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Aaru village, day 1
The usual harmony and methodical of pen taping on the paper now has turned haphazard, shaping a bird; flying high, never even glancing to the earth beneath him. The lines are all sloppy but anyone can recognize the Huma bird the moment they lay eyes on the drawing.
"Kaveh, I've heard everything from sage Naphis-" Yasmin got interrupted by Kaveh before she could bring her sentence to an end; "I have gone this low that I am the topic for the sage of Amutra to make fun of, huh?" Kaveh stood up furiously, drawing the attention of inquisitive eyes in the house of Deana to himself. a momentary silence, then the hall burst into murmurs, mouths whispering the floating rumours about the light of Kshahrewar to the ears. however, the light of Kshahrewar wasn't in sight the next moment.
Aaru village, day 2
Trembling hands, consuming the last straw of energy remaining in him, scratch one of the four mud walls trapping him. leaving the blood streaks on the cold wall. sketching papers are outspread near him. each displaying a fragment of his mind.
"The opportunity is right here outside of the door, and you want to ignore it knocking? Guys come on, He's our rival and now we can watch him fall."
"Vafa, You know better Kaveh would not commit fraud even if he had gone into bankruptcy."
"Him committing fraud or not is not what we should concentrate on. Use that brain Pedram, there are already rumours circulating about Kaveh, the renowned architect, we should only spread them. A single soul in the Sumeru city should not left not knowing; Kaveh, the great architect has stooped so low that he charges poor individuals twice the actual price for his commissions only to pay his debts."
"Vafa is right Pedram. If we aim for his reputation then the whole Sumeru architectural industry will be in our hands."
Their head turned with sheer fear to the person who had stepped into the empty class hall.
"S-sage Afrasiab." The presence of Kshahrewar's sage, Afrasiab, made the three Kshahrewar scholars speechless.
"You fools. Years of studying here and working for the Akademiya should have taught you a lesson. And the lesson to be deceiving the general mahamatra is beyond your power."
Pedram swallowed his fears and asked: "Sir, You are not going to report us, are you?"
Sage Afrasiab's stares were too much for him, so he broke eye contact. "Still reasoning foolishly. Why should I report my students who have been trained under my watch? The three that still haven't managed to design only one building to be recognized and appreciated. Hm, Amin? You had shown better intelligence than these two. Do you know why?"
"Because that would ruin Kshahrewar's sage influence if his students get caught like this, and would put our Darshan in a worse situation than already is."
"Good. Now do what you were planning to. I will make sure of the rest."
Aaru village day3
It's nightfall and Kaveh can not cease contact with what he has drawn. A Huma bird consuming himself in the fire. Turning to ashes, he can not bring his fingers to draw the last stage. Kaveh can not form the image of Huma rising from ashes.
It's been tough lately. Everyone in Sumeru is pointing and calling me a liar. I have tried every solution that came to my mind to clear my name, but it's like I'm in an endless loop, never-ending. It's like the universe doesn't want me to live just one day of my life without sorrow.
I'm beset by cruel tyranny, I cry, my heart wants all my eyes must see, I'll fashion me a pointed sword of steel, put out my eyes, and so set my heart free.
Aaru village day ?
"Hey, what's up man?"
No words come out of Kaveh's mouth to answer Dehya. "I see, you don't want to speak. OK then what ever our prince wants. I'll leave."
"Do people still talk about me?" Deyha sighs and crosses her arms. What response she can make when Kaveh already knows everything? "No."
"So I'm completely forgotten."
"They only make comments like; he was talented and young and how bad he ended up like that."
"Only taking pity on me then."
Heated light was reflecting in his eyes. Fired ceramic tiles were falling and he was the witness. Screams could be heard from every corner of the palace and the garden. His magnum opus was collapsing but he was not feeling even a tinge of agony like when withering caused him to go through misery. He was feeling free.
"It was him. I saw him putting the palace on fire.
Zhila shouted and pointed to Kaveh. He looked at his hands. It was bleeding.
Aaru village day ?
A door knocking resonates in the vacant room. He looks at the door, he can't move. It's like he has been stuck in the ground for eternity. But there's a pleasant feeling growing within him, so he slithers and reaches the door, it cracks open. Maybe it's one of the village children.
"Kaveh."
tranquillity of desert night is filling the room.
"Kaveh I'm sorry."
"Mamam."
Faranak falls to her knees and tucks Kaveh's hair strand behind his ear. Guiding Kaveh's head to be placed on her heart. Shivering and crying, Faranak caressed Kaveh's back.
"My little son. My mourning flower. Maman is here."
Kaveh is staring into the darkness, without a single display of emotions.
"Maman. They said I've gone mad. I haven't. I only did what that should have been done."
The desperate sobbing of Faranak can be heard by the Aaru village residents through the endless night.
"Why are you so stubborn to accompany me Haitham?"
"I'm not, I was ordered to do so by the grand sage."
"I never could predicted that our next encounter would be like this; in the middle of the desert while I'm being exiled."
"Neither could I."
"What was that? Is the grand scribe acknowledging his miscalculation?"
"You are making up a conclusion."
Kaveh gave his attention to the village sight in front of him.
"It was my fault. A lot has befallen me, You probably already know. One night when my woes were weighing on my shoulders I went to the tavern". Kaveh smirked and continued; "like I had anywhere else to go. The hot topic of Akademiya was me. The light of Kshahrewar has committed fraud. Tell me Haitham did you believe them?"
"No."
"I searched everywhere, there wasn't a single record unchecked to clear my name, but it was like every single evidence that I could use to prove my innocence had disappeared into thin air. I lost everything, my family, my friends, and my career. So I decided to vanish without a trace. Not only myself, but I didn't want my ideals to exist anymore, so I burned them. You might also think I've gone mad, don't you?"
Haitham took Kaveh's hand but Kaveh withdrawed it.
"No Haitham, you should not feel remorseful. It's all on my own. I should endure this myself. Let people think I've gone mad. Also, all these years I was yearning for another bickering with my dear junior to prove how wrong he is in almost everything."
Keveh took steps into the village heading to where the Akademiya had provided for him as his new house.
"Cyno"
"I have vowed to uphold the rules Haitham."
"I know. Exactly as planned."
"So you know I should deliver punishment, regardless of who the sinner is." but contrary to his words, Cyno only stands and observes Haitham, he know grief has engulfed him. "One night I went to the tavern," Haitham mutteres. "I spotted Kaveh sitting alone in a corner, writing down something. He was going through a hard time. Anyone could sense that. I didn't approach him. He told me, he regrets befriending me back when we were students." He sighs and continues; " I could have helped him Cyno. I didn't"
News was quick to spread in the Akademiya that the grand scribe Alhaitham would be exiled to Aaru village in charge of committing one of the six sins; Investigating the origin of words.