After escaping from Tarban, Koman didn't think clearly. He just ran straight ahead from the gate and into the forest.
The cold night air seeped through his clothes, and the pain in his injured arm throbbed relentlessly.
He had no money and no supplies—only the hope that life beyond the city's walls would promise a better future.
The first night he spent in the wilderness, alone in the darkness. The rustling of leaves in the wind and the scurrying of animals filled the silence, they were the embodiment of the freedom he had longed for.
Still, freedom came at a high price—the cold and the hunger began to wear him down.
Without any provisions, Koman survived the following days on what little he could find along his path—wild berries that barely gave him any energy and water from a small stream. His strength faded with each day, but his will pushed him forward.
Heading south, Koman was plagued by exhaustion, and his thoughts revolved around how he could find help.
One clear evening, as he sat exhausted under a tree, he saw a bluish meteor streak across the sky. Strangely, in that moment, he felt no bitterness but rather a realization „it wasn't the world that was cruel, but the people living in it".
Five days passed, and Koman was at his physical limit. His arm was a constant agony, and the hunger weighed on him.
Suddenly, while struggling through a dense forest, he encountered a wanderer.
The man eyed Koman warily but soon relaxed when he realized the boy posed no threat,not with an injured hand and such a worn out expression.
Cautiously, Koman approached the wanderer and spoke to him: "Do you know where I might find a safe place? You must know many places as a wanderer."
The wanderer looked at him in silence for a while before replying, "Keep heading in the direction I came from. After a few days, you'll come across a small village.
But be careful, the village is raided every week by looters. I stayed there for a while, but it's not a good place to rest especially not for someone who's injured."
The wanderer hesitated briefly, then added, "If you truly seek shelter, go to Governor Teng. Tell him you met me along the way. Perhaps he can help you."
After that the wanderer said," here, take this with you on the way" ,handing Koman a dagger. "Use it only if you need to, or if you encounter wolves.
There are many of them down in the south." The hiker left, muttering quietly, "What a cruel world we live in. A little naive brat... I hope he finds his freedom someday."
Gratefully, Koman gave the wanderer a slight bow before continuing on his way. The direction to the village was clear, but it would take him several more days to reach it. Every step seemed more painful than the last, but Koman knew he couldn't turn back.
Escaping from Tarban was only the first step surviving in this unforgiving world lay ahead of him now.
After a few days Koman actually met 2 hungry wolves, then Koman panicked when they noticed him, he had no choice but to fight them, he had come this far and he would never allow him to die here.
Quickly, he reached for the ground, grabbing a handful of sand and dirt. As the wolves lunged toward him, he flung the sand into their eyes, causing them to snarl and hesitate.
The fear surged through him like a wave, and he nearly froze, but desperation kept him moving. He grabbed a few stones and hurled them at the wolves, his hand trembling each time.
One wolf yelped in pain and retreated into the forest, but the other one, blinded by the sand, stumbled and slammed into a tree.
The wolf then turned toward Koman, charging blindly. Panic and terror flooded Koman's mind again, but in a moment of clarity, he lunged forward, thrusting his dagger into the wolf's side.
The creature collapsed, Koman stood there, his breathing ragged, his entire body shaking.
He realized then that fear was an inevitable companion but it wasn't what defeated him. It was giving in to fear that would have ended him. "Bravery," he thought, "is not the absence of fear, but the will to act in spite of it."