Uncle Ibrahim smiled a faint smile, while his eyes met Sami's with intense interest. Then he moved his lips, replying to him in a warm voice filled with respect: "It's been only a few months, but it felt like years!"
"How are you, my nephew? Is everything alright?"
Maintaining his sincere smile,he asked reassuringly about his nephew's well-being in a tone that reflected feelings of familiarity and care.
Sami, who was still lying on the ground with his upper torso propped up, looked with astonished eyes, examining his uncle's face.
Time seemed to have frozen in his eyes, and a look of longing and astonishment was prominent on his features. His eyes had glimpsed Uncle Ibrahim, who still retained his youth and strength.
After moments of exchanging glances, Sami suddenly sprang from his spot, threw himself into his uncle's embrace, and hugged him violently. He cried out in a voice filled with joy and longing: "Uncle!... You've finally arrived!!!"
Uncle Ibrahim didn't hesitate for a moment; as soon as he felt the warmth of his nephew's hug, he enveloped him powerfully in his arms, pressing him with tenderness.
The hug was silent, but it expressed the relationship held by both the uncle and his nephew, a solid relationship that seemed like an unbreakable chain.
Afterwards, Sami released himself from his uncle's embrace after feeling the comfort he had long missed. Then, without warning, he began eagerly firing his questions at Uncle Ibrahim: "How are you, Uncle? What's your news? And how is your work?!"
Uncle Ibrahim smiled calmly and raised his palm in the air, attempting to stop the flood of questions directed at him. He said in a soothing voice: "Calm down!... Calm down! Your questions are many, young man."
He took a deep breath, then slowly removed his hands and began moving his lips in a tone that was both calm and confident: "I am well, praise God. Don't worry about me."
"As for work..." He paused for a moment as if thinking about the kind of answer he would give, before continuing: "You could say it's still relatively good. Despite the many dangers, the benefits are worth it."
"A hunter doesn't throw himself into danger for no reason, unless the reward is tempting!" He looked at Sami with eyes full of wisdom, adding.
Sami stood silently after listening to all these words. Although he didn't utter a word, the deep look in those dark eyes showed his gaze filled with respect and admiration for his uncle.
"By the way, what do you think, Uncle, of what I just did?" After a moment of silence, Sami spoke up, pointing with his hand towards the tree whose upper half was now fallen on the ground, while the stump was still attached to its roots despite some cracks and marks of punches.
Uncle Ibrahim, who was listening attentively, slowly turned his head towards it and began approaching quietly, his black eyes examining it carefully. His looks were mixed with astonishment and some contemplation.
"You see, Uncle, I am strong!" While Sami slowly approached him, speaking in a tone dominated by pride, especially his facial features which reflected his confidence as he said it.
Standing in front of the tree, Uncle Ibrahim sighed, shifting his gaze from the tree to his nephew. He said in a voice filled with appreciation: "Masha'Allah, you have considerable destructive power."
"But, judging by the number of imprints carved in both the stump and the fallen tree... I suppose you needed a long time to break it!" He then added quietly, his hands touching the stump, which looked in a miserable state.
Sami, who listened well to his uncle's analysis, was about to reply, but he stopped when he heard a voice coming from behind him.
"My son! When did you arrive here?" It was none other than the voice of Al-Hajj Khalid, who stared at his son Ibrahim's face with a smile that was almost appearing on his wrinkled face.
As soon as the old man appeared, the sun was gradually disappearing behind the horizon, leaving the sky a mixture of warm colors that seemed to bid farewell to the day with a beautiful sadness.
Al-Hajj Khalid paid great attention to his son who had just returned to the island, with eyes carrying love and appreciation for him, while the shadows of dusk had begun their movements to envelop the earth in darkness.
"It seems time has grown late! Follow me." The old man noticed the sun had set and the sea of shadows it left behind, which relatively covered the place around them.
This prompted him to turn his back and head towards his house, calling them to follow him without turning his face towards them.
Inside, the atmosphere of the house was completely different from outside. The bright lamps scattered in every corner cast their light on the ancient walls of the house.
They revealed the true shapes and colors of the house after dispelling the surrounding previous darkness. The decor of the house, although simple, had an appearance that brought comfort to its inhabitants.
On one of the wooden tables with its chairs, whose details were highlighted under the glowing lamp lights, sat Al-Hajj Khalid, his son, and his grandson. The old man was lifting a copper teapot that shimmered under the lamp's reflection.
A stream of light brown tea poured from its spout. As soon as it spilled into one of the placed glass cups, warm steam rose, carrying with it the smell of fresh tea.
"Help yourselves, boys," said Al-Hajj Khalid in his calm voice after finishing filling the cups with hot tea. He placed his pot aside, then picked up his cup and took a sip.
The fragrant smell of the tea rose and flowed towards his nostrils, with its delightful aroma mixed with fresh mint, imparting a feeling of tranquility and pleasure to the old man.
Sami and Uncle Ibrahim, after being permitted by the old man, each obediently picked up their cup of tea and began sipping it. Its warmth seeped into their bodies, bringing them tranquility and pleasure as well.
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Outside the house, darkness still dominated the place, covering everything with a veil of intense blackness and hiding the details of the surrounding forest. Silence also dominated the area, a quiet and eerie silence at the same time.
Cool breezes of air flowed with perfect secrecy, as if they were ghosts moving between the trees, causing their delicate branches to sway and their leaves to tremble.
The cold night atmosphere didn't last long, for it was only minutes before the sun rose on the horizon, sending its silky, glowing threads that slowly caused the veil of blackness to dissipate, restoring the colors of life to the place.
In front of the house's wooden door, it opened quietly, producing a faint sound that was almost inaudible. Out came Al-Hajj Khalid with steady, confident steps, wearing the same clothes as the previous evening.
He carried in his right hand the same wooden box in which he kept most of his personal belongings. Taking a deep breath, he walked calmly towards the market, leaving his residence.
Leaving his house, which remained silent for what seemed a relatively long time…
The house, after remaining silent during that period, finally had its door move and open again, producing the same sound as before.
This time, Sami came out to perform his usual morning exercises, but this time with Uncle Ibrahim present with him.
They settled in the same place where the same tree still stood, the one on which Sami had made a deep hole. The wind passed through it, causing dried wood splinters to fall from it.
"And now, show me what you have achieved!" In a tone that seemed relatively calm with a touch of seriousness, Uncle Ibrahim gave his nephew the signal.
"As you wish." Sami, as soon as his uncle gave the start signal, a confident smile appeared on his lips as if he had been eagerly waiting for this moment.
He raised both hands and bent them with concentration, closed his eyes and began to meditate, trying to clear his mind, while gusts of wind passed behind him, moving strands of his hair.
Moments of contemplative silence passed before he opened his eyelids, revealing his black eyes which glowed with a faint silvery light.
Suddenly, without warning, the same energy emerged again, but this time violently and abruptly. A strong wave of energy enveloped his entire body, making it seem as if he was clad in an armor of invisible light.
The air around him sensed the sudden wave of energy, causing it to vibrate powerfully under its effect, which was clearly evident from the ripples that inversely affected the movement of nearby trees.
Uncle Ibrahim stood silently observing the scene with his sharp eyes. He didn't seem surprised, but was watching that aura surrounding Sami's body with great interest, before opening his mouth and giving a slight appraisal: "You've managed to learn the basics! Not bad."
Sami, whose body was coated in that energy which appeared like a cloak woven of warm, transparent vapor, smiled wryly after hearing his uncle's remark.
"Your control over Rishin seems relatively good!" He added again, moving his lips slowly, offering encouraging words to him, his eyes gleaming with a faint light, reflecting his pride in his nephew.
With slow and quiet steps, Uncle Ibrahim approached Sami, who was still covered in the transparent energy shield. He placed one of his rough hands gently on Sami's shoulder.
Then, in a quiet, clear, and direct voice that brooked no argument, he moved his lips, saying with his eyes fixed on the young man: "Stop what you are doing, and follow me now!"
The latter was still feeling the effect of the energy that had coated his body for what seemed to him a relatively long time. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
Afterwards, he closed both eyelids and began to concentrate. Meanwhile, he felt the energy gradually fading from his body until it diminished and disappeared as if it had never existed.
Uncle Ibrahim, seeing this, slowly turned his back and began to move. Sami, who opened his eyes after a moment, began to follow him with slow steps as well.
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Near one of the trees, whose branches were swaying gently under the effect of the strong wind that passed through them. Creating a long rustling sound from their green leaves that were trembling along with their branches, as if dancing with the gentle breeze.
Swish!
Seconds later, a delicate leaf shoot launched at great speed towards the tree. The leaf was cutting through the wind waves with astonishing speed, as if it were an arrow surrounded by a hidden energy.
And within moments, the leaf reached its target, piercing the bark of the tree trunk. It looked like a thin blade gently embedded a few inches into it.
"Amazing…!" From the opposite side of the tree, a young man's voice rang out, laden with a tone denoting amazement at what had just happened. It was none other than Sami, who showed a look not devoid of astonishment.
Standing beside his uncle, who was also looking at the tree with a faint smile that appeared on his lips. His outstretched hand indicated that he was the one who made the throw.
Sami, who averted his gaze from the leaf and cast his looks towards his silent uncle, asked him eagerly in a loud voice not lacking in admiration: "How did you do that??"
Uncle Ibrahim didn't answer him quickly. Instead, he remained silent, contemplating the slight depth the leaf had created, before turning his face towards Sami and moving his lips to explain: "I didn't do anything, except I coated the leaf with Rishin…"
"And turned it into a weapon?" He added, saying as he picked up one of the leaves lying on the ground and lifted it with his energy-clad hand, where he coated the tree leaf with it and made it have a sharp texture.
"Was Rishin energy capable of doing such things?!" Sami, who listened well to Uncle Ibrahim's explanations, couldn't hide his looks of amazement and astonishment, as he asked him in disbelief.
Staring at the leaf coated in a faint, almost transparent aura, Uncle Ibrahim averted his gaze from it and cast it towards Sami, replying in an suggestive tone: "What you just saw, Sami, is only a tiny part of the full potential it hides!"
Simultaneously with his words, he tightened the muscles of his right arm holding the leaf, and with a quick movement, he threw it like a sharp blade that pierced another part of the same tree bark.