System: New Notification
Three hours remain until the daily tasks expire.
One task remaining.
I looked at the notification in silence, then ignored it as if it were nothing.
I said aloud, avoiding their gaze:
"I'm going to the bathroom."
It was a bathroom, filled with a light, refreshing scent—like a cool breeze mixed with the fragrance of spring flowers.
I whispered to myself:
The scent of Zoe and Miro… Their presence here makes me feel strangely dizzy.
I turned on the shower, and warm water flowed over my skin, while strands of my hair fell across my face. I brushed them back silently and stood motionless under the falling water.
Then I stepped into the tub filled with hot water, and I felt my body completely relax. But at the same time, thoughts began racing through my head.
"I'm bathing in the same tub she bathed in."
My cheeks flushed as my body temperature rose.
I pressed my temples and told myself:
"Ah… I need to focus. I won't let these thoughts take control of me."
I took a deep breath.
"Calm down… focus… just relax."
A heavy silence fell as I tried to quiet my mind beneath the rising heat of the water.
Minutes of relaxation passed before the tranquility was broken by a soft knock on the door.
I froze for a moment, feeling a slight wave of unease wash over me from within.
I stammered:
"What is it?"
Miro's voice came softly from behind the door:
"Dinner's here, Commander… Hurry up."
I took a quick breath, regained my composure, and said to myself:
"It's just dinner…"
Then I replied aloud:
"All right."
I stepped out of the bathroom wearing the same clothes, rubbing my white hair—dyed black at the ends—with a towel.
I walked outside, where a wooden table adorned with two candles came into view, their light reflecting off the surface with a warm, gentle glow.
It was covered with a blue-and-white checkered tablecloth, and three wooden chairs were arranged around it.
Zoe and Miro were already seated.
Zoe looked at me and said:
"We've been waiting a long time for you."
I lowered my gaze slightly and said:
"Sorry."
I walked over and sat down.
The table was filled with all kinds of food: steaming stewed meat, a thick ketchup-like sauce surrounding pieces of meat,
a vegetable-filled soup, a whole roasted rabbit, as well as carefully arranged plates of fruit and appetizers.
I reached for a piece of meat and took a bite.
It melted in my mouth unexpectedly…
as if it were a piece of chocolate rather than meat.
Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes without me understanding why. I quickly put my hands to my cheeks, trying to hide them, but it was too late. Miro and Zoe's gazes were fixed on me, filled with both concern and tenderness.
Miro leaned in a little and said in a calm voice, "Are you okay, Siraj?"
I quickly wiped away my tears and smiled nervously: "Something just got in my eye… Don't worry."
I tried to brush it off, turned my gaze back to the food, and said, ""Don't stop."
But Zoe didn't seem convinced; she kept looking at me for a few seconds before saying quietly, "Are you sure?"
I nodded quickly, trying to hold onto my smile: "Yes… yes."
They continued eating, quiet moments punctuated by soft whispers and occasional laughter from Zoe and Miro.
A few minutes later, Miro placed her hand on her stomach and said with a sigh, "I'm completely full."
Zoe looked at her, then raised her own hand: "Me too."
"I smiled warmly at them. Me too."
About half an hour later, I was lying on the bed, and Zoe had fallen asleep on the bed next to me. But I couldn't sleep.
I tossed and turned more than once before getting up silently and heading to the balcony.
I stood there looking at the city stretching out before me, its lights scattered like distant, restless memories.
My mind was crowded, filled with images and thoughts racing by without pause.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me:
"Siraj… You couldn't sleep, could you?"
I turned around; Miro was approaching quietly until she stopped beside me.
I said, breathing slowly, "Yes… and you? Why are you still awake?"
She replied in a low voice, "I couldn't sleep either."
She looked down and said softly: "I don't know where fate is leading us…
She raised her eyes to me," then added, tears welling up in her eyes: "Will we leave this world and return, or not?.. I didn't turn to her, so she placed her hand on my shoulder and shook me gently, saying: 'Will we really leave, Commander?'"
I replied in a low voice: "I don't know."
Suddenly, she moved away from me a little, then said, "As you know… I have great faith that we'll leave this world. There's something that makes me trust you, Commander."
She smiled a small smile, then continued:
"I believe in you, so I'm confident we'll survive and get out of here."
The moonlight reflected off the tears gathering in her eyes, then they trickled quietly down her cheeks.
I didn't turn around, and my expression didn't change… I just bit my lip silently, as tears slowly streamed down my cheeks.
Then she took my hand and said, still wearing that same smile: "We'll be okay."
At that moment, Zoe was hugging a pillow, listening to us silently without saying a word.
After a few moments of silence, I raised my hand to wipe away my tears, avoiding her gaze, then said in a low voice:
"I'm getting sleepy… I'm going to bed."
"Her expression changed and she looked flustered. Then I walked toward the bed and stopped in front of it. I said to her in a low voice, 'Don't stay up too late… and thank you, too.'"
That smile returned to her face, and she replied calmly: "Yes… Commander."
I flopped onto the bed, pulled the covers over me, and was quickly overcome by sleep.
Moments later, I found myself standing outside the door to my old bedroom. My parents were in the living room, repeating over and over:
"Siraj is to blame…"
My father was sitting on the sofa in his uniform; his features were indistinct, but his voice was harsh and steady. My mother, too, was wearing an apron, her features blurred, but she kept repeating, "It's all because of Siraj… If only we hadn't had him in the first place…"
I backed away toward the door, trying to escape those voices that were tearing at my head, while the room was nearly dark. I covered my ears with my hands and screamed:
"Shut up… Be quiet…"
Suddenly, a woman appeared in front of me. She was wearing a long black dress and a veil that completely covered her face except for the lower part. She stood silently in the corner of the room, then began to approach me with slow, quiet steps.
I tried to open the door, but the voices of accusation grew louder, as if they were chasing me from every direction. I backed up further until I was huddled in the corner of the room, repeating in a trembling voice:
"Shut up… Be quiet…"
Then the woman stopped right in front of me, leaned in slightly, and whispered in a quiet, mysterious voice:
"I love you… to death."