Sweat ran down Yanz's face as Donvano's probing eyes locked onto him.
-"What do you mean?"
Yanz asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
-"I mean,"
Donvano said firmly,
-"it doesn't make sense that you lived outside the village."
Yanz shifted his feet.
-"Why doesn't it make sense? I did live outside."
Donvano crossed his arms, his tone thick with suspicion.
-"It's impossible. Where exactly did you live?"
Thinking quickly, Yanz replied,
-"There's a big building in the distance from here. That's where my parents and I stayed."
"The abandoned building?"
Donvano's brow furrowed.
-"It's true there's a structure out there, but.....Even if you did, it's impossible to survive there. There are beasts—dangerous ones—that wander around the outskirts. No one makes it outside the village's protection for long."
Yanz felt a twinge of panic but tried not to show it. Just then, Ceph's voice cut through the tension, shouting from a distance.
-"Brother Doni! The break is over!"
Donvano glanced toward Ceph, then back at Yanz, his eyes still sharp with suspicion.
-"We'll talk later. For now, let's get back to work."
He stood up, extending his hand to Yanz. Yanz took it, feeling the firm grip as Donvano pulled him up.
They both walked silently back to the fields. Donvano returned to his duties while Yanz made his way to Ceph, who was waiting for him.
-"What did he want to talk about?"
Ceph asked, handing Yanz a cracked clay cup filled with water.
-"It's nothing,"
Yanz replied, wiping his face.
-"He's just suspicious because I'm from outside the village."
Ceph frowned, a bit worried.
-"Well, here's some water anyway. Brother Doni kept you talking so long you didn't even get to drink."
Yanz took the cup gratefully, downing the water in one gulp.
-"Thanks. I was dying of thirst."
-"No problem."
Ceph took the empty cup and placed it under the shade of a nearby tree before grabbing his hoe.
-"Alright, back to work. Just follow my lead, okay?"
Ceph demonstrated the rhythm of the work, hitting the soil with his hoe, dragging it a little, and stepping back with a smooth motion.
-"You should keep about a foot of space between each hit."
-"Got it,"
Yanz said, mimicking Ceph's movements. The work wasn't new to him—he had memories of his past life when his father made him farm, despite how much he had hated it then.
-"Hey, you're pretty good at this! You've done this before?"
Ceph asked, impressed.
-"Yeah,"
Yanz replied, a faint smile on his face as he thought of his past.
-"I used to farm with my father."
Hours passed, and the relentless heat of the day started to fade. The sun began to sink low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the fields. Yanz looked up, wiping the sweat from his brow, admiring the beauty of the sunset-streaked clouds.
-"You sure are hardworking,"
Ceph said, slapping Yanz on the back.
-"But I'm starving. Let's go fill up on water."
They walked over to the well, where a crowd had gathered. Ceph sighed, seeing the usual large group waiting for their turn to drink.
-"We should probably wait a bit,"
Ceph said, watching the bustling group talk and laugh loudly as they filled their buckets.
After a few minutes, the crowd thinned out, and Ceph lowered the bucket into the well, drawing up fresh water. They both drank deeply, savoring the cool relief after the long day's labor.
Just as Yanz finished, Donvano appeared again, his presence heavy with intent.
-"Brother Doni!"
Ceph exclaimed.
-"What are you doing here?"
-"Our talk earlier didn't finish,"
Donvano said, his voice calm but firm. He turned to Ceph.
-"Go on home. I need to speak with Yanz alone."
-"But he doesn't know the way back yet!"
Ceph protested.
-"I'll escort him when we're done,"
Donvano interrupted. His tone left no room for argument. Ceph hesitated but eventually nodded and walked away, casting a concerned glance back at Yanz.
Once Ceph was out of earshot, Donvano crossed his arms and fixed Yanz with a serious gaze.
-"You remember what I said about living outside the village?"
Yanz nodded, his pulse quickening.
-"There are beasts out there,"
Donvano continued.
-"They roam the lands beyond, and yet they don't attack this village. Ever wonder why?"
Yanz stayed silent.
-"It's because the sky people—our so-called protectors—keep them at bay. Not for our sake, but because they need us. Their magic keeps us safe, but it's also what keeps us bound here. Without their protection, no one survives for long outside the village. You say you lived out there, but that's impossible."
Yanz opened his mouth to explain, but Donvano cut him off.
-"Don't try to lie. If your parents truly lived outside the village, someone would've known. This village isn't big enough to lose track of people. You're suspicious, Yanz. Too suspicious."
Yanz felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach. Donvano was getting too close to the truth. Before he could think of a response, Donvano made a decision.
-"Come with me,"
Donvano said, his voice cold and authoritative.
-"I'm taking you to the village Chief. We'll see what he has to say about all this."
Yanz swallowed hard. There was no easy way out now.