The house stood at the edge of Lako City, plain and unremarkable, as if it did not wish to be noticed.
Inside, an old man sat on a worn sofa, a newspaper spread open in his hands. The pages were yellowed, but the ink was fresh—headlines changing even as he read them. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, louder than necessary.
The old man did not look up when the door opened.
A boy stepped inside, young but restless, his posture tense like a bow pulled too tight.
"Why do you always tell us to practice more?" the boy asked suddenly. "Every day, the same thing. What's going to happen that we need to train like this?"
The newspaper rustled as the old man lowered it slightly.
He studied the boy for a long moment—long enough to make the boy shift uncomfortably.
"The city," the old man said calmly, "is going to breathe."
The boy frowned. "Breathe?"
The old man folded the newspaper with careful precision. "Yes."
"How can a city breathe?" the boy asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "It doesn't make sense."
The old man's eyes softened—not kindly, but knowingly.
"Not everything needs to make sense before it happens," he said.
The boy scoffed, shaking his head. "You always talk like this."
He turned and left, the door closing behind him with a dull thud.
The old man returned to his newspaper, but the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
The clock ticked faster.
The practice ground lay behind the house, hidden from the main roads. Dust hung in the air, disturbed by constant movement.
Two boys and a girl were already there.
The boy from the house approached them, irritation still etched across his face. "That old man talks in riddles again," he said. "Says the city is going to breathe."
One of the boys laughed, spinning a metal disc between his fingers. "Maybe it needs fresh air."
The girl smirked. "Or maybe you need to stop thinking so much."
She tossed him a wooden staff. "Come on. Practice more."
The confusion faded quickly, replaced by motion.
One boy raised his arm, firing a precise shot at a distant target. The disc embedded itself cleanly at the center.
The girl moved next—fluid, fast—her strikes sharp and controlled, every movement purposeful.
The third boy engaged in close combat drills, fists cutting through air with practiced ease.
The boy who had asked the question joined them last, movements rougher, faster—as if trying to shake off something he didn't understand.
Above them, unseen, the air shifted.
Lako City exhaled.
The city gates welcomed travelers without ceremony.
Parna arrived first, following the quiet guidance of roots beneath stone paths. He paused just inside the entrance, fingers brushing the rough bark of a tree growing where no tree should have survived.
"It's here," he murmured.
The earth beneath his feet felt… awake.
Moments later, Eva entered from the opposite side, her compass warm and steady in her hand. The needle no longer spun wildly. It pointed inward—toward the heart of the city.
Her breath slowed.
"This is where it wanted me," she whispered.
Aarvi arrived laughing softly into her phone, excitement buzzing under her words. She stopped mid-step when the city came into view.
"Oh," she said quietly. "Okay. I see you."
The box in her bag shifted.
Last came Riva.
The moment she crossed into Lako City, the invisible pull she had carried for days settled.
For the first time in her life, the weight in her chest eased.
Her shoulders relaxed without her permission.
"This feels…" She hesitated. "Stable."
They passed each other.
Parna brushed past Eva without noticing, the compass flickering briefly.
Aarvi walked by Riva, smiling at nothing in particular—and Riva's heart stuttered.
The dark aura around her softened, just for a moment.
She turned instinctively, watching Aarvi disappear into the crowd.
Why did that feel safe?
Eva paused, glancing over her shoulder, the compass twitching once before stilling again.
None of them spoke.
None of them stopped.
They continued on their separate paths, unaware that the city had already counted them.
High above Lako City, the clock in the stone chamber completed another full rotation.
The man who watched it leaned forward slightly.
"Good," he said. "You've arrived."
Below, the abandoned area stirred.
The house shuddered once more.
And deep within Lako City, something ancient shifted—
not awake, not asleep—
Waiting.