She Only Needed Shelter for One Night—Now Her Tribe Says I'm the Father of Their Future | HFY Story
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[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '5.600', 'text': 'I’ve lived alone out here on Vanta-4 for\xa0\nso many years that the ache of solitude'}, {'start': '5.600', 'end': '12.160', 'text': 'settled into my bones. When I arrived in my early\xa0\nforties, my main focus was to bury my regrets in'}, {'start': '12.160', 'end': '18.400', 'text': 'the quiet hush of these endless forests. The\xa0\nplanet’s rainy season can last half a year,'}, {'start': '18.400', 'end': '25.600', 'text': 'transforming the ground into a shining tapestry of\xa0\nwater-laden moss. My home—a single-room wooden hut'}, {'start': '25.600', 'end': '32.240', 'text': 'with a modest porch—seemed like the perfect place\xa0\nto vanish from a noisy galaxy. I’m fifty-six now,'}, {'start': '32.240', 'end': '37.600', 'text': 'still lean in the way that manual labor\xa0\nforces on you. I fish, I hunt small game,'}, {'start': '37.600', 'end': '43.600', 'text': 'I gather fruit from dripping vines at dawn. It’s\xa0\nnot a luxurious life, but it’s honest and calm.'}, {'start': '43.600', 'end': '49.680', 'text': 'The night she appeared, I was brewing tea that\xa0\ntasted faintly of citrus. Thunder rattled the'}, {'start': '49.680', 'end': '55.840', 'text': 'walls, rain hammering the roof so hard I thought\xa0\nthe boards would give. Lightning lit the forest'}, {'start': '55.840', 'end': '62.160', 'text': 'through the single window, illuminating a figure\xa0\nstanding in my yard. At first, I assumed it was a'}, {'start': '62.160', 'end': '68.160', 'text': 'trick of shadows, maybe a loose tree branch.\xa0\nBut then the figure moved—a woman’s shape,'}, {'start': '68.160', 'end': '74.400', 'text': 'hooded, shoulders hunched against the storm. She\xa0\nturned, saw me through the glass, and lifted a'}, {'start': '74.400', 'end': '80.640', 'text': 'violet hand to knock. It was a gentle rapping,\xa0\nbut in that gale, it felt louder than thunder.'}, {'start': '80.640', 'end': '86.320', 'text': 'I opened the door. My first sight was\xa0\nher face: purple skin, wide silver eyes'}, {'start': '86.320', 'end': '91.840', 'text': 'reflecting the faint lantern light. She was\xa0\ntall, maybe an inch or two shorter than me,'}, {'start': '91.840', 'end': '97.440', 'text': 'with an angular jaw and dark hair that fell from\xa0\nbeneath her hood in damp coils. I couldn’t ignore'}, {'start': '97.440', 'end': '103.520', 'text': 'how the lines of her face looked both regal and\xa0\ndeeply tired. Her cloak dripped on the porch,'}, {'start': '103.520', 'end': '107.840', 'text': 'and she clutched a small satchel at\xa0\nher side like something precious.'}, {'start': '107.840', 'end': '112.560', 'text': '“Please,” she said softly. Her voice\xa0\nhad a melodic lilt I’d never heard.'}, {'start': '112.560', 'end': '116.800', 'text': '“I’ve traveled far… the storm… I need shelter.”'}, {'start': '116.800', 'end': '122.560', 'text': 'I stammered, “Yes, of course, come in. I don’t\xa0\nhave much, but the roof holds up well enough.”'}, {'start': '122.560', 'end': '127.120', 'text': 'She stepped inside, careful not to\xa0\ntrack too much water over the threshold.'}, {'start': '127.120', 'end': '132.000', 'text': 'Her eyes flicked over the single bed,\xa0\nthe battered table, the cast-iron stove,'}, {'start': '132.000', 'end': '136.480', 'text': 'and the two chairs I’d carved from local\xa0\noak. When the thunder cracked again,'}, {'start': '136.480', 'end': '142.080', 'text': 'I offered her a seat by the stove. She\xa0\nlowered her hood, revealing pointed ears'}, {'start': '142.080', 'end': '147.840', 'text': 'and a ridged crest along her temple. This was\xa0\nno species I recognized from my old travels.'}, {'start': '147.840', 'end': '152.640', 'text': 'I poured her a mug of tea. She tilted\xa0\nher head in thanks, wrapping her hands'}, {'start': '152.640', 'end': '158.560', 'text': 'around it to warm herself. The lines of worry\xa0\nbetween her brows eased a fraction as steam'}, {'start': '158.560', 'end': '164.000', 'text': 'enveloped her cheeks. I remember swallowing\xa0\na lump of nerves—I wasn’t used to visitors,'}, {'start': '164.000', 'end': '169.280', 'text': 'let alone a woman from an unknown species\xa0\nseeking shelter in the dead of night.'}, {'start': '169.280', 'end': '174.800', 'text': '“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice\xa0\nquivering either from cold or exhaustion.'}, {'start': '174.800', 'end': '179.280', 'text': '“I promise to leave at first light. My\xa0\npeople… they’ll come looking for me.”'}, {'start': '179.280', 'end': '185.680', 'text': 'I pressed a rag into her hand for drying her\xa0\nface. “No rush. Storm might last all night.”'}, {'start': '185.680', 'end': '192.400', 'text': 'She studied me with an intensity that made me\xa0\nstraighten my back. Most folks see an older man'}, {'start': '192.400', 'end': '198.080', 'text': 'with silver in his beard, but her gaze felt\xa0\nlike it peered beyond mere appearance. She'}, {'start': '198.080', 'end': '204.880', 'text': 'parted her lips as if to speak, then changed her\xa0\nmind and took another sip. So we sat in silence,'}, {'start': '204.880', 'end': '210.080', 'text': 'me throwing a few more sticks into the stove,\xa0\nher eyes drifting to the swirling patterns of'}, {'start': '210.080', 'end': '216.880', 'text': 'the tea. The storm raged outside, wind howling\xa0\nlike ghosts. I felt something shift in the air'}, {'start': '216.880', 'end': '222.080', 'text': 'between us, a curious tension, as though\xa0\nthe planet itself was holding its breath.'}, {'start': '222.080', 'end': '226.880', 'text': 'Sometime after midnight, the rain let up a\xa0\nbit. I offered her the bed while I took the'}, {'start': '226.880', 'end': '232.960', 'text': 'second chair—folding my jacket under my head as\xa0\na makeshift pillow. She tried to protest, but I'}, {'start': '232.960', 'end': '238.640', 'text': 'insisted. My mother raised me to treat guests with\xa0\nkindness, and it’s not like I’d get much sleep'}, {'start': '238.640', 'end': '246.240', 'text': 'anyway. Before I dozed off, I heard her whisper in\xa0\nher alien tongue, a breathy incantation or prayer,'}, {'start': '246.240', 'end': '252.880', 'text': 'barely audible. It lulled me into a half-dream\xa0\nstate of swaying trees and flickering embers.'}, {'start': '252.880', 'end': '258.560', 'text': 'Morning arrived in hushed daylight, the forest\xa0\nglistening wet and the sun a pale glow through'}, {'start': '258.560', 'end': '264.720', 'text': 'heavy clouds. I woke to find her standing\xa0\noutside, hood off, face lifted to the sky.'}, {'start': '264.720', 'end': '270.400', 'text': 'She’d left the door ajar, letting in the scent\xa0\nof rain-soaked pine and damp earth. I noticed'}, {'start': '270.400', 'end': '275.280', 'text': 'she’d taken one of my spare towels to dry her\xa0\ncloak, which hung across the porch railing,'}, {'start': '275.280', 'end': '281.280', 'text': 'dripping slowly. Taking a moment to ground\xa0\nmyself, I stepped outside. She heard me and'}, {'start': '281.280', 'end': '287.520', 'text': 'turned. Her gaze swept my face, a conflict\xa0\nof gratitude and hesitation in her eyes.'}, {'start': '287.520', 'end': '292.080', 'text': 'I said, “If the storm’s passed, I\xa0\ncan help you find a main path. Those'}, {'start': '292.080', 'end': '295.520', 'text': 'forest trails can get tricky—mud, sinkholes.”'}, {'start': '295.520', 'end': '302.960', 'text': 'She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked\xa0\nat my hands. “Your kindness is… unexpected.”'}, {'start': '302.960', 'end': '307.840', 'text': 'I shrugged. “I’m just a man with\xa0\nan empty hut. You needed shelter.”'}, {'start': '307.840', 'end': '312.880', 'text': 'Her lips pressed together. I saw there\xa0\nwas something deeper going on. Eventually,'}, {'start': '312.880', 'end': '319.840', 'text': 'she drew a shaky breath. “My name is Miri’Saal.\xa0\nMy tribe… we’re Nomori. This region is sacred'}, {'start': '319.840', 'end': '325.440', 'text': 'to us. We rarely let outsiders in. But\xa0\nlast night I found no other option.”'}, {'start': '325.440', 'end': '330.240', 'text': 'I blinked. “Nomori. I’ve never\xa0\nheard of your people. Then again,'}, {'start': '330.240', 'end': '333.280', 'text': 'I’ve never traveled much beyond these hills.”'}, {'start': '333.280', 'end': '338.800', 'text': 'She lowered her gaze. “It might be best\xa0\nif you didn’t mention me to anyone else.”'}, {'start': '338.800', 'end': '344.160', 'text': 'I figured she might be fleeing something\xa0\ndangerous. But I wanted to respect her privacy.'}, {'start': '344.160', 'end': '350.480', 'text': '“Understood,” I said quietly, picking up my small\xa0\nbasket. “I usually gather fresh wildfruits this'}, {'start': '350.480', 'end': '355.680', 'text': 'time of morning. You’re welcome to join me,\xa0\nor wait here until you’re ready to leave.”'}, {'start': '355.680', 'end': '361.840', 'text': 'She hesitated, then followed. We walked in\xa0\nnear silence, dew soaking our ankles. I found'}, {'start': '361.840', 'end': '367.280', 'text': 'a patch of bright green fruit, began collecting\xa0\nthem, demonstrating how to avoid the small,'}, {'start': '367.280', 'end': '373.600', 'text': 'prickly barbs. She watched, head tilted in\xa0\ncuriosity, then gingerly started plucking'}, {'start': '373.600', 'end': '379.200', 'text': 'them as well. For a few minutes, the forest\xa0\nwas just the squish of mud under our boots'}, {'start': '379.200', 'end': '385.520', 'text': 'and the quiet chirp of local fauna. When she\xa0\nfinally spoke, her tone was almost reverent.'}, {'start': '385.520', 'end': '391.600', 'text': '“You live so simply. Yet you offer without\xa0\nhesitation. My people… they believe a prophecy'}, {'start': '391.600', 'end': '396.480', 'text': 'about a man from beyond who would share his\xa0\nroof in a storm, who would show kindness with'}, {'start': '396.480', 'end': '402.640', 'text': 'no reward. I… they never said it out loud,\xa0\nbut some of our elders saw it in visions.”'}, {'start': '402.640', 'end': '406.800', 'text': 'It sounded like folklore.\xa0\n“I’m no chosen hero,” I said,'}, {'start': '406.800', 'end': '412.000', 'text': 'trying to keep it light. “Just old and lonely.\xa0\nBut if your tribe told you about some sign,'}, {'start': '412.000', 'end': '416.560', 'text': 'well, I’m sorry if I complicated\xa0\nthings. I’m nobody special.”'}, {'start': '416.560', 'end': '422.080', 'text': 'She gave me a strange look, half sorrow,\xa0\nhalf wonder. “Sometimes the ones who say'}, {'start': '422.080', 'end': '425.280', 'text': 'they’re nobody special are the key to everything.”'}, {'start': '425.280', 'end': '429.840', 'text': 'When we returned to the hut, she\xa0\ninsisted on helping me prepare breakfast.'}, {'start': '429.840', 'end': '435.120', 'text': 'I tried to wave her off, but she began\xa0\ncrushing the wildfruits in a small pestle,'}, {'start': '435.120', 'end': '440.560', 'text': 'mixing them with dried herbs. The aroma\xa0\nwas pungent yet oddly sweet. My stomach'}, {'start': '440.560', 'end': '446.400', 'text': 'rumbled. Then she offered me the first taste.\xa0\nI sipped, and a surge of warmth spread through'}, {'start': '446.400', 'end': '452.640', 'text': 'my limbs—a sense of well-being that was not\xa0\nmerely physical. I looked at her, startled.'}, {'start': '452.640', 'end': '458.480', 'text': 'She nodded. “In my tribe, we believe what’s\xa0\nshared at dawn shapes the day’s spirit.'}, {'start': '458.480', 'end': '463.200', 'text': 'You gave me shelter, so I offer\xa0\nyou nourishment. Equal exchange.”'}, {'start': '463.200', 'end': '468.320', 'text': 'I nearly told her it wasn’t necessary, but\xa0\nsomething stopped me. This felt like a moment'}, {'start': '468.320', 'end': '475.680', 'text': 'that transcended politeness—something more akin\xa0\nto spiritual communion. I just said, “Thank you.”'}, {'start': '475.680', 'end': '480.400', 'text': 'She parted her lips, about to respond,\xa0\nwhen we heard the snap of twigs from the'}, {'start': '480.400', 'end': '484.960', 'text': 'woods. A group was approaching.\xa0\nI froze, bracing for trouble.'}, {'start': '484.960', 'end': '490.640', 'text': 'Miri’Saal looked equally alarmed, but not\xa0\nfrightened—more like she expected this.'}, {'start': '490.640', 'end': '496.640', 'text': 'From between the dripping pines emerged\xa0\nhalf a dozen figures. Tall, slender,'}, {'start': '496.640', 'end': '502.320', 'text': 'wearing cloaks dyed with swirling patterns,\xa0\nall with that same purple hue to their skin'}, {'start': '502.320', 'end': '507.200', 'text': 'and the silver luminescence in their\xa0\neyes. One man, older than the rest,'}, {'start': '507.200', 'end': '514.000', 'text': 'stepped forward. He carried a staff decorated\xa0\nwith carved symbols. Another, a younger woman,'}, {'start': '514.000', 'end': '519.280', 'text': 'had some sort of woven circlet around her\xa0\nbrow. They all stared at Miri’Saal as though'}, {'start': '519.280', 'end': '525.200', 'text': 'she were a lost child. Then their gazes slid\xa0\nto me. The tension was thick enough to taste.'}, {'start': '525.200', 'end': '531.280', 'text': 'Miri’Saal’s face tightened. “Elder, please. He\xa0\nonly gave me a place to stay for the night.”'}, {'start': '531.280', 'end': '537.200', 'text': 'The older man approached me first, scanning\xa0\nme from boots to face. My past life taught me'}, {'start': '537.200', 'end': '542.480', 'text': 'never to back down from direct eye contact,\xa0\nso I kept calm, meeting his stare. Then,'}, {'start': '542.480', 'end': '547.360', 'text': 'without warning, he pressed his hand to\xa0\nmy chest. I thought he might push me away,'}, {'start': '547.360', 'end': '552.080', 'text': 'but the gesture felt almost like a\xa0\ntest. After a moment, he withdrew.'}, {'start': '552.080', 'end': '559.040', 'text': '“Your heart is strong,” he said in a deep,\xa0\naccented voice. “And unguarded by deceit. You have'}, {'start': '559.040', 'end': '565.760', 'text': 'done more than offer shelter. You have awakened\xa0\nan ancient path, whether you intended to or not.”'}, {'start': '565.760', 'end': '570.560', 'text': 'I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry,\xa0\nbut I’m not sure I follow. I—”'}, {'start': '570.560', 'end': '576.160', 'text': '“That is the point,” said the younger woman with\xa0\nthe circlet. Her voice was steady but urgent.'}, {'start': '576.160', 'end': '582.240', 'text': '“You do not see, yet you have done it anyway.\xa0\nThis is how the prophecy said it would be.”'}, {'start': '582.240', 'end': '587.200', 'text': 'I wanted to roll my eyes at the word prophecy,\xa0\nbut something about their demeanor cut through my'}, {'start': '587.200', 'end': '594.160', 'text': 'cynicism. I glanced at Miri’Saal. She grimaced.\xa0\nThe older man gestured to her. “Miri’Saal,'}, {'start': '594.160', 'end': '600.080', 'text': 'you have done what was foretold, leading him\xa0\nhere, crossing paths in the storm. Now there is no'}, {'start': '600.080', 'end': '606.000', 'text': 'turning back. You must bring him to the village.\xa0\nThe clan must see him with their own eyes.”'}, {'start': '606.000', 'end': '610.640', 'text': 'She started to protest, but he silenced\xa0\nher with a single raised hand. Then he'}, {'start': '610.640', 'end': '615.200', 'text': 'turned to me again. “I am Athem.\xa0\nPlease, forgive this intrusion.'}, {'start': '615.200', 'end': '620.720', 'text': 'But my people have waited generations for\xa0\na sign that our future would not be lost.”'}, {'start': '620.720', 'end': '626.480', 'text': 'I was about to ask how in the galaxy I\xa0\nfit into that. But Miri’Saal exhaled,'}, {'start': '626.480', 'end': '631.280', 'text': 'her cheeks coloring a deeper shade of\xa0\nviolet. Her eyes fixed on me with a kind'}, {'start': '631.280', 'end': '637.920', 'text': 'of helpless resignation. “He only wanted to give\xa0\nme shelter, Elder. He didn’t ask for any of this.”'}, {'start': '637.920', 'end': '644.480', 'text': 'Athem nodded. “And that is precisely why. The\xa0\nfather of the new generation must act out of pure'}, {'start': '644.480', 'end': '651.360', 'text': 'grace, not ambition or claim.” He looked at me\xa0\ngently. “I know you must be confused. I only ask'}, {'start': '651.360', 'end': '658.000', 'text': 'that you come with us. The tribe will honor you,\xa0\nand if you wish to leave, you will be free to go.”'}, {'start': '658.000', 'end': '662.240', 'text': 'My heart pounded. In my younger\xa0\ndays, I was a Federation pilot,'}, {'start': '662.240', 'end': '667.520', 'text': 'flying cargo across disputed territories.\xa0\nI’ve seen cults and frontier groups with'}, {'start': '667.520', 'end': '672.160', 'text': 'bizarre beliefs. But never had I\xa0\nfelt a presence like these Nomori,'}, {'start': '672.160', 'end': '679.120', 'text': 'an odd mixture of humility and unwavering\xa0\ncertainty. I glanced around at the looming forest,'}, {'start': '679.120', 'end': '685.600', 'text': 'the battered remains of last night’s storm, and\xa0\nthen to Miri’Saal. Her expression was unreadable.'}, {'start': '685.600', 'end': '689.600', 'text': '“All right,” I said, cautious.\xa0\n“But let’s be clear: I’m not'}, {'start': '689.600', 'end': '692.880', 'text': 'signing on to anything. I\xa0\njust want to understand.”'}, {'start': '692.880', 'end': '699.040', 'text': 'A faint smile tugged at the corner of Athem’s\xa0\nlips. “Understanding is the first step.”'}, {'start': '699.040', 'end': '702.880', 'text': 'So we walked. They led us deeper\xa0\ninto the forest along a path that'}, {'start': '702.880', 'end': '709.600', 'text': 'was half-submerged in mud. After a mile or two,\xa0\nI saw shapes rising from behind ancient trees:'}, {'start': '709.600', 'end': '714.640', 'text': 'huts made of thick vine-like branches,\xa0\ncanopies draped in shimmering cloth,'}, {'start': '714.640', 'end': '720.560', 'text': 'a clearing with stepping stones. It was a hidden\xa0\nvillage, nestled in a meadow ringed by towering'}, {'start': '720.560', 'end': '727.920', 'text': 'pines. Soft voices echoed from every direction,\xa0\nchildren peeking out from behind carved totems.'}, {'start': '727.920', 'end': '734.800', 'text': 'The architecture was intricate, each structure\xa0\nswirling upward as if grown from living roots.'}, {'start': '734.800', 'end': '740.560', 'text': 'As we entered, a hush fell across the\xa0\nsettlement. A circle of Nomori assembled,'}, {'start': '740.560', 'end': '747.760', 'text': 'each face shining with curiosity and awe. There\xa0\nhad to be over a hundred of them—men, women,'}, {'start': '747.760', 'end': '755.440', 'text': 'elders, youths. I felt the prickling sensation\xa0\nof so many eyes upon me. My mind reeled. This'}, {'start': '755.440', 'end': '761.120', 'text': 'was unlike any first contact scenario I’d been\xa0\npart of years ago. I couldn’t pretend they were'}, {'start': '761.120', 'end': '768.320', 'text': 'primitive—they had an aura of deep wisdom that\xa0\ntranscended mere technology. But I saw no advanced'}, {'start': '768.320', 'end': '776.400', 'text': 'machinery, no flicker of digital devices. It was\xa0\na world of living energy, intangible yet potent.'}, {'start': '776.400', 'end': '780.400', 'text': 'A voice broke the silence:\xa0\n“Is it him?” Another asked,'}, {'start': '780.400', 'end': '786.240', 'text': '“Will he truly save us?” Save them? That\xa0\nmade my stomach knot. I stepped toward Athem,'}, {'start': '786.240', 'end': '790.800', 'text': 'lowering my voice. “If you don’t\xa0\nmind explaining—save you from what?”'}, {'start': '790.800', 'end': '795.920', 'text': 'But an older woman with silver braids looped\xa0\naround her horns stepped forward. She had'}, {'start': '795.920', 'end': '803.040', 'text': 'regal bearing, even if her cloak was simple. “My\xa0\nname is Seha. I am the caretaker of our records,'}, {'start': '803.040', 'end': '810.240', 'text': 'the stories that guide us. For centuries, we have\xa0\nfaced dwindling births, weakening spirits. Our'}, {'start': '810.240', 'end': '816.480', 'text': 'connection to the living forest is threatened. The\xa0\nseers prophesied that when we reached the brink,'}, {'start': '816.480', 'end': '821.280', 'text': 'a man from the outside would house one of\xa0\nour daughters for a single stormy night,'}, {'start': '821.280', 'end': '826.800', 'text': 'offering kindness without expectation,\xa0\nbridging two destinies. That man would'}, {'start': '826.800', 'end': '832.080', 'text': 'become father to our future generation,\xa0\nensuring the Nomori do not fade.”'}, {'start': '832.080', 'end': '837.120', 'text': 'My mouth went dry. “Father…? Are\xa0\nyou saying… that you want me to…”'}, {'start': '837.120', 'end': '842.480', 'text': 'Several individuals in the crowd nodded in\xa0\nsolemn affirmation. But no one looked leering'}, {'start': '842.480', 'end': '850.240', 'text': 'or suggestive; it wasn’t a crude or lustful vibe.\xa0\nIt felt more like a profound spiritual urgency.'}, {'start': '850.240', 'end': '856.400', 'text': 'Miri’Saal, standing just behind me, spoke quietly,\xa0\n“They believe you carry the vital spark that can'}, {'start': '856.400', 'end': '863.440', 'text': 'rekindle our fertility—body and soul. Our children\xa0\nhaven’t survived infancy. Our tribe is dying.”'}, {'start': '863.440', 'end': '867.040', 'text': 'I turned to her. “You told me last night you just'}, {'start': '867.040', 'end': '870.960', 'text': 'needed shelter. Why didn’t you\xa0\nsay your tribe was in peril?”'}, {'start': '870.960', 'end': '877.040', 'text': 'She set her jaw, tears gleaming in her eyes.\xa0\n“I didn’t want to manipulate your generosity. I'}, {'start': '877.040', 'end': '882.800', 'text': 'only needed one night away from the watchers. I\xa0\nnever dreamed the prophecy would come to pass.”'}, {'start': '882.800', 'end': '889.760', 'text': 'My chest felt hollow. I’d never fathered children,\xa0\nnever married. My life was a tapestry of regrets,'}, {'start': '889.760', 'end': '896.480', 'text': 'a testament to how I’d drifted place to place,\xa0\nnever committing to anything bigger than myself.'}, {'start': '896.480', 'end': '902.800', 'text': 'Now I stood among an alien people, asked to be\xa0\nfather to a future generation. It was surreal.'}, {'start': '902.800', 'end': '908.080', 'text': 'Athem’s staff tapped the ground. “We\xa0\ndo not demand anything. If you refuse,'}, {'start': '908.080', 'end': '913.600', 'text': 'we will respect your will. But the truth\xa0\nremains: the prophecy singled you out.”'}, {'start': '913.600', 'end': '919.920', 'text': 'I looked around, feeling the weight of so many\xa0\nhopeful gazes. My gut twisted. “I don’t want to'}, {'start': '919.920', 'end': '925.440', 'text': 'see your people suffer. But to be father\xa0\nto your entire tribe? That’s… enormous.”'}, {'start': '925.440', 'end': '931.120', 'text': 'Seha stepped forward. “It isn’t about spawning\xa0\na dozen children yourself. The father of our'}, {'start': '931.120', 'end': '937.760', 'text': 'future is more than a mere physical act. It is an\xa0\nexchange of energies, an opening of hearts that'}, {'start': '937.760', 'end': '944.640', 'text': 'reawakens the symbiosis between us and the living\xa0\nforest. Our people conceive and bear children in'}, {'start': '944.640', 'end': '950.960', 'text': 'harmony with the planet’s resonance. We require\xa0\na catalyst from beyond these borders. Legend'}, {'start': '950.960', 'end': '958.000', 'text': 'says that catalyst’s presence, will, and bond with\xa0\none of our own will restore what’s been broken.”'}, {'start': '958.000', 'end': '962.080', 'text': 'I tried to parse that. “So, are you\xa0\nsaying the father’s presence alone'}, {'start': '962.080', 'end': '966.400', 'text': 'can help you conceive? That you just\xa0\nneed me to stay here for a while?”'}, {'start': '966.400', 'end': '972.400', 'text': 'Seha pursed her lips. “At the risk of speaking\xa0\ntoo plainly: your connection with Miri’Saal'}, {'start': '972.400', 'end': '977.760', 'text': 'ignited the first spark. You and she\xa0\nmust deepen that bond. In doing so,'}, {'start': '977.760', 'end': '982.240', 'text': 'an energy will flow through the\xa0\nentire tribe. Every child conceived'}, {'start': '982.240', 'end': '987.280', 'text': 'in the coming season will share in that\xa0\nenergy. That is the prophecy’s claim.”'}, {'start': '987.280', 'end': '990.880', 'text': 'Heat rose in my face. I glanced at Miri’Saal,'}, {'start': '990.880', 'end': '994.960', 'text': 'whose cheeks were also darkened with a\xa0\nflustered violet hue. “I don’t even know'}, {'start': '994.960', 'end': '1000.160', 'text': 'her,” I murmured, though I tried not to\xa0\nsound offensive. “She doesn’t know me.”'}, {'start': '1000.160', 'end': '1006.640', 'text': 'Miri’Saal lifted her chin. “The prophecy doesn’t\xa0\noverride our hearts. If we do this, it must be by'}, {'start': '1006.640', 'end': '1013.120', 'text': 'choice, not compulsion. I won’t force a stranger\xa0\nto be my… my partner.” Her voice trembled slightly'}, {'start': '1013.120', 'end': '1019.520', 'text': 'at the final word. “It’s not just about the\xa0\nphysical. The Nomori bond on a spiritual level.”'}, {'start': '1019.520', 'end': '1024.640', 'text': 'I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing\xa0\naway. “I’m not exactly a prime specimen.'}, {'start': '1024.640', 'end': '1030.800', 'text': 'I’m older, a recluse, not sure how my\xa0\nspiritual energies are doing these days.”'}, {'start': '1030.800', 'end': '1036.240', 'text': 'Athem tapped his staff again, this time more\xa0\ngently. “We see differently. You have lived'}, {'start': '1036.240', 'end': '1043.520', 'text': 'quietly but not despairingly. You have pain in\xa0\nyou, but also a readiness to give. That is power.”'}, {'start': '1043.520', 'end': '1048.880', 'text': 'Silence settled. I realized they were giving\xa0\nme space to breathe. My mind jumped to a'}, {'start': '1048.880', 'end': '1053.600', 'text': 'hundred potential complications.\xa0\nBut a memory surfaced: last night,'}, {'start': '1053.600', 'end': '1058.800', 'text': 'the way Miri’Saal had whispered her thanks at\xa0\nmy doorstep, how her eyes softened when she'}, {'start': '1058.800', 'end': '1065.600', 'text': 'realized I wasn’t expecting payment. I hadn’t\xa0\nfelt so appreciated in years. And this morning,'}, {'start': '1065.600', 'end': '1071.920', 'text': 'the fruit mixture that warmed my spirit. Did I\xa0\ntruly believe in cosmic destiny? Not usually.'}, {'start': '1071.920', 'end': '1076.880', 'text': 'But I believed in genuine connection.\xa0\nSomething about this woman felt real.'}, {'start': '1076.880', 'end': '1082.640', 'text': 'I exhaled shakily. “All right. I’m not\xa0\npromising I can fix your fertility crisis.'}, {'start': '1082.640', 'end': '1088.400', 'text': 'I have no illusions of being a messiah. But I\xa0\nwon’t abandon you if there’s a chance I can help.”'}, {'start': '1088.400', 'end': '1093.680', 'text': 'Miri’Saal’s shoulders relaxed a fraction.\xa0\nShe gave me a nod of respect. The tribe'}, {'start': '1093.680', 'end': '1099.120', 'text': 'parted so we could walk further in, guiding\xa0\nme to a wide communal structure built under'}, {'start': '1099.120', 'end': '1104.960', 'text': 'a massive oak-like tree. An open area,\xa0\nsheltered from above by layered leaves,'}, {'start': '1104.960', 'end': '1111.360', 'text': 'served as a gathering hall. The entire place\xa0\nsmelled of wet earth and blossoming vines.'}, {'start': '1111.360', 'end': '1116.560', 'text': 'Patterns of luminescent mushrooms formed\xa0\nswirling designs across the pillars.'}, {'start': '1116.560', 'end': '1122.080', 'text': 'Athem explained they would begin a ceremony that\xa0\nafternoon to officially “welcome” me. I tried to'}, {'start': '1122.080', 'end': '1128.400', 'text': 'glean more specifics, but they spoke in riddles\xa0\nabout energy flows, cosmic harmonic cycles,'}, {'start': '1128.400', 'end': '1135.520', 'text': 'and ancestral blessings. Meanwhile, Miri’Saal\xa0\nkept to the side, her gaze distant. Perhaps she'}, {'start': '1135.520', 'end': '1141.520', 'text': 'too was overwhelmed by the sudden shift from a\xa0\nquiet hut to a tribe chanting about fatherhood.'}, {'start': '1141.520', 'end': '1146.800', 'text': 'Despite my nervousness, I found the\xa0\nceremony oddly soothing. They sang'}, {'start': '1146.800', 'end': '1152.480', 'text': 'haunting melodies that resonated through\xa0\nmy chest. Elders lit small braziers that'}, {'start': '1152.480', 'end': '1158.400', 'text': 'burned with fragrant herbs, releasing\xa0\nswirling colors into the air. At times,'}, {'start': '1158.400', 'end': '1163.680', 'text': 'I noticed Miri’Saal looking at me from\xa0\nacross the circle. The moment our eyes met,'}, {'start': '1163.680', 'end': '1170.480', 'text': 'something inside me fluttered. It felt like a\xa0\nthread connecting us, invisible yet tangible.'}, {'start': '1170.480', 'end': '1177.680', 'text': 'Afterward, the villagers dispersed. People offered\xa0\nme small gifts: carved trinkets, woven bracelets,'}, {'start': '1177.680', 'end': '1183.840', 'text': 'bowls of spiced soup. It was an outpouring of\xa0\ngratitude that left me speechless. I tried to'}, {'start': '1183.840', 'end': '1189.680', 'text': 'give them back, or at least say I wasn’t worthy,\xa0\nbut they simply bowed and walked away. In truth,'}, {'start': '1189.680', 'end': '1195.520', 'text': 'it made me uneasy—I’m no saint, no\xa0\nwarrior. Part of me wanted to slip away,'}, {'start': '1195.520', 'end': '1200.720', 'text': 'return to my hut, lock the door, and hide\xa0\nfrom the responsibility. But every time I'}, {'start': '1200.720', 'end': '1205.280', 'text': 'thought about running, Miri’Saal’s\xa0\nsilent strength echoed in my mind.'}, {'start': '1205.280', 'end': '1210.240', 'text': 'She finally approached me near dusk, as\xa0\nI sat by a small waterfall that fed the'}, {'start': '1210.240', 'end': '1215.600', 'text': 'village with fresh water. The sky glowed\xa0\nwith the pinkish hue of the setting sun.'}, {'start': '1215.600', 'end': '1222.560', 'text': 'I was rinsing my hands, watching fish dart among\xa0\nsmooth stones, when I felt her presence behind me.'}, {'start': '1222.560', 'end': '1227.360', 'text': '“Are you all right?” she asked softly,\xa0\nsitting beside me on the damp rock.'}, {'start': '1227.360', 'end': '1233.760', 'text': 'Her slender fingers hovered over the water’s\xa0\nsurface. Fireflies flickered among the reeds.'}, {'start': '1233.760', 'end': '1236.640', 'text': '“I’m… adjusting,” I said with a sheepish'}, {'start': '1236.640', 'end': '1240.960', 'text': 'smile. “Bit different from my\xa0\nusual morning routine. You?”'}, {'start': '1240.960', 'end': '1244.960', 'text': 'She closed her eyes briefly. “I\xa0\nwas prepared to sacrifice my own'}, {'start': '1244.960', 'end': '1250.400', 'text': 'desires for the tribe. To marry whomever\xa0\nthey deemed necessary to keep us from'}, {'start': '1250.400', 'end': '1255.360', 'text': 'extinction. But it’s more complicated with\xa0\nyou. You never bargained for this either.”'}, {'start': '1255.360', 'end': '1259.840', 'text': 'Looking at her face in the twilight,\xa0\nI realized how young she appeared,'}, {'start': '1259.840', 'end': '1264.640', 'text': 'though her gaze carried decades of\xa0\ndepth. “I’ve wandered for so long,'}, {'start': '1264.640', 'end': '1270.640', 'text': 'Miri’Saal. Hiding from my past mistakes,\xa0\nburying my regrets in that lonely hut. I'}, {'start': '1270.640', 'end': '1276.720', 'text': 'used to think I’d just fade away quietly. But\xa0\nseeing your people… it stirs something in me.”'}, {'start': '1276.720', 'end': '1283.520', 'text': 'She listened, head tilted, eyes reflecting\xa0\nthe fireflies. “Tell me about your regrets.”'}, {'start': '1283.520', 'end': '1289.680', 'text': 'My throat tightened. “I used to have a wife back\xa0\non Earth. We tried for kids. It never happened,'}, {'start': '1289.680', 'end': '1296.240', 'text': 'and over time, something broke between us. I\xa0\nleft, joined cargo crews, drifted from planet'}, {'start': '1296.240', 'end': '1303.440', 'text': 'to planet. She eventually found someone else. That\xa0\nwas… years ago. I haven’t let anyone close since.”'}, {'start': '1303.440', 'end': '1307.600', 'text': 'Miri’Saal dipped her fingertips\xa0\ninto the water. “I’m sorry. It'}, {'start': '1307.600', 'end': '1310.720', 'text': 'sounds like you know the pain of an empty cradle.”'}, {'start': '1310.720', 'end': '1315.440', 'text': 'I managed a half-smile. “You could say that.\xa0\nAnd I guess that’s part of why your people’s'}, {'start': '1315.440', 'end': '1320.720', 'text': 'crisis resonates. I know what it’s like to\xa0\nwant a child and not be able to have one.”'}, {'start': '1320.720', 'end': '1328.240', 'text': 'She turned to me, shifting closer. “In the Nomori\xa0\nway, bringing forth life is never just physical.'}, {'start': '1328.240', 'end': '1333.760', 'text': 'It is a spiritual union with each other and with\xa0\nthe living forest. If we were to accept this'}, {'start': '1333.760', 'end': '1341.040', 'text': 'path—if we truly decided to bring your spark into\xa0\nour tribe—our connection would have to be genuine.'}, {'start': '1341.040', 'end': '1347.520', 'text': 'Not forced, nor purely transactional. There’s\xa0\nan energy that flows from the shared heart.”'}, {'start': '1347.520', 'end': '1353.600', 'text': 'A soft breeze drifted by, rustling leaves\xa0\noverhead. She searched my face. “I can’t'}, {'start': '1353.600', 'end': '1359.040', 'text': 'pretend I’m not bound to prophecy, but I\xa0\nwon’t lie to you: I want to save my tribe.'}, {'start': '1359.040', 'end': '1365.040', 'text': 'I’d do almost anything for them. Yet I also\xa0\nwant what we do to be real, for both of us.”'}, {'start': '1365.040', 'end': '1370.160', 'text': 'I brushed my thumb lightly against a\xa0\ndamp curl of her hair that had fallen'}, {'start': '1370.160', 'end': '1374.800', 'text': 'over her temple. “I’ve spent years\xa0\nrunning from closeness. But… maybe'}, {'start': '1374.800', 'end': '1379.200', 'text': 'this is the moment I finally stop\xa0\nrunning. Even if it’s terrifying.”'}, {'start': '1379.200', 'end': '1384.880', 'text': 'Her lips curved into a small, trembling\xa0\nsmile. “Then we can discover it together.”'}, {'start': '1384.880', 'end': '1388.480', 'text': 'I was aware of how deeply we\xa0\nwere staring at each other,'}, {'start': '1388.480', 'end': '1395.680', 'text': 'hearts pounding in unison. Though an entire\xa0\nvillage and an ancient prophecy loomed over us,'}, {'start': '1395.680', 'end': '1402.720', 'text': 'this felt achingly personal. I wanted to kiss her,\xa0\nbut hesitation warred in my chest. She sensed it,'}, {'start': '1402.720', 'end': '1407.280', 'text': 'bridging the gap with a gentle press of her\xa0\nlips. The taste of her breath was like sweet'}, {'start': '1407.280', 'end': '1414.000', 'text': 'dew. My pulse thundered, and for a few seconds\xa0\nthe rest of the universe ceased to exist.'}, {'start': '1414.000', 'end': '1419.840', 'text': 'We broke apart, breath unsteady. Her eyes\xa0\nglistened, and I suspect mine did too. It'}, {'start': '1419.840', 'end': '1425.520', 'text': 'wasn’t some raw lust—there was depth to it, a\xa0\nlonging for communion that overshadowed mere'}, {'start': '1425.520', 'end': '1431.120', 'text': 'attraction. That night, the tribe prepared a\xa0\nceremonial shelter for the two of us. I felt'}, {'start': '1431.120', 'end': '1436.480', 'text': 'a swirl of nerves at the idea of being so\xa0\nintimately observed by an entire community,'}, {'start': '1436.480', 'end': '1441.120', 'text': 'but Miri’Saal told me that in Nomori\xa0\nculture, this was still private. The'}, {'start': '1441.120', 'end': '1446.800', 'text': 'shelter stood at the edge of the village, under\xa0\nthe protective branches of a centuries-old tree,'}, {'start': '1446.800', 'end': '1454.000', 'text': 'adorned with softly glowing crystals. They said\xa0\nthese crystals channeled the forest’s life energy.'}, {'start': '1454.000', 'end': '1459.840', 'text': 'Candles flickered inside. Petals were\xa0\nstrewn across the woven mats. It was quiet,'}, {'start': '1459.840', 'end': '1464.640', 'text': 'save for distant singing from a different\xa0\ncorner of the village—a warm lullaby'}, {'start': '1464.640', 'end': '1471.040', 'text': 'drifting through the night air. Miri’Saal and\xa0\nI stepped inside, glancing around awkwardly,'}, {'start': '1471.040', 'end': '1476.160', 'text': 'two uncertain souls caught in a swirl\xa0\nof prophecy and personal desire.'}, {'start': '1476.160', 'end': '1481.840', 'text': 'She took my hand. “They believe our union here\xa0\nwill mark the turning point for our people. But'}, {'start': '1481.840', 'end': '1488.640', 'text': 'if at any moment you feel it isn’t right,\xa0\nsay so. The forest knows truth from lies.”'}, {'start': '1488.640', 'end': '1492.000', 'text': 'I swallowed, my heart pounding in my ears. “I'}, {'start': '1492.000', 'end': '1496.720', 'text': 'won’t lie. I’m scared. I’ve never\xa0\nhad a responsibility like this.”'}, {'start': '1496.720', 'end': '1501.120', 'text': 'Her free hand lifted, touching my\xa0\ncheek. “Strength isn’t the absence'}, {'start': '1501.120', 'end': '1506.560', 'text': 'of fear. It’s the willingness to stand firm\xa0\ndespite it. I sense your spirit. You have'}, {'start': '1506.560', 'end': '1511.600', 'text': 'what the Nomori call vora’tahl—the\xa0\nquiet determination to protect.”'}, {'start': '1511.600', 'end': '1515.920', 'text': 'My chest felt tight. I slid a hand\xa0\nto her waist, feeling the softness of'}, {'start': '1515.920', 'end': '1522.000', 'text': 'her cloak. She leaned against me, resting her\xa0\nforehead on my shoulder. We just stood there,'}, {'start': '1522.000', 'end': '1526.800', 'text': 'breathing together, feeling the gentle hum\xa0\nof the crystals that lit the shelter. Then'}, {'start': '1526.800', 'end': '1532.320', 'text': 'we moved to the mats, kneeling opposite\xa0\neach other, foreheads nearly touching.'}, {'start': '1532.320', 'end': '1538.960', 'text': 'There was a ritual to it. We clasped hands, closed\xa0\nour eyes, and she began to chant in a low tone,'}, {'start': '1538.960', 'end': '1546.000', 'text': 'the words vibrating with some primal resonance.\xa0\nI matched her breathing, imagining golden threads'}, {'start': '1546.000', 'end': '1553.040', 'text': 'weaving between our chests. Gradually, our pulses\xa0\nsynchronized. Warmth spread through my body,'}, {'start': '1553.040', 'end': '1558.320', 'text': 'not a burning heat, but a gentle enveloping\xa0\nglow. My thoughts drifted to old pains,'}, {'start': '1558.320', 'end': '1564.960', 'text': 'regrets, the child I never had. Faces blurred\xa0\nin my memory. A tear escaped my eye. Then,'}, {'start': '1564.960', 'end': '1571.440', 'text': 'in a rush of breath, it was as if Miri’Saal\xa0\nwelcomed all of me—my joys, sorrows, hopes.'}, {'start': '1571.440', 'end': '1576.480', 'text': 'The chanting slowed. She opened her\xa0\neyes, shimmering with unshed tears.'}, {'start': '1576.480', 'end': '1580.720', 'text': '“I feel you. Your story. I see\xa0\nwhy the forest chose you.” We'}, {'start': '1580.720', 'end': '1586.160', 'text': 'leaned closer. Her lips brushed my ear as\xa0\nshe whispered, “Let’s heal each other.”'}, {'start': '1586.160', 'end': '1592.080', 'text': 'We spent that night entwined in each other’s\xa0\narms, not frantic but deeply mindful. Every'}, {'start': '1592.080', 'end': '1597.440', 'text': 'touch felt like a vow. We whispered truths\xa0\nbetween kisses—like how she’d once lost'}, {'start': '1597.440', 'end': '1603.120', 'text': 'a younger sister to illness, how I’d lost\xa0\nfaith in my own worth. We pressed foreheads,'}, {'start': '1603.120', 'end': '1609.120', 'text': 'letting the starry crystals glow around us\xa0\nin a cosmic hush. I felt a subtle current'}, {'start': '1609.120', 'end': '1615.280', 'text': 'pulse through the floor, up into our joined\xa0\nbodies, as if the planet itself listened.'}, {'start': '1615.280', 'end': '1620.320', 'text': 'When dawn came, birds chirped in the\xa0\ncanopy overhead. Sunlight filtered'}, {'start': '1620.320', 'end': '1625.680', 'text': 'through the woven walls, illuminating her\xa0\nface relaxed in slumber. I reached out,'}, {'start': '1625.680', 'end': '1631.040', 'text': 'gently tracing the line of her jaw. She\xa0\nstirred, lips curving into a small smile.'}, {'start': '1631.040', 'end': '1637.440', 'text': 'I realized with a startling clarity that I\xa0\nfelt… whole in a way I’d never imagined. It'}, {'start': '1637.440', 'end': '1643.120', 'text': 'was a quiet wholeness, like discovering a\xa0\npiece of myself I didn’t know was missing.'}, {'start': '1643.120', 'end': '1649.280', 'text': 'Before we could properly speak, the village\xa0\nerupted in excited voices outside. We hastily'}, {'start': '1649.280', 'end': '1653.840', 'text': 'dressed, stepping out to find a crowd\xa0\ngathered. The chatter was electric,'}, {'start': '1653.840', 'end': '1659.760', 'text': 'a sense of collective relief. A child ran up,\xa0\nsquealing with delight, and a mother I’d seen'}, {'start': '1659.760', 'end': '1665.520', 'text': 'the day before was beaming, cradling her round\xa0\nbelly—had she been pregnant? The entire tribe'}, {'start': '1665.520', 'end': '1670.880', 'text': 'seemed animated by a burst of vitality, as if\xa0\nthe forest had awakened from a long slumber.'}, {'start': '1670.880', 'end': '1676.400', 'text': 'Athem approached, staff in hand, eyes\xa0\nshining. “The resonance is strong. The'}, {'start': '1676.400', 'end': '1681.200', 'text': 'forest sings with new life. Already,\xa0\nthose who carry unborn children feel'}, {'start': '1681.200', 'end': '1686.480', 'text': 'a shift. The sickness that haunted\xa0\nthem is gone. The cycle renews.”'}, {'start': '1686.480', 'end': '1692.400', 'text': 'Seha clasped Miri’Saal’s hands, gazing at\xa0\nher as though seeing a miracle. “It’s as the'}, {'start': '1692.400', 'end': '1699.280', 'text': 'prophecy said. A single union, freely chosen, can\xa0\nspark the current that runs through all of us.”'}, {'start': '1699.280', 'end': '1702.000', 'text': 'I glanced around at the joyful expressions,'}, {'start': '1702.000', 'end': '1707.920', 'text': 'feeling a hum in my veins. It wasn’t a fleeting\xa0\nafterglow. I sensed the planet’s heartbeat,'}, {'start': '1707.920', 'end': '1712.080', 'text': 'as though my quiet little existence\xa0\nhad merged with something colossal.'}, {'start': '1712.080', 'end': '1716.560', 'text': 'One father stepped forward, tears in\xa0\nhis eyes. He pressed his forehead to'}, {'start': '1716.560', 'end': '1722.160', 'text': 'my shoulder. “My son was born frail. We\xa0\nfeared he wouldn’t live. But this morning,'}, {'start': '1722.160', 'end': '1727.520', 'text': 'he awoke with color in his cheeks,\xa0\nstrength in his limbs. Thank you.”'}, {'start': '1727.520', 'end': '1730.720', 'text': 'My throat closed. I managed to squeeze out,'}, {'start': '1730.720', 'end': '1736.240', 'text': '“I’m just… I’m just a man.” But the father\xa0\nshook his head in grateful disbelief.'}, {'start': '1736.240', 'end': '1742.240', 'text': 'The day swirled with celebrations. Dancers\xa0\nperformed slow, winding movements that'}, {'start': '1742.240', 'end': '1748.160', 'text': 'mimicked the growing vines. Children played in\xa0\nthe newly awakened meadow, which now shimmered'}, {'start': '1748.160', 'end': '1753.920', 'text': 'with buds that hadn’t opened in years. People\xa0\nkept approaching me, placing their hands over'}, {'start': '1753.920', 'end': '1761.120', 'text': 'their hearts, offering thanks. I felt unworthy\xa0\nof their reverence, but their joy was contagious.'}, {'start': '1761.120', 'end': '1765.520', 'text': 'In the lull of the afternoon, I found\xa0\nMiri’Saal near the waterfall again.'}, {'start': '1765.520', 'end': '1770.960', 'text': 'She was crouched on a stone, feeding small\xa0\ncrumbs of fruit to tiny lizard-like creatures'}, {'start': '1770.960', 'end': '1777.200', 'text': 'that scurried along the bank. She glanced up as\xa0\nI approached, a soft smile lighting her face.'}, {'start': '1777.200', 'end': '1779.520', 'text': '“How do you feel?” she asked.'}, {'start': '1779.520', 'end': '1784.080', 'text': 'I laughed weakly. “Overwhelmed.\xa0\nIn awe. Terrified that I might'}, {'start': '1784.080', 'end': '1787.840', 'text': 'let everyone down. But also… oddly peaceful.”'}, {'start': '1787.840', 'end': '1793.920', 'text': 'She stretched out a hand, inviting me to join\xa0\nher on the stone. I steadied myself, then sat'}, {'start': '1793.920', 'end': '1800.480', 'text': 'beside her. The water glistened, fish darting\xa0\nbelow the surface. She drew a circle on my palm'}, {'start': '1800.480', 'end': '1806.560', 'text': 'with her fingertip. “Thank you for not bolting\xa0\nthe moment you woke up to that chaos out there.”'}, {'start': '1806.560', 'end': '1810.480', 'text': 'I exhaled. “A year ago, I\xa0\nmight have. But something'}, {'start': '1810.480', 'end': '1814.880', 'text': 'changed in me. Maybe I was ready\xa0\nto stop hiding behind solitude.”'}, {'start': '1814.880', 'end': '1818.960', 'text': 'She studied the water. “So what\xa0\nnow? Do you return to your hut,'}, {'start': '1818.960', 'end': '1822.720', 'text': 'occasionally visiting us? Or do\xa0\nyou think you can remain here?”'}, {'start': '1822.720', 'end': '1828.400', 'text': 'I felt the gentle hush of the forest,\xa0\nthe memory of her warmth in my arms last'}, {'start': '1828.400', 'end': '1833.200', 'text': 'night. My chest tightened with emotion.\xa0\n“I never thought I’d find a home again,'}, {'start': '1833.200', 'end': '1837.840', 'text': 'but… well, if there’s a place\xa0\nfor me, I’d like to stay.”'}, {'start': '1837.840', 'end': '1844.800', 'text': 'She turned, eyes bright with relief. Her\xa0\nlips formed one final question. “With me?”'}, {'start': '1844.800', 'end': '1849.200', 'text': 'I caught her hand and pressed\xa0\nit to my chest. “Yes, with you.”'}, {'start': '1849.200', 'end': '1854.320', 'text': 'For days, we settled into a routine\xa0\nof exploring each other’s worlds. She'}, {'start': '1854.320', 'end': '1859.520', 'text': 'showed me the clan’s healing grotto, where\xa0\nluminescent algae thrived in a subterranean'}, {'start': '1859.520', 'end': '1864.640', 'text': 'spring. I taught her how to make the simple\xa0\nsoups and breads I’d survived on in my hut.'}, {'start': '1864.640', 'end': '1870.320', 'text': 'We took turns telling stories of our pasts—mine\xa0\nabout Federation cargo flights and broken'}, {'start': '1870.320', 'end': '1876.160', 'text': 'relationships, hers about rites of passage,\xa0\nher sister’s funeral beneath the ancient oak,'}, {'start': '1876.160', 'end': '1879.840', 'text': 'and her initial rebelliousness\xa0\nagainst the tribe’s prophecies.'}, {'start': '1879.840', 'end': '1885.760', 'text': 'The Nomori accepted me into their daily life,\xa0\nthough always with a certain reverence. I tried'}, {'start': '1885.760', 'end': '1891.600', 'text': 'to dispel that, volunteering for chores like\xa0\nhauling water, helping mend roofs, or learning'}, {'start': '1891.600', 'end': '1897.200', 'text': 'to cultivate the delicate herb gardens. The\xa0\nelders insisted it was an honor to have me, but'}, {'start': '1897.200', 'end': '1904.240', 'text': 'I insisted we be equals. Over time, they obliged,\xa0\nletting me work side by side with the others.'}, {'start': '1904.240', 'end': '1911.200', 'text': 'Meanwhile, my old hut remained at the far edge\xa0\nof the territory. Occasionally, I’d slip away,'}, {'start': '1911.200', 'end': '1916.480', 'text': 'ensuring everything was still in order.\xa0\nSome nights, Miri’Saal joined me there,'}, {'start': '1916.480', 'end': '1921.200', 'text': 'and we savored the quiet hush of the\xa0\nplace where we first met. But more often,'}, {'start': '1921.200', 'end': '1927.280', 'text': 'we slept in her tribal dwelling. Over weeks,\xa0\nI sensed the forest’s rhythms more keenly. My'}, {'start': '1927.280', 'end': '1934.400', 'text': 'stamina improved, and a subtle glow inhabited\xa0\nmy senses whenever Miri’Saal and I touched.'}, {'start': '1934.400', 'end': '1939.840', 'text': 'One afternoon, a small group of children\xa0\napproached me shyly. They giggled and asked'}, {'start': '1939.840', 'end': '1944.720', 'text': 'me to show them something “from beyond.”\xa0\nI rummaged in my old canvas bag—just some'}, {'start': '1944.720', 'end': '1949.360', 'text': 'leftover relics from my cargo days. I\xa0\nfound a small hand lamp with a luminous'}, {'start': '1949.360', 'end': '1954.800', 'text': 'battery cell. When it flicked on, bright\xa0\nwhite light cutting a beam in the shadows,'}, {'start': '1954.800', 'end': '1959.840', 'text': 'the children gasped in awe. Their\xa0\ndelight was pure and unbridled.'}, {'start': '1959.840', 'end': '1966.000', 'text': 'They bombarded me with questions, wanting\xa0\nto know about distant planets and starships.'}, {'start': '1966.000', 'end': '1970.800', 'text': 'Miri’Saal stood in the background, smiling\xa0\nas I answered in the simplest terms I could.'}, {'start': '1970.800', 'end': '1976.000', 'text': 'I realized, with a pang of sweetness,\xa0\nthat I was beginning to feel paternal.'}, {'start': '1976.000', 'end': '1982.560', 'text': 'Not just fatherly in a biological sense, but\xa0\ninvested in these small souls and their future.'}, {'start': '1982.560', 'end': '1988.880', 'text': 'Word of the renewed fertility spread beyond the\xa0\ntribe’s immediate region. One evening, a group'}, {'start': '1988.880', 'end': '1995.920', 'text': 'of traveling merchants—humans, no less—visited\xa0\nthe Nomori. They arrived with crates of supplies'}, {'start': '1995.920', 'end': '2002.400', 'text': 'and curiosity. I recognized a face among them\xa0\nfrom years back, a man named Devlin who’d once'}, {'start': '2002.400', 'end': '2007.440', 'text': 'served as a medic. He gaped at me, hearing\xa0\nrumors that I was now some father-figure to'}, {'start': '2007.440', 'end': '2014.560', 'text': 'an alien tribe. I told him, half-joking, that\xa0\nlife had taken me in unexpected directions.'}, {'start': '2014.560', 'end': '2020.320', 'text': 'He said, “You look good, friend. Last time I\xa0\nsaw you, you were half-dead in a cargo bay,'}, {'start': '2020.320', 'end': '2025.440', 'text': 'depressed out of your mind.” Then he took\xa0\nin the radiant children peering around huts,'}, {'start': '2025.440', 'end': '2031.440', 'text': 'the pregnant mothers smiling as they\xa0\npassed. “I can’t deny this is a miracle.”'}, {'start': '2031.440', 'end': '2037.040', 'text': 'I wasn’t sure how to articulate the intangible\xa0\nweb of connection I’d found with Miri’Saal and'}, {'start': '2037.040', 'end': '2042.400', 'text': 'her people. I just shrugged. “Sometimes\xa0\nthe universe hands you a second chance.”'}, {'start': '2042.400', 'end': '2047.680', 'text': 'As the months passed, the changes in the tribe\xa0\nwere undeniable. Women who had struggled with'}, {'start': '2047.680', 'end': '2052.880', 'text': 'conception were blossoming, carrying babies\xa0\nto term. The forest’s bounty increased,'}, {'start': '2052.880', 'end': '2059.120', 'text': 'fruiting twice as abundantly. Miri’Saal told\xa0\nme that the unborn children were stirring with'}, {'start': '2059.120', 'end': '2064.880', 'text': 'strong heartbeats, that the village midwives\xa0\nwere in tears of joy. There was an unspoken'}, {'start': '2064.880', 'end': '2070.960', 'text': 'understanding that my presence, my bond with\xa0\nMiri’Saal, kept fueling this resurgence.'}, {'start': '2070.960', 'end': '2077.440', 'text': 'I never once felt used or manipulated. Instead,\xa0\nI felt more deeply respected than I’d ever been'}, {'start': '2077.440', 'end': '2082.960', 'text': 'in my life. The Nomori allowed me to keep\xa0\nmy independence while fully embracing me'}, {'start': '2082.960', 'end': '2089.600', 'text': 'as part of their story. And Miri’Saal… she\xa0\ngrew dear to me in ways beyond prophecy.'}, {'start': '2089.600', 'end': '2095.600', 'text': 'We argued sometimes about small things—like\xa0\nher desire to keep watch over me every time'}, {'start': '2095.600', 'end': '2102.080', 'text': 'I ventured too far alone. I’d protest that I\xa0\nwas fully capable of walking the forest paths.'}, {'start': '2102.080', 'end': '2107.680', 'text': 'She’d worry I might slip or get attacked by\xa0\na wandering predator. But after each spat,'}, {'start': '2107.680', 'end': '2112.000', 'text': 'we reconciled with gentle affection,\xa0\nlearning each other’s boundaries.'}, {'start': '2112.000', 'end': '2117.920', 'text': 'One mild morning, nearly a year after that\xa0\nstormy night, Miri’Saal and I walked hand in'}, {'start': '2117.920', 'end': '2123.040', 'text': 'hand under the oak-like canopy. She was\xa0\nguiding me to the heart of the forest,'}, {'start': '2123.040', 'end': '2128.480', 'text': 'a place she said was sacred to the entire\xa0\ntribe. The leaves overhead shimmered in'}, {'start': '2128.480', 'end': '2134.880', 'text': 'a mosaic of green and gold. A hush fell as we\xa0\napproached a clearing where thick moss covered'}, {'start': '2134.880', 'end': '2140.320', 'text': 'the ground. In the center stood a single\xa0\nmassive trunk that soared up out of sight.'}, {'start': '2140.320', 'end': '2147.760', 'text': 'Athem, Seha, and the tribe elders waited, forming\xa0\na circle. The pregnant women were present too,'}, {'start': '2147.760', 'end': '2153.920', 'text': 'their bellies at various stages. I recognized the\xa0\nfather who had thanked me that first morning. He'}, {'start': '2153.920', 'end': '2158.800', 'text': 'looked happier than ever, his toddler\xa0\nson perched on his shoulder—healthy,'}, {'start': '2158.800', 'end': '2164.560', 'text': 'vibrant. An entire generation was\xa0\nabout to be born in new prosperity.'}, {'start': '2164.560', 'end': '2170.080', 'text': 'Seha addressed me solemnly, “You’ve\xa0\nlived among us, embraced our ways. Today,'}, {'start': '2170.080', 'end': '2175.040', 'text': 'we honor the final step of the prophecy.\xa0\nThe father of our future will bind his'}, {'start': '2175.040', 'end': '2180.720', 'text': 'spirit to the living forest, ensuring\xa0\nthe harmony continues. Should you accept,'}, {'start': '2180.720', 'end': '2185.680', 'text': 'there is no going back. You become\xa0\none of us, fully and forever.”'}, {'start': '2185.680', 'end': '2191.520', 'text': 'I glanced at Miri’Saal. She nodded, her eyes\xa0\nshining with an almost maternal warmth that'}, {'start': '2191.520', 'end': '2198.240', 'text': 'extended beyond me to her entire tribe. My\xa0\npulse thudded. I stepped forward. “I accept.”'}, {'start': '2198.240', 'end': '2202.400', 'text': 'Athem guided me to the trunk,\xa0\nits bark etched with swirling'}, {'start': '2202.400', 'end': '2208.160', 'text': 'patterns. “Place your hands here. Let the\xa0\nforest know you, let it read your heart.”'}, {'start': '2208.160', 'end': '2214.240', 'text': 'The bark felt warm under my palms. A subtle\xa0\nvibration coursed through the trunk, humming up my'}, {'start': '2214.240', 'end': '2221.280', 'text': 'arms. I thought of all the regrets I carried, the\xa0\ntimes I’d fled responsibilities. Instead of shame,'}, {'start': '2221.280', 'end': '2227.520', 'text': 'I felt acceptance. The tree’s energy didn’t\xa0\njudge me. It seemed to welcome every facet of my'}, {'start': '2227.520', 'end': '2235.680', 'text': 'being—my sorrow, my hope, my love for Miri’Saal,\xa0\nand my desire to see the Nomori children thrive.'}, {'start': '2235.680', 'end': '2241.120', 'text': 'Light sparked across the bark, forming a\xa0\nfaint silhouette of my hands. Gasps sounded'}, {'start': '2241.120', 'end': '2246.480', 'text': 'among the onlookers. Miri’Saal stepped\xa0\nclose, resting her hands beside mine,'}, {'start': '2246.480', 'end': '2251.920', 'text': 'her eyes closed in concentration. Then a surge\xa0\nof warmth pulsed outward. It rippled through'}, {'start': '2251.920', 'end': '2257.920', 'text': 'the entire clearing, lifting leaves off the\xa0\nforest floor, swirling them in a gentle gust.'}, {'start': '2257.920', 'end': '2263.440', 'text': 'I heard the collective inhalation of\xa0\nthe tribe. Birds overhead squawked. The'}, {'start': '2263.440', 'end': '2268.240', 'text': 'pregnant women cried out in wonder, feeling\xa0\nthe wave of energy that passed into them. It'}, {'start': '2268.240', 'end': '2274.160', 'text': 'was as if the entire forest exhaled a sigh\xa0\nof relief. My breath caught, eyes filling'}, {'start': '2274.160', 'end': '2280.480', 'text': 'with tears. I sensed the planet’s gratitude, an\xa0\nalmost living consciousness embracing us all.'}, {'start': '2280.480', 'end': '2284.560', 'text': 'Athem planted his staff. “It\xa0\nis done. You are Nomori now,'}, {'start': '2284.560', 'end': '2290.400', 'text': 'bonded to us, father of our new dawn.\xa0\nMay your spirit bloom in every child.”'}, {'start': '2290.400', 'end': '2295.520', 'text': 'Cheers echoed through the clearing. People\xa0\nembraced one another, tears shining on'}, {'start': '2295.520', 'end': '2302.240', 'text': 'purple faces. Miri’Saal turned to me, heart\xa0\nbrimming with emotion. I pulled her close,'}, {'start': '2302.240', 'end': '2308.000', 'text': 'pressing my forehead to hers, letting the tears\xa0\nfall. I’d never known belonging like this.'}, {'start': '2308.000', 'end': '2314.080', 'text': 'That night, a massive feast took place under\xa0\nglowing lanterns. The tribe danced, sang,'}, {'start': '2314.080', 'end': '2320.560', 'text': 'and feasted on fruits, stews, and roasted\xa0\ngame. I joined in, Miri’Saal at my side, her'}, {'start': '2320.560', 'end': '2327.680', 'text': 'laugh echoing in the warm air. Children laughed,\xa0\nscurried around us, weaving flower crowns. Elders'}, {'start': '2327.680', 'end': '2333.840', 'text': 'clapped me on the shoulder, calling me brother in\xa0\ntheir language. Devlin and his merchant group were'}, {'start': '2333.840', 'end': '2340.640', 'text': 'invited, marveling at the supernatural vibrancy\xa0\nof the Nomori. It was a festival of pure life.'}, {'start': '2340.640', 'end': '2345.200', 'text': 'In a quiet moment, near the end of the\xa0\nfestivities, I slipped my arm around'}, {'start': '2345.200', 'end': '2351.600', 'text': 'Miri’Saal’s waist. “I used to dream of being a\xa0\nfather,” I confessed. “But it never happened.'}, {'start': '2351.600', 'end': '2358.000', 'text': 'Now… I’m a father to a whole tribe in ways I\xa0\nnever expected. It’s more than I dared hope for.”'}, {'start': '2358.000', 'end': '2363.280', 'text': 'She touched my cheek, eyes luminous with\xa0\naffection. “You’ve given us a chance to'}, {'start': '2363.280', 'end': '2369.280', 'text': 'survive. And we, in turn, have given you\xa0\na place to call home.” Her smile turned'}, {'start': '2369.280', 'end': '2374.480', 'text': 'gently teasing. “Besides, I’m certain the\xa0\ntribe’s children will keep you plenty busy.”'}, {'start': '2374.480', 'end': '2378.240', 'text': 'I let out a breathy laugh.\xa0\n“I’m ready for that challenge.”'}, {'start': '2378.240', 'end': '2381.120', 'text': 'We leaned into each other as music swelled again,'}, {'start': '2381.120', 'end': '2386.080', 'text': 'swirling in rhythmic beats that stirred\xa0\nthe night. Lanterns glowed overhead.'}, {'start': '2386.080', 'end': '2391.360', 'text': 'I felt the forest’s pulse, the Nomori’s\xa0\nlove, and the solid warmth of Miri’Saal’s'}, {'start': '2391.360', 'end': '2396.560', 'text': 'body pressed to mine. It was an unspoken\xa0\npromise: I wouldn’t face the future alone.'}, {'start': '2396.560', 'end': '2401.840', 'text': 'When dawn broke, I woke to the sound\xa0\nof small footsteps. Opening my eyes,'}, {'start': '2401.840', 'end': '2408.480', 'text': 'I saw a handful of children peering into the\xa0\nshelter, giggling. They carried flower petals,'}, {'start': '2408.480', 'end': '2412.880', 'text': 'scattering them gently around the\xa0\ndoorway. Miri’Saal stirred beside me,'}, {'start': '2412.880', 'end': '2419.040', 'text': 'her hair spilled across my chest. She cracked an\xa0\neye open, saw the kids, and gave them a mock stern'}, {'start': '2419.040', 'end': '2424.800', 'text': 'look that only made them giggle more. Then she\xa0\nflopped back down with a groan. I laughed softly.'}, {'start': '2424.800', 'end': '2430.960', 'text': 'That might’ve been my happiest morning. No, it\xa0\nwasn’t the wild romance of a young man’s dream,'}, {'start': '2430.960', 'end': '2435.120', 'text': 'nor some simplistic fairytale. It\xa0\nwas real, grounded in a people who'}, {'start': '2435.120', 'end': '2440.880', 'text': 'had known struggle and were now awakening\xa0\nto hope. It was messy and organic—there'}, {'start': '2440.880', 'end': '2443.680', 'text': 'was still a question of how\xa0\nwe’d navigate living in the'}, {'start': '2443.680', 'end': '2449.200', 'text': 'tribe full-time or returning to my hut.\xa0\nBut each step was ours to figure out.'}, {'start': '2449.200', 'end': '2455.360', 'text': 'Over the following months, the births began.\xa0\nHealthy babies, many with faintly silver eyes,'}, {'start': '2455.360', 'end': '2459.680', 'text': 'some with a deeper hue of purple skin\xa0\nreminiscent of Miri’Saal. The tribe soared'}, {'start': '2459.680', 'end': '2465.280', 'text': 'with joy as new life flourished. I helped build\xa0\nadditional huts, carried water for the midwives,'}, {'start': '2465.280', 'end': '2471.440', 'text': 'and sang the lullabies I learned from Miri’Saal.\xa0\nShe teased me for being off-key, but the babies'}, {'start': '2471.440', 'end': '2477.440', 'text': 'didn’t seem to mind. I found myself holding\xa0\none newborn after another, letting tiny fingers'}, {'start': '2477.440', 'end': '2484.480', 'text': 'curl around my own. Tears often stung my eyes at\xa0\nhow impossibly delicate and precious they were.'}, {'start': '2484.480', 'end': '2489.040', 'text': 'Those children weren’t mine alone, but\xa0\nI was inescapably part of each story,'}, {'start': '2489.040', 'end': '2494.400', 'text': 'each fragile heartbeat. The mothers always\xa0\nwelcomed me to hold them, coo over them,'}, {'start': '2494.400', 'end': '2499.840', 'text': 'whisper blessings into their ears. Fathers\xa0\nwould grin and clap my shoulder. The tribe’s'}, {'start': '2499.840', 'end': '2505.360', 'text': 'name for me became “Ahren’Saal,” meaning “the\xa0\ngently lit path.” I had trouble accepting'}, {'start': '2505.360', 'end': '2510.800', 'text': 'such a grand title, but Miri’Saal said it\xa0\nsimply reflected who I’d become to them.'}, {'start': '2510.800', 'end': '2516.480', 'text': 'Time does not stand still, though. Seasons\xa0\nshifted. My hair gained a bit more silver.'}, {'start': '2516.480', 'end': '2521.760', 'text': 'Miri’Saal and I found a steady rhythm in\xa0\neach other’s company. We’d share chores,'}, {'start': '2521.760', 'end': '2524.400', 'text': 'sometimes slip away for an afternoon stroll,'}, {'start': '2524.400', 'end': '2530.320', 'text': 'or sit by the waterfall to talk about our days.\xa0\nShe admitted that she once dreaded the prophecy,'}, {'start': '2530.320', 'end': '2535.760', 'text': 'fearing she might be forced to bond with someone\xa0\ncruel. In me, she’d found a heart that beat'}, {'start': '2535.760', 'end': '2542.240', 'text': 'with empathy. And in her, I’d discovered an\xa0\ninvitation to step beyond my lonely shell.'}, {'start': '2542.240', 'end': '2547.120', 'text': 'One late evening, while we cleaned up\xa0\nafter a communal dinner, she paused,'}, {'start': '2547.120', 'end': '2550.080', 'text': 'wiping her hands on a cloth. “You never asked if I'}, {'start': '2550.080', 'end': '2555.360', 'text': 'want children of our own.” Her voice was\xa0\ncalm, tinged with an unspoken question.'}, {'start': '2555.360', 'end': '2560.560', 'text': 'I blinked, setting down a bowl. “I just\xa0\nassumed you had your pick of ways to conceive,'}, {'start': '2560.560', 'end': '2563.200', 'text': 'with all these cosmic energies. But… if you'}, {'start': '2563.200', 'end': '2567.360', 'text': 'wanted that with me… I’d be honored.\xa0\nI just didn’t want to pressure you.”'}, {'start': '2567.360', 'end': '2572.720', 'text': 'She turned, cupping my face in her warm palms.\xa0\n“I do want that. Not just for the tribe,'}, {'start': '2572.720', 'end': '2579.280', 'text': 'but for us. Real love, real family. A\xa0\nchild who merges your soul and mine.”'}, {'start': '2579.280', 'end': '2584.000', 'text': 'Emotion welled. I drew her close,\xa0\npressing my cheek to her temple,'}, {'start': '2584.000', 'end': '2589.760', 'text': 'her hair smelling of wildfruit. “Then\xa0\nlet’s not wait for another storm.”'}, {'start': '2589.760', 'end': '2594.160', 'text': 'She laughed, the sound pure\xa0\nand free. “No storm needed.”'}, {'start': '2594.160', 'end': '2598.560', 'text': 'And she sealed her words with a tender\xa0\nkiss, there in the glow of the cooking'}, {'start': '2598.560', 'end': '2603.440', 'text': 'fire. A vow to craft our future,\xa0\nnot merely live out a prophecy.'}, {'start': '2603.440', 'end': '2608.880', 'text': 'In the months that followed, the forest shimmered\xa0\nwith abundance. Animals returned that had'}, {'start': '2608.880', 'end': '2615.840', 'text': 'been thought extinct. New blossoms sprouted in\xa0\nrainbow clusters near the sacred trunk. And yes,'}, {'start': '2615.840', 'end': '2622.640', 'text': 'Miri’Saal and I soon discovered the delicate signs\xa0\nof a life growing between us—her eyes glowed with'}, {'start': '2622.640', 'end': '2628.800', 'text': 'even deeper radiance, and the tribe rejoiced\xa0\nwith quiet awe. It was a personal moment for us,'}, {'start': '2628.800', 'end': '2633.680', 'text': 'yet we shared it with a community that\xa0\nhad become my family. Every day I found'}, {'start': '2633.680', 'end': '2640.560', 'text': 'something to marvel at: the unstoppable\xa0\nforce of unity that wove us all together.'}, {'start': '2640.560', 'end': '2646.720', 'text': 'Sometimes, in the hush of dawn, I reflect on\xa0\nhow improbable it all was. A single night of'}, {'start': '2646.720', 'end': '2653.840', 'text': 'shelter turned into a lifetime of meaning. My\xa0\nold regrets now serve as stepping stones for'}, {'start': '2653.840', 'end': '2662.000', 'text': 'deeper compassion. And Miri’Saal—my companion, my\xa0\nteacher, my friend—walks beside me with unwavering'}, {'start': '2662.000', 'end': '2669.840', 'text': 'grace. We face each new day with a mix of humility\xa0\nand wonder, raising children (both ours and those'}, {'start': '2669.840', 'end': '2676.800', 'text': 'of the tribe) in a home shaped by respect,\xa0\nlove, and the pulsing heart of a living forest.'}, {'start': '2676.800', 'end': '2683.280', 'text': 'So yes, I’m the father of their future, but not\xa0\nin the shallow, conquering sense. I didn’t come'}, {'start': '2683.280', 'end': '2689.280', 'text': 'here demanding submission or wielding power.\xa0\nI came a broken man, searching for quiet,'}, {'start': '2689.280', 'end': '2694.640', 'text': 'offering shelter with no ulterior motive. In\xa0\nthe end, that turned out to be exactly what'}, {'start': '2694.640', 'end': '2700.160', 'text': 'these people needed. Maybe what the universe\xa0\nneeded. I’ve come to believe that sometimes the'}, {'start': '2700.160', 'end': '2706.080', 'text': 'greatest transformations arise when we open our\xa0\ndoors to another soul in the midst of a storm.'}, {'start': '2706.080', 'end': '2711.200', 'text': 'If you visited me today, you’d see a man\xa0\nwith calloused hands and silver hair,'}, {'start': '2711.200', 'end': '2716.160', 'text': 'guiding a child’s steps along a forest trail,\xa0\nshowing them how to find mushrooms and which'}, {'start': '2716.160', 'end': '2721.200', 'text': 'leaves to avoid. You’d see me wrap an arm\xa0\naround a purple-skinned woman who meets my'}, {'start': '2721.200', 'end': '2727.440', 'text': 'smile with her own. We laugh about how we never\xa0\nsaw life leading us here. We whisper secrets to'}, {'start': '2727.440', 'end': '2733.600', 'text': 'each other that only make sense to the heart. And\xa0\nwe watch that child run ahead, giggling, because'}, {'start': '2733.600', 'end': '2739.920', 'text': 'the forest no longer frightens them—this living\xa0\nrealm has become an extension of who we all are.'}, {'start': '2739.920', 'end': '2746.320', 'text': 'And if you asked me whether I regret giving\xa0\nup my solitary existence? I’d say no. I found'}, {'start': '2746.320', 'end': '2752.320', 'text': 'something deeper. A cosmic hush that thrums\xa0\nwith life. A tribe that calls me father,'}, {'start': '2752.320', 'end': '2758.240', 'text': 'not because I am perfect or powerful, but\xa0\nbecause I dared to love. Miri’Saal always'}, {'start': '2758.240', 'end': '2763.920', 'text': 'says that the simplest acts of kindness can\xa0\nspark the grandest destinies. Maybe she’s'}, {'start': '2763.920', 'end': '2769.680', 'text': 'right. Maybe all it takes is opening your door\xa0\nto a stranger, letting them in from the cold,'}, {'start': '2769.680', 'end': '2774.960', 'text': 'and sharing a warm drink. In that\xa0\nmoment, entire futures can unfold,'}, {'start': '2774.960', 'end': '2779.840', 'text': 'breathing new life into old souls who\xa0\nnever knew how desperately they needed it.'}, {'start': '2779.840', 'end': '2786.560', 'text': 'I step outside now, letting the dawn’s gentle\xa0\nlight wash over the village. Tiny purple children'}, {'start': '2786.560', 'end': '2793.600', 'text': 'wave at me, squealing my name—Ahren’Saal,\xa0\nfather of futures. Miri’Saal approaches,'}, {'start': '2793.600', 'end': '2800.480', 'text': 'her figure strong yet delicate, her hand resting\xa0\nover the curve of her belly. She tilts her head,'}, {'start': '2800.480', 'end': '2805.520', 'text': 'a half-smile lighting her face as she\xa0\nbrushes a stray leaf from my shoulder.'}, {'start': '2805.520', 'end': '2811.920', 'text': 'We linger like that, exchanging a silent promise.\xa0\nAnd as the morning sun pushes through the canopy,'}, {'start': '2811.920', 'end': '2819.680', 'text': 'I close my eyes, breathe in the lush scent\xa0\nof possibility, and think: yes, I am home.'}]