Morning – The Figure in the Doorway
The hooded figure stood at Kael's door, its presence unnatural—too still, too silent.
"You're starting to remember."
The voice was neither deep nor high, neither male nor female. It simply was.
Kael's breath came fast. His house wasn't safe anymore.
His instincts screamed at him to run, but his feet stayed planted. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head. "Who do you think I am?"
A chill ran down Kael's spine. The way it spoke—it knew something.
He gritted his teeth. "Elyndor. Do you know that name?"
The air in the room shifted. The walls seemed to press inward, and the candles flickered without wind.
Then, the figure moved—not walking, but shifting forward in a blur.
Kael stumbled back.
A whisper filled the space between them.
"Not yet."
Then—darkness.
When Kael opened his eyes, the figure was gone.
But the door that shouldn't exist?
Still there.
Midday – Another Vanishing
Kael needed answers. Avoiding the village wasn't an option anymore.
He forced himself outside, scanning the villagers. Were they acting strangely?
No. They looked normal. But that was the problem.
It was too normal.
He saw Mara near the well and decided to test something. "Mara," he said, keeping his voice even. "How long have we lived in this village?"
She blinked. "All our lives, Kael. Why?"
He hesitated. Then, carefully, he asked, "Has anyone ever left?"
Mara frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kael's throat went dry. Why did she sound genuinely confused?
He pushed further. "Like… travelers? Merchants? Or even someone moving away?"
Mara opened her mouth. Stopped. Then, something in her eyes shifted.
Like Simon yesterday. Like a memory had tried to surface—then vanished.
Kael's pulse pounded.
No one left. No one arrived.
This village wasn't normal.
Then, Mara suddenly smiled, as if nothing had happened. "You're acting weird, Kael. Are you sick?"
Kael clenched his fists.
He wasn't the one acting strange.
Afternoon – The Missing House Returns
Frustrated, Kael wandered aimlessly, trying to force the pieces to fit.
But nothing made sense.
If the village was unnatural, why couldn't he remember when it started?
His feet carried him toward the field behind his house. The same field where, just days ago, he had seen an empty patch of land.
But now—
A house stood there.
Kael stopped breathing.
It was the same house that had vanished before.
He didn't move. Did anyone else see this?
The village square was still bustling behind him. People walked, chatted, acted like nothing had changed.
No one acknowledged the house.
Kael's skin crawled. What if he was the only one who could see it?
He took a step closer. The door creaked open on its own.
Inside, it was dark. Too dark.
Then—
A whisper from within.
"Kael."
His own name.
Spoken in his own voice.
To Be Continued…