Lane was still sitting close to Luka.
His breathing now somewhat calmer.
But that haze still remained in his eyes.
Luka stroked his messy hair, lowering his voice.
"Lane," Luka asked, watching him intently.
"One more thing... you told me everything."
"But you didn't say what exactly was beyond that railing."
"What did you see there?"
Lane's eyelashes fluttered.
He sat up a bit straighter, gesturing with his tiny arms.
"I was just following that little girl."
"As soon as I crossed that white railing, I saw many houses."
"But Luka, they weren't like our houses."
"They were very different and strange."
Luka's eyes remained fixed on Lane's face.
Lane's voice grew even lower.
"I kept going further with her... walking until we reached the very end."
"There was a huge door there."
"In that door, there was only thick, black darkness."
Lane had seen the dark door, but at that moment, he felt no fear.
"That girl told me I should leave from there now."
"But I refused. I told her that I had to go back to my friend."
Lane paused for a moment, then gripped Luka's hand tightly.
"When I turned to come back, she stopped me."
"She asked me a question..."
"Luka, I didn't know the meaning of that word, but she asked—"
"'Will you marry me when you grow up?'"
"I told her 'Yes'."
"And that's it, then I just came back along the same path."
A harsh line appeared on Luka's face.
His grip on Lane's hand tightened.
He wondered why that unknown girl took such a promise from Lane.
And what the darkness within that door had to do with this vow?
Luka remained silent, but a storm of questions had erupted within him.
He tightened his grip on Lane's hands.
His gaze was fixed on Lane's face.
As if he could see a hidden danger behind Lane's innocence.
"When that girl was asking you that question..."
Luka kept his voice very low.
As if he didn't want Yuki or the walls of the room to catch a hint of it.
"Was there anyone else there?"
"Did you see any other shadow or hear any other sound around you?"
Lane slowly shook his head.
"No Luka, it was only her... and that black door."
The lines of tension on Luka's face deepened.
He took a cold breath and grabbed Lane's shoulders, pulling him closer.
There was a firmness in his eyes that Lane had never seen before.
"Lane, listen to me very carefully," Luka whispered.
A cold warning laced in his words.
"If you ever find that girl again, anywhere, you will not go near her."
"No matter how sweetly she calls you."
"No matter if she even asks for your help... you must stay away from her."
Luka looked directly into Lane's eyes, where some confusion still lingered.
"Remember Lane, do not go near her."
"Promise me that you will never look toward that railing or that girl again."
The heaviness of Luka's voice sank into Lane's heart.
He didn't understand why Luka was so scared.
But the glint in Luka's eyes was forcing him to believe.
That the girl and that black door were no mere games.
Lane remained huddled close to Luka.
His breathing finally steadying, though a lingering haze still clouded his eyes.
Luka stroked Lane's messy, dust-matted hair.
Lowering his voice as if he were afraid of wounding the heavy silence of the room.
"Lane," Luka began, his gaze searching and intense.
"One more thing... you told me everything, but you didn't say what exactly was there beyond that white railing."
"What did you see?"
Lane's eyelashes fluttered as he tried to grasp the fading threads of his memory.
He sat up a bit straighter, his small arms moving in the air as he tried to explain.
"I was just following that little girl, walking straight behind her."
"I really didn't remember that you had forbidden it," Lane whispered.
"As soon as I crossed that white railing, I saw many houses."
"But Luka, they weren't like the ones we know. They were very different... strange."
Luka's eyes remained locked on Lane's face.
Lane's voice dropped even lower, as if he were describing a surreal dream.
"I kept going further with her, walking until we reached the very end."
"There was a massive door there."
"Inside that door, there was only thick, solid black darkness."
Lane had stared into that void, yet at that moment, he had felt no fear.
"That girl told me I should leave from there then. But I refused."
"I told her I had to go back to my friend."
Lane paused, his fingers suddenly gripping Luka's hand tightly.
"When I turned to come back, she stopped me."
"She asked me a question... Luka, I didn't even know the meaning of the word, but she asked—"
"'Will you marry me when you grow up?'"
A strange confusion flickered in Lane's innocent eyes.
"I told her 'Yes'. And that's it. Then I just came back along the same path."
A harsh line etched itself across Luka's forehead.
His grip on Lane's hand tightened instinctively.
He wondered why that unknown child had extracted such a vow.
And what the darkness within that door had to do with this mysterious promise.
"Lane," Luka's voice was a cold, low vibration.
"Was there anyone else there when she asked you that?"
"Did you see any other shadow or hear any other sound?"
Lane slowly shook his head. "No Luka, it was only her... and that black door."
Luka took a deep, cold breath and gripped Lane's shoulders, pulling him into his space.
"Listen to me very carefully. If you ever see that girl again, anywhere, you will stay away."
"No matter how sweetly she calls you, you must not go near her."
"Remember, Lane. Do not go near her."
"Okay Luka... I will stay away from her now," Lane whispered.
The gravity of Luka's warning finally sinking in.
Lane sat in silence for a while, anchored by Luka's presence.
Suddenly, he remembered that Luka wasn't the only one who had come looking for him.
Guilt flickered across his face as he realized Yuki had been there too.
He stood up slowly from the wooden plank.
Yuki was standing silently against the peeling wall in the corner of the room.
Lane walked toward him with small, hesitant steps and bowed his head.
"Brother..." Lane's voice was soft and clear.
"Thank you so much for coming to find me."
"I lost my way... please forgive me for causing so much trouble and for being so late in apologizing."
"Thank you for your help."
Lane remained standing there, rooted to the spot.
He stared at Yuki's face, waiting for a sign of forgiveness.
A restless anxiety was etched on his small features.
It was clear he wouldn't find peace until Yuki acknowledged him.
Yuki looked down at Lane, the tension in his eyes finally melting into softness.
"It's alright, Lane," Yuki said gently. "You are still quite small. I wasn't upset."
The moment Yuki spoke those words, a bright smile broke across Lane's face.
He thanked Yuki once more and then bolted back to Luka's side.
He grabbed Luka's hand and chirped happily:
"Look Luka, I thanked him and apologized too!"
Luka watched him in silence, but the hardness in his gaze softened.
Feeling entirely relieved, Lane took Luka's hand in his tiny ones and began to play with his fingers.
As if trying to push the memory of the mound and the black-eyed shadows far away.