A distant dream calls to these children, within a distorted world. The sounds of those small steps produce a melody akin to dewdrops, creating a deep echo in a soul deceiving itself, amidst that unknown. Here, still, is a thread guiding its owner to a long path, with no end, to lead that soul to what it aspires.

  "Just a distant dream... Zero... there's no escape from forgetting it."

  Zero's soul, still immersed between imagination and reality, tries with all its might to return to its course. Yet, something from the forgotten past will return to kill its owner sooner or later.

  ******

  "So... this is what the shelter looks like from the inside." Zero.

  "We entered the first floor, Zero... There was a large hall... with many tables and chairs... We sat down to rest, waiting for you to wake up." Moan said, circling Zero.

  "Huh... how long have I been unconscious?" Zero said, scratching her head.

  At that moment, End turned to Zero and said, "Three days."

  "Huh... did I sleep all this time?" Zero asked in surprise.

  "Zero... be quiet." End said sternly.

  'You don't have to tell me that...' Zero thought, annoyed.

  "(Laughs)... I know that's one of the rules, End... but you don't have to tell her that when she doesn't know the rules... You'll get used to this place, Zero... with time... I'll show you some places in this shelter..." Sunny said.

  "Ah... yes... Sunny."

  "At sunset... your room will be assigned... and the floor... okay."

  "What do rooms have to do with floors?" Zero.

  "Zero... where would the rooms be if there weren't floors?" Rêve.

  "Actually... the floors should be determined before the rooms."

  "Huh? I don't understand." Zero.

  "Actually... this shelter consists of 5 floors... each floor contains 50 rooms... and a large hall where we meet... along with some locked and old rooms... and on each floor, there is a room with medical equipment... and another where food is placed."

  "Sunny... how do you get food?" Moan.

  "You go out of the shelter... searching for food... when it runs out... right?" Zero.

  "Yes... but... this matter will be discussed later... before that... you must understand that you will follow a system... we will explain it to you later... Zero..."

  "Will we stay in a group together?" Zero.

  "Zero... Lost, Moan, and I have been separated on the same floor... as for End, he's on another floor." Moan.

  "I hoped we would be together... without Lost." Rêve.

  "Rêve... stop it..." Zero said, laughing.

  "I mean what I say..." Rêve said, provoking Lost.

  "You're making noise now." End.

  'Heh... such innocence...' "Okay... we are now on the fourth floor... each floor has its own responsible person... and I am responsible for this floor... Zero." Sunny.

  'It seemed to me at first that we were on the third floor.' Zero thought, confused. "Sunny... I wanted to ask you... that boy... I mean, the Geist... does he guard this place alone...?" Zero.

  "Yes... why?" Sunny.

  "Does he do it alone... just him?" Zero asked in surprise.

  "Hmm... I understand what you mean... that will be explained later." Sunny said, turning towards Zero.

  At that moment, Zero turned to her right, looking through the window at the clouds floating in the sky, in that pale brown color.

  She looked around, feeling the walls with her bandaged hands, and the rough paint. Zero looked at it with a miserable gaze, then turned towards the children as they advanced.

  '...This corridor... and these dilapidated walls... and that barrier... this is strange... everything is strange here... why do I feel this way... ever since I saw that giant room... in that maze... everything... seemed... familiar to me... but the internal atmosphere... is very confusing.'

  Zero advanced towards the children, then turned to End, asking him in a low voice, "End... the staff... where is it?"

  "With Sunny... she will give it back to you... later." End said, turning to Zero.

  "Ah... I understand..." Zero said with comprehension and despair.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  ******

  "Sunny... you said we were on the fourth floor... it seemed to me that we were on the third floor... when I looked out the window?"

  "Maybe... because you're used to distorted buildings." Sunny.

  "Distorted buildings?" Zero asked, confused.

  "Ah... you're right... Zero... it seems to be the third floor... didn't you notice that everything is normal here... (turning towards Zero) This shelter... is isolated from that destruction... we are no longer small like we used to be... this place... was the last place that remained standing... in the face of corruption... if it is the only one left... it is like a last resort for us... a hiding place... our new home... it is the only place... where you can live safely... despite all the terrible things... that happen to us... this is the shelter... it is our only hope." Sunny said this in a strange tone.

  Zero looked at Sunny, who seemed to frown. End advanced towards Sunny and patted her arm. Sunny raised her head, turning to them, and a smile appeared on her face.

  "Excuse me... we will go to the large hall now... it's gathering time... to get food... come on..."

  The children continued walking with Sunny, and signs of confusion were evident on Zero's face as she looked at End and Sunny with a look of doubt.

  'This... is suspicious...' Zero thought to herself cautiously, clutching the eye wrapped around her neck tightly.

  ******

  Sunny opened the door, and the children found a giant hall with many tables and chairs, and many windows through which the pale sunlight seeped in, and lamps with a pale grayish-white light.

  The children advanced in amazement, finding many children carrying their food.

  Everyone looked towards Sunny and her friends in confusion. Sunny advanced towards them, looked at the children, then turned to them, saying, "Okay... come with me!... Don't worry..." Sunny waved to the children.

  *******

  Sunny headed towards one of the doors, opened it, and entered a dark corridor. She turned on the lights, and the children found a corridor that was not long, narrow with no windows, and at the end of it was a dilapidated wooden door. She advanced towards it, then turned to the children, saying, "Come on... hurry up."

  Zero looked at the walls, feeling them with her hand. The suffocating smell filled the place as she looked ahead, suddenly feeling a strange pain in her stomach, letting out a strange sound.

  "Wha... what is this feeling?" Zero asked in surprise.

  Moan heard Zero's groan and turned towards her with a smile, saying, "Zero... is something wrong?"

  "Ah... actually... I feel a strange pain... I feel..." Zero said, flustered.

  Moan heard that sound and laughed, saying, "Are you hungry?"

  "Ah... hungry?" Zero asked in surprise and astonishment.

  "Three days without eating... you must be hungry." Moan.

  At that moment, Zero felt some embarrassment, placing her hand on her stomach, lowering her head.

  'Is it to this extent... I forgot the feeling of hunger... it's been a while since I felt hungry... since I entered this world... the only thing that possessed me was fear... and pain... even though I ate before... I didn't feel it... and I didn't care about the taste of what I ate... it wasn't important to me...' Zero thought to herself strangely, in a monologue with her lost self.

  "Okay... here we are." Sunny advanced towards the door, opened it, and the children saw a kitchen full of shelves, with various foods placed on them. They entered.

  "Shi, are you here?" Sunny said, turning to the left. They turned to find a metal door, and they heard the sound of approaching footsteps from it. It opened, and a teenage girl with silky black hair tied with a white ribbon appeared, wearing a strangely styled outfit, white silk, decorated with silver spots, with small, narrow black eyes.

  "Sunny... huh... new children... hmmm... so this is the girl." Shi said, looking towards Zero.

  At that moment, Zero was surprised, and astonishment almost burst in her heart: 'She looks like she's of Asian descent... even her appearance... and her clothes... huh... Shi... she's—'

  "Okay... (turning towards the children)... I introduce you to the person in charge of distributing food... and cooking it... Shi."

  "Nice to meet you... I hope you get used to the place." Shi said, greeting them with a bow and respect.

  "And we too." The children said, bowing.

  "Shi... prepare food for them... and make sure... to add a dish for Zero... so that her portion will be prepared when distributing..."

  "Okay... I'll do that."

  Suddenly, Sunny felt a strange feeling, and her facial features changed to seriousness, saying, "Shi... take care of the children... I have to take care of an emergency..." Sunny said, heading towards the door quickly.

  "(Turning towards the children)... Don't worry... now... eat your food... and rest." Shi.

  "Ah... Sunny... I wanted to ask you—" Zero.

  "Not now... later, Zero," Sunny said, quickly leaving the kitchen, a look of coldness on her face, clenching her hands tightly.

  *****

  As Shi began to distribute the food, Zero felt anxious and uncomfortable, looking at her empty right hand: 'I wanted to ask you... about my staff.' Zero felt as if something was wrong, while looking at her friends taking their portions. She felt tense and confused, clutching her necklace.

  "Zero... come here." Shi said, holding a white glass plate.

  Zero turned towards Shi, letting go of her necklace and heading towards her: "Yes... I'll just take the soup."

  *****

  A strange feeling overwhelmed Zero, and she felt intense pressure as she swallowed that hot sip with the cold spoon. She looked out the window in front of her at the pale yellowish atmosphere, then turned, looking at her soup, looking at her reflection with pale eyes. She swallowed another sip, looking at everyone eating their food. Zero's gaze changed to one of worry and fear, and she felt a headache at her temple.

  Zero placed her hand on her temple, and the pain increased more than before. She felt tightness, discomfort, and intense anxiety.

  'I must find the staff... my head almost feels like it's separating from my body.' Zero thought to herself in pain.

  *******

  A lost soul in the middle of nowhere, trying to find a way out of this suffering, and with effort, she curbs those instincts and desires in her heart, tying them with ropes of hope and determination. But she realizes that those ropes will not last long against that demonic entity, and she will sink into that eternal void, and those shadows around her creep in, holding her, seeking pleasure, enjoying seeing me suffer and be tormented, amidst my distorted nightmares.

  'I've started to feel... my other self... renewing... and returning to me... little by little... seeking... its corrupt desire... this is the most amazing thing my eyes have seen in a long time... where did you get it, I wonder... Sunny?' Shadows surrounding a body imprisoned in darkness, bound by those luminous ropes, like stars in the darkness of the night. Those eyes in the darkness hide memories of shadows that distort little by little.