(Viewpoint: Roum)
The corridors of the First Circle resemble ceramic dishes.
Longs.
Smooth.
Vibrant with a white light that pulses in the sunlight.
I was walking with Ela and Asmara
Or rather… Ela pulls me, and Asmara moves forward without waiting for me, as if lingering near me could contaminate her.
Ahead of us, Alpha-1 was gliding past us.
His steps seem calculated down to the micron.
Draven and Liora follow, perfectly synchronized, as if gravity belonged to them.
Chetan sighs, loudly, deliberately.
"It looks like a funeral. Can you walk normally?" he grumbled.
"It's you who's making too much noise," Ela replied without even looking up.
I smile… a little.
Ela tightened her hand on mine.
A gentle warmth.
A warmth that almost makes me feel like I've never been a monster, never a problem, that I've never...
We stop in front of a door that is taller than all the others.
It has no handle.
Just… a black circle embedded in the center.
Alpha-1 places his palm on it.
The circle turns red.
The door opens like an eye waking up.
A cold breath passes through us.
A huge room appears.
Empty.
Except for one huge circle on the ground, which shines with a golden glow.
Like a break in reality.
"Come in," said Alpha-1.
No one is arguing.
Even Chetan momentarily loses his arrogance.
We all position ourselves within the circle of light.
Alpha-1 remains in the center, with his hands behind his back.
She's watching us.
I bent down next to Ela and whispered to her
– Where are we going?
"We're going back to town," she said.
His gaze glides over me.
It's burning.
Or I'm dreaming.
- Roum, we'll go shopping together, I have lots of things to show you, it's so beautiful everywhere, it never gets dark but there's a place where they have a beautiful sunset, that's what they call it, and also the night of the stars, lots of little things that shine, lots of strange things, I'm going to SHOW them all to you.
Everyone turned to stare at us.
"Sorry," Ela murmured.
I'm holding back my laughter.
My body relaxes, reminding me of beautiful memories from the past.
Stars? They really exist.
As the circle continued to rise
Ela gently nudged me with her elbow.
– we're going to skip class today…
The light intensifies.
The circle swallows us up
A breath passes through my chest, like an invisible hand searching.
I closed my eyes.
"What is it?" Asmara murmured, covering her face.
Alpha-1 replies without looking at her:
- Welcome to the city.
reveal themselves.
I saw buildings half-suspended, transparent vehicles carrying men all in white, magnificent greenery, and unreal waterfalls—where did all that water go?
Inside, the sky was even more beautiful; outside it had a desert-like appearance, but here it was gentler and more paradisiacal. Large-winged birds circled in the sky, creating magnificent formations. The worm houses seemed so fragile and on the verge of collapse, their structure so impossible to build.
But my voice is stuck.
My mouth wide open
The city was lively and full of people strolling in the distance, but there was no harmful noise, no shouting or disorder, only the soft singing of birds and advertising signs passing by until they disappeared in the distance.
Then it explodes upwards, forming a golden column of the sun.
Chetan came out first.
– I'm off, I have training sessions to catch up on.
Ela gave me a pat on the back.
– Let's go… I'm going to show him the basics to respect, he's going to study well today, isn't he?
By pinching myself.
– yesssssssssssss yes
As I let myself be swept away by her.
I turn around to observe the others but not enough time before being pushed into another golden circle.
She murmured:
— Let the party begin…
Draven frowned.
— just a bunch of immature people, I'm going to train
Asmara stepped forward abruptly and cut him off.
- Not so fast! I want an answer, what is your real objective?
Draven looked her up and down, then shoved past her with his shoulder.
Alpha-1 finally smiled.
A genuine smile.
— You could have asked me the question directly.
Liora avoided my gaze and turned away, then continued beta 1
– wait for me
"What... what have you done to me?" Asmara murmured, her voice choked with emotion.
She squatted down with her head resting on her knees.
— I didn't do anything.
Her fingers touch her head.
— Hey, SHUT UP, stop lying.
He pushed Alpha 1's hand away with a tap
And he gave her a dark look.
Alpha-1 gets up.
Her shadow glides over her.
- Enough.
She turns her back.
— I wanted to treat you like a human being, but
I feel my stomach clench.
— But why… me? It wasn't my fault every time.
Alpha-1 stops.
She doesn't turn around.
— You're still living in the past.
The silence shatters like glass.
She adds, coldly:
— From today onwards, you will follow my direct orders.
Asmara whispers to me, quietly enough that no one can hear:
— Roum… you were like him, worse than him, I always did my best to help
But Alpha-1 started clapping once.
The sound cracks like a gunshot.
— You really always did your best, we can congratulate you for that, you were only good at that.
And she left, leaving Asmara alone on the edge of the city.