up by myself in the morning.


    I looked around.


    Ahmet and Kerem were already up and in the kitchen. They were preparing breakfast.


    Cengiz was still sleeping.


    I washed my face and went to the kitchen. This time, I wanted to help too. They were being very kind to me, and I wanted to return the favor.


    "Good morning."


    Kerem spoke first.


    "Well, it''s not that good of a morning, Ta?k?n. We just got up a few minutes ago. We''re still trying to wake up."


    Then Ahmet, rubbing his eyes, joined in.


    "Yeah, exactly. Even though I''ve washed my face, I''m still sleepy."


    Kerem, with sleepy eyes, said, "Ta?k?n, since you''re up, help Ahmet set the table so I can quickly run to the bakery to get some bread."


    "Alright, no problem."


    "Thanks a lot, buddy."


    Ahmet responded with a laugh.


    "Buddy, huh? How did you two get so close in one day?"


    Kerem chuckled slightly and a smile formed on his face.


    I also let out a small laugh.


    Kerem was grinning as he spoke.


    "Come on, don''t keep me talking. The table isn''t even set yet. We''ll be late for work."


    Ahmet was still rubbing his eyes.


    "Okay, okay. Go quickly and get the bread; we''ll have the table ready by the time you get back."


    Kerem quickly left the house.


    We set the table.


    Ahmet sat down in a chair and leaned back.


    "Ta?k?n, could you go wake Cengiz up?"


    I said okay and went to Cengiz''s side.


    Cengiz was sleeping comfortably in the warmth of the bed, with a peaceful expression on his face.


    "Cengiz," I said in a low voice. "Get up, the table is ready. Kerem went to get bread. He''ll be back soon."


    He was rolling around in bed and didn''t want to get up.


    "Ta?k?n, let me sleep for five more minutes. I''ll get up as soon as Kerem gets back."


    "Alright then. But if you''re late for work, don''t blame me."


    Cengiz rolled his eyes, "Don''t worry, I won''t be late."


    I went back to Ahmet.


    "Cengiz isn''t getting up. He said he''ll get up as soon as Kerem gets back."


    Ahmet still hadn''t fully shaken off his sleepiness. His eyelids were slowly closing and opening.


    He spoke while yawning, "Okay, okay. Kerem will be back soon anyway."


    He started giggling after yawning, "Honestly, you''re the youngest among us, Ta?k?n, but right now Cengiz is acting like the youngest."


    I laughed too.


    At that moment, the door opened. Kerem had returned with the bread. "The bread is very hot. Let''s eat it before it cools down."


    Cengiz suddenly appeared behind Kerem. "The bread really looks delicious."


    Ahmet burst out laughing. "Weren''t you just sleeping? How did you get up so quickly?"


    I and Kerem were also laughing.


    Kerem put the bag he was holding on the counter.


    "Come on, Cengiz, go wash your face and come back. Let''s have breakfast."


    Cengiz rushed to the bathroom.


    Ahmet and I had already set the table.


    We all sat down and waited for Cengiz to come back.


    It wasn''t long before Cengiz returned and we started our breakfast.


    It had only been a day since I arrived here, but I had already gotten used to it.


    Elif... If I''m having breakfast here right now, it''s because of you. I never gave up, just like you said. I miss you... so much.


    Screw Elif!


    You''re alive because of me, you avenged Elif because of me!


    Milaz, shut up!


    Speak respectfully about Elif!


    Ahmet, while biting a piece of bread, noticed Ta?k?n.


    "Ta?k?n, are you upset about something?"


    "Is there something bothering you? You look angry."


    "N-no. I just zoned out. I''m not angry, in fact, I''m happy. Yesterday I had my first breakfast with you all. Today is my second breakfast."


    "Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity."


    After Ta?k?n''s words, there was a deep silence at the breakfast table. Kerem''s face fell, and he was visibly affected by what he heard. He had a blank expression. The fork in his hand was suspended in the air. He was struggling to chew the piece of cheese he had put in his mouth but couldn''t swallow it.


    Ahmet, sitting next to Kerem, was no different. He was saddened by what he heard.


    Among them, Cengiz was the quickest to recover. He turned to Ta?k?n.


    "Ta?k?n, are you okay?" he asked, his voice trembling and hoarse.


    "I''m fine, I''m really fine. I''m even happy, like I just said."


    Ahmet took a sip of water from the glass bottle while Kerem composed himself and interjected, "How strange."


    Everyone, including Ta?k?n, had started listening to Kerem.


    "How strange indeed. It''s just breakfast. Normal families have breakfast together, laughing and having fun every day. But not everyone is that lucky,"


    He was looking at a certain point while saying these things. Then he turned his eyes to Ta?k?n.


    "Don''t worry, Ta?k?n. We''re a family now. We''ll have beautiful breakfasts like this together every day. We''re brothers now. I don''t know what you''ve been through before, but I can promise you that from now on, good things will happen to you."


    I smiled. "Thank you, Kerem. And also, Cengiz and Ahmet, thank you. You''ve never looked down on me or treated me poorly. You''ve always been kind."


    All three of them smiled.


    "But there''s a slight problem. If we keep talking, we''ll be late for work."


    As I said this, Ahmet''s eyes widened, and he quickly got up from the table, almost falling off his chair in his haste.


    We all laughed.


    Ahmet spoke, a mix of annoyance and humor in his tone, "Instead of laughing, get dressed, come on. Ta?k?n, Kerem might be fine, but are you going to be late for work on just your second day?"


    Upon hearing this, I quickly got up from my chair. Unlike Ahmet, I couldn''t keep my balance and fell off my chair. This time, they all burst into laughter.


    Kerem was laughing while extending his hand to help me up. "Ta?k?n, are you alright? Haha. Come on, don''t get so worked up. Don''t mind Ahmet. Being a few minutes late won''t hurt. The salon is usually empty in the morning anyway."


    With Kerem''s support, I got up. "It''s okay, Kerem. Let''s get dressed and leave. Even though it''s just a few minutes, I don''t want to be late on my second day."


    "Plus, today I''m going to ask ?zkan to train me."


    Ahmet''s expression changed again. "Ta?k?n, are you really sure about getting training from that guy?"


    "Yes, I''m sure. Let''s hurry, Ahmet, get dressed too."


    He was probably going to try to talk me out of it again, but before he could say anything, I went to get dressed.


    Ahmet must have realized he would be late because he quickly came to dress after me. Then Cengiz and Kerem followed him.


    We were all hastily getting dressed.


    Our socks got mixed up. I had two different socks on my feet¡ªone too big and one too small. The others were in similar situations.


    Ahmet chuckled and said, "This won''t do. Let''s just wear the socks regardless of their sizes. Some socks are missing anyway. Whoever doesn''t have socks should grab a pair from that drawer and wear them."


    The three of us got ready. We headed towards the door to leave. At that moment, Kerem looked towards the kitchen and called out. Ahmet and I turned back, curious about what was happening. Cengiz was trying to tidy up the table.


    Kerem said to Cengiz, "Leave it, Cengiz, let it be. Whoever gets home earlier tonight can tidy up. If you linger, you''ll really be late for work."


    Ahmet supported Kerem. "Yeah, Cengiz. Come on, let''s go, forget about it."


    Cengiz nodded, "Alright then, I''m coming."


    We all left the house and went down separate streets.


    I felt a bit excited today.


    I was going to ask ?zkan to train me. Whether he would agree or not was uncertain.


    With these thoughts in my head, we continued briskly towards the salon.

 Chapter 20 - Training Begins

    We arrived at the gym. No one else had arrived yet. Who would wake up early in the morning to come and exercise anyway?


    ?zkan hadn''t arrived yet.


    Kerem and I started our usual chores. We were mopping the floors and putting back the weights and dumbbells that people hadn''t returned to their places.


    I couldn''t shake off the thought of my training. Would he train me?


    "Don''t worry so much, Ta?k?n. Whether you get trained or not isn''t that important."


    ...


    Ta?k?n was not paying attention to Milaz and continued with his work.


    "Hey, who am I talking to?"


    "Ta?k?n! Answer me!"


    ...


    "Look, don''t blow yesterday''s incident out of proportion."


    "Kerem, the water in the bucket is filthy. Let me pour it into the sink and refill it. You can take a break until I come back."


    "You''ve got a point, Ta?k?n. There''s no point in mopping the floors with this water."


    "Alright, I''ll be right back."


    Kerem replied with a slight grin, "Okay, take your time. Haha."


    I grabbed the handle of the bucket and headed towards the sink.


    Now I understand.


    You don''t want to communicate with me in front of Kerem, so you''re going to the restroom to speak freely.


    ...


    Right?


    Ta?k?n poured out the dirty water from the bucket and began refilling it with clean water.


    Enough already, Ta?k?n, talk to me now!


    Are you doing this because I said something bad to Elif?


    You''re dragging out a trivial matter, Ta?k?n.


    Elif is dead! Forget about her!


    Just because she''s dead doesn''t mean you can curse at her!


    And I''ll never forget her! I''ll always remember her!


    Alright! Fine! I can''t handle you blowing this out of proportion!


    Sorry! Okay! Done!? I won''t talk about that girl again!


    ...


    Now answer me, Ta?k?n!


    What is it! What do you want!?


    I''m busy, can''t you see!


    You''re worrying too much about the training, that''s what I''m saying.


    Why!? Isn''t training important?


    It''s not that important. I mean, it''s not a matter of life and death.


    What exactly do you mean, Milaz?


    Let me explain.


    Think about wanting to learn how to ride a bike. If you have someone who knows how to ride with you and teaches you, you''ll learn more easily and quickly.


    They''ll help you keep your balance, prevent you from falling. They''ll teach you the tricks.


    But if you try to learn on your own, it''ll be harder. You''ll take much longer to learn.


    You''ll fall dozens of times and hurt yourself. Without someone to support you when you fall, you might even consider giving up.


    In short, what I''m saying is, whether ?zkan trains you or not, you''ll eventually learn martial arts one way or another.


    ...


    But how will I learn if I don''t get trained? I don''t have a natural knack for it.


    Symbols, Ta?k?n.


    Did you forget the symbol that appeared on your right hand?


    No, I didn''t forget, but what do those symbols have to do with anything now?


    Each symbol that appears on your body will make you stronger. You''ll also gain some abilities.


    Remember the last ability you gained? It helped you easily find Elif''s location.


    ...


    Yes...


    I determine the abilities you gain from those symbols.


    Why didn''t you tell me this before?


    Because at that time, you were only thinking about Elif.


    When you climbed out of the pit, I knew you''d want to search for her immediately.


    So, I gave you that ability.


    If anything, you should be grateful to me. Without giving you that ability, you''d never have found Elif.


    Don''t expect thanks from me for that.


    ... (grumbling)


    I wish I hadn''t helped.


    Yes! I wish you hadn''t helped, and those terrible events hadn''t happened!


    What do you mean? You can''t really be this stupid, can you? Right now, you''re just fooling yourself.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    If I hadn''t helped, nothing would have changed. Elif and her mother would still have died. What are you trying to achieve, Ta?k?n?


    What''s done is done, Ta?k?n! You can''t change the past! Move on from these things!


    What you need to focus on now is getting stronger to prevent such things from happening in the future!


    "Ta?k?n! Take your time, but not that much. What are you doing there? Don''t you plan on coming any time soon?"


    The bucket was filled, and the water was being wasted.


    "I''ll be right there, Kerem!"


    I quickly shut off the faucet, grabbed the filled bucket, and went over to Kerem.


    Kerem, with a worried look, said, "where were you, Ta?k?n?"


    "I thought you had fallen in the restroom or something. If you hadn''t responded, I was going to come check on you."


    "The water was running low, so I came as soon as it was filled. I''ll go back as soon as it''s done."


    ..


    "I see. Well, let''s get back to work."


    It was almost noon, and a few people had arrived at the gym by now. But ?zkan was still nowhere to be seen.


    "Kerem, why hasn''t ?zkan arrived yet? Doesn''t he usually come early?"


    "He has regular clients, and he only deals with a few people each day. If the people scheduled for training today can''t make it and they inform ?zkan that they won''t be coming, he might not come to the gym."


    "I see, I hope he shows up."


    "Looks like you''re really serious about getting trained from him."


    "Of course, I am. I want to learn to defend myself. Why do you keep dragging out this topic?"


    "Ta?k?n, you almost die-"


    "Yes, yes, I know. If you''re so scared, why are you getting trained by him?"


    "Because he treats me perfectly normal. He explains calmly, shows me things, and that''s it."


    "If that''s how he treats you... I''ve never seen him behave like that before. I''m still surprised."


    "Kerem, don''t worry. Nothing will happen."


    "I hope not."


    As we were talking, the owner of the gym, Adem, approached us.


    "Ta?k?n! Can you come over here for a moment?"


    Kerem and I exchanged looks.


    "Why is he calling me, Kerem?"


    "I don''t know, but don''t keep him waiting. Go ahead."


    "Alright."


    I went over to him quickly.


    "I''m here, sir."


    "Ta?k?n, I believe I owe you an apology for the incident that happened earlier."


    "It''s okay, sir."


    Adem seemed agitated.


    "I really don''t understand why that idiot did such a thing."


    "Sir, actually, I wanted to ask ?zkan to train me."


    "It''s not possible, Ta?k?n. I know plenty of martial arts instructors. They can train you."


    "No, I want ?zkan to train me."


    "Why are you doing this, son?"


    "Have you forgotten what happened before?"


    "Sure, I haven''t forgotten, but I don''t think he''ll do anything to me."


    "Alright, but if he does something wrong, let me know right away."


    h???a?????h???????a???, how easily he agreed to your request, isn''t it? He doesn''t care about you. He just wants you to think so. What a pathetic person.


    ...


    "Alright sir, I''ll let you know if anything happens."


    "Then let''s get back to work, Ta?k?n."


    I returned to Kerem''s side.


    "What happened Ta?k?n? What did the boss say?"


    "He said he''s sorry for ?zkan''s behavior."


    "Also, he didn''t want ?zkan to train me, but he accepted when I insisted."


    ".. I see."


    "By the way, ?zkan came while you were talking to Adem."


    "I wouldn''t normally tell you, but since you''ve already made up your mind, I thought I''d let you know."


    "Yes, you did the right thing, Kerem."


    "Where did he go then?"


    "He went to the changing room to change. He''ll be out in a moment."


    "I see. Let''s get back to work then."


    "Yes, I think so too."


    A few minutes later, ?zkan came out of the changing room and sat on the chairs at the entrance of the hall.


    "Kerem, would it be alright if I go over to ?zkan for a bit? It''s already lunchtime."


    "Sure Ta?k?n, no problem. As you said, it''s already lunchtime. It''s time for a break."


    (Ta?k?n''s stomach growls)


    Ta?k?n was a bit embarrassed.


    (Kerem laughs while speaking) "I think I should call the doner shop right away."


    "Do I need to ask if you want a whole or half portion anymore?"


    Ta?k?n started laughing too.


    "Please don''t make fun of me, Kerem."


    (Kerem still smiling)


    "Alright, alright. You talk to ?zkan. I''ll place the order in the meantime. You can tell me what happened while we eat."


    "Okay."


    Ta?k?n left Kerem and started heading towards ?zkan.


    Milaz.


    Yes?


    Do you think he''ll accept to train me?


    We''ll see.


    But as I said, whether he accepts or not is not that important.


    ...


    ?zkan was having tea. When he saw Ta?k?n coming, he put the tea on the table.


    "Yes, Ta?k?n.. What is it?"


    "I was going to ask you something."


    "What is it?"


    "I heard you''re teaching martial arts to Kerem. I want you to teach me too."


    It was evident from ?zkan''s surprised eyes.


    "You''re quite an interesting kid, Ta?k?n."


    "If it were another kid, they would have already quit working in the hall."


    "Aren''t you afraid at all?"


    "If I were, would I have asked you to train me?"


    "Look at the answers you give. It''s hard to believe you''re just a kid."


    ...


    "Let''s agree on a few things first, Ta?k?n."


    "When I ask you a question, I want clear answers. I hate answering a question with another question."


    "And the training you''ll receive won''t be like the training other martial arts teachers would give. I don''t care that you''re just a kid. I''ll be very tough on you."


    "So if you get injured, I won''t take responsibility."


    "Are you willing to acce-"


    Ta?k?n interrupted ?zkan.


    "I accept."


    ..


    "Ta?k?n, let''s agree on one more thing. I also hate being interrupted."


    "I apologize... Will you train me then?"


    ?zkan was carefully studying Ta?k?n.


    "Okay. Let''s start the training tonight."


    "Thank you."


    Ta?k?n stopped speaking when interrupted and began to listen to ?zkan.


    "No one easily grabs my attention, Ta?k?n. But you managed to do that."


    "We''ll start when work is done tonight."


    "The hall usually closes at ten-thirty. I''ll get the key from Adem. Only the two of us will be left in the hall. I want to give you special attention. I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    "I won''t let you down, sir."


    "We''ll see tonight."


    While we were talking, a courier entered through the entrance door of the hall. A few seconds later, Kerem arrived. Our order had arrived.


    Kerem took the doners and signaled me with his eyes to come over.


    "Can I go now? Our order has arrived."


    "Sure, Ta?k?n. I''m looking forward to tonight."


    I left ?zkan and went over to Kerem.


    Kerem was sitting on one of the seats inside the hall, waiting for me.


    I went and sat across from him and started unwrapping my doner.


    "You must be quite hungry, Ta?k?n. Haha."


    To be honest, I really am.


    Kerem remained silent for a few seconds and then, with a mix of annoyance and curiosity, he spoke up.


    He hadn''t even opened his doner.


    "You can forget about the meal for now. Tell me what you talked about. I''m curious."


    "Haha. You''re really curious, aren''t you?"


    "Of course I am. Come on, tell me."


    "Alright, I''ll tell you, but start eating too. I don''t want to eat alone."


    "Okay, fine."


    Kerem also started unwrapping his doner and began eating.


    Ta?k?n began to speak.


    "I went and talked, you know. Frankly, he was very surprised. Most likely, he didn''t expect something like this from me."


    (Kerem speaks with his mouth full.)


    "Of c''urse, h''d b'' s''prised. W'' w''re s''prised t''."


    "Kerem, I didn''t understand a single word of what you just said."


    He swallowed the bite in his mouth and spoke immediately afterward.


    "It''s very natural for him to be surprised. We were surprised too."


    "Ta?k?n took a sip from his buttermilk."


    "So, when will you start the training?"


    "Right away, today."


    "Well, today there are other people supposed to have lessons. I guess they backed out."


    "No, they didn''t back out. Or rather, I haven''t heard anything about them. He''ll train me tonight, after the hall is closed. He''ll get the keys from Adem. In short, it''ll be just ?zkan and me in the hall."


    "How come? How do you know he won''t harm you?"


    "I don''t know."


    ...


    "Still, be careful. If he tries anything, run away immediately."


    "I don''t think anything will happen, but okay."


    Kerem took a bite from his doner.


    "So, what time will you come home? Will you be too late?"


    "I have no idea, but it shouldn''t take too long."


    "You can find the way home, right? Don''t get lost in the streets."


    "I''ll find it, don''t worry."


    "Alright then. Tell me what happens when you get back home."


    "Haha. Sure, I''ll tell you."


    We finished our conversations along with our d?ners and buttermilks.


    Not much happened for the rest of the day. It passed with routine tasks.


    ...


    It was past eleven o''clock. No one was left in the hall. Adem had also left the hall. Only ?zkan and Kerem remained.


    Kerem walked to the door to leave. Just as he was about to exit, he turned to me.


    "Ta?k?n, as I said, be careful."


    "Okay, don''t worry so much. Nothing will happen."


    Kerem looked at Ta?k?n for a moment. It was evident he was worried about him.


    "Then, I''ll see you at home, Ta?k?n."


    "Okay, Kerem, see you."


    After bidding farewell to Kerem, I went to ?zkan. He was already in the ring, looking at me. When he saw me, he called out.


    "Ta?k?n! Hurry up. Let''s get started."


    "Alright! I''m coming right away."


    I entered the ring. I was face to face with ?zkan.


    "Are you ready, Ta?k?n?"


    "I''m ready."


    Finally, my training was beginning.

 Chapter 21 - Potential

    "Alright Ta?k?n, we''re starting now."


    "First, let me explain the basic principles to you. Balance, breath control, and posture are crucial in martial arts."


    Ta?k?n listened attentively to ?zkan.


    "So... what do I need to do first?"


    "First, we need to warm up your body. Warm-up exercises prepare the muscles and prevent injuries."


    "Injuries?"


    "Yes, injuries. What''s wrong, are you scared?"


    "No."


    "Haha. Good. You shouldn''t be scared anyway. This place isn''t for cowards or weaklings."


    "Now, mimic what I do."


    ?zkan and Ta?k?n start doing warm-up exercises.


    "Alright! We''re warmed up enough."


    Ta?k?n was drenched in sweat and exhausted. He was sitting with his knees bent, breathing heavily, and sweat dripping from the tip of his nose like rain.


    "Get up Ta?k?n! Already tired so soon?"


    "I told you I''d be tough on you. If you don''t get up within five seconds, I''ll leave the room."


    Ta?k?n struggles to stand up with trembling legs.


    "Good. Now, we''ll start with the posture."


    "Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Stand with one foot in front and the other behind. Bend your knees slightly and distribute your weight evenly on both feet."


    (?zkan shows the correct posture. Ta?k?n watches carefully and tries to take the same position).


    (?zkan scrutinises Ta?k?n''s stance carefully).


    "Yes. Now, keep your arms in front of your chest. Make fists with your hands, elbows slightly bent. You should feel comfortable and balanced in this position."


    (Ta?k?n holds his arms in front of his chest, clenches his fists, and keeps his elbows bent.)


    "Is... is this right? Can I do it?"


    (He does exactly as Ta?k?n ?zkan says.)


    "Partially. Bring your elbows in a bit more."


    Ta?k?n adjusts his posture as instructed.


    "Yes, just like that. Now, one of the most important things during a fight is breath control. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Exhaling with each strike will increase your power and help you endure longer."


    (Ta?k?n maintains his posture)


    "How do I control my breath?"


    "Tighten your right fist and exhale as you thrust it forward. Go ahead, give it a try."


    Ta?k?n throws his right fist and exhales.


    "Now, do the same while throwing your left fist. Remember, inhale and exhale with each strike."


    Ta?k?n throws his left fist and exhales.


    Suddenly, music starts playing.


    ?zkan''s phone was ringing.


    Ta?k?n doesn''t lose his posture and looks at ?zkan.


    ?zkan answers the phone.


    *What''s up? I''m not available right now.*


    (Speaks in a lowered voice)


    (Unintelligible conversations)


    This guy is up to something.


    *Is it urgent?*


    (Sighs)


    *Alright.*


    "Ta?k?n, I need to go somewhere."


    Ta?k?n, with a surprised expression, "Wh-"


    "Don''t ask questions, Ta?k?n."


    "Just learned how to throw a punch."


    "Straighten your posture and throw five hundred punches while I''m gone."


    "Count all the punches you throw and don''t you dare lie to me."


    Without giving a chance for Ta?k?n to respond, he swiftly exits the ring and leaves the gym in a hurry.


    ...


    Doesn''t matter to me where he went. Let''s get back to work until he returns.


    Are you really going to throw five hundred punches?


    I don''t know how many I can throw, but I''ll try.


    Let''s get started then.


    Ta?k?n starts throwing punches.


    One


    Two


    Three


    ...


    Forty-five


    Fifty


    ...


    Seventy-five


    ...


    ..


    Hundred


    Ta?k?n felt like he had been standing in a downpour for dozens of minutes.


    There was no dry spot on his body.


    He was on to the next four hundred. h???a?????h?a??.


    (Ta?k?n breathes heavily)


    M-Milaz


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    (Breathes rapidly)


    S-shut the f-ck up.


    ..


    If I try to keep going, I''m really gonna collapse.


    Maybe I should take a break for thirty seconds or a minute.


    Ta?k?n sits down in a cross-legged position.


    You were talking about symbols, Milaz, but you stopped halfway because Kerem called out.


    Also, you said I determine the abilities I gain. I have questions to ask.


    ...


    We''ll talk extensively tonight.


    I''ll answer all your questions.


    We don''t have enough time now.


    ..


    Alright.


    Then I''ll continue.


    Ta?k?n stands up and continues his training.


    One hundred and one


    One hundred and five


    ..


    One hundred and twenty-five


    ..


    One hundred and fifty


    ..


    Two hundred


    (Breathing rapidly)


    I-I think I need to t-take a-another b-break.


    Ta?k?n sits back down.


    What time is it, I wonder?


    I thought he would be back by now, but he still hasn''t returned.


    The ring doesn''t show the time. Let me go downstairs and check the clock.


    It was nearly twelve.


    Actually, it''s better for him not to come back. Because I still need to throw three hundred punches.


    Anyway, let''s get back to the ring and continue.


    As soon as he stepped into the ring, ?zkan entered.


    "Ta?k?n!"


    (Walking quickly)


    "Did you manage to throw five hundred punches as I said?"


    He enters the ring.


    There were red marks on him. It was obvious that it was blood.


    I didn''t want to inspect the marks further to avoid arousing suspicion.


    "Where did you go so suddenly?"


    Ta?k?n is flustered.


    "Y-yes! I m-mean no. I couldn''t do five hundred. I managed to do two hundred punches."


    Sometimes you act really stupid.


    Shut up, Milaz.


    ..


    "I''ve done my best if you look at the dried sweat on me."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Good, Ta?k?n. Well done. You have great potential."


    "That''s enough for today. You can leave now."


    "I''ll leave in a bit."


    "Why aren''t you leaving immediately?"


    ?zkan glares at Ta?k?n angrily.


    "Good evening, sir. I''m leaving."


    Ta?k?n leaves the gym quickly.


    I''m really tired. All my muscles ache as if I''ve been through a lot.


    I said I''d find Kerem''s house, but I always returned with him. I didn''t pay much attention to the roads. I hope I can find his house.


    If you can''t find it, I''ll help you.


    Don''t worry, I''ll find the way.


    Yeah, I''m sure you will.


    Do you even remember the way?


    Unlike you, I''m not careless.


    ..


    Can''t resist making a snide remark, can you?


    h???a?????h?a?


    After dozens of minutes


    I think we entered from here... but no, we were going straight to the house without entering the side streets. This is the wrong way.


    There are some people. What are they doing there?


    Idle riffraff.


    "Get out of this side street. You''re too tired right now. You can''t handle them."


    "..Okay"


    "Alright, now I remember, I think I know the way to the house."


    "Yeah. You must have remembered it for sure."


    Forty minutes later...


    I''ve never seen this street in my life.


    Ta?k?n, you can ask for my help. I''ll gladly assist you.


    No need. I''ll find the right way now. It''s just that I''m confused.


    ..Okay. As you say.


    Thirty minutes later...


    I have no idea where I am right now.


    Okay.. fine, damn it.


    Milaz, show me the right way.


    What? I can''t hear you. Speak a bit louder.


    Forget it. I didn''t ask. Never mind.


    h???a?????h?a?. Okay okay. I''ll help. Otherwise, you''ll never find the house.


    Milaz describes the way to Ta?k?n reluctantly, and Ta?k?n follows it, albeit reluctantly, and finds the house.


    I finally made it home.


    I rang the doorbell. After ringing it, there was some hustle inside.


    The door opened without me having to ring it a second time.


    Ahmet and Cengiz opened the door. Both of them yelled at me, asking where I''d been.


    "I''m sorry. I got lost, but I managed to find the right way."


    Cengiz spoke anxiously.


    "Didn''t you run into Kerem on the way?"


    I was stunned by this statement.


    "Kerem?"


    Ahmet turns to Cengiz.


    "How could they meet, Cengiz? He says he got lost. It means they came from different directions. It''s normal that they didn''t meet."


    I got curious.


    "Where''s Kerem? Isn''t he at home?"


    "When you were late, he went to the gym to look for you."


    "How long has it been since he left home?"


    "It''s been about half an hour, I guess."


    ..


    "So, what time is it now?"


    "It''s almost two."


    Ahmet asks Ta?k?n with curious eyes.


    "Ta?k?n, what time did you leave the gym?"


    "It was around twelve."


    ..


    Ahmet looked pensive.


    Cengiz asked, "Why did you leave the gym so late?"


    "I usually leave earlier, but ?zkan had to go somewhere during the training."


    "Where did he go-"


    Ahmet interrupted Cengiz.


    "Forget about ?zkan for now."


    "Something''s not right. Kerem should have been back home by now."


    "Ta?k?n, you said you left the gym around twelve. If we say Kerem left to look for you at one, it takes at most fifteen minutes to get to the gym. So, he should have already gone and come back by now, but it''s almost two, and he''s still not here."


    As we were talking at the door, Cengiz shouted, "Look over there!"


    When Ahmet and I looked in the direction Cengiz was pointing, we saw Kerem.


    He was staggering and most of his clothes were torn.


    We immediately went over, and Ahmet and I helped Kerem to his feet and took him home.


    Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Kerem had been beaten. His face was covered in blood, and his clothes were bloodstained.


    Ahmet cleaned the wounds on Kerem''s face while Cengiz and I asked questions.


    "Wait a moment. I''ll explain everything. Let me catch my breath."


    After Ahmet finished cleaning Kerem''s wounds and applying bandages, he joined us.


    Kerem finally began to speak.


    "I left here around one o''clock."


    He looked at me while he spoke.


    "When I got to the gym, it was closed. I thought you might have gotten lost, so I started looking for you in the side streets."


    "Then, while I was looking for you, I saw them in one of the side streets."


    "Who?" I asked with curious eyes.


    "Ta?k?n, remember the kids I told you about who bullied me at school? It was them."


    Ahmet shouted angrily.


    "Those bastards!"


    "I''m going to fuck them up!"


    Ahmet quickly headed towards the door, and Cengiz and I stopped him.


    Kerem also tried to calm Ahmet down.


    "Stop, Ahmet! Calm down! Even if you go, you can''t do anything. There were too many of them."


    "O-okay, I''m calm. Let me go."


    As soon as we let go of Ahmet, he grabbed my collar.


    "Ta?k?n! It''s all your fault! Kerem got beaten up because of you! If you had found the house, this wouldn''t have happened!"


    Look at this bastard. He''s crossing the line.


    Milaz, shut up.


    "Yes, I know. I''m sorry. I''m really sorry."


    Kerem got up.


    "Let go of Ta?k?n, Ahmet. It''s not his fault."


    Cengiz sided with Ahmet.


    "Isn''t Ahmet a bit right, Kerem?"


    This is the second bastard.


    Milaz, shut up!


    Kerem paused for a moment.


    "Ahmet, I said let go of Ta?k?n."


    Ahmet let go of my collar.


    Kerem said, "No one is to blame. What''s done is done. There''s nothing we can do about it."


    No one spoke after that.


    Ahmet asked, "What were they doing there at this hour anyway?"


    Kerem was lying down and spoke with a strained voice, "I don''t know either. I knew they hung around the school, but I never thought they would be around here."


    "Don''t worry, Kerem. I''ll get your revenge. They''ll pay for this."


    Kerem''s voice became stern and sharp.


    "Ta?k?n, Ahmet, stop it. Now you too? No one will do anything. Besides, I didn''t get completely beaten."


    Ahmet laughed, trying to stifle his laughter.


    "So, this is you not getting beaten, huh?"


    Cengiz and I chuckled lightly.


    A smile appeared on Kerem''s face, but his muscles were tense from the pain of the beating, and he was holding his stomach with both hands.


    "Guys, I''m in pain here, and you''re laughing. That''s not fair."


    He was smiling as he said this.


    "What I mean is, I got beaten because they outnumbered me. As you know, I''ve been taking fight training for a while. I know how to defend myself somewhat. I just couldn''t defend myself because there were too many of them."


    Cengiz asked curiously, "How many were there?"


    "There were five or six of them."


    Ahmet chuckled, "I guess you couldn''t count them properly while you were getting beaten?"


    Kerem''s face showed irritation, but there was a hidden amusement in his eyes. He was trying not to laugh.


    "Ahmet, you were about to leave the house to fight the guys who did this to me, and we barely stopped you. Now you''re laughing at me. You''ve become quite unstable."


    Ahmet stopped chuckling. "I''m still angry. I''m just upset. As Ta?k?n said, we can''t let them get away with this. We need to get your revenge somehow."


    "We''ll think about that later. My whole body hurts. I just want to sleep now. Although, with this pain, I don''t know how I''ll sleep."


    "Wait, I think we have some painkillers. I''ll get you one. It might ease your pain a bit," Cengiz said.


    "Thanks, Cengiz. That would be great."


    "Ta?k?n, let''s make the beds now. It''s really late. We''ll have to get up early in the morning," Ahmet said.


    "Alright, Ahmet."


    While we made the beds, Kerem took the painkiller Cengiz brought him.


    Ahmet turned off the lights in the room. "Good night, guys."


    We all lay down.


    I was lying on the far right, and Kerem was to my left.


    After some time, I decided to talk to Kerem. I felt guilty.


    I whispered to Kerem.


    "Kerem, are you in a lot of pain?"


    "No, Ta?k?n, don''t worry. I''m fine."


    "I''m really sorry, Kerem. If I hadn''t gotten lost, we would have gotten home earlier. None of this would have happened."


    "Don''t blame yourself, Ta?k?n. It''s not your fault. Actually, it''s my fault. I could have waited for you at the gym, and we could have come home together."


    "Let''s not think about it anymore. What''s done is done. Let''s sleep now, Ta?k?n. We have to get up early in the morning."


    "Okay."


    I closed my eyes to fall asleep.


    ...


    Ta?k?n, you told me you had questions today.


    What are those questions?


    I guess we can talk now, right?


    Milaz, you always pick the worst times.


    If you remember, you wanted to talk.


    ...


    Yes, I know. Let''s talk then.

 Chapter 22 - Gods of Destruction

    Ask what you will ask.


    ...


    What did you mean by saying that I determine the abilities you will gain?


    What part of that didn''t you understand, Ta?k?n?


    I am the one who determines it.


    Remember Eli-


    Yes, yes, I know. There''s no need to repeat the same thing over and over.


    ... (grumbling)


    So, my powers? Do you also decide how powerful I will become?


    No.


    I can''t decide that.


    But no matter how powerful you become, raw strength alone won''t be enough.


    The abilities you will gain in the future are very important.


    Don''t worry. You will gain abilities that will be useful.


    I assure you.


    So, this means I am dependent on you, right?


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????. Yes.


    Aren''t you dependent on me too?


    ... (grumbling)


    Yes..


    I want to decide on the abilities I will gain myself.


    You haven''t yet earned the right to gain a new symbol.


    I can''t just give you a symbol at my whim.


    I don''t have that power.


    You need to earn it.


    To gain a new symbol.


    Ta?k?n falls into thought.


    Yes, you are thinking correctly. You must take lives. You must spill blood.


    So, when I earn the right to gain a new symbol, will you give me the ability I want?


    ..


    Let me explain it this way.


    You will tell me what you want to do.


    For example, let''s take ?zkan.


    ?zkan?


    Yes, ?zkan.


    Let''s assume you said you want to kill ?zkan without difficulty, to tear him apart.


    I will then give you an ability suitable for this desire.


    Is it really possible for me to defeat ?zkan?


    Haha. You have no idea how powerful you will become as you grow.


    ..


    I understand.


    One more question.


    Ask.


    You said I need to earn the symbols, that I can''t get them arbitrarily.


    ..


    Who decides if I have earned those symbols?


    The Gods of Destruction.


    The Gods of Destruction?


    Yes.


    What are they?


    ..


    Milaz remains silent for a while.


    Ancient beings who have built their powers on chaos and destruction.


    ..


    You usually answer immediately. This time you don''t seem to want to talk.


    I don''t want to mention their name.


    They frighten me.


    Are you scared of them too?


    ..


    The symbol resembling an eye on your right hand is their emblem.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    You said we should make a deal, but I made a deal with not you, bu-


    Milaz cuts Ta?k?n off.


    It was the Gods of Destruction, yes.


    I am just the intermediary.


    You forced me to make a deal with them!


    If you hadn''t made a deal -


    I don''t even know what they are!


    Listen to me!


    If you hadn''t made a deal, you would have died!


    Would it have been better if you had died?


    Won''t you take revenge on those who have tormented you!?


    ..


    Look, Ta?k?n.


    One way or another, we are connected to each other.


    We have to get along.


    Fighting won''t benefit either of us.


    ..


    So what exactly are they?


    I mean, the Gods of Destruction.


    That''s enough talking.


    What do you mean eno-


    Sleep now.


    No. You will answer me.


    No, I won''t.


    Tell me about them. Come on!


    ..


    Milaz! I am talking to you!


    ..


    So you are this scared!


    You call me a coward!


    The real coward is-


    Milaz shouted at Ta?k?n with a deafeningly loud and deep voice


    SHUT UP!!


    Ta?k?n suddenly sat up from where he was lying. His eyes were filled with pain. The ringing in his head felt like it was deafening him.


    He pressed his hands to his ears, but it was useless. He couldn''t escape from that sound. His head was throbbing terribly.


    He shook his head rapidly from side to side, but it only made the pain worse.


    A thin line of blood trickled from his nose and ears.


    Milaz had raised his voice at Ta?k?n many times before, but it had never been this severe.


    Seeing Ta?k?n in this state, Ahmet also sat up from where he was lying.


    (whispering)


    "Ta?k?n, are you okay?"


    Ta?k?n couldn''t hear Ahmet and continued to hold his ears.


    Realizing this approach wasn''t working, Ahmet went over to Ta?k?n, held his hands, and pulled them away from his ears.


    "Ta?k?n, get a grip. Look into my eyes."


    "A-Ahmet... W-What happened?"


    "You should be the one telling me what happened."


    "For some reason, I can''t sleep tonight. Let''s go outside and talk on the stairs."


    I nodded positively and we went outside.


    I was feeling a bit better now. The ringing and buzzing in my head were subsiding.


    Ahmet turned on the outside light and we stepped outside.


    As soon as I stepped outside, Ahmet spoke in fear.


    "What happened to you, Ta?k?n!? There''s blood on your face!"


    It must have been too dark inside for him to notice.


    I didn''t know what to say.


    I needed to minimize their concern.


    "I''m fine, Ahmet. It happens occasionally. It''s nothing."


    "What!? What do you mean it happens occasionally!?"


    "Does this happen regularly!?"


    Yes... I probably gave the worst possible answer.


    "Ahmet, I''m really fine. It''s nothing."


    "Wait here. I''ll get a tissue from inside and wipe the blood before it dries."


    "Okay."


    He hurried inside and came back with a tissue within seconds.


    "Come sit on the stairs."


    "Alright."


    He sat down next to me.


    He started to wipe the blood from my nose and ears.


    "Now tell me what really happened."


    "There''s really nothing, Ahmet. I''m fine."


    "Don''t be ridiculous, Ta?k?n! Why would someone in good health have blood coming from their nose and ears!?"


    He was right. I was giving nonsensical answers. I was just trying to brush him off.


    "Ahmet. I don''t know why either. It just happens occasionally, like I said before, and then it passes."


    "Have you ever seen a doctor?"


    "I haven''t. I didn''t think it was anything serious."


    "Blood comes from your nose and ears, but you don''t think it''s serious, huh?"


    I was starting to make less sense.


    I just stared at Ahmet. I couldn''t think of anything else to say.


    "This won''t do. We are taking you to a doctor as soon as possible."


    "No-"


    "I said we''ll go, Ta?k?n!"


    There was no point in arguing.


    I had to agree.


    "Okay, fine."


    Hearing this, Ahmet seemed to calm down a bit.


    We sat side by side on the steps under the dim light.


    Ahmet would occasionally turn his head to look at me.


    It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he was holding back.


    Ahmet felt guilty after seeing Ta?k?n like that.


    A few hours ago, he had attacked Ta?k?n in a moment of anger.


    He thought that Ta?k?n had experienced many things in his past that he didn''t want to talk about, and when he attacked him, those memories resurfaced, causing Ta?k?n to have these sudden crises.


    "The weather is a bit cold, isn''t it, Ta?k?n?"


    Yes, as I guessed, he wanted to say something but was trying to start a conversation first.


    "The weather gets colder at night."


    "Y-yes, that''s right."


    This isn''t going to work. I''m really starting to feel cold. I want to go inside.


    "Ahm-"


    ''Ta?-"


    We both started speaking at the same time.


    "You go first, Ahmet."


    "Ehh... Okay. I''ll go first then."


    Let''s see what he''s been trying to say for minutes.


    "Actually, well... It''s a simple thing to say, but I can''t get the words out."


    I was listening without saying anything.


    "I-I''m sorry, Ta?k?n! For what happened a few hours ago. F-For attacking you."


    Honestly, I had already forgotten about it. I hadn''t cared at all. Plus, he had every right to attack me.


    I found it a bit funny that he was saying this. I thought it was something more important.


    (Ta?k?n occasionally laughs as he speaks)


    "Ahmet, have you been trying to say this for minutes?" (laughs)


    Ahmet was trying to look angry, but he was also smiling a little.


    "Ta?k?n, don''t laugh (grins) it was really hard for me to say this." (grins)


    "Okay, okay. I won''t laugh." (laughs)


    "Look, you''re still laughing."


    "I''m sorry. I''m really not laughing."


    We both struggled to hold back our laughter.


    It wasn''t really that funny, but for some reason, it seemed funny to us.


    As we were laughing, we heard Kerem''s laughter from behind.


    Ahmet and I quickly turned our heads back.


    Kerem was laughing and holding his stomach.


    "I couldn''t hold it any longer. (laughs) I told you not to make me laugh." (laughs)


    Ahmet looked surprised and asked, "How long have you been listening to us, Kerem?"


    Kerem was still laughing. After his laughter subsided, he spoke.


    "Long enough to hear you apologize."


    Ahmet was embarrassed.


    "This is probably a first, Ahmet. I''ve never heard you apologize before."


    I turned to Ahmet. He was looking around quickly, embarrassed and tense.


    "Don''t look around, you won''t see anything. It''s too dark." (laughs)


    I was laughing, but I was also starting to feel really cold.


    "That''s enough, I''m really starting to get cold. Let''s go inside."


    Ahmet immediately supported me.


    "Yes, I think so too. I''m very cold as well."


    Kerem headed towards the door.


    He was talking as he went.


    "Honestly, you don''t seem cold to me. In fact, you look like you''re sweating. Your face is all red."


    "Stop talking and get inside, Kerem."


    "Haha. Okay, okay, I''m going in."


    We quietly laughed as we went inside.


    Cengiz was sleeping deeply.


    Ahmet said, "I''ll have some water before going to bed," and went to the kitchen to get a drink.


    Kerem stood looking at Cengiz and chuckled quietly.


    "How can this guy sleep like that? If those guys who beat me up came back and attacked all three of us, Cengiz wouldn''t notice a thing."


    I think Ahmet was drinking his water at that moment.


    When he heard Kerem say this, he spit out the water.


    (Ahmet, speaking quietly while laughing)


    (Laughing) "You''re right, Kerem. We really shouldn''t rely on Cengiz." (Laughing)


    I smiled and said, "Let''s stop talking. We''ll wake Cengiz up. It¡¯s clear we won''t get any sleep, but at least let Cengiz rest."


    Kerem spoke with sleepy eyes.


    "You''re right. Let''s stop talking and get some sleep ourselves."


    We got back into our beds, closed our eyes, and let ourselves drift off to sleep.

 Chapter 23 - Nightmare

    I woke up to Kerem nudging me.


    "Ta?k?n, get up."


    I rubbed my eyes as I sat up.


    "What happened, Kerem?"


    I said this and then lay back down again.


    "What do you mean, what happened? We''re having breakfast."


    "It''s almost twelve o''clock."


    ..


    At first, I didn''t realize because I was sleepy, but then it hit me.


    "What!? How did it get to be twelve!?"


    I threw off the blanket on me and ran to the bathroom. I started washing my face.


    Kerem was laughing at that moment. It annoyed me.


    "How can you be so calm, Kerem!?"


    "We''re late for work! We should have been at the gym hours ago!"


    "Maybe you''ve been working there for a long time-"


    As I spoke quickly and angrily, Kerem responded in a very calm tone.


    "Ta?k?n, today is Sunday."


    "Which means no work today."


    Water was dripping from my face, falling drop by drop to the floor.


    I grabbed the towel and wiped my face.


    "You could have told me this while I was lying down. You have no idea how scared I was."


    "You got scared, but you''re not sleepy anymore."


    "I think we should start waking you up by scaring you. There''s no trace of sleep in your eyes."


    He laughed after saying this.


    Honestly, thinking about what I had just done, I found it funny too.


    I started laughing with Kerem.


    Seconds later, a pillow was thrown at my face.


    The pillow stayed on my face for a while and then slowly fell to the ground.


    Kerem kept laughing.


    I turned my head to where the pillow came from.


    It was Cengiz.


    "We only have one day off, and you''re ruining it."


    "Why are you laughing so early in the morning?"


    Kerem stopped laughing.


    "Little prince seems to be angry."


    "Ha. Ha. Very funny, Kerem."


    Kerem was looking at Cengiz with a smirk.


    "I think I need to punish you."


    Cengiz had laid back down. When he heard Kerem say this, he pulled his blanket up to his throat.


    "W-what punishment?"


    Kerem was slowly walking towards Cengiz.


    Suddenly, he jumped on Cengiz and started tickling him.


    Cengiz was laughing and saying, "Stop, stop, don''t."


    At that moment, the door opened. Ahmet came in with some bread in his hands.


    "Look at these guys. (laughs) Stop playing and come have breakfast."


    "The bread just came out of the oven, it''s very hot."


    After heading to the kitchen, he paused and looked at me.


    "Ta?k?n, I got you a cheese-filled pastry too. They just came out of the oven."


    Kerem and Cengiz both said at the same time, "Don''t we get any pastries?"


    Ahmet had placed the bread on the counter and was slicing it with a knife as he turned to us.


    "You get some too, but Ta?k?n gets more."


    I entered the kitchen and sat on one of the empty chairs.


    Kerem and Cengiz had separated.


    Cengiz was heading to the bathroom to wash his face, and Kerem was walking slowly to the kitchen.


    Kerem sat on the chair across from me.


    He took one of the cucumbers on the table and brought it to his mouth.


    As he chewed the cucumber, he started talking to Ahmet.


    (chewing) "I''m jealous though." (Haha)


    Ahmet turned around and gave Kerem a dirty smile.


    "Who do you think you are to question me, you son of a bitch!?"


    "W-what are you sa-"


    Ahmet violently stabbed the knife he was holding into Kerem''s eye. Kerem let out a piercing scream and fell off the chair. As he writhed in pain on the floor, blood gushed from his eye, spreading across the ground, painting everything red.


    Ahmet quickly opened one of the upper cupboards and pulled out a large cleaver.


    "A-Ahmet, stop! Don''t do it! What are you doing!?"


    Ta?k?n''s voice trembled as he backed away in fear.


    "Shut up, Ta?k?n! You''ll be next!"


    Ahmet shouted with rage, as if he had gone mad.


    "W-what...!?"


    Ahmet approached the screaming Kerem on the floor. He lifted the cleaver in his right hand and brought it down mercilessly.


    Kerem, trying desperately to protect himself, covered his face with both hands, but with the blows of the cleaver, his left hand was nearly severed at the wrist.


    His hand was hanging by a thin piece of flesh and was swinging loosely.


    Kerem''s blood widened the red pool on the floor even more, with droplets of blood splattering on Ta?k?n''s clothes, the kitchen walls, and the refrigerator, staining everything.


    With each blow from Ahmet, the kitchen echoed with more piercing screams, mingling with the sound of bones breaking and shattering.


    Kerem was no longer trying to protect himself because he was dead. Both his arms were shattered, his face was unrecognizable from the cleaver blows. His eyes had a vacant stare; his pain was over.


    Ta?k?n, practically glued to the wall, watched in horror as it all happened. Blood dripped from the cleaver Ahmet held in his hand. Pieces of flesh still clung to the blade.


    "You''re next, Ta?k?n, come here, you son of a bitch."


    "W-what!? No! Don''t!?"


    Ahmet attacked Ta?k?n with all his might using the cleaver.


    ...


    ..


    (A DEAFENING HUM AND RINGING)


    "Ta?k-" (Indistinct chatter and hum.)


    W-what''s happening? Who''s talking?


    "Are-Yo- yo-u o-ok?"


    A hum echoed in my mind. My head was splitting.


    "Snap out of it!"


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I got a solid slap on my right cheek.


    What''s happening?


    The hum and ringing in Ta?k?n''s mind slowly began to fade.


    Suddenly, I saw Kerem in front of me.


    He was holding my shoulders with both hands and shaking me.


    "Ahmet, he seems to be coming to."


    "Yes, what happened all of a sudden?"


    I was still in the same place. I was sitting on a chair, and there was cheese and salad on the table.


    Everything seemed normal.


    Kerem was looking at me with worried eyes. He had green pieces of cucumber in his mouth. Apparently, he hadn''t finished eating them.


    Kerem was still shaking me.


    I got up from my seat in fear and pushed Kerem.


    Kerem fell backward onto Ahmet.


    "Y-you were dead! Your arms were shattered and you were lying lifeless on the floor!"


    Kerem froze while trying to get up from where he had fallen. Ahmet was also looking at Ta?k?n with anxious eyes.


    Ahmet was the first to speak. "What are you talking about, Ta?k?n?"


    Ta?k?n pointed at Ahmet with angry eyes.


    "You! You killed Kerem!"


    "You mercilessly chopped him up with a cleaver!"


    Kerem had stood up. He was listening to Ta?k?n in confusion. He was baffled.


    Ahmet was trying to maintain his calm and bewilderment and attempted to communicate with Ta?k?n in a calm voice to soothe him.


    "Ta?k?n, first take a deep breath."


    "We don''t have a cleaver. We never did."


    Ta?k?n got angry again and pointed at the cupboard.


    "Lie! You took the cleaver from that cupboard!"


    "Ta?k?n, you made all this up in your head. None of this happened."


    "We''ll see now!"


    Ta?k?n rushed forward, pushing Ahmet aside and heading for the cupboard, but he couldn''t reach. He turned back, grabbed the chair, and stood on it to open the cupboard.


    He started throwing out the plates and bowls inside. Ahmet and Kerem were trying to catch him. He searched for minutes but didn''t find what he was looking for and finally came down.


    Kerem and Ahmet were watching Ta?k?n.


    "You- you hid it, didn''t you? Where did you hide the cleaver!?"


    "Ta?k?-"


    Kerem cut Ahmet off and shouted.


    "Ta?k?n! There''s no cleaver. No one died! What''s happening this morning!? We were just laughing, but now you''re acting like you''ve lost your mind! Get a grip already!"


    Ta?k?n was quickly looking left and right.


    "C-Cengiz, yes, Cengiz. He must have seen it!"


    Kerem and Ahmet simultaneously said, "What Ker-"


    Without listening to them, Ta?k?n rushed to the living room. Cengiz wasn''t there. He went to the bathroom. Cengiz was washing his face.


    "Cengiz! You saw it, right? Ahmet chopped up Kerem with a cleaver!"


    "What!?"


    "What are you talking about, Ta?k?n!?"


    "Have you gone mad!?"


    Ta?k?n was staring into Cengiz''s eyes with a piercing look.


    "Stay away from me, Ta?k?n! I''m scared!"


    Cengiz was backing away.


    Ta?k?n grabbed Cengiz''s shoulders with both hands and started shouting.


    "How did you not see it! You must have seen it!"


    "A-am I losing my mind!?"


    "N-no, t-this is impossible!"


    "Y-yes, it''s not. I-I saw it. I saw it, yes!"


    Cengiz pushed Ta?k?n with all his might.


    "Stay away from me!"


    Upon Tas?k?n Cengiz''s own push, he stumbled back a bit. As he tried to regain his balance and move towards Cengiz again, Kerem and Ahmet intervened, grabbing his right and left arms and forcibly pulling him towards the living room.


    "Let go of me!"


    "I said let go of me!"


    Once they got Kerem and Ahmet out into the living room, they knelt down and tried to calm Tas?k?n down. He was thrashing wildly.


    Cengiz watched in fear.


    "Don''t kill me! Please don''t kill me!"


    "Ahmet! Don''t kill me!"


    "Stay calm, Tas?k?n! No one''s going to kill you!"


    "Why would we harm you!?"


    "Just calm down!"


    Kerem turned to Cengiz.


    "Cengiz! Go get some cologne! Maybe it''ll help!"


    Cengiz stood rooted to the spot.


    Kerem grew impatient when he saw Cengiz wasn''t moving.


    "Move it, Cengiz!"


    Upon Kerem''s shout, Cengiz snapped out of it.


    "O-Okay!"


    Tas?k?n''s struggles had lessened slightly, but he was still pleading and crying.


    Cengiz returned with the cologne.


    Ahmet said, "Cengiz, open the cologne and put plenty on Tas?k?n''s face."


    "Be careful not to get it in his eyes," Kerem added.


    Cengiz was irritated. "How can I be careful!? I''m just going to pour the cologne on his face. If it gets in his eyes, then it does!"


    "There''s nothing we can do. A bit of cologne won''t blind him."


    "Okay, okay! What are you waiting for, just do it!" said Kerem.


    Cengiz poured the cologne on Tas?k?n''s face and made him smell it.


    "My eyes, my eyes are burning!"


    "I told you not to get it in his eyes, Cengiz!" said Ahmet.


    "I couldn''t help it, what could I do?"


    "Okay, it''s done. At least it worked. He''s calming down," said Kerem.


    Kerem and Ahmet still held Tas?k?n firmly, just in case.


    Cengiz watched Tas?k?n with the cologne in his hand.


    They waited like that for minutes. Finally, they decided to let Tas?k?n go.


    Tas?k?n was lying on the floor. He hadn¡¯t fainted; his eyes were open, but he was staring blankly at the ceiling without any reaction.


    Kerem, Ahmet, and Cengiz were gathered around Tas?k?n, talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°Ahmet! Kerem! What the hell was that!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on so early in the morning!?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know either, Cengiz,¡± Ahmet replied and continued, ¡°I was slicing the bread I got from the bakery. Kerem was sitting on a chair. My back was turned. Kerem and I were joking around.¡±


    Kerem nodded in agreement. When Ahmet finished speaking, he started to talk.


    ¡°Yes, just like Ahmet said. I was eating a cucumber.¡±


    ¡°Kerem, didn¡¯t anything catch your attention?¡± Cengiz asked.


    ¡°Well¡­what caught my attention¡­¡±


    Kerem thought for a few seconds.


    ¡°I just noticed that Tas?k?n was staring fixedly at one spot. I mean, he was just staring without blinking.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was because he had just woken up. It happens to everyone. You stare at a fixed point and just zone out.¡±


    ¡°I never imagined something like this would happen.¡±


    Ahmet¡¯s face took on a sad expression. ¡°This kid isn¡¯t well at all. These behaviors are not normal. We say we¡¯ve been through bad things, but who knows what Tas?k?n has gone through.¡±


    As Cengiz was putting the cologne back where he got it, he interjected, ¡°Whatever he¡¯s been through, what gives him the right to do this? He scared us out of our minds early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Cengiz, shut up.¡±


    ¡°Shut up? Why should I, Kerem?¡±


    ¡°Are you still going to defend that lunatic to me?¡±


    Kerem couldn¡¯t say anything and turned his face to the ground.


    Ignoring the conversation, Ahmet continued.


    ¡°Could this behavior have anything to do with the blood coming from his nose and ears?¡±


    Cengiz and Kerem both turned to Ahmet.


    ¡°What blood, Ahmet?¡± Cengiz asked.


    Kerem also looked at Ahmet in surprise. Ahmet noticed this.


    ¡°Kerem, why are you surprised? Cengiz was asleep at the time, but didn¡¯t you hear us?¡±


    ¡°I only heard the part where you apologized. I didn¡¯t hear anything before that.¡±


    Cengiz looked curious. ¡°What apology? What¡¯s going on? Tell me too.¡±


    Ahmet took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened.


    ...


    ..


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it happened.¡±


    As Cengiz was trying to process what he had heard, Kerem spoke up.


    ¡°He needs to see a doctor as quickly as possible. Besides, it¡¯s obvious that this bleeding has been going on for a long time.¡±


    ¡°But¡­I just can¡¯t link what he did today with his nose bleeding.¡±


    Ahmet started to look at Cengiz.


    ¡°I actually have a question for you, Cengiz.¡±


    Cengiz was surprised. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When all this was happening in the kitchen, what were you doing? Your sleep can¡¯t be that deep.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you were already awake and washing your face in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°So you heard the noises, didn¡¯t you wonder what was happening? How could you be so indifferent¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not indifferent. You and Kerem always fight. This noise is nothing new. I thought you were fighting with Tas?k?n this time, so I didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Cengiz. I can¡¯t believe you,¡± Ahmet said while Kerem shook his head from side to side.


    ¡°Stop grumbling. Let¡¯s think about what to do with Tas?k?n,¡± said Cengiz.


    Ahmet placed his hands to his sides and leaned back, speaking.


    ¡°Honestly¡­I managed to convince him to see a doctor, but for some reason, I feel like it won¡¯t be that easy.¡±


    They all sat in silence, lost in their thoughts.


    ...


    Tas?k?n sat up from where he was lying.


    ¡°Hey, why did you all go quiet?¡±


    Kerem, Ahmet, and Cengiz jumped up in unison.


    Ahmet was the first to speak.


    ¡°H-Hey Tas?k?n¡­are you okay?¡±


    Kerem and Cengiz watched Tas?k?n with worried eyes.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m myself again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my behavior earlier. I must have had a nightmare.¡±


    Cengiz yelled angrily.


    ¡°You have nightmares when you¡¯re asleep, you idiot! You were awake!¡±


    Kerem touched Cengiz¡¯s shoulder, indicating that was enough.


    ¡°Yes¡­Cengiz, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Everyone fell silent again. Ahmet broke the silence.


    ¡°Well¡­what¡¯s done is done. I mean, it was a bad morning, but just because it started badly doesn¡¯t mean it has to end badly.¡±


    Cengiz looked at Ahmet mockingly. ¡°So, what do you mean, Ahmet?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have breakfast. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    As Cengiz was about to speak, Kerem started laughing.


    ¡°Ahmet, you really care about your stomach.¡± Haha.


    ..


    I scared them. I¡¯m ashamed of myself.


    Why did I experience something like this? It wasn¡¯t a nightmare? Then what was it? Am I going crazy?


    Milaz!


    You always speak at the most inopportune times! Why are you silent now!?


    ¡°Tas?k?n.¡±


    ..


    ¡°Hey! Tas?k?n!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    Kerem was looking at me with concern.


    ¡°I got scared when you zoned out again.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go have breakfast.¡±


    Ahmet and Cengiz had already gone to the kitchen.


    I also went and sat on a chair. We started having breakfast.


    I could feel Cengiz¡¯s angry gaze. I tried not to make eye contact with him.


    Ahmet was spreading butter on his bread and looking at me. He seemed like he wanted to say something.


    ¡°Tas?k?n¡­look, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    Here it comes. I hope he¡¯s not too mad. Actually, no matter how mad he is, he¡¯s right.


    ¡°What do you think about going to the park together?¡±


    Tas?k?n, Kerem, and Cengiz all said, ¡°What!?¡± in unison.


    Cengiz spoke first, ¡°Where did this park idea come from?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? We¡¯ll have fun together. Like I said, just because the day started bad doesn¡¯t mean it has to end bad.¡±


    Kerem and Tas?k?n were listening.


    Ahmet turned his head towards me again, ¡°What do you think, Tas?k?n?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to say no.


    ¡°Y-Yes, of course.¡±


    Ahmet was pleased with my answer.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said.


    ¡°And not just the park. We can go to the amusement park afterward,¡± he added.


    Kerem and Cengiz said, ¡°What!?¡± again.


    ¡°Enough already! How much longer are you going to be surprised by what I say!?¡±


    I laughed involuntarily.


    When I laughed, they started laughing too.


    ¡°Look, our mood is already getting better,¡± Ahmet said.


    He reached over the counter and handed me a bag of pastries.


    ¡°Here, Tas?k?n. You¡¯re very thin. Eat a lot so you can reach your ideal weight.¡±


    I smiled and nodded in agreement.


    Ahmet looked at Kerem and Cengiz.


    ¡°You two take some too. There¡¯s plenty for everyone.¡±


    As soon as he said that, they each took a pastry.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you were waiting for me to say that.¡± Haha.


    We laughed again. Finally, the gloomy atmosphere had lifted.


    For the first time in my life, I was going to the park. And then to the amusement park. I wondered what I would experience.


    I continued eating my breakfast, lost in thought.

 Chapter 24 - Cengiz

    Finally, I finished my breakfast. I looked at Cengiz, Ahmet, and Kerem one by one. Cengiz''s eyes were always on me. Frankly, he was right to do so because I had scared him a lot.


    Ahmet seemed happy, at least that''s what I thought.


    Lastly, Kerem... I couldn''t guess what he was thinking. He had a blank expression on his face.


    Most likely, he thought he had embarrassed Cengiz and Ahmet because of me, and maybe he had.


    Although I don''t know if there was anything to be embarrassed about.


    My thoughts were buzzing in my head like bees in a big hive.


    Maybe I should try to forget what just happened as soon as possible. Now, how am I going to forget it?


    They had finished their breakfast, and we started cleaning the table together. No one was speaking. I was still thinking about what kind of place an amusement park was.


    Cengiz broke the silence.


    "Ahmet, you mentioned something about an amusement park. Is it open on Sunday?"


    Ahmet placed the freshly washed wet plates on the counter and turned to Cengiz.


    "To be honest, I''m not sure, but even if it''s closed, we can go to a regular park. The important thing is to do something together."


    Cengiz responded while drying the plates that Ahmet had just washed.


    "I see... But isn''t it too early? Are we going right now?"


    Ahmet placed the last washed plate on the counter with a strong thud. It almost broke. It was clear he was angry, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke.


    "Cengiz, if you don''t want to come, don''t come. Why do you always do this? What''s your problem? I''m suggesting we go somewhere together to forget what happened a little and distract ourselves, and you keep objecting."


    Kerem and I were sitting back in our chairs, listening to them.


    Cengiz seemed both surprised and upset.


    "Ahmet, what did I say wrong now? I just said let''s not go right away. I also want to do something together."


    Ahmet interrupted Cengiz as he was speaking.


    "Yes, Cengiz, yes. Let''s do as you say."


    Upon this, Cengiz''s morale deteriorated further. His eyes welled up with tears.


    "Fine! Screw off wherever you''re going. I''ll stay home!"


    Ahmet remained calm and collected, looking at the plates he had washed. He didn''t respond to Cengiz.


    Kerem said, "Wait, Cengiz, don''t say that. We''re all going together, you know."


    Cengiz ignored Kerem''s words and headed towards the door.


    As he passed in front of me, he said, "It''s all because of you! Where did we bring trouble to this house from! You ruined all our peace!"


    I didn''t say a word. I just lowered my head.


    He slammed the door shut very hard as he left. Kerem said, "He didn''t mean that, Ta?k?n. Don''t mind him. He said that because he was angry."


    I nodded my head in acknowledgment. It felt like saying anything would be shameless. Maybe Cengiz was right in what he said.


    Kerem went after Cengiz. Ahmet, meanwhile, turned to the counter, placing both hands on it, looking at me. I think he was about to say something. Perhaps things he couldn''t say in front of Kerem and Cengiz.


    "Look, Ta?k?n... I''ve really warmed up to you. I really see you as a brother. But your behavior today wasn''t very... sensible. If this happens again, how do I know you won''t attack us? I know you have an illness, but I can''t reconcile that with your behavior today. I think your bleeding from your nose and ears is a separate illness, and the reason for your behavior today is something completely different."


    I listened carefully to Ahmet''s words. I could somewhat predict where this conversation was heading.


    "So... (hesitates and thinks for a few seconds) what I mean is, (takes a deep breath) if something like today happens again, we might have to ask you to leave this house. You need to go to the hospital as soon as possible so that this doesn''t happen."


    I didn''t want to go to the hospital. I had to somehow convince him.


    "Don''t worry, Ahmet. I''m sure this was a one-time thing. It won''t happen again. I''ll control myself. I promise."


    Ahmet smiled.


    "You sound very sure. Haha. I hope you''re right."


    I smiled back at him.


    "Are you ready to go to the amusement park now? I hope it''s open."


    Ta?k?n''s eyes were shining. Although he tried not to show it, he couldn''t contain himself. He was excited to go to an amusement park for the first time in his life.


    If someone else went through what Ta?k?n went through, he would probably lose his mind. The countless scars on his body bore the traces of the torture he had experienced.


    He was tied in chains and treated like a dog, but despite all this horror, Ta?k?n was still a little boy. The amusement park, which was easily accessible to everyone, was a source of happiness that he could not even imagine.


    "Yes, yes, I''m ready. If it''s closed, it doesn''t matter; we can do something else... I mean, if you want."


    Ahmet watched Ta?k?n with a smile.


    "You seem really excited, huh?"


    "Yes, I really am excited. I''ve never been to an amusement park before."


    The smile on Ahmet''s face turned slightly bittersweet, but he tried not to show it to Ta?k?n.


    "It should be open, but if not, we can do something else, as you said."


    Ta?k?n asked eagerly.


    "Should we go right away then?"


    "I don''t mind. Should we go now, or should we wait a bit?"


    Ta?k?n wanted to go as soon as possible, but at the same time, he felt guilty. He thought about Cengiz''s situation.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Ahmet... I think I should talk to Cengiz first. I mean, he''s angry with me right now, and if we go now and Cengiz doesn''t come with us, I won''t enjoy the amusement park even if it''s open. Isn''t it more important to do things together?"


    After carefully listening to Ta?k?n''s words, Ahmet took a deep breath. There was understanding and compassion in his eyes. He put his right hand on Ta?k?n''s shoulder and looked into his eyes. "You''re really a good person, Ta?k?n. I''m glad your past experiences haven''t turned you into a bad person. I hope you stay like this."


    h???????????a????????h????????????a??????????  Ta?k?n has already become a bad person, but he''s not aware of it.


    Ta?k?n froze for a moment. He had thought Milaz had left him because they hadn''t spoken in a while. When he suddenly spoke, he didn''t know what to do.


    ..


    "I''m talking to you, Ta?k?n. Are you okay? Look, it shouldn''t happen again."


    Ta?k?n quickly pulled himself together.


    "I''m okay, I''m okay. I was lost in thought for a moment. I was thinking about Cengiz."


    Ahmet looked into Ta?k?n''s eyes suggestively.


    "You''re a good guy, Ta?k?n, but you''re a bit weird. haha."


    I laughed along with Ahmet because that''s all that came to mind at that moment.


    Later, Ahmet headed for the door to leave the kitchen. Just before leaving through the door, he turned to Ta?k?n.


    "Ta?k?n, are you coming?"


    "I''ll be there in a moment. I''ll drink some water from the fridge."


    "Sure, drink up. Cold water is good after what happened earlier. Haha."


    Then Ahmet left the kitchen.


    As I said to Ahmet, I headed for the fridge and put the water-filled glass bottle on the table and started filling the glass from the glasses on the counter. I sat on the chair farthest from the kitchen door and started sipping water.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I thought you had abandoned me.


    You know I can''t abandon you.


    Then why didn''t you respond when I called you?


    Because you had angered me. I''m tired of your nonsense behavior. I wish you would grow up and mature already.


    ...


    Well, now you''ll understand-


    When the time comes, I will tell you everything.


    Right now, you''re just irritating me, Milaz.


    h???????????a????????h????????????a?????????? You''re scaring me a lot right now. I can''t even explain it. Please don''t hurt me. h???????????a????????h????????????a??????????


    ...


    ..


    So what are you going to do now?


    Are you going to the amusement park with your stupid friends?


    Speak the truth about them. You say we should get along, but you keep provoking me.


    Okay, okay. You don''t get jokes either.


    ..


    Yes.. we''re thinking of going to the amusement park together. But first, I need to talk to Cengiz. I really scared him.


    Forget about him. If he doesn''t want to come, he doesn''t want to.


    What did I just tell you?


    .. (muttering)


    I quickly finished the water and put the glass bottle back in the fridge. I left the kitchen to go to Cengiz.


    When I entered the living room, Kerem and Ahmet were lying down, playing with their phones.


    "Where''s Cengiz?" I said.


    They both looked at me, "He said he''s going out for a bit, we didn''t stop him. He''s already angry right now. If we tried to stop him, we''d fight again," Ahmet said. Kerem also nodded his head.


    "Where did he go? I wanted to talk to him."


    This time Kerem cut in. "Ta?k?n, I mean, right now Cengiz probably wants you to talk to him." he said.


    "It''s okay, I still want to try my luck. If he kicks me out, I''ll come home."


    Kerem and Ahmet looked at each other. Then Ahmet said, "You know where we first met. There''s a park near there. He probably went there." he said.


    "Okay." I said and quickly began to change my clothes to go out.


    Ahmet and Kerem were watching me. "Slow down a bit, you''ll fall down now," Kerem said, laughing.


    I was laughing and changing clothes.


    After I changed my clothes, I started walking to the door to go out.


    As I was about to step out of the door, Ahmet called out to me from behind.


    "Ta?k?n, if you don''t want to talk to me, don''t force me. Don''t insist, don''t turn around. As Kerem said, Cengiz doesn''t want to see your face."


    "Okay, okay, don''t worry. If he doesn''t want me with him, I''ll come right back."


    Upon this, Ahmet was about to say something again, but he changed his mind at the last moment and just waved to me.


    I quickly started walking towards the park.


    I remembered the location of the park very well. After a while, when I got there, Cengiz was sitting alone on one of the swings.


    I started walking towards him. He noticed me and stared at me straight. Maybe Ahmet and Kerem shouldn''t have come here. But there was no turning back. No matter what.


    "Why did you come here? Also, how did you know I was coming here? ... They told you, didn''t they?"


    "Yes, Ahmet said so. Please don''t get angry with him."


    "I''m not angry with Ahmet. There''s only one person I''m angry with, and that''s you."


    "Fuck off from here."


    That bastard''s really getting on my nerves.


    Milaz!


    ..


    "I''m telling you, fuck off from here."


    "Cengiz, calm down please. I just want to talk."


    "But I don''t want to talk."


    After saying this, he stopped sitting on the swing and started walking towards me. I think what I feared was going to happen. I had come here to repair our relationship, but I think our relationship would get worse soon.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    "Cengiz, don''t do this. I don''t want to fight with you. I just came to make things right between us."


    "You came here and acted stupid, Ta?k?n. Kerem and Ahmet aren''t here to help you out."


    "Where did you get the idea that I would ask for help?"


    You''re finally being a bit brave.


    Cengiz seemed even more angered by my words, and suddenly he lunged at me, and we started rolling on the sandy ground.


    Ta?k?n, shut this guy up already. He''s getting on my nerves.


    ...


    Cengiz and Ta?k?n were grappling with each other. Both of them had sand in their eyes, so their punches were not landing where they intended.


    Cengiz and Ta?k?n momentarily separated to rub the sand out of their eyes.


    "Cengiz, stop now! Let''s just talk!"


    He ignored me and charged at me again. Just as he was about to wrap his arms around my waist and bring me down, I punched him with all my might just below his left eye.


    h???????????a????????h???????????a????????  That''s the way it is.


    ...


    My hand hurt from the impact, but it worked. Cengiz was on the ground, trying to get up. He was stunned by the punch. He probably didn''t expect such a swift and effective response.


    "You brought this on yourself, I just wanted to make things right between us."


    "Now I''ll do as you said and fuck off."


    I turned around and started walking towards home.


    "Wait." (in a low voice)


    He must have called out to me, but I didn''t catch it. I ignored it and kept walking.


    "Wait!"


    I quickly turned around.


    Cengiz was on his knees, looking at me.


    "Don''t go. Come here and let''s talk. I''ll listen to you."


    I guess he needed to get beat up to agree. Maybe you should have beaten Cengiz much earlier, Ta?k?n. What do you think? h???????????a????????h???????????a????????


    ...


    I started walking towards Cengiz. As I walked, he straightened up on his knees and returned to the swing he had been sitting on. I went and sat on the swing next to him.


    I did want to talk to him, yes, but there was a strange atmosphere now. Just moments ago, we were rolling on the ground, and now talking as if nothing happened felt strange.


    "Come on, Ta?k?n, you''ve been wanting to talk to me all along. We even fought for it. Why are you silent now?"


    That wasn''t a fight. You just took a beating.


    Stop it, Milaz.


    "I''m silent because it''s a weird atmosphere. Like you said, we fought just now, and now talking as if nothing happened feels weird."


    "Haha. No problem. Your hand packs a punch, I must admit. I never expected that. It still hurts."


    "Um.. yeah, about that, I''m sorry."


    "No need to apologize, I deserved it. You wanted to talk to me properly, and I attacked you."


    ...


    ..


    "Ta?k?n, I think you really need to talk now. It''s been a few minutes, but you''re still silent."


    "Y-yeah. I''m sorry."


    "What I really mean is, I''m really sorry. I scared you a lot, but trust me, I would never hurt you."


    "I know you wouldn''t. My hand still hurts. Haha."


    Cengiz''s words made Ta?k?n''s face fall.


    "Hey, I''m just kidding. Besides, I trust you. I overreacted a bit too. I''m sorry."


    "We''re friends, right?" I said, reaching out my hand to him.


    "We''re not friends, we''re brothers," he said, shaking my hand.


    I was really happy to hear that. Just a few minutes ago, considering what happened, I couldn''t have imagined such a thing would be possible.


    I''m glad I came here. If I hadn''t, Cengiz and I would probably have stayed at odds for a long time.


    "So Cengiz, how about we head back home now?"


    "Although when Kerem and Ahmet see us like this, they''re sure to shower us with questions. Haha."


    As I said this, I got up from the swing and started heading home. When I looked back, Cengiz was still sitting there.


    "What''s wrong, Cengiz? Are you okay? Does it really hurt that much?"


    Cengiz looked at me sadly.


    "No, Ta?k?n, it''s not about the pain."


    I listened carefully to Cengiz.


    "Could you sit back down on the swing, Ta?k?n? I want to tell you something."


    "Of course," I said and sat back down on the swing.


    He looked very contemplative. What was he going to tell me?


    "I''ve only told this to Kerem and Ahmet so far, you''re the third person I''m going to tell."


    "Cengiz, you don''t have to tell me."


    "No, no. I really want to tell you."


    "Okay, whatever you want."


    I was looking at Cengiz with curious eyes and he was looking at the infinite number of grains of sand with his head down. I think it was very difficult for him.


    He took a deep breath and began to tell me.

 Chapter 25 - Cengizs Story

    Cengiz began to recount his story:


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you how it all started. I ran away from home because my family constantly beat me, and they didn¡¯t even bother to look for me. That was fine by me. I wasn¡¯t sad at all. I was glad they didn¡¯t search for me.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t find Ahmet and Kerem right away after I left home.¡±


    ¡°For a while, I wandered through the backstreets. I was always on edge, suspecting someone might be out looking for me. I was terrified that someone might catch me and take me back home while I tried to sleep on a park bench or the cold concrete at night.¡±


    ¡°One night, I was rummaging through the trash because I was starving. You wouldn¡¯t believe the things people throw away. One person¡¯s trash can truly be another¡¯s treasure.¡±


    As he recounted this, he smiled, but it wasn¡¯t a normal smile. It was filled with pain and sorrow.


    Ta?k?n listened intently to Cengiz. Cengiz continued his story, staring at the grains of sand on the ground.


    ¡°While I was digging through the trash, I saw a kid about my age doing the same. He hadn¡¯t noticed me yet. I called out to him.¡±


    ¡°Hey... Hello.¡±


    ¡°He started to flee when I called out, but when he saw me, he stopped. I guess he thought I was someone older, but from my voice and appearance, he realized I was just a kid like him.¡±


    ¡°He looked at me for a moment, then spoke.¡±


    ¡°H-hello...¡±


    ¡°I figured he was hungry too. Why else would he be rummaging through the trash, I thought to myself.¡±


    ¡°I decided to ask him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hungry too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I collect cardboard and then sell it. I make a little money that way.¡±


    ¡°I s-see... (coughs violently) I understand. I was digging through the trash because I was hungry. But there doesn¡¯t seem to be much here. I¡¯ll rummage a bit more, and if I don¡¯t find anything, I¡¯ll move to other streets.¡±


    ¡°While I was bent over, digging through the trash, he suddenly said ¡®here¡¯ and handed me a chocolate bar.¡±


    ¡°And it didn¡¯t look like it was from the trash. It looked like it was bought from a store.¡±


    As Cengiz recounted this, his smile turned softer. The bitter, pained smile from before had disappeared. It seemed he had fond memories of this boy.


    Thinking about this made me even more curious, and I continued to listen to Cengiz with full attention.


    ¡°I looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡®Are you really giving this to me?¡¯¡±


    ¡°He nodded his head.¡±


    ¡°I took the chocolate, opened it, and started eating. It was caramel and nut-flavored.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever forget the taste.¡±


    ¡°I still remember how people passing by looked at us with disgust and covered their noses.¡±


    ¡°They were probably wondering how I could eat chocolate with that smell around, but I didn¡¯t notice any smell at that moment. I was just trying to fill my stomach.¡±


    ¡°During my second bite, I noticed the boy was looking at me. Actually, he was looking at the chocolate.¡±


    ¡°I took the chocolate out of the package and broke it in half. I offered one piece to him.¡±


    ¡°At first, he shook his head as if to say he didn¡¯t want it, but when I continued to offer it, he took it.¡±


    ¡°We squatted down and sat on the sidewalk, eating our chocolates.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else might have finished the chocolate quickly, but we were eating as slowly as a turtle walks.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk to him. What had happened to him? Had he run away from home like I did? I was curious about all of this.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk, but did he want to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°While thinking about this, I kept taking small bites of my chocolate.¡±


    ¡°The cold wind was blowing across my face.¡±


    ¡°Finally, the boy broke the silence.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re hungry, check the trash bins in neighborhoods with restaurants or food stalls.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t find anything here because there are no places nearby that sell food.¡±


    ¡°You need to know where to look. Otherwise, you¡¯ll rummage through trash bins all day and still not find what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, maybe someone will take pity on you and buy you food.¡±


    ¡°I understand...¡± I said.


    ¡°It was clear he had been on the streets longer than I had.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about this, I decided to ask him for help. He had already helped me by giving me chocolate and advice, but I wanted to try my luck.¡±


    ¡°I-I have something to ask you...¡±


    ¡°He turned his head to me and started listening attentively.¡±


    ¡°Um... I¡¯m looking for a place to sleep. I mean... I sleep here and there at night, and I¡¯m scared someone will do something to me.¡±


    ¡°Can you help me with that?¡±


    ¡°Why should I help you?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I helped you enough already?¡±


    ¡°He was right, no matter what I said, it would be the height of shamelessness.¡±


    ¡°I just looked at his face for a few seconds and then turned away and started to leave.¡±


    ¡°He called after me.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment. Look at me.¡±


    ¡°I turned around, eagerly waiting to hear what he would say.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wander around alone either. It¡¯s always better to have someone with you.¡±


    ¡°Hearing this made me so happy. But how could I have known he would betray me?¡±


    Cengiz¡¯s words came out with difficulty, as if an unseen force was trying to prevent him from speaking. His eyes were filling with tears. It seemed he had trusted this boy far too much.


    He was silent for a while before continuing.


    ¡°Anyway, as I said, I was very happy. I looked at him with excited eyes and asked, ¡®Really?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yes, really. I was just heading home. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°By the way, don''t mind me calling it home. It looks more like anything than a house. It''s more like an unfinished building. In the past, people who used drugs, cannabis, cocaine, all kinds of substances you can think of, used to hang out in that building. But after a while, the residents of the neighbourhood were naturally disturbed by them and called the police. The police raided that building many times. Most of the people who hung out there had a very long criminal record. They had done all sorts of rubbish such as assault and robbery. After these incidents, nobody came there. I took advantage of this situation and made it my home. Since I did not harm anyone, the neighbourhood residents did not complain about me. Forget complaining, they even bring me food from time to time.¡±


    ¡°So I can say that you will be safe wherever you go. Because people who use substances do not approach there for the reasons I just explained.¡±


    ¡°As I heard these stories, my happiness increased exponentially. He said that the neighbourhood residents were bringing food. Maybe he would give me some of the food brought. I kept thinking about these things.¡±


    ¡°We were walking and chatting at the same time. We were stopping by the rubbish bins on the streets we passed and putting the cartons in the boy''s car.¡±


    ¡°It came to my mind while we were walking. We had been talking for how many minutes, but I hadn''t asked him or he hadn''t asked me my name.¡±


    ¡°I turned to him and said, ¡®What''s your name?¡±


    ¡°He said, ¡®My name is Ali.¡±


    ¡°I replied, ¡®Cengiz.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Cengiz. Let''s not talk any more and walk fast. I would have arrived by now, but I was keeping up with you because you were walking slowly.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡¯ I said, and quickened my pace.¡±


    ¡°After a few minutes we arrived at a place called a house. I say a place called a house because it was not a house as Ali said. It was an unfinished building.¡±


    ¡°Of course I didn''t say anything, after all, it was better than lying on the stone floor anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Ali left his car outside and we entered the building. I think they were going to make the building two storeys, but almost every part of the second floor was open. So it could be said that it was finished before it started. On the lower floor, some walls were missing. Honestly, I was scared. I mean, it gave me the feeling that the building would collapse in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we entered the building through open places. Ali had equipped the inside as much as he could. So don''t imagine too much when I say furnishing. A few blankets, pillows, a gas lamp for lighting at night, pots and pans and a tube for heating food.¡±


    ¡°Ali switched on the kerosene lamp as soon as we came in. It was dimly lit inside. By the way, the room we entered was completely enclosed. Most of the other rooms had no walls or they were unfinished. Only one room was closed, and Ali had already made that room his home.¡±


    ¡°I sat on one of the blankets on the floor and started to watch Ali. I had eaten some chocolate but I was still hungry.¡±


    ¡°Ali sat on the blanket in front of the wall opposite me and started talking.¡±


    ¡°Tell me Cengiz. Why are you on the streets?¡±


    ¡°I told him I ran away from home because of the constant violence from my family.¡±


    ¡°Ali turned his head to the gas lamp and said, ¡®Sons of bitches.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I wasn''t angry. I didn''t care what he said about my family. I wouldn''t have batted an eyelid if I''d heard the news of their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Ali turned his head to me and said, ¡®You''re not mad that I swore at your family, are you? He said.¡±


    ¡°I said, ¡®No, no, I''m not mad at all.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering about his story, what he went through. So I decided to ask.¡±


    ¡°What did you-¡±


    Cengiz''s stomach growled with hunger.


    ¡°So I was interrupted and couldn''t continue, I was looking at Ali and Ali was looking at me.¡±


    ¡°I guess you''re still not full yet, haha.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°I was embarrassed, so I forced a laugh to keep Ali company.¡±


    ¡°Ali stood up and headed towards the bags hanging on the worn wall.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, there''s some more food here. I''ll feed you well. haha.¡±


    ¡°N-no, there''s really no need, I''m full. Before I met you, I found something to eat in the other rubbish I looked in.¡±


    ¡°Ali looked at me suggestively and said, ¡®Do you realise you''re really bad at lying?¡±


    ¡°I said nothing more and waited.¡±


    ¡°He rummaged through the bags and threw something in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Here, eat this, it''ll keep you going for a while.¡±


    ¡°Then he went back to his old place.¡±


    ¡°I picked up the packet in front of me and it was a packet of biscuits.¡±


    ¡°As I opened the parcel, Ali started talking about the biscuits.¡±


    ¡°I think these biscuits are more filling, they contain protein or something. When I went into the supermarket to fill my stomach, I came across a few people.They were older than me, 23-24 years old, I think. They were tall and well built.One of them said that these biscuits have strong protein and keep you full for a long time, let''s buy them, and they all bought four or five packets and left the market.The price was more expensive than other biscuits, but it was worth it.Once you eat them, you don''t feel hungry for a long time.¡±


    ¡°By the way, don''t eat it all at once. Try to manage with it for a week.¡±


    ¡°When Ali said that, I had just put the first biscuit in my mouth and when I heard you say to manage for a week, the cookie fell out and rolled around on the dirty floor for a while and then fell out.¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to manage with only biscuits for a week?¡±


    ¡°Ali picked up the fallen biscuit and blew it clean, then came over and handed it to me.¡±


    ¡°On the way back to your place, when I say you can manage for a week, I mean you can manage for a week in the most difficult times, otherwise we will find something to eat during the day, you have already found food from the garbage many times before. I don''t know why you were so surprised. haha.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was an unnecessary rush. But it brought Ali and me closer to each other, at least I thought so.¡±


    ¡°So I laughed and said I understood.¡±


    ¡°I put the biscuit Ali gave me in my mouth and it tasted very good. Then I took another one and put the packet of biscuits next to me. I thought that was enough for today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that''s enough. After all, you''ll be living on those biscuits for a week,¡± Ali said and then laughed.


    ¡°Ali and I were talking and laughing in the dim room illuminated by the gas lamp. Maybe I was laughing for the first time. I was glad I had met Ali.¡±


    ¡°After talking for a while, I decided to ask Ali about his story.¡±


    ¡°He stood up and turned off the gas lamp.¡±


    ¡°My story is more or less like yours, it''s not even worth telling and I''m sleepy, let''s go to sleep. I''ll tell you my story some day later. But as I said, my story is not very different from yours.¡±


    ¡°It was obvious he didn''t want to tell it. He cut off my question. But if he didn''t want to tell it, there was no need to force it.¡±


    ¡°I said okay and we crawled under the blankets we were sitting on and fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°Ali was already asleep, but I kept tossing and turning, I couldn''t fall asleep. I slept better even when I was sleeping on the streets. For some reason, there was a constant restlessness inside me here.¡±


    ¡°I was close to sleep when I started to hear voices. Ali got up and walked towards the entrance of the room. It was so dark inside that he didn''t realize I was awake.¡±


    ¡°I found him collecting cardboard tonight. He''s an idiot and I immediately gained his trust.¡±


    ¡°I knew he was talking about me. Something was going on.¡±


    ¡°For a moment, the voice of the person Ali was talking to got louder. I could tell he wasn''t a kid like us. He had a thick voice.¡±


    ¡°Quiet! He''ll wake up now, Ali said.¡±


    ¡°Then I couldn''t hear anything. I could only hear whispers.¡±


    ¡°Minutes later Ali came back and went to bed.


    ¡°I knew something would happen to me if I stayed here too long.¡±


    ¡°I had to get out of here as soon as possible.


    ¡°I couldn''t sleep anyway and now I couldn''t sleep at all. I had all kinds of thoughts in my head.¡±


    ¡°I closed my eyes and waited to fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°It was morning. I didn''t know what time it was, but I guessed it was quite early.¡±


    ¡°Ali, get up, come on,¡± he called to me.


    ¡°I got up from where I was lying, I felt weak. I had already slept late and my head ached from waking up so early. I was looking at the floor with meaningless eyes, trying to shake off the morning hangover.¡±


    ¡°It was obvious that Ali woke up before me. He was very energetic. He kept telling me to wake up.¡±


    ¡°I got up and shook myself, picked up the packet of biscuits Ali had given me last night for breakfast and popped one in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°I turned to Ali. He was already waiting for me to get up. I asked him what we were going to do now.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already told you, I''m collecting cardboard, now we''ll collect it together. We''ll split the money we earn between us.¡±


    ¡°That''s all well and good, but what happened last night haunts me.¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t go and ask why you talked about me like that, or who you were talking about.¡±


    ¡°I nodded and said okay, but my main goal was to get away from this guy as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then we left the house without saying any more and started collecting cardboard. That was the whole day.¡±


    ¡°I felt safer with someone by my side.¡±


    ¡°At night we went home again. Now you know what I mean by home. I''m talking about the unfinished construction.¡±


    Ta?k?n was listening to Cengiz with curious eyes. Although they had just had a fight, he was surprised that Cengiz had told him about his private life.


    At the same time, he wrapped his left hand around his right hand. Even though he tried not to show it to Cengiz, his right hand still hurt. He was worried that it might be broken or fractured.


    As Cengiz was about to continue telling his story, Ta?k?n asked him a question.


    ¡°Cengiz, uh, sorry to interrupt, but if you''re hurting we can go home, I mean, I hit you a little hard in the face, we''ll bandage it up or something.¡±


    ¡°Haha. No, it doesn''t hurt much. How''s your hand? You hit me hard like you said. Your hand must hurt.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t hurt much either, but I''m afraid it might be broken or fractured.¡±


    Cengiz looked at Ta?k?n''s hand.


    ¡°If that is the case, I hope it is broken. Because a crack causes a much more painful process.¡±


    ¡°It''s okay, ... I''m used to pain... the pain of my hand is nothing.¡±


    ¡°I hope you will tell me your story one day, Taskin. It''s obvious that you have a painful story too.¡±


    Yes, I have a story, but I''ll never be able to tell it to you. There''s no way you''ll believe me. You will only think I am crazy.


    Don''t say that, Ta?k?n. Tell them, maybe they''ll believe you. Haha.


    ...


    Of course I didn''t tell Cengiz these thoughts, I just looked him in the eye and smiled.


    ¡°Isn''t it strange, Cengiz? Kids our age are running around in the parks and we''re talking about nothing.¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that Ta?k?n, look, we are in the park too. We are sitting on the swings. Haha. But of course, as you say, what we talk about... not very nice things.¡±


    Cengiz had started the sentence with a smiling face, but by the end the smile had disappeared. He was trying to smile, but it was difficult to force a smile, contrary to popular belief.


    He paused for a few seconds and then decided to continue telling his story.


    ¡°Anyway, let me continue telling my story, there is not much left to tell anyway. I don''t want to drag it out and bore you. But on the other hand, I want to branch out the story and go home as late as possible. Because as you said, Ahmet and Kerem will bombard us with questions when we get home. Haha.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You are right. I also want to go home as late as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where was I... oh yeah. Like I said, we got home and we started talking. Ali was telling me that I was glad we met and that we got along so well and I was confirming her.¡±


    ¡°We also sold the cardboard we had collected that day, Ali had collected a lot of cardboard herself before. I mean, I hadn''t actually collected much compared to him, but after Ali sold the cartons, he didn''t take a bigger share, he gave me half of the money as he told me.¡±


    ¡°We didn''t say anything more, I put two more biscuits from the biscuit packet in my mouth and we went to bed. That night I waited for someone to come but no one came.¡±


    ¡°Our friendship lasted about a month. We were collecting cardboard every day. We became more and more intimate. I was supposed to leave Alini, but I got attached to him somehow, hanging out with him, and I probably misheard what he said about me, so I cut it off. However, I was very wrong. I learned this very well that day, but it was too late.


    After Cengiz said this, he took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°One night we went home again and I was getting ready to go to sleep, but Ali caught my attention. He was watching me the whole time, looking very tense. I got curious and asked her what happened.¡±


    ¡°Ali, what happened? Are you okay? You look strange.¡±


    ¡°At that moment I heard footsteps. Someone was coming fast to where we were. Ali said, ¡°I''m sorry, Genghis.¡±


    ¡°W-What apology?¡± I was about to say when a man came in. ¡°So this is the boy you told me about,¡± he said, looking at Ali.


    ¡°This was the man Ali had spoken to secretly at night. I recognized his voice.¡±


    ¡°W-What''s going on Ali! I said, looking at Ali with alarmed eyes.¡±


    ¡°Ali was silent and the man who entered the room was looking at me with a dirty grin.¡±


    ¡°He started walking towards me. ¡°If it wasn''t for you, I don''t know how I would find a new child,¡± he said to Ali.


    ¡°So Ali and this man were working together,¡± I said inwardly. Tears were falling from my eyes like rain in a storm on the floor of the small room illuminated by the dim light of the gas lamp. I had made a mistake, a very big mistake. After hearing what Ali said about me that night on the very first day, I should have gotten the hell out of his side.¡±


    Cengiz started to cry as he told this. Ta?k?n went to Cengiz and said, ¡°OK, calm down Cengiz, you can take a break for a while.


    He wiped his tears and nodded his head up and down. Ta?k?n sat back down on the swing and waited for Cengiz to continue his story.


    ¡°Then I tried to run away but in vain. The man grabbed me easily and threw me hard against the wall. Ali was watching all this without reacting.¡±


    ¡°He was kicking me on the ground, I was trying to defend myself somehow with my arms but it was no use. He was hitting me with all his might.¡±


    ¡°Ali said, ¡°Enough is enough, Adnan, won''t he work for you after all? How can he work if you beat him so much? He said.¡±


    ¡°I was writhing on the floor in pain, he looked at the man and turned to Ali.¡±


    ¡°Your tongue has gotten too long these days, Ali. I''d cut out your tongue and shove it up your ass, but since you''ve found new kids to work for me, I''ll overlook your insolence earlier.¡±


    ¡°I looked at Ali. I could tell he was scared. He could only say, ¡°OK, brother.¡±


    ¡°He turned back to me and grabbed me and pulled me to my feet, but I couldn''t get up, I was in too much pain.¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck off the fucking floor, motherfucker,¡± he yelled.


    ¡°I could barely stand. He said, ¡°Follow me, I''ll break your legs if you try to run,¡± but I didn''t have the strength to take a step, I couldn''t even imagine running away.¡±


    ¡°I started to follow him. As I left the room, I looked at Ali. We locked eyes for a moment and then he looked down. I didn''t say anything. I didn''t know what to say. I still don''t know if I should be angry with him or forgive him.¡±


    ¡°In the dark of the night, Adnan was driving in front and I was driving behind. Adnan said, ¡°Shall I tell you what Ali really did?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t say anything, but he kept talking.¡±


    ¡°What he really does is befriend kids like you on the street and gain their trust. Then he gets them to join him and pick up cardboard and stuff like that. Of course, this is to gain more trust and to strengthen the false bond between you. At the end of the day, all the kids Ali befriends work for me. That''s the real work Ali does. To deceive people.¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t surprised by what I heard. I was more angry with myself than Ali. Why hadn''t I run away? How had I fallen for that false friendship? I kept blaming myself, but there was nothing I could do now.¡±


    ¡°After walking a bit we came to a large place, an old disused factory I think. It was very big inside and there were a lot of kids my age or a little younger or older than me.¡±


    ¡°He grabbed me by the arm and threw me in between them and said, ''I''ll be back tomorrow morning. If any of you are missing, I''ll cut off the fingers of anyone here.


    "He yelled, ''Come here!'' at two people. These two were older than us; I had heard the conversation. He said, ''As always, check on those kids. Make sure they don''t escape.''


    They responded with ''Okay'' and then Adnan left.


    "As I said, the place was very large, with many potential escape routes, but whatever fear they instilled in the kids, none of them moved from their spots.


    "I stayed in the old factory for a few months. They forced us to beg. They also took the money we earned. We couldn''t save any money for ourselves.


    "One day... I can never forget that pain. Adnan was cooking something in a pan with a tube in the factory. As I walked past him, my foot accidentally got caught on something on the floor, and I fell onto Adnan.


    "He immediately threw me off him and kicked me on the ground for a while.


    ''This is still too little for you, dog,'' he said, and poured the hot oil from the pan over me. The pain... the burning sensation... I can''t find words to describe it. I was writhing in agony on the ground, screaming. He shouted at me, ''Shut up, you bastard child.'' Then he said, ''So you''re still going to scream? I''ll discipline you now.''


    "He told the two older kids standing next to him to undress me and hold me tightly. No matter how much I pleaded, they ignored me and forcibly removed all my clothes. The other kids around me watched in horror.


    "Adnan had taken a plastic bag and was coming towards me. He pulled out a lighter from his pants and set the bag on fire. He began moving the melting bag over me. The melted plastic fell on my body like raindrops. With every drop that fell, I screamed in pain. While scratching the ground, all my nails were broken, and the flesh at the tips of my fingers was torn.


    "He continued moving the bag over me until it was completely melted, then threw me into a corner and threw the clothes he had forcibly removed back onto me.


    "I had no strength left to dress myself. The other kids there somehow helped me get dressed. After that day, I submitted to him, or rather, I wanted him to think I did. Because even if I knew I was going to die, I was determined to escape. I had made up my mind.


    "For a while, I followed the orders precisely and earned their trust. One night again, we were talking among ourselves inside the factory with the other kids. The two kids with Adnan were constantly roaming around. Adnan had left earlier this time. That was good for me.


    "I was waiting for an opportunity; if I found an opening, I would escape and go as far as I could. One of the two kids left the factory. I didn''t know where he went, and honestly, I didn''t care. I found a gap and escaped from the back of the factory. I didn''t even look back; I just ran with all my might.


    "I don''t know how long I ran, but my legs had no strength left. I was exhausted. I leaned against a wall in one of the side streets and collapsed on the ground. I was breathing rapidly.


    ''Are you okay?'' someone asked. I turned my head towards the voice. It was Ahmet.


    "I first met Ahmet there. Then he took me to his home and introduced me to Kerem. Since that day, I have been living with them.


    "So that''s my story, Ta?k?n. I wanted to pour out my heart. I feel a bit relieved after telling it. And I''m happy to have shared it with you.


    "Thank you for sharing your story and personal experiences with me, Cengiz. Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone."


    "Haha. I trust you."


    ..


    "What is this state of yours!?"


    We looked to see who was shouting with Cengiz. It was Ahmet. Kerem was with him. I guess we had stayed in the park a bit too long. They must have come after me thinking we might fight, but they were a bit late.


    They rushed over to us and asked what happened. We explained what had occurred.


    Ahmet said, ''I told you, but no one listens. Didn¡¯t we tell you not to go, Ta?k?n? What happened now?''


    ''It''s okay, Ahmet. What''s done is done. At least it''s good that Cengiz and I fought. We''re actually on very good terms now,'' I said.


    "Cengiz smiled next to me, ''Haha. Ta?k?n is right. We''re actually on very good terms now.''


    Ahmet and Kerem looked at us with astonished expressions. They probably thought our relationship had worsened, but it wasn''t as they thought.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s go home and treat your wounds," said Kerem."


    "Ahmet took my arm, and Kerem took Cengiz¡¯s arm, and we started walking towards home together."


    I was happy, truly happy. At first, I thought coming here was a big mistake, but then I thought it was good that I came.


    Maybe now that things are better with Cengiz, he might come to the amusement park with us. My mind was still on the amusement park. I wondered what experiences awaited me there...

 Chapter 26 - Facing the Past

    After walking a bit, we arrived home.


    Ahmet and Kerem were whispering quietly while applying bandages to our injuries.


    At least neither of us had any serious wounds, just a few minor scratches.


    Seconds later, a voice rose in the room.


    "What did I tell you, Ta?k?n!" said Ahmet.


    I could tell from his raised voice that he could no longer hold back. The only response I could give was a simple apology or something similar, but hoping to calm the situation, I decided to respond differently.


    "What did you say, Ahmet? I don¡¯t remember."


    "Pfft hahaha"


    Cengiz started laughing.


    Ahmet was tending to my wounds while Kerem was taking care of Cengiz¡¯s.


    When I looked at Ahmet¡¯s face, I could see he was torn between laughing and staying serious. Yet, he was still trying to maintain a stern expression.


    Kerem, although not laughing as heartily as Cengiz, had a smile on his face.


    Within seconds, Ahmet regained his seriousness.


    "You¡¯re so funny, Ta?k?n."


    As he said this, he was pressing on the scraped and bleeding wound on my right arm with his finger.


    I turned to Ahmet with a pained smile.


    "Alright, Ahmet, I¡¯m sorry. Please stop pressing on my wound. It already hurts."


    Hearing this, he stopped pressing on my wound.


    "Are you going to make more jokes?"


    "Well, I don¡¯t know. I might."


    Kerem and Cengiz started giggling.


    As Ahmet was about to press on my wound again, I hastily interrupted.


    "It¡¯s a joke, Ahmet. Really, it¡¯s just a joke."


    Upon hearing this, Ahmet sighed.


    "You never learn, Ta?k?n."


    "I¡¯m glad neither of you has any serious injuries."


    "We only have one day off, and we¡¯re dealing with this. It¡¯s hard not to get frustrated."


    "True, but you¡¯re not going to spend the whole day taking care of us. It¡¯s still early. We can still go to the amusement park together. And this time, Cengiz will join us too."


    After saying this, I turned my head towards Cengiz. He was nodding in agreement.


    Seeing this, Ahmet said, "At least your fighting hasn¡¯t made things worse. I¡¯m glad you two are getting along."


    "Do you two feel well enough to go to the amusement park?" asked Kerem.


    Excitedly, I said, "I¡¯m feeling great."


    Cengiz and I made eye contact. It turned out we had spoken at the same time, but in that moment of excitement, I hadn¡¯t realized it.


    Seeing us, Kerem and Ahmet had softened considerably.


    Besides, as I mentioned earlier, it was still early. We had plenty of time until the evening.


    "Alright then, since neither of you has a serious injury and you seem to be feeling quite well," said Ahmet.


    Cengiz and I nodded in synchronization after each of Ahmet¡¯s words, indicating our agreement.


    "You two have really become irritating. It was better when you were at odds."


    Hearing this, Cengiz and I started laughing. I noticed Kerem was laughing along with us.


    Ahmet was giving Kerem a stern look. When Kerem noticed this, he stopped laughing and said, "What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s funny."


    I chimed in, both to support Kerem and to steer the conversation back to the amusement park.


    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point in staying angry, Ahmet. Yes, a bad event happened, but the outcomes weren¡¯t bad. We¡¯ve reconciled with Cengiz. There¡¯s no need to drag it out. Let¡¯s go to the amusement park and have fun together."


    Cengiz, who had been listening to me from where he was seated, said, "Yes, Ahmet, Ta?k?n is right. Why are you dragging this out? It¡¯s over now."


    Ahmet¡¯s expression fell. He looked at Cengiz, but the anger on his face had disappeared, replaced by a bitter expression.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Cengiz. I mean... for behaving that way towards you today."


    Cengiz smiled and said, "I was actually waiting for you to apologize. I was starting to think you weren¡¯t going to."


    It seemed that Cengiz forgave the unpleasant incident very quickly. Or perhaps his relationship with Ahmet was at a higher level than mine, which is why he forgave him so easily. I¡¯m not sure.


    "Haha. I love this side of you, Cengiz. It makes me happy to see you make a joke out of these unfortunate events. Some people would drag such events on and on," said Ahmet.


    He turned to me and said, "Let¡¯s go to the amusement park then." I was really happy. I was very excited as it would be my first time going to an amusement park.


    At that moment, something struck me.


    I was working out at the gym, but I had only started a few days ago, so I hadn¡¯t received any payment yet. If I didn¡¯t have money, I wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy the rides at the amusement park.


    I wondered if they would pay for me if I asked them. But... no, I couldn¡¯t ask.


    It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t ride any attractions. Just watching them would be enough. After all, we can always go again... after I get paid... yes... there¡¯s no reason to be upset.


    Ahh. Not again. These pitiable and helpless attitudes.


    I was wondering when you would show up.


    h??????a??????h????????a???????. Did you miss me that much?


    You know I¡¯m joking, right?


    Yes. I do. I¡¯m not as stupid as you.


    What¡¯s this now? Are you here to insult me again?


    I¡¯m always with you. You know that. I just prefer to stay silent. For some reason, you get angry when I speak up about these worthless friends of yours.


    What do you have against them? Why do you hate them?


    Because they are weak. Also, you¡¯re becoming more attached to them. Do you really think you¡¯ll be with them forever?


    Maybe I will. How do you know?


    h??????a??????h????????a???????. Don¡¯t make me laugh.


    At least your thoughts will change when you grow up and mature.


    How can you be so sure?


    Just wait and see, Ta?k?n.


    "Hey!"


    "Ta?k?n, we¡¯re calling you! You were zoning out."


    "What!?"


    "Your behavior is scaring me, Ta?k?n," said Cengiz.


    "Sorry, Cengiz."


    You should be more careful when talking to me. At this rate, your friends will think you¡¯re crazy.


    "It¡¯s your fault! Don¡¯t contact me at inappropriate times then.


    In the future, when you talk to me, you¡¯ll also be able to talk to others. Think of it like doing two jobs at the same time. But of course, it won¡¯t happen all at once. It requires time.


    I understand.


    You should talk to your friends now, Ta?k?n.


    You¡¯re still talking to me. The situation is getting increasingly strange.


    When I heard what Milaz said, Kerem and Ahmet caught my attention.


    Both were looking at me.


    "I¡¯m fine, just lost in thought."


    "I must have bumped my head somewhere while fighting. Haha."


    "Anyway, when are we going to the amusement park?"


    I wanted to change the subject and soothe them a little.


    They didn¡¯t dwell on it much, and Ahmet said, "If you want, we can leave right now. There¡¯s no point in waiting."


    Cengiz and Kerem said, "Works for us," and turned their heads towards me.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go right away." I said and headed for the door.


    As I was about to open the door, Kerem called out from behind me.


    "Ta?k?n! Wait a minute. Can you come here for a moment?"


    My hand was left in the air. I turned around; all three were looking at me. I walked over to them and started looking at their faces with curiosity.


    Ahmet spoke up.


    "Are you going to the amusement park in those clothes? You always wear the same clothes."


    Kerem was holding something behind him, as if he was hiding it. When he noticed me looking, he said, "Looks like I can¡¯t hide it anymore," and showed me what he had been holding behind him.


    T-This was probably some sort of gift package!


    I... was having trouble swallowing.


    I had seen similar pictures in the textbooks Elif brought me.


    Parents were buying gifts for their children.


    Unintentionally, tears began to flow from my eyes. Some droplets were falling into my mouth, leaving a salty taste on my tongue.


    Elif... my angel. I-I couldn¡¯t protect you. Forgive me. Please forgive me. I¡¯m sure you never gave up until the end. I¡¯m sure you fought until the end. Who knows how scared you were, how much you resisted, how much pain you endured.


    ... (grumblings)


    The droplets falling from my eyes were coming rapidly and one after another, like a heavy rain falling to the ground.


    I-I wish I could have been a little faster. I-I wish I had arrived a few minutes earlier, maybe... maybe I could have saved you.


    Ta?k?n was now crying with sobs. His friends thought he was moved and crying because of the gift they had bought him, but it was actually not quite related.


    Of course, the gift had touched Ta?k?n, but the pain and longing for Elif weighed much more heavily.


    "Ta?k?n, come on. We didn¡¯t expect you to be so emotional. Stop crying. I¡¯m really thinking to myself that I wish I hadn¡¯t given you the gift," said Kerem.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve made you regret buying the gift."


    "You don¡¯t need to apologize. Come on, open your gift now," said Ahmet.


    Cengiz immediately followed up with Ahmet¡¯s comment, saying, "Brother, don¡¯t do that."


    When Cengiz said this, Kerem and Ahmet glanced at him. They were naturally surprised, but neither of them said anything.


    "Come on, Ta?k?n, open your gift," said Kerem.


    I knelt on my knees and started opening the package. There was a nice shirt and jeans. There were also new underwear and a tank top.


    I was always wearing the same clothes. They hadn¡¯t worn out much yet, but they were very dirty. They had many stains on them, and for some reason, these stains wouldn¡¯t come off. So, this gift was very nice. I looked at all of it gratefully.


    "Please don¡¯t start crying again," said Cengiz.


    "Haha. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cry," I replied.


    Ahmet looked me over and said, "Alright, go to the bathroom and put on your new clothes, then let¡¯s leave the house."


    As I was heading towards the bathroom, I paused for a moment and turned around.


    "You guys should change into your clothes too," I said.


    Kerem said, "Our clothes aren¡¯t too dirty. We can go like this, but you look like you¡¯ve been rolling on the ground."


    "Because I really was rolling on the ground, or rather, we were. Did you forget that I just fought with Ta?k?n, Kerem?" said Cengiz.


    "Haha. You¡¯re right, Cengiz," said Ahmet. Kerem was also smiling.


    "Well, Cen-"


    Ahmet cut me off and spoke up.


    "Ta?k?n, that¡¯s enough of this chatter. Change your clothes already. Don¡¯t you want to go to the amusement park?"


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯m changing my clothes right now."


    I had questions to ask, but it seemed I wouldn¡¯t be able to ask them today.


    I quickly went into the bathroom and started changing my clothes.


    A few minutes later, I was ready and came out of the bathroom.


    "Wow, wow, Ta?k?n. Look at how handsome you are!" said Cengiz, and then Ahmet added, "Cengiz is right. I think girls will surround us before we even reach the amusement park."


    Kerem was nodding in agreement with Ahmet and Cengiz, smiling at me.


    I knew they were joking, but I appreciated it.


    "Thank you. Shall we go to the amusement park now?" I said.


    "Yes, we¡¯re all ready. Let¡¯s go," said Ahmet.


    We all left the house together and set out for the amusement park.

 Chapter 27 - Amusement Park

    We all started walking towards the amusement park. I was excited, but I didn''t have any money, and I didn''t know what to do when we got there. I wanted to ask Ahmet how far we had to go.


    ¡°Ahmet, do we have a long way to go?¡±


    ..


    (Ahmet is looking around thoughtfully and not hearing Ta?k?n)


    ¡°Hey! Ahmet, I''m talking to you.¡±


    (Ahmet turns to Ta?k?n, startled)


    ¡°Sorry, Ta?k?n, I got distracted. What?¡±


    Ahmet didn''t usually act like this. It was a bit strange, but maybe I was making a fuss for nothing. In the end, I can''t say that I know Ahmet very well.


    ¡°How far to the amusement park?¡±


    ¡°We''re almost there Ta?k?n, we''ll probably be there in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    (Ahmet looks at Ta?k?n with a suggestive grin)


    ¡°What is it, Ta?k?n? Are you very impatient?¡±


    (Ta?k?n energetically) ¡°Honestly, yes, I am excited and impatient.¡±


    (Ahmet lets out a small laugh, which is accompanied by Kerem and Cengiz coming from behind)


    We kept walking, but my mind was still


    Ahmet was in that thoughtful state. I decided to ask him what happened.


    ¡°Ahm-¡±


    (Cengiz loudly) ¡°We''re finally here! Look, Ta?k?n!¡±


    (Ahmet looks at Ta?k?n with curious eyes)


    I decided to postpone my conversation with Ahmet.


    ¡°Nothing, Ahmet, it was nothing important. We''ll talk about it later. Let''s have some fun now.¡±


    (Ahmet slowly nods his head up and down in the affirmative)


    We finally arrived at the amusement park. To be honest, it didn''t take that long, but it seemed like a long time to me.


    We were walking around the rides: carousel, Ferris wheel, gondola, bumper cars, ballerina and many other rides were waiting for us to ride them.


    I was looking at these rides with excitement, I wanted to ride them all at the same time.


    After looking at them for a while, I decided to go on the Ferris wheel. It went up very high and I wondered how it would look down from such a height.


    Ta?k?n (with a twinkle in his eyes) said, ¡°I want to ride the Ferris wheel.¡±


    Ahmet (with an affectionate look at Ta?k?n) said, ¡°I like the Ferris wheel too. Let''s ride together.¡±


    I was happy to hear Ahmet say this, I didn''t want to be alone.


    ¡°Is it your first time too-¡±


    (Cengiz interrupts Ta?k?n and interrupts him) ¡°I will ride the carousel first.¡±


    (Ahmet gives a small laugh) ¡°I was calling Ta?k?n excited, but I think you are just as excited as he is.¡±


    Cengiz gave a small laugh in response and started walking towards the carousel.


    ¡°Come along Kerem, let''s ride the Ferris wheel together.¡±


    I turned my head back, I had completely forgotten about Kerem in my excitement.


    I supported Ahmet and said, ¡°Yes Kerem, come with us.¡±


    (Kerem was a bit emotional and sad) ¡°You guys go, I''m going to go to the restroom.¡±


    Ahmet said ¡°OK¡± after Kerem''s statement and didn''t press him any further. It was as if he knew why Kerem was acting like that.


    I didn''t dwell on it and Kerem and I left.


    I was heading towards the Ferris wheel and Ahmet called me from behind.


    ¡°Ta?k?n, where are you going?¡±


    I was stunned by this question. He knew where I was going. Why was he asking me such a question?


    I went up to Ahmet and said, ¡°I''m going to the Ferris wheel, Ahmet, isn''t that where we were going?¡±


    Ahmet (with a smile on his face) said, ¡°Yes, we are going there, but first we have to buy a ticket at the box office. We will get on the Ferris wheel with that ticket.¡±


    Ta?k?n (with a stunned face) ¡°...I see... let''s go to the box office then.¡±


    How was I going to buy a ticket? I had no money. This had only just occurred to me. I was so engrossed in this entertainment that I completely forgot that I had no money.


    We arrived in front of the box office and I decided to explain the situation to Ahmet.


    ¡°Ahm-¡±


    ¡°Can you give us two tickets, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the box office clerk.


    Ahmet turned to me and said, ¡°This is your first time at the amusement park. I we can''t make you pay. It''s on me this time.¡±


    Ta?k?n (with tears in his eyes) ¡°T-thank you.¡±


    Ahmet had paid the money and bought the tickets at that time and we started to move towards the Ferris wheel.


    ¡°No need to thank me. Buy me a soda or something later and we''ll call it even.¡±


    ¡°You bet I will.¡±


    Ahmet (laughing) ¡°Haha. I know you will.¡±


    When we arrived at the Ferris wheel, there was a bit of a line and so we started to wait.


    In front of us was a young boy and a girl who were older than us.


    I turned to Ahmet ¡°Look, people older than us also ride these kinds of amusement rides.¡±


    ¡°Of course they do Ta?k?n, every person can ride these rides. After all, these are entertainment devices. In fact, if you look carefully, you''ll notice that the boy and girl in front of us are a couple. Look, they''re holding hands.¡±


    ¡°Actually, this couple might be riding the Ferris wheel to do something else. Haha.¡±


    Ta?k?n (not understanding and confused) ¡°I don''t understand what you mean Ahmet.¡±


    ¡°You will understand when you grow up and have a girlfriend, Ta?k?n. Haha.¡±


    ..


    Ta?k?n (curiously) ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Uh... no, not yet.¡±


    Ta?k?n (with a suggestive look) ¡°So when you have a girlfriend, you bring her to the Ferris wheel-¡±


    Ahmet (interrupts Ta?k?n) ¡°L-look! It''s our turn! Let''s get in.


    ¡°Haha. Are you embarrassed Ahmet?¡± (They give the tickets to the attendant and get on the Ferris wheel)


    (with a nervous and forced smile) ¡°Nothing can be discussed with you, Ta?k?n.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I''m sorry.¡±


    As the Ferris wheel ascended, I felt as if I was flying. I had a very strange indescribable feeling inside.


    ¡°What were you going to tell me today, Ta?k?n?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You were going to tell me something but then Cengiz interrupted you and you said you would tell me later and that it was nothing important.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was just going to ask if there was a problem, I mean you seemed a bit down. You didn''t even hear me when I first called out to you.¡±


    ¡°I''m in a bad mood, yes... it''s because of Kerem.¡±


    Ta?k?n (curious) ¡°Kerem? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Actually Kerem didn''t tell you his whole story.¡±


    ¡°What is it that he didn''t tell me?¡±


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    Ahmet (hesitant) ¡°His mother... they used to come here with his mother. They used to come here with Kerem before his mother''s condition got worse. So that''s why Kerem is in a bad mood. And remember he told you that he was bullied at school... not only at school...¡±


    Ahmet took a deep breath. It was obvious that he was having a hard time telling these things. I sat next to him and listened with curiosity.


    (Ahmet starts talking while looking out the window) ¡°Kerem worked at various jobs before he started working at the gym. The boys who bullied him in class would take almost all of his money by force and with that money they would come to the amusement park to have fun. They would bring Kerem with them... but of course not to have fun with Kerem. Kerem was their errand boy. They made him carry their bags and other belongings, they used his money to ride the rides and eat their fill.¡±


    The veins in his face became prominent and he started to clench his fists, Ahmet. It was clear that he was really angry. In fact, it was hard not to be angry.


    ¡°Well Ahmet... Didn''t Kerem have any friends at school? Someone who could help Kerem and take his side. I mean, I guess not everyone in the class hates Kerem, right?¡±


    (thoughtfully) ¡°Yes, of course the whole class didn''t hate Kerem, but they didn''t do anything. Because if they tried to help Kerem, those who picked on Kerem would have targeted them too. You see, everyone in the class knew how Kerem was being treated, but no one spoke up.¡±


    ..


    (Ta?k?n looks out the window with a frozen face and speaks)


    ¡°If it were me... I would kill them all... they may not have harmed me... but they could have helped me... they are as guilty in my eyes as the bastards who messed with me... who took my money by force... they all deserve a painful death...¡±


    When Ahmet saw Ta?k?n''s face change, he thought of the events that had happened before and became a little nervous.


    (Anxious and tense)


    ¡°T-a?k?n (clears throat) calm down. Yes, I am very angry too. There is no explanation for what happened to Kerem. But despite all this, if Kerem, the person who has endured all this pain, does not want to take revenge on them, we have nothing to say.¡±


    (Ta?k?n took a deep breath while looking out the window) ¡°How do you know that he doesn''t want revenge? Did you ask?¡±


    ¡°I asked, of cou-¡±


    (Ta?k?n interrupts Ahmet) ¡°Even if you asked, maybe he told you that he won''t take revenge, but in his mind he is plotting revenge. You never know.¡±


    ..


    (Ahmet watches the shrinking buildings through the window) ¡°No... I don''t think so. I mean Kerem is not like that. It is very unlikely that he will plan revenge in his head and regret everyone who made fun of him... very unlikely. Kerem is not a person who holds grudges anyway.¡±


    ¡°I see... at least these days are behind us now. So Kerem can defend himself now. After all, he''s trained for it. ?zkan is a bit unstable but his knowledge is undeniable.¡±


    ¡°Actually Ta?k?n... yes, I mean Kerem is not the same. He has really changed a lot in a short time. When I say changed, I mean he improved himself... but there is also this situation...¡±


    (takes a deep breath and leans back)


    ¡°I just told you that the kids in the class know what happened to Kerem but they don''t say anything.¡±


    (Ta?k?n curiously)


    ¡°..Yes?¡±


    ¡°All of those kids, the ones who bullied Kerem... have been training regularly in martial arts since they were little... Kerem may have improved himself, but if he goes one on one with any of those kids... I''m sorry to say, I don''t think he can win...¡±


    ¡°I see.. then he won''t fight them one on one. We''ll catch them one on one somewhere and the four of us will beat them together.¡±


    Ahmet (looking at Ta?k?n out of the corner of his eye) ¡°Four against one. Do you think this is honorable, Ta?k?n?¡±


    Ta?k?n (turns to Ahmet and looks into his eyes) ¡°I don''t give a damn whether it is honorable or not. And do you think those who did this to Kerem are honorable people?¡±


    ¡°...I mean n-¡±


    Ta?k?n interrupts Ahmet


    ¡°Why should we act honorable for human trash who have no idea what honor means?¡±


    ¡° Ta?k?n, even if that is the case, we should do what suits us. If we do as you say, how are we different from them?¡±


    ¡°How are we any different? Are you really comparing us to those bastards Ahmet?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not, I just think it''s wrong. No matter how dishonorable they are, we must do what is right.¡±


    ¡°Everyone can have their own right, Ahmet. What is right for me may not be right for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there are other issues besides that.¡±


    Ta?k?n (curious) ¡°...like what?¡±


    ¡°The families of these children are people in the upper echelons. In other words, they are influential and influential people. Almost all of them donate a lot of money to the school. Actually, most of the teachers were aware of this situation, but they were also afraid. Some of them turned a blind eye and turned a blind eye even though they saw it themselves.¡±


    (squeaks)


    The cabin where Ta?k?n and Ahmet are standing shakes. Ta?k?n is startled but Ahmet remains calm.


    Ta?k?n (worried) ¡°What''s happening Ahmet?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. These tools are old, so these things happen from time to time. Who knows when the last maintenance was done.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, maybe we wouldn''t even be able to ride the Ferris wheel now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As I told you before, this area, where my house is located, is a dangerous area. The cops don''t come here unless they have to. Normally, the people who check the maintenance of this equipment should come, but they don''t.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they do, how do you know?¡±


    (squeaks)


    ¡°Ahmet (with a suggestive look) do you think it would have sounded like this if they had come?¡±


    ¡°...And you just said we couldn''t even ride the Ferris wheel, what did you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know exactly, but I think there is an age limit for riding amusement rides. If the person who wants to go on it is too young, they can''t go on it unless they have a parent with them, but of course age doesn''t matter here. If you have enough money with you, you can ride whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°So that''s the only good thing about this area. Maybe there are a few other good things, but in general it''s a shithole.¡±


    Ta?k?n (excitedly) ¡°Then we will leave here one day. I mean, we can''t stay here forever, can we?¡±


    Ahmet (calmly) ¡°Yes, you may be right, but I have a feeling that it will be a long time before we leave here.¡±


    ¡°I think your gut is wrong, Ahmet.¡±


    Ahmet (laughing) ¡°Haha. Yes, I hope it is wrong.¡±


    I smiled when Ahmet said that. I felt lucky to have Ahmet and the others. I don''t know what I would have done alone on the streets without them.


    ... (grunts)


    What makes you think he was alone?


    Ta?k?n (rolling his eyes)


    That''s right, I forgot about you, Milaz.


    ...


    The Ferris wheel stops. Ta?k?n and Ahmet continue to ride in the amusement park.


    ¡°Ahmet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ta?k?n?¡±


    ¡°Where did Cengiz go? Shall we take a look at him?¡±


    Ahmet (nervous) ¡°Cengiz went to ride the carousel, but I think we should check on Kerem before Cengiz. I''m curious about him.¡±


    ¡°I thought about Kerem too, but after what you told me I thought it would be better not to disturb him. He''s probably out of the bathroom and sitting on a bench.¡±


    Ahmet (thoughtful) ¡°Let''s check anyway, just in case. Let''s check the restroom first and then we''ll check the benches around like you said.¡±


    ¡°Okay, as you say.¡±


    We went to the restroom but Kerem wasn''t there, we looked at the benches but the result was the same.


    Ahmet (worried) ¡°This is not going to work, I''d better call Kerem on the phone. I hope he can hear his phone over all this noise.¡±


    It was the first time I had seen a live phone. Until now I had only seen phones in the pictures of the books Elif had brought.


    ..


    ¡°What happened Ahmet? Isn''t he picking up the phone Kerem?¡±


    ¡°I called three or four times but he doesn''t pick up or can''t pick up...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he can''t pick up?¡±


    ¡°Ta?k?n... I told you earlier on the Ferris wheel that Kerem''s bullies come here from time to time... maybe they came again and saw Kerem...¡±


    ¡°They have nothing to do with Kerem anymore. Kerem has already been expelled from school. Why should they still bother with him?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t they, Ta?k?n?


    ..


    ¡°Is there any reason why they shouldn''t? They pick on Kerem because they can. You shouldn''t look for a reason behind some things. Learn that.¡±


    That sounds a bit familiar, doesn''t it? haha.


    ¡°... So what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°First, let''s go and find Cengiz. Then we''ll call Kerem. In fact, I''ll call Cengiz directly and ask him to come to us.¡±


    ..


    *It''s ringing.


    *Hello. Hello, Cengiz. There''s too much noise. Can you hear me?


    *(noise) I hear very little (noise). (noise) Speak louder!


    Ahmet (shouting) *We are at the benches at the entrance! IF YOU HEAR (noise) COME THERE!


    *I got it! The benches at the entrance! I''ll be right there!


    (Ahmet hangs up the phone)


    ¡°He''ll be here in a few minutes, Genghis. I hope it''s not what I think it is. Oh man Kerem, why didn''t you come with us to the Ferris wheel?¡±


    Ahmet was obviously worried. He cared about Kerem.


    ¡°Ahmet, it''s okay. I mean, I think Kerem definitely didn''t hear the phone. Or he had just gotten on some amusement ride when you called and so he didn''t notice even though you called him several times, or he did notice but even if he picked up the phone he was in no mood to talk so he ignored it saying he would be back later.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know Ta?k?n, I hope it''s like you say. I only think the worst.¡±


    ..


    ¡°I''m going to the restroom until Ahmet Cengiz arrives, I have to pee a lot.¡±


    ¡°OK, but don''t linger too long, come back here as soon as you''re done. Cengiz will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, don''t worry.¡±


    Ta?k?n leaves Ahmet and goes to the restroom.


    After using the restroom, he steps out of the toilet stall and while washing his hands, he overhears a group of people smoking in the restroom.


    Child 1 ¡°I''m glad they didn''t bother with us and took that boy away.¡±


    Child 2 ¡°Actually, I feel sorry for the boy. I wonder if he managed to escape from them.


    Child 3 ¡°You don''t know those bastards. They would hardly let that child go. He shouldn''t have gotten involved with them in the first place. Once you get involved with them... you''ll have a hard time getting away.¡±


    Child 1 ¡°Whatever. It''s none of our business, it''s that child''s problem.¡±


    Child 2 ¡°Yes, it''s none of our business, but to be honest I wonder what they are going to do to him. I would like to watch them from a distance. Where did they take him?¡±


    Child 3 ¡°There is a three-story unfinished construction site five minutes after the amusement park. I heard they were hanging out in that building. So they probably took him there to have fun with the child comfortably.¡±


    Child 1 ¡°I''ll tell you right now. I will never go to that fucking construction site. I don''t want to get involved with those psychos. But if you say I will go and watch, go and watch, but I will never go.¡±


    Child 2 ¡°Calm down, nobody is asking you to go there. We are not going there anyway.¡±


    Child 3 ¡°Exactly. Why should we get into trouble for no reason?¡±


    (They continue talking)


    As the water in Ta?k?n''s hands fell to the ground with the grace of raindrops falling in calm weather, his eyes widened and he began to shake his head rapidly from side to side, saying ¡°no, this can''t be¡±. Ahmet''s thought proved to be correct.


    After quickly recovering himself, Ta?k?n quickly exits the restroom and goes straight to Ahmet.


    We have to get to that construction site as soon as possible before we delay any longer. I hope Cengiz has arrived.


    ..


    I can see from a distance that Cengiz has arrived and he and Ahmet are waiting for me. I was out of breath by the time I reached them.


    Ahmet (curious) ¡°What happened Ta?k?n? Are you okay? You''re covered in sweat and blood.¡±


    Ta?k?n (takes a breath and tries to speak) ¡°La- (inhales) a group of children were smoking in the restroom and- (exhales)¡±


    Cengiz (puzzled) ¡°Why and how can they smoke in the restroom? Isn''t that forbidden?¡±


    Ta?k?n (takes a breath) ¡°Is that what we are talking about now Cengiz?¡±


    Ahmet confirms Ta?k?n ¡°Yes Cengiz, it seems like there are a lot of people who listen to the prohibitions here.¡±


    Cengiz (embarrassed) ¡°Yes, I mean it just came out of my mouth. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Ta?k?n (rested) There is nothing to apologize for. Besides, there is a very urgent situation. When I was washing my hands after using the restroom, I overheard those boys talking.


    After saying this, I turned to Ahmet ¡°You know those kids who bullied Kerem?¡±


    Ahmet (stammering) ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    ¡°They took Kerem to an unfinished construction site five minutes from here, five minutes from the amusement park.¡±


    (Cengiz and Kerem at the same time) ¡°What!?¡±


    They both got very angry when I said this. Ahmet said, ¡°Are you sure Ta?k?n! I mean, maybe it''s not Kerem, how do you know?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure but I think it is Kerem.¡±


    ¡°How can you not be sure? Didn''t you just tell me that maybe he was on some amusement ride and didn''t hear the phone?¡±


    He was right, I was saying the opposite of what I had said a few minutes ago. But if it was really Kerem, we would be very stupid to look for him here.


    ¡°Look Ahmet, if it really is Kerem, we would be doing him a great disservice by looking for him here. Maybe they are beating him right now, so I think it''s a mistake to even talk about it right now. We have to go there immediately!¡±


    ¡°But Ta?k-¡±


    (Cengiz interrupts)


    ¡°Okay then! Let''s do it like this. You two go and I''ll look for Kerem here. If Kerem is there, you''ll let me know and I''ll get there fast.¡±


    This made sense. He turned to Ahmet and said, ¡°I think we should do as Cengiz says, Ahmet.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, come on then. Let''s not waste any more time and let''s go now.¡±


    As they ran towards the exit of the amusement park, Ahmet turned to Cengiz and said (loudly) ¡°If you find Kerem, call me immediately!¡±


    Cengiz (louder) ¡°Don''t worry, I will call you as soon as I find him!¡±


    Cengiz ran deeper into the amusement park, while Ahmet and I ran towards the unfinished construction site..

 Chapter 28 - Kerem

    Ahmet and I were running towards that unfinished building. The guilt growing inside me made my steps even faster. I knew the idea of going to the amusement park had come about because of my curiosity. If something happened to Kerem, I would never forgive myself.


    Here we go again. Blaming yourself. And why do you even care so much about that kid? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t bother helping. Just because they talked to you a little and helped you out doesn¡¯t mean you have to be so attached to them. It¡¯s laughable.


    You should only use people for your own purposes, Ta?k?n. That¡¯s it. You shouldn¡¯t get attached to anyone. Attachment is always a sign of weakness. You¡¯re too young to understand this now, but one day, when you¡¯re older, you¡¯ll see what I mean.


    Milaz (breathing heavily), this isn¡¯t the time.


    ... (grumbling)


    While running, I said to Ahmet, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ahmet. All of this is my fault. If we hadn¡¯t come to the amusement park, none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡±


    Ahmet (breathing heavily and slightly irritated): ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Ta?k?n. This isn¡¯t your fault. If anything, it¡¯s mine. I was the one who first suggested going to the amusement park. I knew what Kerem had been through here, and yet I still wanted to come.¡±


    We stopped to catch our breath. While resting, Ahmet continued speaking.


    ¡°Ta?k?n, but believe me, if I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have suggested coming here. I just wanted us to have some fun together. I never thought something like this could happen.¡±


    As he spoke, the sadness on his face deepened. I wanted to comfort him.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known this would happen, but it¡¯s already done. So please, stop blaming yourself. Let¡¯s just focus on Kerem right now,¡± I said, and to slightly change the subject, I added, ¡°This building wasn¡¯t supposed to be that far, yet we¡¯re still not there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s close; we¡¯ll be there in a moment,¡± Ahmet replied.


    A few minutes later, we arrived at the building. It was an unfinished structure. We went inside and headed for the stairs to the second floor. We had just taken a few steps when noises from above stopped us. The adrenaline inside me spiked. Within seconds, I prepared to dash upstairs, but Ahmet grabbed and pulled me back.


    ¡°What are you doing, Ta?k?n? Wait a bit. We need to call Cengiz and let him know. The two of us can¡¯t handle this alone. Do you want to get beaten to death? If that¡¯s what you want, be my guest.¡±


    Ahmet¡¯s words made me hesitate.


    ¡°Look... That would be reckless. Let¡¯s find something around here we can use as a weapon. After all, this is a construction site; there¡¯s bound to be iron rods or wooden planks we can use. By the time we¡¯re ready, Cengiz will get here, and we can rescue Kerem easily.¡±


    While I looked around for a tool, Ahmet pulled out his phone and dialed Cengiz¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello! Cengiz. Kerem is here, at the construction site. Come here as fast as you can; we¡¯re waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯m on my way!¡±


    Meanwhile, the shouting upstairs didn¡¯t stop, and every echoing sound fueled my anger further. I knew everything was going south. They were either beating Kerem or torturing him. As these thoughts swirled in my mind, Milaz¡¯s cold voice echoed once again:


    Look over there, an iron rod. Not too big, just the right size for you.


    It was as if someone had spoken directly to me. I turned my head toward the spot Milaz pointed to.


    I walked quickly and picked up the rod.


    Would you help me, Milaz?¡± I asked, surprising even myself.


    What a ridiculous question. If you¡¯re alive right now, you owe it to me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true... but at what cost?¡±


    The deal you made has made you stronger. You know that, and you¡¯ll only grow stronger over time.


    Don¡¯t you want revenge? Those human scums who did unspeakable things to you are still walking free. Maybe they¡¯ve already imprisoned another child in that shack, doing the same things to them that they did to you.


    You once told me you wanted to be a good person. If you want to be good, sometimes you have to do things you don¡¯t want to do, Ta?k?n. When you killed Elif¡¯s father, you didn¡¯t do something bad. You just delivered justice.


    ...


    Justice?


    Yes, justice. If you hadn¡¯t killed him, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have been deemed mentally stable enough to stand trial, or if he was, he might¡¯ve been released after a few years and done even worse things. By killing him, you unknowingly did humanity a favor.


    ¡°A good person sometimes has to walk through darkness to achieve their goals. You lived through things no child should ever experience. If you don¡¯t want someone else to go through what you did, you have to do what¡¯s necessary. And to do that, you must become stronger.¡±


    Don¡¯t you want to take revenge on those bastards who wronged you for no reason?


    Revenge is one of the sweetest things, Ta?k?n.


    Do you remember how relieved you felt when you avenged Elif? Didn''t that feeling satisfy you?


    A dull, soulless smile spread across Ta?k?n''s face.


    Yes... it felt very good. Crushing her skull, dislocating her jaw... it made me happy.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Haha. You''ll be able to do so much more when you grow up. You just need to listen to me. I''m showing you the right path, Ta?k?n.


    ..


    Yes... maybe... but right now I just want to save Kerem.


    Yes.. but don''t ever put yourself forward. You''re not a hero, you''re a little boy. And I don''t think you can compete with them yet.


    ..


    Okay.


    I went back to Ahmet and he had found a stick.


    I wanted to get upstairs as soon as possible. Time seemed to pass more slowly than usual. Waiting for Cengiz to arrive had become an agony.


    I turned to Ahmet, a little nervous and flustered.


    ¡°Ahmet, do we have to wait for Cengiz? I mean, let''s both go. Look, we both have sticks in our hands.¡± I said, looking into Ahmet''s eyes.


    Meanwhile the shouting was still coming from upstairs.


    ¡°Look Ta?k?n... I want to go upstairs right away too, but the more the merrier.¡±


    Ahmet''s words made no sense to me. I would have already gone upstairs, but I decided to listen to Ahmet. But the voices coming from upstairs were trying my patience.


    ¡°Ahmet, Cengiz should be here soon, right? I don''t want to wait any longer.¡±


    ¡°In a few minutes. Cengiz is fast. He''ll be here soon.¡±


    I kept thinking, what more could they want from Kerem? They had already done so much to him at school. Why were they still picking on him?


    ¡°Why are they still picking on Kerem, Ahmet? Besides, wouldn''t it be better to call the police? I mean, they are not at school and on top of that they are torturing Kerem. Isn''t that a crime?¡±


    Your faith in the cops blows me away Ta?k?n.


    Milaz now is not the time.


    Ahmet took a deep breath.


    Ta?k?n they are not yet minors. And have you forgotten what I told you? Their families are high ranking people. They''ll get away with it somehow.


    But we...


    He was silent for a while with a bitter expression on his face and then he continued.


    We have no one but each other, Ta?k?n.


    Calling the police will only hurt us. They will send us all to a reformatory and you sure don''t want to go there.


    So we won''t call the police and we will wait for Cengiz to come.


    There was nothing to say after these words. I waited patiently for Cengiz to arrive.


    Minutes passed. While we were waiting for Cengiz to arrive, the shouting from upstairs stopped and there was movement.


    When I heard them walking, Ahmet pointed me behind a wall and we went there together and started to watch what was going to happen.


    Three boys came down from upstairs, chatting and laughing. They were older than us and all three were taller than us. They were also molded.


    They were talking back and forth about Kerem and how they beat him up.


    For a moment I thought of attacking them and I took a step silently. At that moment Milaz started talking again in his icy voice.


    Ta?k?n, stop where you are. Don''t make a stupid move. Do you want to get beaten up? Look, you wanted to save Kerem and now you have.


    No, this is not a rescue. We''re just waiting for them to leave.


    I''m still so helpless. I''m supposed to be here to save Kerem, but I can''t do anything. I''m helplessly waiting for the boys who beat Kerem to leave.


    Obviously you are not alone. Ahmet is with you and he is not doing anything either. So you don''t have to put all the blame on yourself.


    ..


    That''s not helpful, Milaz.


    Haha.


    ..


    I mean, yes, you''re weak, but that''s just for now. But in the future you''ll get stronger.


    But what? Milaz?


    ..


    But you have to listen to me. You''ll never get as strong as you want as long as you''re stubborn with me and don''t listen to me.


    I don''t want to listen to your sick advice.


    Maybe you don''t want to listen now, but you will.


    ...


    When the people who beat Kerem left, we hurried upstairs and saw Kerem. He was standing motionless by the wall, he had fainted. We rushed to him.


    Kerem''s face was covered in blood, his eyebrow was popped. The blood on his face stuck to his pale skin, leaving dark red marks on the dirty floor as it dripped down. A thin trickle of blood was still oozing from his nose; each drop made the silence in the room even heavier. There were deep burn marks on some parts of his skin; the scars of cigarette burns were still red as if they had just scabbed over.


    ¡°Kerem! Wake up Kerem!¡± Ahmet shouted, but Kerem didn''t react. I didn''t know what to do, I was just kneeling next to Kerem, looking at his face, my eyes filled with tears. I balled my hands into fists and I was so angry. It made me even more angry that I was useless and that I could only watch in horror from afar as the people who had made Kerem like this left and I could do nothing.


    Minutes later we heard running and Ahmet and I turned our heads towards the stairs. It was Cengiz. He saw us at the corner of the wall and quickly came to us.


    ¡°Kerem! What happened! Where are those bastards! I''ll fuck them!¡± but of course there was nothing to do. If the people who did this to Kerem were here, they would probably put us in the same situation as Kerem. Maybe even worse.


    Then he knelt down like us and looked at Kerem with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Why.. why can''t they leave him alone.. It''s not enough what they did to him at school... fuck them all!¡±


    I put my hand on Cengiz''s shoulder and shook him gently. He looked at me, but didn''t say a word. He just nodded. He understood what I meant. The silence said more than words ever could. We turned our eyes to the floor, because our gaze betrayed something missing: we didn''t know what to do.


    Minutes passed. Cengiz clasped his hands tightly together. He rocked back and forth on his knees, his eyes constantly roaming over Kerem. His breathing quickened; he was obviously trying to cope with his helplessness. Ahmet, sitting next to us, was silently biting his nails. Every now and then he would look at Kerem, then lower his head and stare blankly at the wall. He never spoke; his silence was even heavier than Cengiz''s tense movements.


    Kerem''s clothes were torn and torn in some places. The scars on his arms bore the marks of torture. Something inside me was breaking with every glance. There was no point in trying to share this pain with words; no one dared to break the silence.


    Finally we all gave up, sat down next to Kerem and waited. Cengiz hugged his knees to his chest, while Ahmet still stared blankly at the same wall. Occasionally he frowned, as if arguing with himself in his mind. There was nothing we could do but wait, and this helplessness was tearing us apart.


    I don''t remember how much time passed, but at some point Kerem started to move. We all gathered ourselves and turned to him. His eyes slowly opened and an unexpected smile appeared on his face. At that moment, I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. It was as if he hadn''t been through that torture, as if he hadn''t been dragged into the depths of pain. The words that came out of his mouth at that moment made the pain inside me even greater;


    ¡°My brothers... are you all right...? Did they...do.. anything.. to anyone of you?¡±


    His voice was hoarse and shaky, like the last notes of a shattered music box. His words carried pain in every letter; some were slurred, others barely audible. At these words Cengiz put his hands to his head and pulled his hair tightly. ¡°Kerem... no... the bastard bastards...¡± he murmured, but his voice was too weak to be heard. Ahmet closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath; it was so obvious he was clenching his teeth that I could see the muscles in his jaw tense. We didn''t know what to say to this question.


    I grabbed Kerem''s left hand as my hands trembled. I looked at the fear in his eyes, the unbearable pain hiding behind that smile. I smiled back, but it was no consolation.


    ¡°We''re fine. Brother... we''re fine... but you...¡± I couldn''t say more. The words stuck in my throat.


    Kerem tried to laugh, but his voice turned into a wheeze. He answered with difficulty;


    ¡°I... I guess I''m not very well, am I? I mean, I don''t know how I look, but... I''m sure I look like shit...¡±


    With his words, he seemed to want to lighten the weight of the moment. But in that moment, the fact that Kerem was trying to stand so strong despite everything only deepened the pain in all of us. Cengiz bowed his head, trying to suppress his sobs. Ahmet silently cursed as he rubbed his eyes with his hand.


    I had made up my mind, I was going to make those bastards regret what they had done, make them wish they had never been born. I would do whatever it took to make it happen. Anything.


    Haha... Really everything..?


    ..

 Chapter 29 - Serah

    Together with Ahmet, we lifted Kerem off the ground. We supported him by his shoulders and headed toward the stairs. Kerem was in a pitiful state. His feet barely touched the ground; he had completely let go of himself. Cengiz followed behind us, sniffling. A heavy silence had settled over us¡ªboth physical and emotional, like a crushing weight. Just when we thought we¡¯d finally escaped those bastards, everything turned upside down in an instant. We descended the stairs and started moving toward the exit. No one uttered a single word. Then again, what good would words do in the situation we were in? They¡¯d be utterly useless, of course. So, staying silent was the best option. What had happened shook us all, but it had shattered Kerem. A chapter he thought was closed had suddenly been flung back in his face.


    We stepped out onto the streets. People turned to look at us, but their stares didn¡¯t matter to us. We weren¡¯t tired from carrying him; we were exhausted from what we¡¯d been through. When we got home, we sat Kerem on the couch, and the rest of us collapsed onto the floor. A deep silence filled the room, until Cengiz broke it.


    ¡°So¡­ what the hell are we going to do now, guys? We¡¯re going to take revenge, right? What they did to Kerem can¡¯t go unanswered. We have to get back at those bastards somehow. This can¡¯t just end like this.¡±


    Ahmet turned his eyes to Cengiz. With a bitter smile, he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about revenge too, but I have no idea how we¡¯d pull it off. Whether we face them one-on-one or as a group, it doesn¡¯t matter¡ªthey¡¯d wipe the floor with us. We don¡¯t stand a chance against them. Honestly, Cengiz, it doesn¡¯t seem like we have much of a shot at revenge. The only thing we can do is get the hell out of wherever we are the moment we see them and pray they don¡¯t notice us.¡±


    Hearing this, Cengiz shot up from where he was lying, about to snap back angrily, when Ta?k?n, staring blankly at a fixed point, began to speak.


    His tone was different¡ªcold and unfamiliar.


    ¡°We should kill those kids¡­ Imagine it: cutting off their fingers one by one¡­ ripping out their tongues¡­ they¡¯d beg us in agony, but we wouldn¡¯t care¡­ we¡¯d just watch them suffer¡­¡±


    At that moment, everyone fell silent. The words Cengiz was about to say got stuck in his throat as he looked at Ta?k?n with worried eyes. Ahmet grimaced but said nothing. Kerem, with one eye completely swollen shut from the beating and the other half-open, stared at Ta?k?n with that single eye. For a long time.


    He shifted where he sat. Even in his heart-wrenching state, he still tried to smile. He spoke¡­ but it sounded like every word hurt him.


    ¡°Ta?k?n¡­ calm down¡­ please don¡¯t say things like that. What¡¯s done is done.¡±


    He turned his head to Ahmet.


    ¡°Ahmet, forget about revenge¡­ You just said it yourself¡ªwhat can we do against those guys? Forget about me; I¡¯m already a wreck. The three of you don¡¯t stand a chance against them. You know that.¡±


    Cengiz shook his head side to side. He clearly didn¡¯t like what he was hearing.


    ¡°Kerem, look at what they¡¯ve done to you, and you¡¯re still telling us to forget about revenge. What they did to you won¡¯t go unpunished. Sure, we might not match them in physical strength, but we can use our heads. How hard could it be to find a metal pipe or a sharp weapon? We live in a dump anyway¡ªcops don¡¯t even come around here. If we wander the streets a bit and ask a few people, we could easily find a knife or something to buy.¡±


    Kerem writhed in pain. He wanted to speak, but his tongue wouldn¡¯t cooperate. When he¡¯d first taken the beating, the adrenaline had numbed him, but now that was wearing off. His brain was slowly registering the severity of the beating and the damage it had left behind. Seeing this, Ahmet spoke on his behalf.


    ¡°Cengiz¡­ I¡¯m pissed off too, but metal pipes or sharp weapons¡­ what are you saying? Are we going to kill them? You¡¯re starting to sound like Ta?k?n.¡±


    Ta?k?n was still staring at the same spot, his eyes vacant.


    Ahmet continued.


    ¡°But look¡­ you¡¯re right about one thing. We can use our heads. Maybe¡­ we could corner one of them alone. An empty street, a park at night¡­ but just one. No more than that. And after we corner him, we get to that other point you mentioned¡­¡±


    Cengiz raised his eyebrows, listening intently. Kerem clutched at the bruised parts of his body helplessly, hoping to ease the pain even slightly, though it was just a psychological comfort¡ªhis pain remained unchanged. Ahmet¡¯s words must have caught Ta?k?n¡¯s attention too, because he slowly shifted his gaze from that fixed point to Ahmet. Realizing all eyes were on him, Ahmet went on.


    ¡°We live in a shitty neighborhood, and like you said, even the cops barely show up here. So yeah¡­ with a little money, we could get ourselves some blunt or crushing weapons. And we will¡ªbut no knives. Just sticks or pipes. Then, we beat the crap out of that bastard we corner until he¡¯s worse off than Kerem. The only thing that matters is he doesn¡¯t die. We¡¯ll just¡­ break him. Arms, legs, jaw¡ªwhatever we hit. But no blows to the head. If we kill him, it¡¯ll blow up into something bigger. If it turns into a murder, those influential families won¡¯t let it go.¡±


    A groan escaped through Kerem¡¯s teeth as he breathed. Ahmet¡¯s plan hit the silence and echoed through the room.


    Ta?k?n just¡­ stared. Blankly, soullessly. Something entirely different was swirling in his mind.


    A long silence followed. Then, a pained sigh rose from Kerem¡¯s chest. Clutching his shoulder, he sat up slightly, his lips cracked, his voice trembling.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve set your minds on this revenge thing¡­ (his breath hitched for a moment, and he squinted) fine¡­ but there are still a lot of details and risks¡­ and it¡¯s not that simple. Those bastards come around here sometimes¡­ but they usually hang out in the rich parts of the city¡­ (he let out a deep sigh) They only come here to score drugs or other crap. Because if they did that where they live, their precious families might find out that their little angels are actually worthless pieces of shit. Plus, they usually move in groups, and¡­ they won¡¯t let go of this attack you¡¯re planning¡ªwell, that you guys are planning. The family of the guy you beat might not care too much. If we catch him, it¡¯ll be in our area, and¡­ everyone knows what kind of place this is. (He paused for a few seconds, swallowing hard) There¡¯s a slim chance they¡¯d just say, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have gone there,¡¯ and brush it off, but we can¡¯t be sure of that. Maybe his family will pursue it to the end. Let¡¯s say they don¡¯t care. His friends, though¡ªthey won¡¯t let it slide that easily. They¡¯ve got a lot of connections around here, and¡­ if they find out we did it, we¡¯re screwed. They wouldn¡¯t even need proof¡ªthey¡¯d suspect us right away because this attack would happen right after they beat me up. (He coughed) So, they might come after us immediately. They could even hire someone to kill us¡­ (He tried to take a deep breath, but it was like someone was squeezing his lungs. His ¡®Hhh¡ª¡¯ sigh cut off midway) There are plenty of messed-up guys around here who¡¯d kill for a little cash and some drugs¡­ Honestly, this plan has way too many risks. It falls apart no matter how you look at it¡­¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Another deep silence settled in.


    Cengiz broke it with a sharp, frustrated breath. He was clearly angry.


    ¡°So what, Kerem? Are we just going to do nothing? I¡¯ve been listening to you this whole time, thinking, ¡®Maybe he¡¯s got an idea,¡¯ but apparently not. Look at you¡ªyou can barely talk through the pain. If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d have come up with a dozen plans to get revenge on those bastards by now.¡±


    Ahmet took a deep breath and spoke.


    ¡°Hold on, Cengiz. Don¡¯t jump down his throat. Kerem¡¯s right. It was never going to be that easy. We need to think this through carefully and come up with a solid plan.¡±


    Ta?k?n had fixed his gaze on a spot again, just sitting there.


    The conversation sounded like a dull hum to him¡ªhe wasn¡¯t really processing it. Because he wasn¡¯t interested.


    ..


    Ta?k?n¡­ I guess your friends are confused. What are you going to do? How are you going to act?


    I want to kill them¡­


    h???????????a????????h???????a???????? Yes, I know¡­ I can help you¡­ if you want, of course¡­


    ¡­


    I think it¡¯s time I told you some things¡­


    Ta?k?n slowly turned his head side to side, trying to make sense of what Milaz was saying. What did that mean? Was there still something he hadn¡¯t told him?


    What are you talking about, Milaz¡­? Didn¡¯t you tell me everything? Are you still hiding things from me?


    It¡¯s not about trust. I was just waiting for the right moment, that¡¯s all¡­ Besides, even if I did lie to you¡­ could you really be mad at me? Do you think I¡¯m a good entity, Ta?k?n¡­?


    I think you¡¯re a good entity¡­ because you¡¯re helping me. That¡¯s enough for me. The rest doesn¡¯t matter¡­


    h?????a??????h??????a????????? I¡¯m starting to like you more and more.


    So, if the symbol on my hand doesn¡¯t belong to the Gods of Destruction, then whose is it?


    It belongs to a sorceress named Serah. The symbol on your hand is called ¡°SERAHMOT.¡± In the old tongue, it translates to ¡°Serah¡¯s seal,¡± or her sign, symbol, or mark.


    A sorceress¡­? Aren¡¯t people like that just charlatans?


    ..You¡¯re really smart for your age, you know that, right?


    ¡­


    She¡¯s no charlatan. If she were, could you have killed Elif¡¯s father? Could you have tracked Hasan¡¯s car? How did you see the faint, patchy tire marks in the dirt? It¡¯s all because of that symbol.


    Okay, but¡­ where is this sorceress?


    Not in this world¡­ She lives where I come from¡­ Normally, that symbol glows with an orangish light when it comes into contact with blood, but¡ª


    But it didn¡¯t?


    S?t?o?p? ?i?n?t?e?r?r?u?p?t?i?n?g? ?m?e? ?o?r? ?I? ?w?o?n?¡¯?t? ?e?x?p?l?a?i?n?!?!?


    ¡­


    The reason it didn¡¯t glow¡­ is because you didn¡¯t offer that soul to Serah before killing him. Or dedicate the kill to her.


    That bastard¡¯s soul isn¡¯t worth a damn. What would Serah do with it?


    ¡­The ways of sorcerers are beyond comprehension, Ta?k?n. But let¡¯s keep it simple. If you offer every soul you take to Serah, she¡¯ll start to take a liking to you over time. And that¡­ is a good thing. Who knows, maybe one day you¡¯ll get to speak to her face-to-face. Maybe you¡¯ll hear from her own mouth what she does with those souls. But there¡¯s something you need to be careful about. You have to give her a lot of souls¡ªnot just a few, but far more. Where I come from, almost everyone has Serah¡¯s symbol. Because it¡¯s one of the easiest to obtain.


    It¡¯s going to take me a long time to process all this¡­ Right now, I feel like I¡¯m trapped between two massive worlds. On one hand, there¡¯s everything you¡¯re telling me, and on the other, the kids who beat up Kerem. These two things are so far apart and unrelated that I don¡¯t even know what to think¡­


    Ta?k?n¡­ Kerem, those kids who beat him up¡­ they¡¯re all as insignificant as a drop of water melting in the middle of the ocean. Trust me, compared to what I¡¯m telling you, they¡¯re not even worth mentioning.


    ¡­


    So how is this symbol so easy to get?


    You dedicate the soul of the person you kill to Serah, and the symbol appears randomly somewhere on your body. It showed up on your left hand. You have to say certain words while dedicating it¡ªa small ritual, of sorts. When you were dying in that grave, I did it for you. Remember when I told you to just accept the deal?


    Yeah¡­


    So¡­ does that mean Serah is the weakest sorceress or something? You said her symbols are the weakest, so that must mean she¡¯s weak too, right?


    h???????????a????????h???????a????????h???????????a????????


    ¡­Sometimes I think you¡¯re not a kid but a man carrying centuries of knowledge inside you.


    But unfortunately¡­ you¡¯re wrong, Ta?k?n. On the contrary, her power comes from how accessible she is. Every bearer dedicates more souls to her, strengthening both themselves and her. Gaining a new symbol is much harder. Not every symbol can be obtained as easily as Serah¡¯s. That¡¯s why those who carry her symbol focus on strengthening the one they already have instead of seeking new ones.


    Milaz¡­ you always talk so vaguely¡­ You said ¡®she lives where I come from,¡¯ but you didn¡¯t tell me where that is¡­


    Ta?k?n, didn¡¯t you just say you need time to process all this? And yet you still want more information. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you when the time is right.


    Besides, I think your friends want to talk to you¡­


    Ta?k?n


    Ta?k?n!


    TA?KIN!


    It was Ahmet calling out. Ta?k?n had been so lost in his conversation with Milaz that the voices of his three friends talking in the background had sounded like muffled noise to him. But now, with Ahmet¡¯s loud shout, he snapped back to reality.


    ¡°Yes, Ahmet¡­? Sorry, I zoned out. My bad.¡±


    The three of them exchanged glances but didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    Cengiz shook his head. ¡°Ta?k?n, we¡¯ve been talking about the plan for minutes now¡ªweren¡¯t you listening at all?¡±


    A coughing, pained laugh escaped Kerem¡¯s bloody lips. ¡°T- Ta?k?n¡­ I¡¯ve been watching you for a while, and honestly, for a moment I thought your heart had stopped or something¡­ You were so still and quiet, like a statue¡­ It makes me laugh, but¡­ I¡¯m also worried about you. Are you okay?¡±


    I placed my hands on either side of me, palms down, and lifted myself slightly to turn toward the three of them. I didn¡¯t want them to suspect anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Kerem, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just¡­ what happened to you¡­ it really pissed me off and shook me up. I feel like this is all my fault. I was the one who insisted we go to the amusement park. If we hadn¡¯t gone, maybe none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Ahmet groaned, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Ta?k?n, I¡¯ve told you before¡ªthis isn¡¯t your fault. It was bound to happen, and it did. Stop blaming yourself already.¡±


    Kerem nodded, agreeing. ¡°Yeah, Ta?k?n, don¡¯t blame yourself¡­ There¡¯s nothing we can do¡­ Those scumbags were already roaming around here¡­ (he sighed) If it wasn¡¯t today, it might¡¯ve happened some other day¡­¡±


    ¡°How much longer are we going to talk about this?¡±


    We all turned our eyes to Cengiz. He¡¯d jumped into the conversation out of nowhere. Noticing he had our attention, he sat up and continued.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about who¡¯s to blame and focus on the plan.¡±


    Ahmet stretched backward. ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    He leaned back on his hands for support and spoke.


    ¡°Ta?k?n, while you were zoned out, we pretty much finalized the plan. I¡¯m going to explain it to you now, but no spacing out this time, okay? Pay attention.¡±


    I gave a small smile. He must¡¯ve taken it as a yes, because he started explaining.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do¡­¡±