RAIWAN AGAINST THE DIVINE

Chapter 16: The Bond that cannot be Broken

When Manika turned to her husband, her eyes were already teary. She looked into his eyes, her lips trembling as though she wanted to speak, but no words came out.

Three seconds passed before she finally whispered, "Please bring him back. Please…"

At that moment, Malina was descending the stairs. She thought her parents were arguing again, but the desperate plea in her mother's voice stopped her in her tracks.

Tension gripped her chest as she hesitated. Slowly, she approached the guest room and peeked inside. The sight froze her, and tears spilled from her eyes. Tugging at her father's shirt, she cried, "Please, Father! Bring him back! Bring him back, Father!"

Ankas felt a storm of emotions within him—resentment, fear, pity, guilt.

He felt guilty for making his family cry, resented himself for his earlier cruelty, and hoped—no, knew—he would find Raiwan.

Kneeling on one knee before Malina, he took her small hand in his, then grasped Manika's trembling fingers. Looking into Malina's tear-filled eyes, he said firmly, "Calm down, both of you. I will bring him back. I promise."

Standing tall, he turned to leave the house, offering only two words:

"Just wait."

---

Ankas retraced the path where Raiwan had disappeared into the woods, the moon glowing intensely above, as if aiding him in fulfilling his promise. The forest was bathed in the moon's ethereal light, casting eerie shadows along his way.

Yet, despite the moon's guidance, Ankas was no tracker. He knew little to nothing about hunting or following someone's trail.

Still, he pressed on.

Venturing deeper into the forest, relying mostly on instinct and faint disturbances along the path, Ankas's thoughts began to wander.

This boy… What is he really? In just one day—no, a few hours—he's made my family cry simply by leaving. This isn't right. It's completely wrong.

He inhaled sharply.

Why am I feeling this way too? It makes no sense.

And yet, he didn't fear the feeling.

I'll just wait and see. I hope I don't regret it.

He moved with hurried yet cautious steps, careful not to alert Raiwan in case he was hiding. The forest was unnaturally quiet—eerily so. It had always been this way.

But Ankas knew the peace was deceptive. Beyond thirty kilometers, the forest belonged to fate alone, where no kingdom's knights dared to venture.

For now, his greatest fear wasn't the beasts—but the knights. If Raiwan encountered them, only the gods could save him.

Ankas quickened his pace.

Doubt crept into his mind. Would he even find the boy?

But just as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted a figure slumped behind a tree in the distance.

It felt surreal—almost as if someone had whispered to him to look there, revealing exactly what he sought.

Ankas hesitated but dismissed the thought, rushing to the tree.

There, he found Raiwan sitting on the ground in a meditative posture, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and steady.

Ankas was flabbergasted.

What was Raiwan doing?

"You know there could be snakes, scorpions, pilbits, and maybe even a beast around, right?" Ankas said, frowning.

Raiwan opened his eyes and, after a moment, replied calmly, "Beasts, pilbits, and snakes can't harm me. If you look around carefully, you'll see that the ground is carpeted with dry leaves. They would crunch no matter how lightly they're stepped on or even moved by the breeze. So, I would hear anything approaching me—just like I heard you coming."

Ankas looked around, and—damn it—Raiwan was right. He felt a little embarrassed.

"But why didn't you hide when you heard me coming?"

Raiwan's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Because, unlike me, a snake or a pilbit's bite can kill you. And I had a feeling you wouldn't leave without me."

Ankas fell silent, surprised at how calm and wise Raiwan sounded. He couldn't even refute the boy if he wanted to.

Instead, he asked the one question that had been bothering him. "Why did you leave?"

Raiwan exhaled slowly. "Because the person chasing me might come at any—" He suddenly froze as realization dawned on him.

Didn't Father give me the Necklace of Blinding Light?

Then how did they find us earlier?

Could it be…?

His thoughts raced. The enemy must have tracked Idaam and found them because Idaam didn't have any protection.

Ankas noticed Raiwan's prolonged silence and frowned. "Is everything alright?"

Raiwan stood up, dusting the dirt off his clothes. Then, smiling faintly, he said, "Yeah. I just realized… my enemies won't be able to find me anymore. No matter how hard they try."

Ankas was surprised. "But didn't they find you before? They even killed the djinn."

Raiwan's expression darkened slightly. "That's because they were chasing the djinn from the beginning… and I was with him."

For some unknown reason, Ankas felt relieved.

"We should hurry back, then."

---

The two walked back in utter silence, neither uttering a word.

When they arrived at the house, Raiwan was startled to see Manika and Malina waiting by the door. His chest tightened with a sharp pang of guilt.

The two women rushed forward, wrapping him in a tearful embrace.

Malina sobbed against him, "Please don't leave again!"

They stayed like that for so long that it became awkward for everyone—Manika, Malina, Raiwan, and even Ankas.

Eventually, they let go, leading Raiwan back inside.

Ankas watched the scene unfold, his earlier thoughts resurfacing. His gaze hardened as he observed his wife and daughter's reactions.

What is this? What's happening to them? To us?

He glanced at Malina, his brows furrowed. Something was behind all this—he could feel it. But he couldn't pinpoint what. Certainly not some magical attraction.

And then—

"Welcome back, brother," Malina said softly.

Ankas froze.

His eyes widened, and a wave of clarity crashed over him. He shifted his gaze back to Manika, who now had her arm wrapped protectively around Raiwan's shoulders, sheltering him as though he were her own child.

Malina clung to Raiwan's arm, her fingers intertwined with his.

Ankas exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "And they didn't even spare me a glance."

Finally, he understood.

Manika saw Raiwan as a son.

Malina saw Raiwan as a brother.

A faint smile tugged at Ankas's lips. I should have realized this earlier.

Looking up at the sky, he whispered, "Did you send him to us?"

The silence was answer enough.

Turning back toward the house, Ankas's resolve solidified.

"Alright then. I'll take it from here." Ankas declared before stepping into the house.