In an empty space, where no law was in effect, a porcelain figure was walking calmly toward what appeared to be a source of light.
But that statement was incorrect, for light itself did not exist in that space.
Nothing existed.
Everything was the lack of something.
Still, that doll was not worried about being in such a place, for it was that place where it belonged.
With a firm step, she continued to approach the supposed source of light.
That was the place where she should do her duty and prevent what was about to happen…
At that moment, a distant, but at the same time close, voice sounded from behind her back, but at the same time from in front of her.
It was a languid voice, absent of all life and spirit. Yet it had the most authoritative tone she had ever heard.
She knew very well whose voice it was.
"Don't."
A single statement.
A single statement was enough to shake her conviction. If it had been sooner, those words would have made her back down and give it all up.
But it was too late.
She could not stop.
If she stopped, it would all have been in vain.
She could have simply ignored the voice, for its owner no longer had the power to stop her.
But still... as a last show of respect, she decided to turn around and confront him.
And there he was, a completely emaciated man. A reflection of what was happening to her world.
...With an indifferent voice, but at the same time with a hint of regret, he gave his answer.
"There is no other choice."
"Yes there is."
He gave his answer immediately, without a hint of hesitation. That confrontation should have annoyed her, but it didn't.
For he was right.
But she couldn't back down either.
"If I don't, my people will be finished."
"And in the process you'll wipe out another."
"Yet I'm still willing to do it."
"That decision is not yours to make."
"..."
Seeing how neither of them were going to give in, in a completely regretful voice, the doll said the last thing she wanted to say to the man...
"I... I'm sorry."
...And then she just turned away and went on her way.
She wasn't worried about him doing anything to her, as she was sure the man had spent his last bit of strength getting here.
...
In what seemed like only a few seconds, the doll reached the light source. But knowing the space she was in, it had probably been hours, months, or years....
The light was the most beautiful thing a living being could ever appreciate, it was made up of infinite threads woven together, creating an absolutely perfect pattern.
He could have stood there appreciating the preciousness of the weave, but he had things to do. Lifting both arms, he made room for what looked like another pair.
And now, with four arms, the doll began to do what she had come to do. With a thread in each of its fingers, it began to modify that perfect weave....
But in the distance, the gaunt man had the fingers of his hand outstretched toward the light.
With as much effort as he could muster... he brought his fingers together in preparation to make a snapping sound. In the process, dozens of pristine threads began to intertwine at his fingertips.
The doll was mistaken if she thought she was going to stand by and do nothing.
For this was only the beginning.
***
A young man in his twenties, with black hair and eyes, was walking quietly down a street with little traffic.
Everyone around him continued on their way, as there was nothing to attract attention from the young man.
Everything was normal, just another person on the street.
But the truth is that the young man was not as normal as he appeared, for unlike the others, he could see a pristine thread of pure white.
Jun did not feel strange about the strange thread, for it was not his first time following such threads.
It was a common development.
He would find a thread, follow it, find a random object and suddenly the thread would disappear.
The curious thing is that sometimes he was involuntarily attracted to them. Once he decided to ignore them, but after a while he realized that he had been following the thread all that time.
He didn't know when or where those threads began to appear, only that, before he knew it, he was already following those threads and retrieving the objects.
His very past was confusing to him, so he was not much affected by the strangeness that suddenly appeared.
Still... this time he felt the pull was somewhat stronger than usual....
'It won't be long now.'
Feeling that he was getting closer to his destination, he began to quicken his pace, for it was already late and he wanted to go and rest.
'Where is it... There.'
Seeing the end of the thread, he finally found the object connected to it.
Reaching over to take it, he held it in his hands and saw that it was....
"A coin?"
More than a coin, it was a silver triangle, with a hole of a smaller inverted triangle inside.
It was the first time he had seen that kind of "coin," so it was most likely worthless. Although it was shiny and very pretty, I didn't think it could be used for anything other than decoration.
A few seconds after he picked it up, the thread that was connected to it started to disappear. It didn't even surprise him anymore, he had seen it so many times that it already seemed boring to him.
'Well, let's go back.'
With nothing else to do and putting the coin in his pocket, Jun turned around and started back the way he had come.
It was the same old.
***
Leaning on a park bench, Jun was inspecting the coin he had found hours before.
The moonlight illuminated its shiny surface, revealing details that had previously gone unnoticed.
No matter how hard he looked at it, he was sure it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Something was telling him.
Something... profound.
As he turned the coin between his fingers, he remembered the threads that had led him to her. Why had he felt such an intense attraction...?
'Wait, why when I found the coin I completely forgot about the fact that the feeling of attraction was stronger than usual?'
'¿...?'
"Just... I should sleep."
Feeling more tired than usual, he slipped the coin back into his pocket.
He settled himself as best he could on the bench, feeling the hardness of the wood against his back, and closed his eyes to try to sleep.
This was going to be a long night.
***
'How annoying...'
His dream didn't last long, as for some reason, he was feeling a strange sensation and was awakened by how annoying it was.
'Now what's wrong...'
Drowsily, Jun reached into his pocket to pull out the coin.
...Jun felt strange, as he had pulled out the coin out of pure instinct, and was about to put it away again.
But unlike before, the triangular coin, which was just a piece of metal before, now had a pristine thread connected to it again.
"..."
Jun didn't know what to do, this was the first time he experienced something like this.
If he had a feeling before that the Coin was special, now he was completely sure.
Looking at where the thread was leading, he saw that it was heading towards the city.
'...Well, who cares, I have nothing to lose... Maybe it's something special.'
Excited by the different development, he got up from his uncomfortable sleeping place and started following the strange thread.
***
Following the trail provided by the thread, Jun came to a part of town he had never been to before.
Some streetlights were damaged, and the streets were especially dirty.
Normally he would complain, as he had a certain distaste for the stench. But right now he was so focused on the coin trail that he didn't take other things into account.
The streets were completely empty, but that was not surprising, since the place he was in was especially new.
But still, it was a special place for him, as he had always been there. So it was only a matter of time before it would continue to develop and expand....
The closer he got to his destination, the stranger it felt.
'Don't go.'
Looking ahead, he noticed that the thread crossed into an alley.
'You mustn't go.'
With each step he took, the worse the sensations became.
'Turn around.'
Her caution was increasing at alarming rates.
'Go.'
But for some reason, he could no longer turn back.
'You shouldn't be here.'
Just a few steps from reaching the intersection, a headache assaulted him.
'Run!'
But it was too late, he had already entered the alley, and what he found there left him bewildered.
There was a tall man standing about three feet away from him, and he was wearing a strange white outfit.
But that wasn't what surprised him....
It was because his head was missing.
But instead of blood coming out of it, the part of his neck that was supposed to connect his head, was completely black. As if nothing had ever existed there in the first place.
So much was Jun's bewilderment that, showing a forced smile, he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"By any chance is this your coin?"
Contrary to his expectations, the headless man reached out his fingers and touched Jun's forehead.
Making his whole world go black.