Mihon and Youray headed toward the great wooden gate and found the villagers still waiting. Beside the gate lay a shredded corpse—so torn apart it resembled a slab of minced meat. It was the gatekeeper who had mocked them upon their arrival, and whom Youray had killed after returning with the villagers from the factories. After that, they took a few horses and set off on their return.

It wasn't long before they came back to the village, bringing with them twenty horses. It was close to midnight, for ever since Mihon and Youray had left the village with the five men, everything had unfolded in a single swift moment.

At that hour, the village was still—swallowed whole by the night. But the moment the faces of the freed captives appeared, those whom Mihon and Youray had liberated, the people emerged from their homes, their belongings strapped to their backs, joy quietly seeping into their hearts.

When those five men came, Mihon leaned in and whispered to the old man, saying:

"When we go with them to the factories… pack your belongings. Take all that is essential. Because… once we return, we will leave this forest."

The old man was surprised and said:

"Are you sure?"

Mihon replied with unshakable confidence:

"Just trust me… everything will end tonight."

Meanwhile, as Mihon went with the men, the village chief informed the people to pack their belongings without leaving their homes until they saw with their own eyes the return of Mihon and the other boy.

Everyone gathered in front of the chief's house, with him standing in their midst, addressing them:

"From this moment onward… we depart the village. Those who returned from the factories, return quickly to gather only necessities. We will never come back here again. Our destination is westward."

Mihon stepped forward to the leader and said,

"There are horses… take eighteen of them, and leave two for Youray and me."

The leader agreed without hesitation—for the horses were essential to their survival.

They began evacuating the village at midnight, with Mihon, Youray, and the village leader at the front and the villagers following close behind. They traveled through the night and half of the following one without stopping, their sole concern the burden of the forest's darkness slipping further behind them.

As dawn broke, shafts of sunlight filtered through the trees, birdsong danced among the branches, and the sound of running water intertwined with that gentle moment. No one felt fatigue, as if hope itself had eclipsed every ounce of exhaustion they had borne for years.

After three days, they finally emerged from the forest.

Everyone was exhausted, so the leader ordered them to rest for a while, promising to resume the journey later.

At that moment, Mihon said to the leader, "It seems we've reached a crossroads. We must press on—there is much waiting for us. But… before we depart, may I see that box?"

The old man nodded, then moved to the luggage and drew out a small box, presenting it to Mihon with the utmost respect.

Mihon took the box, turned it over in his hands, and then opened it gently. He looked at the old man and said, "Could you call Hilmo and two others?"

The leader summoned them, and they hurried over.

Mihon fixed his gaze on Hilmo and said, "This is your chance to grow strong… it will grant you the power to become a rebel. Are you ready?"

Hilmo answered, his eyes shining with resolve, "Yes. After all we've endured, I will not waste this opportunity."

Mihon opened the box, revealing three vials—each containing a liquid of a different color: gray, white, and purple. Beside each vial lay a long syringe.

Mihon said to Hilmo,

"Step forward, and choose one."

Hilmo stepped forward and chose the purple vial.

As Mihon filled the syringe, he said,

"Now, we will inoculate your body with this serum… are you ready?"

Hilmo answered without hesitation,

"I'm ready."

The moment the serum entered his body, his face flushed red, and he began to scream in pain. The two boys and the old man recoiled in shock.

Mihon spoke reassuringly,

"Don't be afraid… what he's experiencing now is the effect of the germ entering his body. It will wander inside him for a while—the more it moves, the longer the pain lasts, until it settles somewhere. After that, the germ will fall into slumber, and so will he. He'll need three or four days to wake up."

The old man asked, worry evident on his face:

"What is this germ? What use is it? Will it protect the village?"

Mihon answered him:

"This is one of the end-of-the-world germs. Whoever possesses one gains a supernatural ability… depending on the germ's nature. And since it belonged to that old man, it's likely powerful. Don't fear. Youray and I are germ users. They live within the body, feeding on their host's blood; their only flaw is that they drain their host's lifespan. But if the germ reaches a certain stage, the user can regain the lost years. The owner of the germ is known as The Possessed."

Then he turned to the two boys and said:

"And you two? Do you want it?"

One of them hesitated briefly, then stepped forward and chose the white vessel. He was injected with the serum and let out a scream. The last boy followed, taking the remaining grey vessel for himself, and he too let out a painful scream.

Their screams were so loud the villagers heard them and hurried to the leader's tent. But he reassured them, and they returned to their homes.

As Mihon prepared to leave, he said:

"Old man... We will depart now. Tell Helmo, when he wakes... If he wishes to soar high, he must first learn to fly. For if he falls, the earth crawls with predators. It is better to live thirty years as one ought, than to live an entire life bound by chains."