Continuing the story, the elder began to recount Scar's tale.
Once upon a time, there was a small red monkey. He was the son of the tribe's chief, and because of his unusual color, he would have been abandoned or expelled from the tribe. However, his mother, being the most prominent female in the group, saved him, allowing him to remain. Still, because he was so different from the others, the tribe members shunned him. While he wasn't abandoned by his parents, he was forsaken by the tribe.
As time went on, he began to show that his differences weren't merely physical but extended to every aspect of his being!
Before he even turned one year old, he managed to kill two snakes that had infiltrated the camp without anyone noticing. Not only that, but by the age of two, he had created tools never seen before. He used branches, vines, logs, and stones to invent things no one could have imagined. By age three, he began earning the tribe's recognition. The tools he invented became essential to the tribe's growth—not only for resources but also for improving the members' quality of life. They no longer feared the animals lurking in the forest and, above all, were no longer afraid of the dark.
A few years later, the young red monkey gave himself a name. No one in the tribe had ever had a name before, but he decided to call himself Scar.
Scar had grown into an adult, and his position in the tribe was second only to his father, the chief. However, most of the tribe already saw him as their true leader. It was only a matter of time before he officially took over.
Despite Scar's achievements, not everyone was pleased with him. Some who had never accepted Scar or his inventions attempted a rebellion. Of course, it failed. Out of respect and friendship for Scar's father, the rebels were not executed but were instead exiled and forbidden from returning. Should they come back, they would face immediate death.
...
The elder sighed deeply, seeming sorrowful after telling this part of the story.
Alex and the others were puzzled. What the elder had said and the story he told seemed contradictory. He had described Scar as a monster who didn't deserve to live, yet the tale painted Scar as a "good person" who earned his tribe's respect and success through his own efforts.
But if someone who worked so hard to achieve such success would willingly hand it over to a stranger, something didn't add up. Alex sensed the story was incomplete—that something had yet to be revealed. So, he waited for the elder to continue. Sure enough, the elder spoke again.
"This is the story as it is told. But the truth is, Scar wasn't as noble as he seemed. No. Every one of his achievements was built on the sweat and blood of others. Using his position, he ordered other monkeys to create his inventions. While they were indeed useful, he began exploiting his newfound recognition to drain his father's power and do as he pleased.
When some of the older elders tried to oppose him, not only were we exiled, but we also lost our greatest leader. Scar's father was killed by his own son—used as an example. When his father tried to stop Scar from exiling us, Scar killed him."
Shocked by this revelation, Alex and the others remained silent, sensing that the elder wasn't finished.
"The reason we revolted," the elder continued, "was that we discovered the true cause of why our neighbors became the way they are. And that reason… is Scar!"