The children paused in their game, marble in hand, as Rahim turned his gaze toward the sound. It was a young woman stumbling from a nearby hut, her face a mask of terror. She clutched a small, limp form to her chest—her child, pale and motionless, bitten by a venomous snake. Panic swept through the crowd, a palpable wave of dread.
"Stay calm," Rahim called, his voice a beacon of steadiness in the growing chaos. He knelt beside the woman, inspecting the child's swollen wound with practiced care.
Rahim's hands worked swiftly but surely, crushing the berries and extracting their potent juice. His fingers moved with a confidence born of years of experience, each motion deliberate and precise. He applied the mixture to the wound, murmuring an ancient incantation under his breath, his voice rising and falling like a soothing chant.
The villagers watched, their hearts in their throats, as the child's labored breathing began to ease, his eyes fluttering open to gaze at the concerned faces around him. A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd.
In his memories, Rahim saw himself as a boy, wide-eyed and filled with wonder, watching his grandmother's deft hands blend herbs and chant remedies. Her voice, rich and melodious, seemed to echo through time, guiding his actions even now.
"You have a gift, Rahim," she had told him, her eyes kind and knowing. "Use it wisely, and with great care."
He turned his gaze to the horizon, where the sun dipped below the earth, casting a final, crimson glow. A chill prickled his skin despite the day's lingering warmth. The village had faced many challenges, but this felt different, deeper, as if the past had reached out to touch the present.
"There is more at play here than meets the eye," Rahim murmured to himself, a promise in his heart to protect his people from whatever darkness threatened to awaken.
Rahim walked slowly through the village square, his footsteps soft on the earth. He was just a simple man, but in the eyes of the villagers, he was a hero. And he would fight to keep them safe, no matter the cost.
