When the boy woke up the next morning, the first light of dawn was already illuminating the clearing. The cool morning air brushed against his skin, and the fire from the night before was nothing more than ashes. He rubbed his eyes, looking for the girl who had been with him the night before. For a moment, he thought she might have left while he slept, but then he saw her. She was sitting by the edge of the stream, staring intently at the gently flowing water.

The boy stood up and walked toward her, wondering if he should break the silence. Before he could say anything, the girl spoke without taking her eyes off the water.

“The world is bigger than I thought,” she said quietly. “I always imagined there was only what was in front of my eyes, but...” She paused, as if trying to find the right words. “When I started walking, I realized there’s more beyond the hills, more beyond the villages. But I still don’t know what I’m looking for.”

The boy sat down beside her, letting the sound of the water fill the silence that followed. He had felt that same sensation—the uncertainty of what lay beyond the borders of his former life. Despite everything, the uncertainty of the journey didn’t frighten him as much as the thought of staying in his village, trapped and rejected forever.

“And you?” the girl asked, finally turning her gaze toward him. “What are you looking for?”

The boy looked at the flowing water, deep in thought. He didn’t know exactly what he was searching for. Maybe something that would make him feel valuable, something to prove that he wasn’t worthless just because he couldn’t control mana. Maybe he was simply searching for answers to questions he didn’t fully understand yet.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to go back.”

The girl nodded, as if she completely understood that feeling. Sometimes, the only certainty was that there was no turning back, and that was enough to keep moving forward.

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“Are you traveling alone?” the boy asked, breaking the silence again.

The girl sighed before answering.

“At first, yes, but then I heard rumors from other travelers. People said that on the farthest roads, there are answers. But there are also dangers—mages, creatures that don’t belong to this world, and things that...” She paused. “Things even magic can’t explain.”

The boy frowned. He had always believed that magic ruled everything, that those who couldn’t use it, like him, had no power at all. But the words of the man he had met on the road still echoed in his mind: “Power doesn’t always manifest in the way we expect.” Maybe there was more to the world than magic. Maybe there were other forms of power, other ways to find answers.

“We could travel together,” the boy said suddenly, surprising even himself.

The girl looked at him, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and consideration. Traveling alone was dangerous, but it was also the only thing they had known until now. However, the fact that they had found someone on their path, someone who shared their same search, seemed like a sign that they didn’t have to be alone all the time.

“Maybe,” she finally said. “But I warn you, I’m not very good company.”

The boy smiled, something he hadn’t done in a long time.

“Neither am I,” he replied.

They both laughed softly, a small relief amid the uncertainty of the world. After all, on unknown roads, it was better to have someone by your side, even if it was just to share the silence.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the girl stood up, adjusting the small bag she carried with her. She looked at the boy and then at the road that stretched out before them.

“So, shall we go?”

The boy nodded, standing up as well. He didn’t know where the road would lead them, but with the girl’s company, the journey felt a little less lonely, a little less overwhelming.

And so, they began to walk together. The world was vast and full of mysteries, but for the first time since he had left his village, the boy felt that maybe he wasn’t as lost as he had thought. The uncertainty still followed him, but just having someone by his side made everything seem more possible.

In the distance, the horizon promised new adventures, challenges, and perhaps the answers they both sought. They didn’t know what they would find, but the journey was no longer just his—it was shared, and that made it feel a little lighter.