With the distraction, Sabik and the injured man successfully escaped from the two hunters. They stopped near a big boulder a little ways aside of the road.

“Woooo haaaaaa successful escape”

Sabik then turned to the injured man and observed him more carefully this time. He had a messy black hair covering his eyes. He wore a cheap gray shirt that can be bought at flea markets and brown cargo shorts with multiple pockets some filled to the brim, and some not.

‘He doesn’t look like a poor kid from the slums or else he wouldn’t have wasted energy here in the dangerous forest. From the fact that he still guards himself after I saved him is interesting.’

“What’s your name? Mine’s Sabik”

After a long silence a sound finally came out

“Ligi”

“Hmmm.... why were those two mad at you? You stole something or what?”

Sabik waited for a response but got none. He only heard the rustling of the trees nearby and an occasional tweet from a bird but it seemed like this guy got a zipper in his mouth.

He stroked his head and a million possibilities and permutations raced through his head. Different neurons and synapses connected with each other in a split second like lightning passing through conductive metals. In contrary to his overworking brain, his eyes seemed clear and concise without any indication of his cunningness. This was a normal occurrence in every situation that Sabik faces.

With his hands dirtied from the mud when he picked up the stone, he wiped his hands on the essence. An unthinkable scenario in every sane person’s mind because of its immense value. It is not exaggerating to say that what Sabik did was sacrilegious

Sabik looked in Ligi’s direction to see if he had any reaction but again like a stone cold rock, he had no response. His head is still looking down on the ground and minding his own business. If one were to describe it he seemed like there was invisible armor that he wore to protect himself from anyone.

This one-way conversation led to nowhere and a normal person would feel that this kid was ungrateful and aloof but for Sabik, this told him a lot about Ligi’s personality. From the fact that he wasn’t greedy about the essence, he knew there was only two possibilities, and that is he didn’t know what is was, or he didn’t care.

Another thing was that he seemed unperturbed from the risk of getting his life in danger or possibly getting beat up within an inch of his life. His regard for his own life seemed nonexistent like a leaf in a stream, unperturbed by the dangers of rocks and creatures coming his way.

‘This is very interesting.... He has potential’

Through Sabik’s unfathomable calculations in his mind, he saw not what Ligi is right now in this desolate place, but what he could be in a fruitful place that nurtures kindred spirits like him.

In Sabik’s eyes, the more guarded and hurt a person is, the more better it is for when they overcome these trials and tribulations of the human psychology. The benefits and fruits of these is something that Sabik only knows and what the world is unprepared for.

He imagined himself sailing the ocean with an unknown person standing by his side and a cast and crew of different sizes and shaped surrounding him. He saw the trials they have to face and have to overcome that made his heart beat with excitement.

With his mind spinning and looking at the horizon and the future that awaited him and his crew, he forgot about the present and dazedly came back to himself only to see for a brief second, Ligi looking up and staring at the now dirtied and full of fingerprints essence. But as soon as Ligi saw that Sabik was looking at him, he looked back at the ground again.

Sabik smiled knowingly, and then asked Ligi an unexpected question

“Do you want to have power?”

This stunned Ligi and made him look up at Sabik. There he saw is the prideful figure and demeanor of Sabik. A lot of thoughts raced through Ligi’s mind and he quickly guarded himself further.

‘What does this guy want? Does he want to sell me as a slave? Does he want to give the treasure to me and then report me for theft?’

Balled up and with his knees tucked into his chest, Ligi looked warily at Sabik like a cornered rat with his tail pointing upwards and its fur spiking up. His eyes still disbelieving every word on Sabik’s mouth and wary of any sudden movement he was gonna take.

The tense environment in this moment was the sound of silence. If a pin were to drop, it would be heard by them and probably startle Ligi into a more defensive stance. The tension could be cut with a knife and a sudden laughter broke Ligi out of his stupor.

“Hahahahahaha no need to worry, I won’t hurt you. In fact I want to help you”

Ligi looked at Sabik dead in the eyes for a hint of deception but could not find one. It was clear as the blue sky and as warm as the sun is at its zenith. His smile was not a happy smile nor a smile for compassion, but an undecipherable smile can be seen on Sabik’s tan face. It was as if he knew everything and was just playing along with the hardships of mortals. It gave him chills when Sabik reached a hand out to him.

Those that reached their hands out to him ended up betraying him and even disowning him. His feeling of hope is now calloused with the treachery of humankind. His only fleeting sense of purpose is living for himself and even that is buried deep within his heart. When he heard a chance for power for himself coupled with seeing the fabled essence within his reach sparked an imperceptible flame in his heart.

Before he could even think about reaching out for this hand that wanted to help him, he saw Sabik pick up a rock and go into a throwing stance.

A thought that Sabik would hit him and he reflexively covered his head. This is what humans are like, they always end up hurting you.

But the sharp pain of a stone hitting flesh and bone did not come to Ligi. He looked up and saw where Sabik had aimed and he followed the sound of stone hitting stone. What he saw made him gasp.

It was the hunters from before. He looked at them the same time that they looked at him. His heartbeat skipped a beat and all he heard was his own heart beating. With his mind a mess, he saw them sprinting with breakneck speeds towards him. Not knowing what to do, looked at his left and saw a hand reaching out to him.

This was the hand that was promised to help him. A slight bit of hope in gaining power. The same undecipherable smile came from this mysterious man who called himself Sabik. In this predicament, Ligi could not think straight and went with his gut. He accepted the hand that was towards him with his left hand and bolted.

Still with his mind in a mess, all he could think about was to run. Run and run to the ends of the world. This kind of willpower surprised even himself who was destitute of hope and desire to live. Maybe it was because of the slight hope of power? Or maybe he really did care for his life different from what he believed. But what’s true is true, right now he wants to live.