—My name is Kaеr. I'm probably one of the few who still remember what it's like to want to laugh like a child.
They walked along the street, and Kaer gave them a brief tour of the city. His speech was fragmented, and he often stopped mid-sentence, as if he was afraid of losing not only his words but also himself, piece by piece.
—People go missing here.
He finally said after a moment of silence.
—At first, they just disappear. And then they come back... but they're not the same. Their eyes become empty, as if there's nothing left inside them. As if they've been cleaned out.
—So someone is doing this on purpose.
Ikai spoke quietly, with a noticeable tension in his voice, and his eyebrows were furrowed.
The star within him trembled slightly.
"The distortion is not of natural origin. It is a sign of someone else's interference."
Kaer asked in a barely audible voice, trying to remain calm:
—Do you feel it too?
Ikai looked at him intently. The figure of the young man was reflected in the depths of his all-seeing yellow eye.
—I do. — He replied dryly.
—But I don't like it. It's as if everything here has been deliberately destroyed, and in a very elaborate way.
Kaer looked down, as if hiding from the answer.
—I'm scared... I'm afraid I'll disappear too.
Ikai wanted to find some comforting words, but they stuck in his throat. Instead, he exhaled softly.
—Rejoice! At least you'll be free from fear.
He was surprised by his own words, but for some reason, Kaar didn't take offense. For the first time during their conversation, he smiled with a hint of confidence, and there was more humanity in that crooked, awkward smile than in the entirety of Alenarak.
—Do you still believe you've seen the entire city?
Kaer said, his voice almost mocking, though there was a subtle note of wariness in his tone.
—No, Ikai. You've only seen the streets that allow themselves to be seen. It's just a tiny part of the mysterious mosaic that we call life in this city.
Kaer led him down a narrow alley, where the air seemed to shimmer, creating the illusion that they were walking through a hot haze.
The night was cold, but here, in the shadows of the tall buildings, it felt as if the warmth came from the very walls, as if these old stones held memories of hot days. Every step echoed, as if the city was whispering secrets that were not meant for others to hear.
— Here...
Kaer fell silent, as if hesitant to utter a name that might shatter the fragile silence that enveloped the place.
Before them lay a space that defied conventional geometry and the laws of physics. The houses stood side by side, as if arranged by the whim of an unknown artist.
Their roofs slanted at strange angles, creating an illusion of chaos.
The windows, set too high, seemed inaccessible, as if they invited to look at the world only from afar. It created an atmosphere of mystery, as if each house kept its own secrets, inaccessible to ordinary mortals.
There was a well in the center of the square. He wasn't made of stone, no. Its surface was made of black metal, smooth and seamless, as if the material itself had been sculpted from some other world.
The sunlight reflected off it, creating a play of highlights that added to the mystery of the place.
As if in response to Kaer's silence, the wind carried a whisper that sounded like ancient incantations.
This place was steeped in history, with every stone and crack in the walls bearing the remnants of long-forgotten events. It was as if the spirits of the past were lingering in the air, waiting to reveal their secrets to those who dared to ask.
—What is it?
Ikai asked, pointing to the strange object that stood before them like a ghost from a forgotten dream.
— A well without water.
Kaer replied quietly, his voice almost a whisper, as if he was afraid of waking something ancient and powerful.
—It's a place where the city stores its memories. Everything that the residents want to forget but can't. Everything that no one should keep within themselves. But this well has been around for a long time, even before people started turning into Porcelain Dolls.
Ikai frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.
—Memories?
He repeated, feeling a chill run down his back.
—You sound like it's more than just a metaphor.
Kaer turned to him, his eyes, usually calm and distant, now burning with a strange light. For the first time during the walk, he looked truly serious.
—Sometimes you walk down the street. — he began, — and suddenly you feel someone else's nightmare, someone else's secret guilt. They flow down here like raindrops in the desert. No one knows how it works, but everyone feels it.
Ikai took a step closer, his gaze fixed on the well. The metal it was made of didn't reflect the stars, but seemed to absorb their light.
Instead, weak, dim lights flickered inside, as if someone's breath, someone's unspoken word, was stored there.
—And no one tries to look in?
He asked, feeling a mix of curiosity and fear.
—Aren't there those who wish to know what lies hidden there?
Kaer shook his head, his face even more grim.
—Those who have tried. — he replied, — have never returned. Or if they have, they are not the same as before. The city knows of this place, but prefers to pretend it does not exist.
Ikai felt the ground beneath his feet become less stable.
He looked at the well again, trying to understand what lay beneath its silent surface.
—And you?
He asked, turning to Kaer.
—Do you know what's inside?
Kaer was silent for a few seconds, his gaze fixed on the distance, as if he could see something that others could not.
—I know only one thing...
He finally said.
— This place is not for the people of Alenarak.
Ikai felt a strange feeling coming over him, not fear, but a deep, almost primal call.
His heart, which he often thought of as a fragment of a star, fluttered more than ever before, as if it were resonating with something ancient and profound.
The air around the well seemed to hum with energy, and he could almost feel the weight of unspoken stories and forgotten secrets pressing against his skin.
It was as if the well held the memory not only of the city, but of the world itself, a repository of all that had been lost, all that had been hidden.
—You brought me here for a reason.
He said softly, his voice barely audible over the faint whisper of the wind. His eyes fixed on Kaer, searching for answers in his expression.
Kaer looked down, his fingers lightly gripping the edge of his coat. There was a hesitancy, a wariness in his posture that Ikai had never noticed before.
—I want to know who you are.
Finally, he replied, his voice calm but with an unreadable undertone.
—And this… this place is the best way to do it.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
The silence between them was charged, filled with unspoken questions and the weight of what they both knew was hidden within this well.
Ikai Liu felt the pull of the place, an almost magnetic pull that seemed to draw him closer, as if the very earth beneath his feet was pushing him forward.
—What do you think you'll find there?
He asked, his voice softer now, almost curious.
—Do you believe there are answers here – or just more questions?
For a moment, their eyes met, and something unreadable flashed in his before he looked away again.
—I don't know.
He admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
—But I have to try. You – you're different, Ikai. And this place feels like it knows you.