"The Call of the Future"

 It was the height of summer. Not a single cloud covered the sky, and there wasn't even a hint of a breeze in the air. Despite the scorching heat, children were running around playing on the street.On a wooden bench at the end of the street, an elderly man sat quietly watching the children. Looking at the little ones chasing a ball, full of joy, a smile spread across his face involuntarily. At that moment, it seemed as though his own childhood had come to mind.Just then, a young girl came up to him."Why are you sitting outside alone in such heat?" the girl asked.The old man turned around, and when he saw the girl, his face lit up."Ah, Kaesa, is that you? Come, sit next to me."Kaesa sat down beside him without a second thought."Your father and I used to run around playing on this very street, just like this," the old man said, smiling. "He was quite something with a bow — no one could beat him. To be honest, he usually outdid me."Kaesa smiled and said:"It seems you know a lot about my father.""Of course. We grew up together for forty-four years. I even knew his favorite dream."As the two of them were talking, suddenly the neighbor's window shattered with a crash, and a young boy came flying out of it.Right after, several boys came running out of the house."Hey! Give the money back!" they shouted.Kaesa immediately got up and ran toward them.One of the boys, seeing her, said:"Hey, aren't you his sister? Tell your brother to give our money back!"Kaesa looked at her brother lying on the ground. His face was bruised, and he was covered in dust from head to toe."Yusuf, are you alright?" she said, bending down toward him, when one of the boys shoved her."We're talking to you! Can't you hear?!"He even splashed water in Kaesa's face.At that very moment, the old man jumped up from his seat and shouted:"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"The boys glanced back and ran off in fear.Kaesa reached out her hand to help Yusuf up, but he knocked it away and stood up on his own."It's nothing. I told you not to get involved. Why do you keep coming anyway?" he said angrily.Kaesa looked into his eyes and asked:"Yusuf, why are you running from them? What's this money they're talking about?""It's nothing," Yusuf answered curtly.He walked off without looking back. And Kaesa silently began gathering up the shattered pieces of glass scattered on the ground...[21.07, 12:47] ~Akniett~: At this point, the scene shifted to Yusuf.He came to the base of a large tree at the edge of the village, took out the money carefully wrapped in cloth, and began counting it. At that very moment, the sound of someone's footsteps came from the other side of the tree.Yusuf glanced up sharply and quickly hid the money again. He stood up and looked around anxiously in every direction.Suddenly, one of the boys spotted him and shouted:"Hey, look! It's that kid from before!"Yusuf turned and ran. But rushing along, he tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.A group of boys caught up and surrounded him."Hey, hand over the money!" one of them said.Yusuf clutched the money to his chest."This isn't my money!" he said.The boys paused for a moment."We know. That's exactly why you should hand it over. Doesn't matter whose it is. Otherwise we'll call the police."One of them grabbed Yusuf by the collar and struck him across the face."Do you know who we are? Do you know who our father is?"Yusuf said nothing. He curled up, trying not to let go of the money.Several boys began beating him all at once. In the end, they wrenched the money out of his hands.Then one of the boys sneered:"Hey, this one's just some poor orphan."The word cut deep into Yusuf's heart.He jumped up and shouted:"What did you say?!"The boys burst out laughing."I said orphan!"Unable to hold back, Yusuf punched the boy in the face. Then he leapt on top of him and kept striking him again and again.The others pulled the two apart and beat Yusuf again.The boy who had been punched was Tovin, the son of the city governor.Boiling with rage, Tovin said:"I'll tell my father everything! I'll have you all put on trial!"They left.As for Yusuf, without looking back at anything, he ran home with all his strength.[21.07, 12:48] ~Akniett~: Yusuf ran home with all his might. He hurriedly opened the door, and as soon as he stepped inside, he sat down at the table and started eating.At the table sat Kaesa, the old man they'd just met outside, and a young man named Renji.Kaesa looked at her brother:"Yusuf, didn't you forget something? Go wash your hands first," she said.Yusuf shook his head."There's no time for that now. We need to get out of here quickly!" he said.Kaesa looked at him in surprise."What have you gone and done now?" she asked.Yusuf turned straight to Renji."Renji, help me out! Your older brother works in the police, right? Please!"Renji smiled."Yes, but my brother's in another city right now," he said.Yusuf slammed his fist on the table."Damn it..." he said regretfully.Kaesa said to him sharply:"Calm down already! What actually happened?"The old man, worried too, asked:"Yes, son. What did you do that has you so scared?"Yusuf let out a heavy sigh."I hit Tovin, the city governor's son. He said he'd tell his father and have us put on trial..."Kaesa jumped to her feet."Are you out of your mind?! Couldn't you have picked anyone else?!"Renji frowned as well."This is a tough situation... Last year, some kid stood up to Tovin. In the end they threw him in prison on false charges. That's a complete injustice..."Silence fell over the house.Suddenly, shouting voices were heard from outside.Kaesa immediately got up and went to the window.Outside stood several police officers along with Tovin.Tovin shouted angrily:"There! The kid who hit me lives in this house! He stole the money too!"One of the boys next to him whispered:"Aren't you overdoing it a bit? The money wasn't even yours..."Tovin shoved him."Shut up!"The police officers headed straight for the house.When they opened the door and went in, only the old man was sitting inside."Who else is in this house?" one of the police officers asked."I'm alone," the old man said calmly.But at that very moment, Kaesa, Yusuf, and Renji had gone down into the house's cellar.The inside of the cellar was dark and narrow.Looking around, Yusuf noticed an old cabinet in the corner.When he tried moving the cabinet aside, he saw a hidden door behind it."What's this?..." he said in surprise.Kaesa came closer too."Did you know about this place before?""No... This is the first time I'm seeing it too..."Yusuf slowly opened the door.The three of them entered an unknown room.The door closed by itself.The room was