Chapter 1
In a dark era when men bound other men in chains, a young boy named Arnaud dreamed of only one thing: freedom.
His gaze often escaped toward the sky, fixed on the majestic flight of the birds 🐦. As he watched them, a truth, as simple as it was painful, etched itself into his heart: the pure joy of being free.
— If I could fly away..., he whispered, his eyes filled with hope.
— I would fly so far... I would leave behind this world of shackles and bitterness.
One day, his master brought a creature into the house: a bird with brilliant plumage.
But this bird... was broken.
Its home was no longer the vast sky, but a narrow iron cage. It could no longer spread its wings, condemned to walk in circles.
When young Arnaud approached it, he was filled with wonder by its beauty. His eyes shone with innocent admiration. He sat in front of the cage and whispered in a soft voice:
— I would love so much to be like you... You who possess ultimate freedom, you who have no ties and fly wherever you wish...
The bird slowly turned its head toward the boy. Its gaze was heavy with infinite sadness. Then, in a faint voice, almost choked by despair, it replied:
— You speak of freedom... But have you even truly looked at me?
A heavy, suffocating silence settled between them.
— I am chained to this metal, the bird continued. This cage prevents me from existing, from being myself, from following the wind...
Its dark eyes locked onto Arnaud's.
— I am merely a slave to men... just like you.
Those words struck the boy right in the chest. Arnaud slowly lowered his head, his heart heavy.
He had just understood.
In two different forms, they shared the exact same ordeal: a subjugated body, a crushed willpower, a non-existent freedom. Their prisons did not look alike, but the pain was the same.
Arnaud raised his eyes back toward the cage, then toward the sky visible through a narrow window. A cold thought crossed his mind: was the entire world condemned to bow under the cruelty of men?
In a trembling, weary voice, he asked:
— How could one ever find freedom in a world like this...?
The bird remained silent for a long moment, motionless, as if weighing the gravity of its answer. Then it declared:
— If to you, freedom means rising up by your own will... Then there is only one thing left for you to do: break the chains that bind you to this world.
Those words resonated deep within Arnaud's soul like a spark.
For the first time in his life, he no longer saw his irons as an inevitable fate, but as a mere obstacle. And an obstacle... is meant to be destroyed.
His hands trembled. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists with all his strength.
CRACK.
A sharp noise cut through the air. The metal of his chains began to fracture.
He pushed further. And further.
Until the iron gave way and collapsed to the ground in a liberating crash.
Arnaud opened his eyes wide. For the very first time in his existence... he was truly breathing.
He raised his head toward the horizon. Without hesitating, without looking back, he started to run. He ran as if the wind were calling him, as if the whole world had been waiting for him.
Reaching the edge of the void, in an impossible leap that defied reality... he jumped.
The wind swept through him. The silence of eternity wrapped around him.
Then —
Against all odds, he rose.
Like a bird 🐦. Like a dream breaking through the boundaries of reality.
Without a single regret, he left behind this world of oppression and soared toward a new world.
Dear readers,
What did you understand from this ending? What does Arnaud's flight truly represent to you?
Share your thoughts and interpretations in the comments below!
