Chapter 3: Shadows of the Past

The road to Hasar's farm was long, but I didn’t mind. After so many years, I was finally on my way to see him again. As I walked, the landscape around me slowly changed, transforming into gentle hills and green fields. The sound of my footsteps echoed on the dirt path, accompanied only by the whisper of the wind. In this corner of the world, everything seemed calm.

It was hard to imagine there were places where life was still a daily battle for survival, but I knew that beyond these peaceful fields, war still raged on the borders. Still, here, in the land Hasar had chosen for himself, everything seemed at peace.

I couldn’t help but smile when, in the distance, I saw Hasar’s small figure. He was bent over the field, busy with the daily tasks that now filled his life. He looked different—more relaxed, more at peace. I almost didn’t recognize him compared to the man I had known years ago, back when we were young and believed we could change the world with just our swords.

I approached slowly, letting the sound of my steps announce my arrival. I didn’t want to disrupt his tranquility all at once. When he finally lifted his head, our eyes met, and I saw a smile spread across his face.

“Darius!” he shouted, and though his tone was joyful, I could feel the surprise in his voice. He hadn’t expected to see me here, not after all this time.

The children playing nearby stopped their games and ran toward him, curious about the stranger who had suddenly appeared. I stopped a few steps away, watching them. Two little ones, a boy and a girl. The girl, with her dark hair and curious gaze, was the first to come closer.

“Who is he, Dad?” she asked, looking at me with the innocence only children possess.

Hasar crouched down to her height, smiling with that mix of tenderness and pride that only a father can have.

“An old friend,” he replied. “Someone I haven’t seen in a long time.”

An old friend. Yes, we were that, but we were also more. Hasar and I had shared something that went beyond friendship. We had shared the battlefield, seen comrades fall, survived together. But here, in this place, there was no need to remember that.

I finally stepped forward and extended my hand.

“Well, Hasar. I see you finally got what you always wanted.”

“And you? Still traveling around, I see,” he replied with a smile I hadn’t seen in a long time. “You don’t seem to have changed much.”

We embraced briefly, and in that moment, all that we had been through returned to us, though neither of us mentioned it. This was a place of peace, not of dark memories.

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“And who are these little ones?” I asked, looking at the children with a smile. I wanted to change the subject, to steer away from those thoughts.

“These are my children,” he said, gesturing first to the girl. “This is Clara, and that’s Lucas.”

Clara, the older of the two, watched me with the same curiosity as before. There was something in her gaze that reminded me of Hasar during our early days as soldiers—that spark of curiosity and bravery.

“Are you a warrior like my dad?” she asked with a mix of admiration and wonder.

Her question made me smile, though it also brought a twinge of sadness. The fact that Hasar’s children didn’t know his true past was a good thing, but at the same time, it reminded me of how much we had changed.

“Your father and I fought together in the past, but now he has put his weapons aside, while I still walk that path,” I replied, trying to soften the truth.

I could see the confusion in their small faces, especially in Lucas’. To them, the idea of their father as a warrior must have seemed like a myth, something distant and almost unreal. I wondered if they would ever know the whole truth—if they would ever learn about the man Hasar had been before this peaceful life.

“It’s good they can grow up away from all of that,” I murmured, in a voice low enough for only Hasar to hear. He nodded, a shadow passing over his eyes that reflected what we both knew: peace was fragile.

After that brief exchange, Hasar invited me to spend the afternoon with his family. Elena, his wife, welcomed me with a warm smile and prepared a simple but delicious meal. I felt strangely out of place at first, as if I didn’t belong in this world of domestic tranquility. The last decade for me had been quite different—my days filled with orders, battles, and missions, with few moments of peace.

As we ate beneath the shade of a large tree, I couldn’t help but observe them all. The children played, laughing and running around the garden, and Elena and Hasar chatted as if life were simple, as if there were no worries on the horizon. It was strange, but comforting.

However, deep inside, I felt something I couldn’t ignore. This peace I saw here at Hasar’s farm was a reprieve, but not reality. It had been a long time since I’d seen a place so tranquil, and I knew that tranquility didn’t last forever. I knew there were things Hasar needed to hear, that the world out there wasn’t as safe as he thought. But now was not the time to mention it.

“How long has it been since you left the service?” I asked casually, breaking the silence.

“Ten years,” he replied after a moment. “It feels like yesterday, but at the same time, it feels like another life.”

I nodded. I could understand that. For me, those years had faded away between dust and steel, but for him, it seemed he had found something more—something that, deep down, I knew I would never reach.

The sun began to set, and the golden tones of dusk covered the sky. A comfortable silence fell over us as we watched the children play. Clara and Lucas’ laughter filled the air, and for a moment, I almost forgot the real reason for my visit.

“You should stay for a few days,” Hasar said, interrupting my thoughts. “Nothing exciting happens here, but maybe that’s what you need.”

I looked at him, considering his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe I did need a break from everything I had seen and done. But something inside me knew that time for rest was running out.

“Maybe I will,” I replied, forcing a smile. “Maybe I will.”