For two years now, ever since their parents died. Left all by themselves in the heart of the jungle, John and James found themselves swallowed by silence and solitude. The forest had been their world; they were born, raised in it, and knew nothing beyond its towering trees, wild creatures, and hidden rivers. For them, the pristine jungle was a place as well as life itself.
But something within John had been roused. Isolation's weight, the absence of familiar voices, and the desire to know what lay beyond the trees became too great. One evening, he turned to James, voice trembling with conviction, and said, "We can't stay here forever. We have to find out if there's more."
James agreed. There was nothing to stay, where nothing remained but memories. They packed what little they had and decided to journey south, unaware of what they would find, or if they would find anything at all.
Their route was wild and unkind. Their route, and still they walked. Eventually, they reached a village, or rather, what remained of one. Abandoned homes, silent streets, and shattered windows greeted them. This was among the villages swallowed during the great chaos. Everyone had vanished, sucked into the mysterious void where the creatures ruled. The town was a ghost town, a reminder of terror and the unknown.
Despite all, they persevered.
It was late one afternoon when they were proceeding through a clearing that they chanced upon a strange scene: a man mounting a troll all by himself. His garments were frayed, and his eyes were blank, as if a man lost to the ages. They yelled at him, demanding answers, but the man looked at them aghast and fled. He retreated into a derelict house, closing the door behind him. John and James approached him, knocking gently, but he spoke not a word.
Unshaken, the brothers continued their journey. As they approached a broad river, they found a canoe. But never having used one, they feared the vessel. Instead, with childlike bravery, they decided to swim across.
From afar, the frightened man watched in disbelief. Who swims across a river with a canoe lying nearby? He assumed they were simply reckless or playing and turned away.
As he walked back home, he was intercepted by three soldiers. These were remnants of a scouting party sent two decades earlier to search for the man who had vanished with his magical children. The soldiers questioned the frightened man, but he remained frozen in fear. For twenty years, he had seen no one. Now, strangers appeared out of nowhere, and he could not comprehend it.
Meanwhile, John and James stumbled upon a vibrant village. This was unlike anything they'd known. There were people everywhere, marketplaces buzzing, and the air filled with unfamiliar languages. For the first time in their lives, the brothers saw what community looked like.
They wandered the village wide-eyed and awestruck. But hunger struck quickly. In the forest, they would have hunted for gazelle or fished from the river. Here, they didn't know what to do. Desperate, they snuck into a local eatery, grabbed food, and fled before they could be caught. It was reckless and messy, but survival demanded boldness.
Running along the riverbank, they encountered a man who stood alone, staring into the water. He turned to them and spoke in English. Relief washed over them. Finally, someone they could. It was late one afternoon when they were proceeding through a clearing that they chanced upon a strange scene: a man mounting a troll all by himself. His garments were frayed, and his eyes were blank, as if a man lost to the ages. They yelled at him, demanding answers, but the man looked at them aghast and fled. He retreated into a derelict house, closing the door behind him. John and James approached him, knocking gently, but he spoke not a word. understand.
The man listened patiently to their story. He offered them help. "I'm sailing north," he said, gesturing to his boat. "If you help me load it, I'll give you food and shelter. You can come with me and see more of the world."
The brothers exchanged a glance. This was more than food—it was a chance. A door into a future they never imagined. With no home to return to, no answers to their past, and only curiosity to guide them, they agreed. The journey beyond the wilderness had just begun.