The Boy Who Couldn’t Speak

Tarin’s earliest memory was the sound of shattering glass, followed by screams, and then silence.He was only four years old when it happened. After surviving a terrible car accident, his life changed completely. Although he lived, Tarin lost the ability to speak. The doctors said his body had healed, but the fear and pain inside him never truly disappeared.Years passed, and Tarin became known at school as the quiet boy who always kept to himself. Many people saw him as weak. Some mocked him. Others ignored him completely.But Tarin was not weak.Even without words, he noticed everything around him. Every movement, every mistake, every expression on people’s faces — he understood more than most ever realized.One day during class, his attention drifted toward the schoolyard outside the window. A group of students had gathered around a strange game. Several gray target stones were lined up in front of them, and one player held a single golden stone in his hand. With a sharp throw, the stone struck the targets and knocked them down with incredible precision.For some reason, Tarin could not look away.After school, he quietly made his way to the field to watch more closely. That was when a calm and serious young man approached him. His name was Di.Di explained the game to him.It was called Golden Stone.In this game, players used one golden stone to knock down several target stones placed ahead of them. But it was not simply a game of strength. Precision, patience, timing, and inner composure were what truly mattered.Tarin listened in silence, his eyes fixed on the field.At the center of the game stood one of the strongest players. With complete confidence, he picked up the golden stone and sent it flying. In one clean throw, he knocked down several stones in a row.The others shouted his name.Yusuff.He was one of the strongest players, and from the way everyone looked at him, it was obvious he knew it too.When Yusuff noticed Tarin watching, he glanced at him coldly and said, “This game isn’t for the weak.”Tarin said nothing.But something inside him shifted.Di bent down, picked up a stone from the ground, and held it out toward him.“Try it,” he said.Tarin took the stone into his hand. It felt cold and heavier than he expected, yet strangely familiar.He looked toward the targets.Without saying a word, he began to calculate the distance, the angle, and the balance in his mind.Then he threw.The stone flew forward and struck the edge of a target with a sharp crack, knocking it down instantly.For a brief moment, everything went silent.Di stared in surprise.Yusuff’s expression changed.And Tarin himself could feel it — this was not luck.It was the beginning of something.Even if he did not fully understand it yet, Tarin knew one thing for certain.Golden Stone was about to change his life forever.