It was when Elrian turned twenty-five that his marriage took place. Lucy was now living in grandmother's house. Elrian and his wife were living in their own home. Elrian's wife's name was Clara Bennett. Their wedding was conducted as a grand celebration. For that, Lucy had to spend one thousand silver coins. By then, small kinds of vehicles had already been made there. That vehicle had three wheels. And so, they gave it a name "Timbercycle."
The person who discovered this vehicle was the wisest among.Because around his neck was the symbol of a humanoid creature called Aegir.The people of the island believed that Aegir was the giant lord beneath the sea, the King of the Giants. How much truth there was to that belief, no one knew. In the span of 500 years, only one person on the island had ever borne the mark of Aegir, the sea monster. And that person was the very one who had discovered this vehicle. What aided him was precisely the symbol of Aegir upon his body. Those who carried this mark possessed extraordinary intelligence, having three times the knowledge of an ordinary human.
Although his name was Edwin Clarke, after the invention of the Timbercycle, the other inhabitants of the island gave him a title:
"Ocean's Architect."
Now, he was working on a new kind of invention. This time, he was experimenting with a way to bring light into the night. Every single person on the island was waiting in hope for the success of his new creation.
From ancient times, there had always been a special day when everyone was granted entry into the palace. That day was considered a festival.
However, during the reign of the king, this festival had been discontinued for 500 long years.
Now, with no king ruling the island, the festival was once again being celebrated without interruption year after year.
And so, the years passed. Elrian now had an eighteen-year-old son. His name was Jack.
Lucy, however, had still never thought about marriage. To tell the truth, she had no interest in it at all. Just as the old grandmother had once spent her time in a rocking chair, Lucy too passed her days in much the same way.,always staying at home.
By this time, Elrian's son had already learned to use his anima code quite well. Jack's anima code bore the mark of a serpent recorded in history. It granted him sharp hearing and the ability to track anything by scent.
Lucy, like that aged woman, now writes a diary every day. Little by little, she was becoming just like the grandmother. The people there regarded Lucy with respect and honor. She lived her life in peace.
By this time, the Ocean's Architect had used his wisdom to discover a way to bring light into the night. For this, he used a small creature found along the seashore. Some of the people there said it had come from the sea itself. This creature possessed the ability to spread light from its body.
Until then, no one had ever seen such a creature. It was Tracy, a girl playing with her friends on the seashore, who first saw it. That news spread throughout the island. It reached the ears of Ocean's Architect, Edwin Clarke. Thus, his experiment shifted to those creatures. He observed that it grew slightly every month. After two years of experimentation, he found a way to light using the juice collected from its spine.To store it, he created a square-shaped object. He then displayed it in front of the island's people. They were satisfied with the experiment. Now the children there could go out at night, they realized. Because only after turning ten years old would they receive the ability to emit light from their own anima code. Not only that, the reason for discovering that light was that if they used their own anima code to spread light for an extended period, they might experience bodily pain. Now that the path for it was available, everyone was happy. However, there was only one. They realized that many more creatures would still be needed for it. Then everyone went out for that purpose. They managed to gather approximately 12,000 creatures. Edwin Clarke experimented with each of them. They gave a name to that light-emitting object, "Glowbit." The name meant a small piece of light. In this way, it continued to develop in the luminous isle every day.
...
The island where the passengers were trapped.
The cold of the snow on the island had not faded until now. Joseph was sitting inside his tent, passing the time by reading a book. It was then that Robert's voice rose outside the tent.
"Joseph, come to eat." As soon as he said this, Robert left without waiting for Joseph's reply. When his voice had completely blended into the cold of the snow, Joseph moved aside the curtain and stepped outside the tent. He did not even pretend as if he had heard Robert's voice. When he came to the campfire with the plate that had been given to him, the others had already gathered there. Joseph took a place near the fire. Robert placed two pieces of roasted pork into his plate. Since he was very hungry, he swallowed both pieces in a single go. He wanted to eat more meat, but each person was given only two pieces of meat at one time. Since there was still meat left, no one went into the forest to hunt. The first one to stand guard at the place where the word HELP had been written was Joseph. To pass the time, he once again picked up the book he had been reading earlier.
.....
11:30 AM Mary's Tent.
Inside the tent, Max was with her teacher, Alice. Max's mother wasn't there she had gone to Juliet for an errand. That's why Mary had left her daughter Max in the teacher's care before leaving.
The cold wind seeped into the tent. Max felt a deep chill, though she was wrapped inside a thick sheet. The happiness that once lit up her face had now faded away.
"Teacher Alice, I can't believe what's happening here. It frightens me. Every single day, it feels like we are fighting a battle against fear and hunger. If life is nothing but pain, then what meaning does it really hold? Are our lives worth so much if they are filled only with suffering?" Max said, looking at Alice.
"Life isn't easy, Max. It never will be. Seeking only happiness in life is impossible. If you learn to endure pain, that very pain will make you stronger." Alice's words gave Max a brief moment of comfort. But soon, she asked again:
"But I feel weak. Will this weakness even allow me to survive here?"
"You must learn to accept your weakness, Max. Only those who acknowledge their own weakness can rise toward strength. Right now, your mind is saying, 'I am very weak.' That recognition itself is the first step. Those who think this way develop a hunger to grow and that hunger will carry you forward."
"Then what does life really mean?" Max asked.
"Meaning? Life itself gives no meaning, Max. It's you who must create meaning from it. Life's circumstances will never show mercy to anyone. What we must do is face them all with courage." Alice exhaled a breath and continued.
"Life doesn't nurture anyone. It only breaks. But the one who rises again from where he has been broken he is the one who truly lives."
Alice's words gave Max a little strength.
"Now you should rest. I have something I need to finish. When your mother comes, just tell her I already left." Alice stepped out of the tent.
Max took her earphones and placed them back on her head. She played the song she always listened to. Pulling the blanket tightly around her body, she lay down to sleep. The blanket gave her some comfort against the cold outside. Nobody noticed the sun rising or setting that day for time had slipped by too quickly.
Time: 8:00 PM.
They had their dinner sitting around the campfire. Afterward, the professor began to tell them what was to be done that night.
"Tonight, we will give Rose the electric shock. I've already prepared everything for it. According to what Peter said, when the clock strikes twelve tonight, three days will be complete. That is the time we must administer the shock to Rose. But I will not be the one to do it. I'll only connect the battery. One of you must step forward to give her the shock. Anyone may take that responsibility."
After a moment of silence, Daniel stepped forward.
"I'll do it."
Since there was still time left, none of them forced their bodies to stay awake. Each returned to their tents. But Daniel remained seated near the fire. After some time, Francis came to his side. Lighting a cigarette, he sat next to him. Except for the two of them, the others were all inside their tents.
Daniel stayed there because he carried the weight of being the leader. His eyes were fixed on the flames of the fire that burned steadily. Behind him, Francis sat smoking his cigarette.
"Francis, you're always this calm. Even when all of us are fighting to survive, you sit without a trace of fear, smiling calmly. How do you manage it? What's the secret of this calmness?"
"If a man wants great victory, he doesn't need to conquer the world. Conquering the fear inside him is enough.,that is his greatest victory. If you can pull your fear out from your heart and look it in the eye, then you can remain calm no matter the situation." Francis drew a strong breath of smoke from his cigarette.
"You're right, Francis. Fear is what has conquered my mind. My heart holds only one thought.,to get all of you out of here somehow. Darkness is all that covers my mind."
Francis smiled again. Then he released the smoke he had pulled deep into his lungs.
"Daniel, without darkness there is no light. You can only know the value of light when you've walked through the dark. A hero is not one who has no fear.,but one who decides to move forward even with fear inside him."
For a while, neither of them spoke a word. Francis's words had thrown Daniel into deep thought. Daniel kept trying to bring calmness into his heart.
To be continued....