The day was fading, and evening began to quietly reveal itself.
We were driving slowly — Caner, me, and the guards — until we finally reached the shore. Our hands were tied, our clothes torn and dirty, faces bruised and bloodied. One of the guards handed me a phone. The car slowed down and stopped near the beach.
Caner opened the door first and stepped out. The sunlight hit my face as I followed, shielding my eyes with my hand. My bare feet met the hot sand, and for a brief moment, peace washed over me — the feeling of returning to my own land, watching the sun rest after a long day.
Caner stood quietly, staring at the horizon, while I called Karahan.
"Sir, we've arrived at the Tartus shore as you ordered."
"How's your situation?"
"We're fine. The men did their own 'makeup' on us — a bit rough-handed, but it worked."
"Good. You'll be returning now, and from this moment on, you'll live by your real name — Alpay."
"Yes, sir. We're waiting for the boat. We'll enter Turkish waters with a few refugees."
"There will be weapons on the boat — just in case."
"Understood, sir. Once we land, the media will spread the story. We'll pass through the Mediterranean, then head to the Black Sea after medical checks and identity control."
"Perfect. We'll cross into Batumi with the others. Keep in touch. And… eliminate the remaining men there. No one should know you ever existed."
"Understood, sir."
I ended the call and crushed the phone. Then I called Caner over and relayed Karahan's orders. Together, we slowly executed the four men and dragged their bodies aside, setting the car ablaze.
Afterwards, we sat on the beach, stretching our legs toward the water.
"Just the two of us again, huh, partner?"
"Yeah… Remember this place?"
"How could I forget? This is where it all began. Do you remember our journey before we got here?"
"I do. One of us was a servant, the other a worker — we were nothing."
"If I hadn't stopped you that day, you would've gone alone. I'd still be serving in that mansion."
"Now it's till death do us part, brother. Slavery's over. Labor's over. It's our time now."
"You're right, Caner. Till death do us part."
We watched a boat approaching from afar. A large, heavy-built man shouted at us from a distance,
"Come on, I don't have all day!"
We waded waist-deep into the sea and climbed aboard. The man tossed us life jackets — said he didn't want anyone drowning on his watch — and untied our hands. There were eight of us on that small boat.
The night wind was harsh. Caner fell asleep on my shoulder while I stared into the dark waves, feeling the sea spray on my face.
After years of separation, I was finally returning — to my home, my father, and Alara.
It had been so long since I'd last seen her. I wondered… what she was doing.
Had my feelings for her faded? Or were they still buried deep inside me, unspoken, unfinished?
Near dawn, the sound of waves woke me. I looked around — Caner and the others were still asleep, but the captain was still at the helm. I walked over.
"How long have you been awake, Saddam?"
"Eight hours."
"How much longer?"
"Four hours. Once we reach Antalya's border, I'll drop you off and head back."
"That's all I hope for too."
But I had another plan — to let the coast guard catch us.
If we were seen as rescued refugees, the news would spread fast. My family would see that I was alive.
"Want me to take over?"
"No need. I can handle it."
He brushed me off coldly, so I stepped aside and lay down. Morning had come; the sun was already upon us.
The boy beside the captain handed out water and dry bread. I nudged Caner awake.
"Breakfast is served," he said with a grin. "You won't find this in a five-star hotel."
"Stop complaining. We'll be ashore in an hour or two."
"The sooner the better."
"Missing home, huh?"
"More than you can imagine."
Even after everything, we could still laugh a little. I checked under the nets — the flare gun was still there.
Soon the shoreline appeared. The captain shouted,
"Once I get close, you'll have a short window. Jump, or swim!"
We needed him to bring us closer to the coast guard, but he refused.
"I won't get caught because of you!"
As he said that and tried to turn away, I fired the flare into the sky.
He noticed immediately.
"What the hell are you doing, idiot?"
He pulled a gun from under the rudder, aiming it straight at me.
"I'm not going to prison for you!"
Before he could fire, Caner lunged at him — headbutted him hard and started punching. He tied the man's hands and took control of the wheel.
I calmed the passengers down as the coast guard's boat approached. We were about ten to fifteen minutes from the shore.
"Hands up, all of you!" one of the officers shouted.
"Wait, sir! We're prisoners too!" I yelled back.
"I can't trust that. One by one, board our ship."
"Understood, commander. We're unarmed — only that man had a gun, and he's been restrained."
We were searched and transferred to the coast guard's vessel. The smuggler was arrested.
By the time we reached shore, reporters were already there. Just as planned.
After medical checks, we were taken to the station for questioning.
Caner and I were separated into different rooms.
The room was dimly lit — just a table and a chair. I sat, waiting.
A man in his late thirties entered. Short hair, a silver ring on his finger — probably married or engaged.
"Hello, Alpay. I'm Kadir. I'll be taking your statement today. I'll just ask a few questions."
"Can I have some water first? Been a long journey. I'm ready to give whatever statement the state needs from me."
He nodded to someone outside to bring water and continued.
"So you're Turkish?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then what were you doing among all those refugees? What about your friend?"
"They took us years ago — kidnapped us. We were tortured and worked like slaves. We finally escaped and hid in villages for months. Then we found this boat. We had no money, so we stole it to get here."
"You stole it?"
"We had no choice. There was no one home, and we didn't hurt anyone."
"Do you remember their faces? Any names?"
"No. It was always dark. They wore masks. They never used real names."
"Since you were kidnapped, this case technically falls under our jurisdiction. But since it happened abroad, it'll go to the Interior Ministry. The media will be all over it for a few days. Do you have any family we can contact?"
"I don't know… I haven't spoken to them in three, maybe four years. They probably think I'm dead. Maybe they changed their numbers."
"We found your father's number in the system. We'll try to reach him — if it's still active."
He quietly left the room.
I rested my head on the table, pretending to sleep.
Later, they removed our handcuffs and moved us to a regular waiting room.
Caner and I sat together, silent.
"So, what now?"
"No idea. Haven't heard anything yet. Only my father's left."
"Same here. They told my family I was dead. When they called, my parents said they had no son by that name. I guess they truly believed it."
"Once we're out of here, we'll be all over the news. Our phones won't stop ringing."
Caner stared out the window, lost in thought.
And I wondered — what comes next?
What will I say to my father?
Will he forgive me?
And Alara… will she even recognize me?
From that day on, a new life began.