Chapter 391: Water doesn’t know it will become salty someday!!
The streets of Star Harbor were still alive with activity when Miles left the office.
Cars moved through the evening traffic. Storefronts glowed with warm lights. People hurried home after work while others filled cafés and restaurants, enjoying the end of another ordinary day.
Miles drove alone.
The city passed by outside his window, yet his attention was somewhere else entirely.
For days he had been surrounded by family.
Wedding celebrations.
Guests.
Laughter.
Conversations.
Warmth.
Yet now, alone behind the wheel, silence finally found him.
Eventually he turned away from the busy roads and headed toward the coast.
A few minutes later his car stopped near one of the quieter corners of Star Harbor.
The ocean stretched endlessly before him.
Miles stepped outside.
The cool autumn breeze immediately brushed against his face.
He walked toward the railing and rested both hands on it.
The sea was calm today.
Waves rolled toward the shore in a steady rhythm.
The sky had begun changing colors as the evening approached.
Orange.
Gold.
Hints of crimson.
Miles stared into the distance.
His thoughts drifted far away.
"My twenty third year is ending soon..."
The words escaped him softly.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"So much happened."
His gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
"I found my family."
The image of Elena appeared in his mind.
Then Daniel.
Hope.
Asher.
Timothy.
All the people he once believed he would never have.
"I got married."
The smile widened slightly.
Chloe’s face appeared in his thoughts.
Her laughter.
Her teasing.
The way she looked at him.
The way she had called him husband.
A strange warmth settled in his chest.
"I have a successful career."
Years ago he could never have imagined such a life.
Back then survival itself had been uncertain.
Back then tomorrow was never guaranteed.
Yet somehow he had reached this point.
He should have been satisfied.
Happy.
Content.
So why did his heart still feel heavy?
The ocean offered no answer.
Miles lowered his head slightly.
"I couldn’t retire as a mercenary."
The words sounded bitter.
"In the past I had nothing to lose."
That was the truth.
The younger Miles had been dangerous precisely because he had nothing.
No home.
No family.
No future.
No one waiting for him.
Back then death had never frightened him.
Now it did.
Not because he feared dying.
Because he feared leaving people behind.
His fingers tightened around the railing.
"But now..."
A deep breath escaped him.
"I have so many people around me."
His eyes softened.
"I wonder."
He watched another wave break against the shore.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
The breeze carried away his words.
"But I do realize something."
His expression became serious.
"The life of a mercenary should end for me now."
He had already given enough.
More than enough.
Hadn’t he?
"Why can’t I just retire?"
He laughed softly.
"Why can’t I just be happy with my loved ones?"
The question lingered.
No answer came.
The world continued moving.
The waves continued rolling.
The sky continued darkening.
Miles closed his eyes.
"Should I just ignore it?"
The WEB.
Horizon Biotech.
The chaos brewing beneath the surface.
None of it was technically his responsibility.
Governments existed.
Agencies existed.
Armies existed.
Why did he have to involve himself?
"It isn’t really my responsibility to begin with."
Yet another thought immediately followed.
A thought he could never escape.
"But I want the world my loved ones live in to be safe."
His voice grew quieter.
"Safe for my elders."
Images flashed through his mind.
Timothy slowly learning to walk again.
Gordon laughing with his brother.
Elena smiling in her restaurant.
Daniel enjoying retirement.
"Safe for my wife."
Chloe’s face appeared again.
Then Hope.
Then Asher.
His little brother and sister.
The twins who looked at him as though he could solve every problem.
"Safe for them."
The weight settled heavily on his shoulders.
"I just can’t be selfish for once, can I?"
A faint smile appeared.
There was no answer.
Because deep down he already knew.
No.
He couldn’t.
Not while people he loved might be hurt.
Not while danger existed.
Not while he still had the ability to do something.
His eyes closed again.
"Can I really sever this chain of responsibility and walk away?"
Silence.
The waves continued their endless journey.
"Am I really tired?"
A voice suddenly answered.
"You look tired, buddy."
Miles opened his eyes.
He turned.
A young man stood beside him.
He looked about the same age.
A simple hoodie.
Casual clothes.
Nothing remarkable.
Yet something about him felt strangely familiar.
The man stood beside the railing and looked at the ocean.
Miles studied him briefly.
The stranger smiled.
"What did you see, Ghost?"
Miles blinked.
"Huh?"
The man chuckled.
"You were lost for some time there."
He looked toward the sea.
"You looked tired."
Miles remained silent.
The stranger continued.
"Returning from work?"
"Yes."
Miles looked at him carefully.
"Do I know you?"
He frowned slightly.
"I feel like you’re familiar."
The young man scratched his head.
"Sorry."
He extended a hand.
"My name is Noctistt."
Miles shook it.
"I am a writer."
He laughed awkwardly.
"Well, a budding writer."
"A writer?"
"Yeah."
The young man looked toward the sea.
"I travel around."
"Searching for ideas."
Miles nodded slowly.
That explained the unusual behavior.
"Do I really look familiar?" Noctistt asked.
"I wonder why."
Miles thought for a moment.
"Not really."
He smiled faintly.
"You sound familiar."
Noctistt laughed.
"Interesting."
"Well."
Miles extended his hand again.
"My name is Miles."
"Nice to meet you, Miles."
For some reason the conversation felt natural.
Like talking to an old acquaintance.
Miles looked toward the sea.
"Tell me something."
"Hmm?"
"How does standing beside the ocean give you ideas?"
Noctistt’s eyes brightened immediately.
"The ocean itself tells a story."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"Does it?"
"Of course."
He pointed toward the waves.
"Do you know the ocean is the ultimate destiny of water?"
Miles looked at the endless sea.
"I mean..."
He shrugged.
"The ocean is vast."
Noctistt nodded.
"If you have time, I can tell you a short story."
Miles checked the time.
Then he smiled.
"You are an interesting character."
"I would love to listen."
Noctistt grinned.
"Then I won’t take much of your time."
He looked toward the horizon.
"I’ll keep it short."
The ocean breeze carried his words.
"I grew up in a village."
His voice became distant.
"Back then I had a very big dream."
A smile appeared.
"But my family wasn’t privileged enough to help me follow that path."
Miles listened quietly.
"I remember a river."
Noctistt’s eyes softened.
"It was beside the road to my school."
His smile widened.
"I always tried to walk faster than the waves."
Miles laughed softly.
"What?"
"It was a race."
Noctistt pointed into the distance.
"My race toward my dreams."
Then he pointed toward the sea.
"And the waves racing toward the ocean."
The image was strangely vivid.
A child.
A river.
Dreams.
A race.
The writer continued.
"Later summer came."
"The water level dropped."
His voice slowed.
"The water stopped flowing."
The smile disappeared.
"It looked lost."
Miles remained silent.
"It no longer knew where to go."
Noctistt looked down.
"Just like me."
The breeze moved through his hair.
"It felt like there was no ending to the road."
"No destination."
"No ocean."
Miles listened carefully.
The young man continued.
"People with advantages always win."
His tone remained calm.
"Just like waves during the monsoon season always reach the sea."
"But some waves don’t."
His eyes reflected the fading sunlight.
"I lost hope."
A long silence followed.
Then he smiled again.
"So one day I jumped into that still water."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"You what?"
Noctistt laughed.
"Not to die."
"Just to float."
Miles relaxed.
The writer continued.
"And I discovered something."
"It was peaceful."
His eyes closed briefly.
"The water was breathing."
"Breathing slowly."
"There was no race."
"No competition."
"No pressure."
Miles found himself listening more carefully than before.
"I realized something."
Noctistt looked toward the sea.
"Water doesn’t know it will become salty someday."
Miles blinked.
The writer smiled.
"It simply flows where the stream takes it."
"It doesn’t know what destiny means."
"It doesn’t know what dreams mean."
"It doesn’t know what burdens it carries."
The waves crashed gently below them.
"It simply moves."
His voice softened.
"Sometimes stuck."
"Sometimes flowing."
"Sometimes lost."
"Sometimes free."
Miles felt strangely drawn into the story.
"I closed my eyes."
Noctistt smiled.
"And accepted that dream."
His expression became peaceful.
"I let it drown."
Miles remained silent.
"Then I found another dream."
The writer laughed.
"Because collecting river water and pouring it into the ocean myself would be foolish."
The story ended.
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Only the sea remained.
Finally Miles smiled.
"So you became a writer."
Noctistt nodded.
"Finding answers around you."
"Yes."
The writer smiled warmly.
"I wish to retire someday."
"When I have all the answers."
Miles laughed.
"How many questions do you have?"
"Not many."
"Then you should retire soon."
"No."
The writer shook his head.
"I have a family to take care of."
Miles stared at him.
The answer felt familiar.
Very familiar.
"I’ll work hard for them."
Miles looked away.
"Aren’t you already working hard?"
Noctistt smiled.
"Probably."
Miles continued.
"Can’t you be selfish for once?"
The writer became quiet.
Then he shook his head.
"Selfish?"
His smile carried a hint of sadness.
"Believe me."
"Selfish people eventually become lonely."
The words struck harder than Miles expected.
Noctistt continued.
"What is wrong with taking care of your loved ones?"
His voice became firm.
"Even if they couldn’t fulfill my dreams."
"Even if they weren’t rich."
"They loved me."
His eyes shone.
"They worried about me."
"They protected me."
A warm smile appeared.
"Now it is my turn."
Miles remained silent.
The writer pointed toward the sea.
"Not all water reaches the ocean."
"But the ones that do..."
He smiled.
"Do they stop moving?"
Miles followed his gaze.
Countless waves danced across the surface.
Beautiful.
Endless.
Alive.
"Aren’t the waves beautiful?"
Miles finally smiled.
"Yeah."
He nodded slowly.
"They are."
The heaviness inside him felt lighter.
Just a little.
"I like your way of finding answers."
The writer laughed.
"Thank you."
Miles extended his hand.
"We can be good friends."
Noctistt looked genuinely surprised.
Then he smiled.
"I don’t know why."
"But I feel the same."
Miles pulled out his phone.
"Let’s exchange contacts."
"Next time you’re in Star Harbor, let’s have lunch together."
"Of course."
A few moments later they finished exchanging information.
Miles checked the time.
"I should go."
"Yeah."
Noctistt smiled.
"Sorry for taking your time."
Miles shook his head.
"I don’t mind."
Then he started walking back toward his car.
A smile remained on his face.
"Interesting fellow."
He opened the driver’s door.
Then paused.
Something caught his attention.
Miles turned back.
Noctistt was climbing over the railing.
"What is he doing?"
Miles frowned.
The writer carefully jumped to the other side.
Then he walked down toward the rocky shore.
Miles watched curiously.
Noctistt reached into his backpack.
Pulled out a bottle.
Unscrewed the cap.
Then slowly poured its contents into the sea.
The liquid disappeared among the waves.
For a moment the writer simply stood there.
Watching.
Silent.
Peaceful.
As though saying goodbye to something.
Or perhaps greeting something.
Miles leaned against his car and observed the strange scene.
The story.
The river.
The ocean.
The dreams.
The foolishness of carrying water to the sea.
A chuckle escaped him.
"Foolishness?"
His eyes followed the figure standing beside the waves.
"Huh?"
For some reason, watching that strange writer pour water into the ocean made him smile even more.
The weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter.
Miles had only just returned home.
The moment he stepped inside, two small figures rushed toward him.
"Big broo!"
"Big bro!"
The twins collided with him at the same time.
Miles laughed and caught them both before they could fall.
"Slow down, you two."
Hope wrapped her arms around his waist.
Asher immediately started talking.
"Big bro! Today at school I got a star sticker!"
"I got two," Hope proudly announced.
"Mine was bigger."
"No it wasn’t."
"Was too."
Miles listened patiently as the two argued about the size of their stickers as if they were discussing a matter of national importance.
A while later they settled beside him on the large couch.
Asher was still playing with a toy car while Hope leaned comfortably against his side.
Miles watched them quietly.
"Big broo..."
"Hmm?"
Hope tilted her head and looked at him carefully.
"You are smiling."
Miles blinked.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
Hope nodded seriously.
"Something good happened."
Before Miles could answer, Asher immediately jumped into the conversation.
"Is it because of sister in law?"
Miles laughed and grabbed both children.
"Come here."
"Ahhhh!"
"Big bro!"
He ruffled their hair mercilessly.
Their neat hairstyles instantly turned into a disaster.
The twins protested loudly.
When they finally escaped his grasp, Miles smiled.
"Tell me something."
"What?" Asher asked.
"Do you two have dreams?"
The twins looked at each other.
Asher answered first without hesitation.
"Yes!"
"What is it?"
The little boy puffed out his chest proudly.
"I want to ride a camel."
The room became silent.
Miles stared.
"A camel?"
"Yes."
"How did you even get to camels?"
Asher’s eyes sparkled.
"Teacher told us about them."
He spread his arms wide.
"She said they are very big."
Then he added seriously.
"And they can live without water in the desert."
Miles tried not to laugh.
"So your dream is riding a camel?"
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
"But there are no camels in our country."
Miles rubbed his forehead.
The logic was flawless in its own way.
"Alright."
Asher’s eyes widened.
"Really?"
Miles nodded.
"I will remember your dream."
The little boy leaned forward eagerly.
"And when you grow up a little more, I will take you somewhere you can ride a camel."
Asher’s jaw dropped.
"Really really?"
"Really."
The next second he jumped off the couch.
"Yay!"
He ran around the room like he had already conquered the desert.
"Big bro promised!"
His excited voice echoed through the villa.
Miles shook his head helplessly.
Then he looked down.
Hope had become unusually quiet.
She was resting against his arm.
"What about you?"
Hope looked up.
"What is your dream, little sister?"
For a moment she thought carefully.
Then she answered innocently.
"Big broo..."
"Hmm?"
"I want to meet a prince."
Miles nearly choked.
"A prince?"
Hope nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"My friends talk about princes all the time."
She looked genuinely confused.
"They say they want to marry handsome princes."
Miles stared at her.
"Are you sure you are six years old?"
Hope blinked.
"I think so."
Miles laughed.
"So you want to marry a prince too?"
Hope immediately shook her head.
"No."
"No?"
"I only want to meet one."
"Why?"
"So I can ask him questions."
Miles looked amused.
"What questions?"
Hope thought for a second.
Then she answered seriously.
"I want to know why all my friends like princes."
Miles burst out laughing.
Hope pouted.
"I am serious."
"I know."
"And maybe..."
She leaned closer and whispered.
"If he is nice, I can ask him to marry one of my friends."
Miles laughed even harder.
"You little matchmaker."
Hope didn’t understand why everyone found that funny.
She simply leaned her head against his chest.
The room gradually became quieter.
Miles gently patted her hair.
His gaze softened.
The worries in his heart.
The responsibilities.
The coming storm.
For this brief moment, none of it mattered.
He wrapped an arm around his little sister and looked toward the garden outside.
"I promise."
Hope hummed sleepily.
"I will fulfill all your wishes."
"Mmm..."
"I will protect you all."
Another sleepy hum escaped her lips.
"Till my heart beats."
No answer came.
Miles looked down.
Hope’s eyes had already closed.
She had fallen asleep.
Miles smiled.
"Did you just fall asleep?"
At that moment a camera shutter clicked.
He looked up.
Chloe stood nearby holding her phone.
She smiled and showed the picture to Elena.
In the photo, Hope was sleeping peacefully against Miles while Asher ran around in the background pretending to ride an invisible camel.
Elena immediately covered her mouth.
"Oh my goodness."
Chloe laughed.
"They are adorable."
Elena’s eyes became soft.
"We need to frame this."
"Definitely."
The two women nodded in complete agreement.
Meanwhile, Miles looked at the sleeping Hope in his arms and the excited Asher galloping across the room.
A warm smile appeared on his face once again.
Perhaps that writer was right.
Not all water reaches the ocean.
But the waves that do reach it never stop moving.
And maybe...
That was enough.
[A/N : Nice to meet you ^_~. ]