The sky was gray when I pulled one of the fruits from the backpack. Its red peel pulsed as if it had a heart of its own, a gentle energy vibrating against my fingers.
I turned the fruit in my hand, curious.
— It has a color similar to the psychic stone… — I murmured, trying to decide whether that was a good thing or a bad one.
Oud walked beside me, hands in his pockets, staring at nothing—or at everything, I can never tell.
— And you, aren't you going to eat? — I asked, frowning.
He shook his head.
— The guards didn't say when we were supposed to eat it.
I shrugged. Of course. Oud and his devotion to rules.
— I think I'll eat it anyway.
But before my teeth reached the fruit, a gentle voice cut through the silence:
— Hey… why are you eating the fruit?
I froze mid-motion, awkwardly. I turned and saw a girl, no older than thirteen, looking at me with that expression of someone who knew more than she should.
— I… thought we were supposed to eat it — I replied, unsure.
She smiled as if explaining something obvious to a confused baby bird.
— No. Because we're in the Outer Circle.
I raised an eyebrow.
— You know when we're supposed to eat it? And… how am I supposed to trust a child?
She crossed her arms, far too confident for someone her size.
— If you don't believe me, ask the people in the city.
There was something mysterious about her. Almost theatrical.
— You'll know when you enter the—
The sentence never ended.
— Daughter! — a woman shouted from the doorway of a nearby house. — Come on! Your father's finished, we need to go!
The girl rolled her eyes impatiently, clearly annoyed at being interrupted mid–important conversation.
— I have to go — she sighed, looking back at me. — Welcome.
And she ran off, disappearing behind the woman.
Leaving me there… standing still, holding the fruit—and all the doubts that came with it.
I stared at the fruit for a few seconds, thinking.
— This is hard to understand… do we have to eat it in a specific place? — I murmured, more to myself than to Oud.
Then I took a deep breath, tired.
— We need to find Cindi's house. Otherwise we'll end up sleeping on the street. Do you know this city?
Oud hesitated.
— I have vague memories… but I'm not sure.
— Right. Let's ask someone.
I pulled the metal plate from Illia out of my pocket.
[ Area 0 ] [ Number 6 ]
None of that helped me understand the place.
Oud pointed at a guard in a gray robe.
We approached.
— Sir, could you help us find Area 0? — I asked.
He pointed down the street.
— Go straight ahead. This is Area 17. Then 16, 15…
— Right… and this number 6?
— House number — he explained patiently. — The area is the sector. The number is the residence.
— Ah… now I get it. Thank you.
He smiled faintly before walking away. A rare kindness.
We followed the path. Time seemed to drag its feet along with us. By the time we reached Area 13, my body was begging for rest.
— I'm hungry… and I want to sleep — Oud murmured, exhausted.
— Me too — I sighed. — This city never ends. Isn't there a faster way…?
Oud pointed to the side. A silent train waited at a nearby platform.
— Maybe we could use that.
I sighed.
— We don't have money, remember? Just these fruits.
— We can try to trade — said Oud.
— Well… try.
As we approached the station, I saw an elderly woman struggling to lift some luggage. Automatically, a solution came to mind.
— Maybe we can trade fruits for money.
Oud simply nodded, as if he already expected that from me.
We approached.
— Do you need help, ma'am? — I asked.
She let out a relieved sigh.
— Thank you, young man. These days, few people offer help…
— I saw you were having trouble — I replied, lifting the luggage onto the train. — It's only right to help.
She looked at us with great kindness.
— You both look tired. Do you need anything?
Her gaze lingered on Oud's face, a sad glint in her eyes.
— Oh… poor thing. These green marks… you have cancer, don't you? If you need anything, you can tell me.
Oud stood still, unmoving, with that almost unsettling calm of his—
as if the word cancer carried no weight at all.
The woman kept talking to him, full of concern, while he simply listened…
I watched the two of them for a few seconds, then let the scene fade.
I drifted into my own thoughts.
Maybe… maybe traveling with Oud was more useful than I had imagined.
Some people felt sorry for him.
It felt cruel to think that way… but it was true.
— We're foreigners. Would you accept fruits in exchange for money? We just want to reach Area 0.
She gently touched my arm.
— Keep your fruits. I'll pay for you.
The station guard approached.
— Do you have money?
Before I could answer, the woman intervened with surprising firmness:
— They're with me. They're my assistants.
She bought three tickets without hesitation.
I almost collapsed with relief.
— Thank you, ma'am. I thought we wouldn't make it. Won't you miss that money?
— Don't worry. You need it more than I do.
We boarded the train. I sat beside her, talking, trying to thank her enough—I don't think I ever did.
Oud sat by the window, rested his head against the glass, and closed his eyes, as if falling asleep before the train even started moving.
As the train advanced through the illuminated areas of the city, I felt something strange. A mix of nervousness and expectation.
Each area we passed was one step closer.
Cindi's house was approaching.
And along with it… everything we still didn't understand about this place.