My Soul Disappearing
Day 4 – The Difficulty of the Journey and Inner Struggle
Kael's eyes were fixed on the vast horizon of the desert, but this time, his gaze was different. It was as if the emptiness inside him had become a part of the endless sea of sand outside. As he took slow steps, he realized that the days and nights of the past were now just memories. Everything he had experienced in the dungeon had been erased by the hot winds of the desert. But within Kael, there was a sadness, questioning whether any of it had any meaning.
As the caravan continued, Kael's spirit grew more and more isolated. It was so quiet that even the wind in the sand seemed to echo in his inner world. Slowly swallowing, he raised his gaze once again. Looking back at the palace where the princess had disappeared, the death of the captain, and the accusations that followed… he could no longer make sense of any of it. Everything was destruction. But this journey had given him a new perspective. There was a destroyed Kael in the dungeon; here, only a stronger version was being born.
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Messages
1. "Entering destruction can open the doors to a new beginning." A thought sparked in Kael's mind. Destruction, though it seemed like the end of everything, also held the potential for a new chance. The darkness inside him was offering an opportunity to grow.
2. "Many people die. But no one can truly descend into the depths of their soul before they die." Kael felt that death was not just about the body, but also about the soul. Everything he had lived through in the dungeon had taught him far more than mere physical death.
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When the caravan stopped in the middle of the desert for a brief rest, Kael slowed his pace for a moment. The sky was becoming more and more fiery with each passing day, and the sun was slowly starting to sink below the horizon. The desert had lost its heat, but Kael still felt as lonely as before. Wars and losses had forced him to question the meaning of life. "Does a warrior always fight? Or does he one day need to accept that the battle is over?" This thought echoed in Kael's mind. Once, he had believed everything must be won. But now, he was questioning what victory truly was and what losses were good for.
As the caravan slowly began to prepare the evening meal, Kael encountered another slave. An elderly man, sitting around the fire with another slave. Everyone's eyes were tired and weary, staring down at the ground. But Kael, taking a step forward, wanted to approach them. "Only after destruction does a new life begin." With this thought, he realized that an internal change had started.
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Kael and the Old Man – Conversation
Kael began to look more closely at the silent people around the fire. Many seemed to exist only to survive. But the old man had sensed Kael's gaze and looked up, offering a slight smile.
"When you fall, you learn to rise," the old man said, his voice carrying a deep pain. Kael looked carefully at him. Rather than seeking answers to his questions, he wanted to draw meaning from the old man's words.
"When we think everything is over, it's actually just the beginning." Kael's eyes searched for a light in the man's eyes. There was an inner strength. Kael relaxed a bit, comforted by the calm these words gave him. Noticing Kael's silence, the old man added, "Whether you're in the dungeon or here... every moment can be a chance."
Kael took a deep breath. He realized that, as he continued on this path, he needed to learn from others' perspectives as well. "Escaping the dungeon wasn't just about freeing my body," Kael thought. "What will set me free is whether my soul can pass through this desert too."
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Messages
1. "Escaping the dungeon isn't just about breaking free from walls. True freedom comes with knowing yourself." Kael was internalizing this thought. The desert was not just a place that carried him outward, it was also the beginning of an inner journey.
2. "Many people get lost in their own hell. But in reality, hell is not the walls trying to stop them." Kael, reflecting on his own hell inside, decided to become more resistant to the sandstorms outside. Finding his own inner strength was his greatest victory in this journey.
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The Caravan's Progress and Kael's Transformation
As the journey continued, Kael's inner transformation deepened slowly. Once a young man only seeking victory, he now faced more and more inner questions with every step. Every day, his inner world shaped itself just as much as the outside world. Once, he had only sought physical freedom, but now he was realizing how much more important inner freedom was. "The walls outside can be broken. But without breaking down the walls inside, nothing matters." This thought echoed in Kael's mind like a constant reminder as he journeyed on.
The vast and empty desert landscape not only made him think of his past, but also gave him the power to shape his future. "This desert, which seemed like the end of everything, might just be a new beginning. After all, every ending is the opening of a door to another journey."
Thus, Kael's inner journey continued to expand, as wide as the desert outside.
Day 5 – Anger and the Mystery Behind the Missing Princess
As Kael stepped on the sands, the darkness inside him grew with every step. His eyes scanned every direction of the desert, while inside his heart, resentment and anger mixed. This anger surged like a river overflowing its banks, constantly increasing. Kael felt more and more wronged with each passing day. The royal family had conspired against him and thrown him into the dungeons. But the thing that gnawed at him the most was the disappearance of the princess. He had brought her to the palace, but what was the outcome? Had the young duke replaced the king? Was everything that easy?
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Messages
1. "Sometimes everything we believe to be true is nothing but a lie." The thought that sparked inside Kael dragged him deeper into anger. He had believed that the right thing was to save the princess, and he had been convinced of it. But in the end, everything had spiraled out of his control. He had been thrown into the dungeon, and now he was being dragged as a slave.
2. "When someone turns their back on you, all you can learn is to protect yourself. But never forget, you can't turn your back on them." These words echoed in Kael's mind. Indeed, after the princess went missing, everyone had turned their back on him. The king had ignored the wrongs done to him, and now it felt like he had no life left. Yet, despite burying the pain of losing the princess, Kael still clung to one hope: to find her. But with each passing day, that hope grew smaller, fading along with the darkness inside him.
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Kael's Conflict
As the caravan advanced, a battle brewed in Kael's mind. He tried to push aside the anger of being wrongfully thrown into the dungeon. But this anger reminded him of his strength. Every moment in the dungeon had taught him to stay strong and survive. He had chosen this path to overcome every obstacle. But back then, survival itself had been a battle. Now, being dragged as a slave, he found himself at the same place again. "My life is like climbing to the top of a slope. Everything goes smoothly, then suddenly, everything turns upside down."
His anger drove him further into frustration. Every slave seemed to sink lower with each step. As he watched the slaves walking slowly, like animals being herded, a wave of darkness surged inside him. Once, he had dedicated himself to protecting the princess, to fighting for everything related to her. Now, as a slave, he was being dragged without any obligation to answer to anyone.
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Messages
1. "Anger will only consume you. But seeing what lies behind the anger will give you the greatest strength." Kael recalled these words, once spoken like a warrior. But now, if he could learn to use his anger correctly, it could guide him back on the right path. Otherwise, it would destroy all his strength and resolve.
2. "Is everything that's happening trying to tell me something? Is there a purpose behind all of this?" As Kael moved through the desert, he repeated this question in his mind. Was everything in his life truly serving a purpose? Or was it all just traps testing his strength?
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The Caravan's Rest and Kael's Deep Thoughts
The caravan stopped for a short break in the middle of the desert. During this time, Kael made eye contact with a slave. The man sat wearily on the ground, his hands bound, and his eyes full of sorrow. Kael took a step toward him. "Why are you so hopeless?" he asked. The slave, sensing something in Kael's gaze, slowly replied:
"Because the outside world is not what it seems," the man said. "While living as a slave, I gave up everything I once had. But there is a place where you can dream of getting it all back. But you can never understand how difficult that really is."
Kael's mind echoed with these words. The anger inside him was replaced with a desire to search for hope. "Maybe the only real thing is surviving without falling into despair," he thought. "But… how long can this go on?"
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Kael and the Puzzles Behind the Missing Princess
Once again, Kael's mind drifted to the lost princess. "What happened to you? Where did you go?" Kael was tired of asking this question over and over. He had saved her, protected her. But now, the responsibility for her disappearance rested entirely on Kael's shoulders. If the princess was missing, there had to be something behind it. Perhaps the royal family had always wanted him thrown into the dungeon from the very start. "Did they think they could sell me, lock me up, and kill me?" This thought once again stirred the dark emotion inside Kael. The royal family had only seen him as a tool. That's why nothing felt right.
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Messages
1. "The only thing that survives is the strength within you, even when everything reminding you of it disappears." Kael was learning to find his inner strength. He was more than just a lost princess. This journey was teaching him what he truly needed to pursue.
2. "Dedicate your life to a dark future, and it will turn you into a slave. But finding the light within you and acting according to it will set you free." Kael was beginning to understand how to use his inner power, leaving his anger behind. But he also knew how difficult the road ahead would be.
Day 6 – The End of the Caravan and Kael's First Step
The desert seemed endless. As the sands danced with the wind, the sun relentlessly scorched the earth. Despite his weary body, Kael managed to stay on his feet, moving forward slowly but steadily. The caravan had finally reached an oasis. This place seemed like a salvation for the people broken by thirst. A few tents were set up, and a bustling slave market was taking place. To Kael, this place was beginning to look like a disaster. People were being sold like animals. Slaves were lined up like commodities waiting for buyers. Here, Kael's fate would be decided.
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The caravan slowly came to a stop. Everyone, sweating in the scorching heat of the desert, waited impatiently, but Kael paused for a moment, looking around. Everything seemed senselessly chaotic. The tents, the crude buying and selling of goods, and the harmful gazes all around stirred Kael's anger once again. But this time, his anger awakened another feeling inside him: "Surviving isn't enough; one must live."
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After unloading the goods and slaves, a commotion suddenly broke out in the center of the market. Kael squinted and focused on the source of the noise. A group of men surrounded a woman. She was stepping back, clutching her dress, her eyes filled with fear. The men were trying to steal her valuables. At first, Kael didn't know what to do. But the anger inside him began to overshadow his conscience. This woman was just another victim, just like him. He had to do something.
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Kael started moving quickly. Without drawing attention from the other slaves, he hid behind a few rolling stones. His body reminded him that he was still a warrior. The days of hunger and thirst might have slowed him down, but the strength inside him had never faded. Kael saw the men moving toward the woman, trying to seize her belongings. She was desperately looking around for help.
Kael quietly approached them from behind and stepped into the group. The first man received a harsh blow to the throat. Kael recalled his previous training and executed the move perfectly. Then, he quickly stepped back and struck the second man's left foot, making him fall. The other thieves immediately began to rush at Kael. Kael squinted his eyes, feeling himself become a warrior once again. His hands moved swiftly, and with a kick to their shoulders and a strike to their knees, he brought them all to the ground. The thieves fell without understanding what had happened.
The woman, in shock, tried to make sense of what just occurred. Kael quickly disabled all the men and pushed back those trying to take the woman's belongings. But to assess the situation better, he began to collect the fallen items. The woman, looking at him with suspicion and fear, hesitated. Kael took a deep breath and spoke to her:
"Take your things."
The woman, stunned by his demeanor, quickly gathered her belongings and hurried away. Kael slowly raised his head and looked around at the other men. A few slaves, watching Kael's combat skills, were eyeing him carefully. A brief moment of peace, mixed with anger, washed over Kael. This relief pushed him toward starting to adapt to the chaos of the slave market.
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A Stranger Buyer and Opportunity
At that moment, one of the onlookers approached Kael cautiously. The man looked like a wealthy mercenary. He wore fine clothes and had neatly combed hair. In the background, a few other men stood with him. The man sized Kael up.
"Nice show," he said with a confident tone. "You look too skilled to be a slave."
Kael carefully studied the man. He had nearly lost all trust in others, but something about this man's attitude made him feel something different. The man saw something in Kael's eyes, another kind of anger, another kind of ambition.
"This kind of skill is very valuable to us," the man continued, then added, "Could I buy someone as strong as you?"
Kael paused for a moment. In his mind, all the thoughts tangled together. Could this be a good opportunity to step into a new life? But he also knew that everything had a price.
Kael turned to the man, shrugging his shoulders and saying, "I can raise my price." He said it half-seriously, half-mockingly.
The man smiled, but his gaze remained sharp. Kael's inner darkness and anger had merged with this opportunity. This was not just about survival; it was also an opportunity for revenge against the royal family for the injustices they had caused him.
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Message
"Sometimes, surviving isn't just about being brave. True courage is moving forward in the dark and finding the light." With the anger and darkness inside him, Kael accepted this new beginning. A new journey had begun, and this path would not only bring survival, but revenge as well.