Chapter 5

...“I am not his biological father,” the old man said quietly....

...Vira’s eyes widened in shock....

...“You’re… not?” she asked softly....

...The old man slowly shook his head. For a moment, he stared at Kian’s sleeping figure before speaking again....

...“His mother was one of us,” he said....

...Vira froze when she heard those words....

...“One of you?” she asked quickly. “Then… where is she now?”...

...The old man lowered his head, sadness filling his tired eyes....

...“I will tell you,” he said slowly....

...“The girl’s name was Vani. She was kind, hardworking, and loved by everyone in the village. One day she went to the city to sell fish with the others. Late that night, she returned… but she wasn’t alone.”...

...Vira listened carefully....

...“She came back with a strange man,” the old man continued. “He was badly injured and unconscious. None of us had seen him before.”...

...“The villagers helped carry him to the clinic, but Vani stayed beside him the entire time. She cared for him day and night as if she had known him for years.”...

...The doctor, who had been standing quietly nearby, nodded....

...“After several days,” he added, “the man finally woke up.”...

...“But something about him was strange,” Kian’s father continued. “His wounds healed faster than any normal person. At the time, we thought it was simply God’s miracle.”...

...“When he woke up, he seemed confused. We asked his name, and he told us it was Aether. The first thing he asked was how he ended up here… and who we were.”...

...The villagers explained everything to him, and slowly he began living among them....

...Days turned into weeks....

...And during that time, something beautiful began to grow between Vani and Aether....

...“They fell in love,” the old man said softly....

...“After a month, they decided to get married. The entire village celebrated their wedding. For the first time in a long while, the village was filled with happiness.”...

...But his voice soon grew heavy....

...“Unfortunately… happiness does not always last.”...

...After some time, Vani became pregnant with Kian. The couple was overjoyed, and the villagers were happy for them....

...“But one day,” the old man continued, “a group of us went fishing. It was the last day we saw Aether smiling.”...

...Vira leaned forward slightly....

...“What happened?” she asked quietly....

...The old man took a deep breath....

...“That day… a group of sharks attacked us.”...

...His voice trembled as he continued....

...“It was chaos. Everyone was trying to save their own lives. But Aether… he didn’t think about himself. He helped many of us escape.”...

...Tears slowly filled his eyes....

...“One of the sharks attacked me,” he whispered. “But Aether pushed me away and protected me.”...

...“The next moment… another shark struck him.”...

...His voice broke....

...“The sea turned red.”...

...A tear rolled down his cheek as he quickly wiped it away....

...“I watched him disappear into the water,” he said quietly....

...The doctor gently placed a hand on his shoulder....

...“It wasn’t your fault,” the doctor said softly. “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”...

...The room fell silent....

...After a moment, the doctor sighed....

...“That’s enough for tonight,” he said gently. “I will tell you the rest another time.”...

...The two men slowly walked outside, leaving Vira alone in the quiet room....

...She looked at Kian, who was still lying unconscious on the bed....

...“So he was right,” she whispered softly to herself. “He really is an orphan.”...

...A deep feeling of sympathy filled her heart....

...But along with it… her feelings for him seemed to grow stronger....

...Quietly, she knelt beside his bed, watching his sleeping face....

...It felt as if her heart was silently asking something from him....

...Soon, exhaustion took over, and she slowly fell asleep beside his bed....

...The night passed quietly....

...Early the next morning, Kian slowly opened his eyes....

...His vision was still blurry, but the first thing he noticed was someone sitting beside his bed....

...Vira....

...She was sleeping with her head resting near the bed....

...Kian tried to move slightly, but a sharp pain shot through his body....

...A painful groan escaped his lips....

...The sound woke Vira immediately....

...Her eyes opened, and when she saw him awake, her face lit up with relief....

...“You’re awake,” she said happily....

...She quickly stood up, took a wet cloth, and gently wiped his forehead....

...Kian watched her in silence, surprise visible in his eyes....

...Before he could say anything, Vira spoke softly....

...“Don’t try to move,” she said. “You’re still injured. I’ll bring something for you to eat.”...

...She quickly left the hut....

...A few minutes later, the doctor entered the room....

...“Let me see your wound,” he said....

...While the doctor checked his shoulder, Kian’s eyes slowly moved toward the door where Vira had left....

...After some time, the doctor finished examining him....

...“You need to eat something before taking your medicine,” he said before leaving....

...Soon Vira returned, carrying a small bowl of food....

...She walked toward him and sat beside the bed....

...“Open your mouth,” she said gently....

...At first, Kian didn’t respond....

...“Open your mouth,” she repeated softly....

...This time, he obeyed....

...She carefully fed him the food and then gave him his medicine....

...When she finished, she quietly stood up and left the room....

...Kian remained lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling....

...His mind was now filled with questions....

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