The shadow retreated into his cave. He hid himself in the darkness.
Without Tatal, the world did not interest him anymore. And since Tatal did not come to visit him, the world did not invade his home, either.
He sensed the lands around him undergoing changes, but all of it left him indifferent.
In the darkness, the shadow looked at the ugly doll. Then, he picked up the silver bell and shook it slightly.
He remembered…
In one of his lives, he lived in a beautiful city that sprawled across dozens of flying islands, built of ivory stone. The city was prosperous, and his life was one of abundance. However, he was mad… everyone in the city was, and in the surrounding lands, as well.
His wife was mad, too. Theirs was a happy madness.
If there was one sorrow that darkened their blissful insanity, it was that the gods had not granted them children. They prayed, they waited, but it was all for naught… until, one day, a miracle happened.
