After recovering from the flu, I returned to work in person. Joy vibrated within me. Maia filled my thoughts. I smiled as I remembered our moments together, drawing me out of that cold, gray reality and leading me down paths my heart had never known.
I had never imagined that caring for someone could be so… transformative. It was more than simply liking someone. Something that would mark us forever.
That day was hectic. The patients were processing their memories too quickly. The side effects worsened. I immediately referred them for intensive recovery care so they could rest their bodies, minds, and spirits.
Between appointments, I organized the results and data that had accumulated during my absence. The following seluna, I would have to put together an overview of CogniSynth's effects. Just thinking about it… exhaustion.
The bioscreen flashed. I smiled foolishly. A message from Maia: 📩 'Wanna go out under the first crescent moon? Meet me at one, at the Millennium Spiral.'
Curious. The time. The location. Well, none of that mattered much. What really mattered was going out with her. The rest? Just details.
S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D00 Silensi
"Abeluna opens the portal to new radiance. Silensi anchors a beginning in living stillness. The tide draws a map in light silver. The story enters clear, with a gentle step."
It was the coldest day of that winter, yet the city still pulsed with life. Hundreds filled the amusement parks. Visited tourist attractions. Traveled.
A pang of envy ran through me. My family had limited our outings to occasional excursions, most of them business meetings. My entertainment was the pool after long hours of studying. Studying that always continued. Even during vacations.
I had grown used to it. Changing my reality was truly unthinkable. Part of me preferred leaving everything as it was. I found pleasure in books, which became my escape.
I lived in black and white. Until Maia appeared, of course. Suddenly, everything had color. She changed it all. More than an escape. She transformed my reality.
Excited beneath my Maiden's energy, I dressed for winter and went to meet her.
The Millennium Spiral, the largest maze in the Americas. Relocated to Centrália in 2795, in the Sideria neighborhood.
After the devastating attacks by the Kemetia command, which had nearly destroyed São Paulo, the city was meticulously rebuilt over the following cycles.
Tourist lodgings rose in the same region. A strategic choice by the Aether Network to prevent access to the routes leading into Netheria. Hundreds traveled along the airways. Floated through Sideria. Crowded the tourist attractions. Recorded everything.
I smiled to myself. The excitement was contagious.
The Spiral
How would I find Maia?
I walked toward the Millennium Spiral. The city shone around us. An ocean of neon and holograms moving to the rhythm of the crowd. The attraction's spiraling structure rose at the center of the park, shimmering like a futuristic mirage. Reflected lights danced across its glass and metal surfaces.
Amid the bustle, I spotted her unmistakable presence. Watchful eyes swept the surroundings like an eagle's. Always alert. She wore a cream sweater and jeans. Simple, but on her… everything felt special.
So beautiful. She waved at me. A tender, delicate smile.
My heart skipped a beat. Goodness, every movement she made enchanted me. Feeling this way was a welcome novelty.
Suddenly, Maia took my hand and led me toward one of the attraction's entrances. Her touch was firm, warm, reassuring.
Even accustomed to her presence, my body reacted. A gentle shiver traveled up my spine, and my heart began to flutter, as though something new were awakening it.
She showed our tickets to the LI. We waited in line.
Maia was hiding a smile.
"It's my first time here." My voice carried a rare spark of excitement.
"Mine too. Glad I get to do this with you."
My face burned, and I used my free hand to hide it.
She drew it away. "Like seeing you this way."
I frowned. Was she fully aware of this? How shameless!
"The ride lasts thirty minutes," the LI announced on the platform.
The cabin arrived. Transparent and modern. A subtle blue glow traced its edges like living circuits. Holograms rippled across its walls, projecting a translucent maze in constant transformation.
We boarded with fifteen other people. The others chatted and took photos. We stayed quiet. Walked around the cabin, watching the glass distort our reflections. The car accelerated, carrying us to the far end of the maze. The beginning of the attraction.
Holograms expanded around us. Everything looked simple. Corridors of glowing neon stretched in every direction. The translucent walls pulsed softly in shades of blue.
Yet as we moved forward, the maze transformed. Walls shifted. New paths appeared. Old ones vanished. The floor projected optical illusions. Sometimes it looked like fragile glass over an endless abyss. Sometimes an ethereal forest. Luminescent branches moved around us.
Maia reached out. Her fingertips passed through a hologram, making it ripple like water touched by a breeze.
She smiled. "Impressive."
Now and then, doors formed out of nowhere. Only revealing themselves when someone came close enough. Indistinct shadows moved inside.
Illusion… or something more?
At one point, golden rain fell from the maze's ceiling. Gleaming, weightless, shimmering. When I tried to touch it, it evaporated against my skin.
"It's like a dream," I murmured.
Maia smiled. "Maybe… it really is."
We got stuck along one stretch. Maia came face-to-face with a dead end. Scratched her cheek, embarrassed.
We laughed.
Her laughter was the best sound of all.
I tried touching the wall. Nothing.
A new path opened beside us, but only when we stopped looking at it.
I frowned. "Wait… does the maze change when we look at it?"
We turned quickly. The previous path disappeared. Shivers ran up my spine. It was as though the maze had a consciousness of its own. We exchanged a glance. And just like the maze, I changed whenever Maia looked at me.
She chuckled, shaking her head. "What'll they come up with next?"
We continued.
Near the end of the ride, a voice announced, "Get ready for your photo in two minutes."
Everyone posed. Maia and I stayed turned away, distracted by the view. Truthfully, I wanted so much to know what she was thinking. Her contemplative expression was so beautiful.
We left the cabin. Passed the holoscreens displaying the photos. In ours, I was alone at the back.
I frowned. Could the camera have captured only part of the cabin? No… it had to be something else. My imagination. Maybe the excitement was making me see things. I pushed the paranoia aside. Focused on our outing.
"I liked it, but I thought it would never end." I chuckled.
Maia agreed.
The Dungeon
"Now we're going…" She looked around. "There."
We walked toward the Paulista Dungeon and joined the line.
"Wow! You planned a whole itinerary, huh?"
She looked pleased with herself. Smiling, amused. "Ah, this is nothing." Maia blushed a little.
Her husky, charming voice distracted me as she spoke almost in whispers. Sent shivers beneath my skin. Argh. I really was in love.
The attraction's interior glowed red and black. The smell stirred something strange in my memory. Mold. Damp wood. Rusted iron, like the taste of blood in the mouth. Moisture mingled with the stench of filthy straw. Cobwebs covered the corners. Skeletons hung from the ceiling, clicking softly in the artificial breeze. Spectral projections passed through the walls. An enormous board listed crimes punishable by death.
Maia stopped before it, squinting.
I read aloud. "'Crossing the King's path covered in soot'? 'Stealing the King's venison'?" I laughed at the absurdity. "People really died for this?"
Maia held my shoulders. "What crime would they accuse you of?" she whispered in my ear.
I didn't even need to look at her. I knew how pleased she was with herself. I rubbed my forehead, hiding my embarrassment. "Hmm… definitely stealing sheep. Well, being a woman, I'd be hanged for witchcraft."
"Yeah… your crime would be witchcraft."
"And you? You can't pick these…" I pointed to murder, robbery, and theft. "Has to be something ridiculous."
She studied the board. "Taking part in a mutiny."
I raised an eyebrow. "Thought you'd say 'piracy on the high seas.'"
"We both know I'd be accused of witchcraft."
We chuckled.
Entrance
We entered the attraction with forty-three other people.
The air was heavy. A damp chill clung to the skin. Light flickered, casting living shadows. The smell of old wood mingled with the sourness of phantom sweat. A faint scent of ashes and burnt fat drifted through the air.
The Paulista Dungeon had existed since 2818. Androids performed. Holograms recreated scenes.
Environmental sensors simulated the touch of time, cold chains, invisible breaths brushing the nape, and floors creaking underfoot. They were so real that, for a moment, I felt as though we were truly trapped there.
Many had reported heart attacks and fainting during the shows.
As a skeptic, I worked with facts. Scientific evidence. Supernatural entities rarely frightened me. I watched horror films without an emotional response.
I had been naïve. Those reproductions were far too convincing. In the simulation, we were traitors on our way to execution.
"The sheep thief and the mutinous pirate."
Maia held my hand. "What a pair! At least we're together."
Darkness took over.
Maia squeezed my hand tighter. Was she afraid of the dark? I confess, I had never imagined that something as simple as holding someone's hand could bring such happiness to my heart. I wanted to hold hers so many more times…
"Think I like the idea of going to the gallows with you," she whispered out of nowhere. Her words were strangely sweet.
"An echo of a memory from the past?" I chuckled.
But as our gazes connected, an electric thread emerged. I felt her hand tighten. A glimpse of a shared memory. Flames from another time. A look and a smile as a final gesture. Two weavings consumed by fire.
My heart fluttered.
The world continued, but between us, a knot entwined itself in the thread of fate.
The Crossing
We boarded an old Santa Teresa tram car, creaking and swaying as it carried us into Brazil's forgotten corners. An abandoned favela. Leaning shacks. Explosions in the distance.
We continued into a mine tunnel. Lanterns flickered. Muffled moans. The sound of pickaxes.
Then a street strewn with the remnants of festivities. Scattered streamers. Confetti stuck in pools of blood. Decapitated Carnival figures.
We passed through a market selling strange products. Human delicacies in gleaming displays. Voices whispered absurd prices.
In the Hall of Justice of the Old Coronéis, a judge. A coronel from the backlands shouted orders. Bewildered lawyers. Witnesses trembling with fear.
The makeshift cells breathed claustrophobia. Cries of protest and moans echoed.
Finally, the Abyssal Drop awaited us.
I clutched Maia's arm, frightened. My trembling and muffled cries amused her. She remained impassive. Nothing scared her. My reactions entertained her more than the ride itself.
It was during the Abyssal Drop that I truly screamed. The fall was so unexpected. My heart leaped into my mouth.
We got out.
A Rest
My heart raced. I clung to her.
"Looks like you're having plenty of fun." Maia chuckled sarcastically.
My body burned. "Not funny. You weren't even scared."
"Not true. Got a little flutter in my stomach during the drop." She looked around. "Freezing out here. Want some churros?"
We walked to a street lined with stalls. The sweet aroma of coffee filled the air.
We stopped at a sweet shop. Ordered two churros: chocolate for me, custard for Maia. Sat on a concrete bench in Plaza Nuvem, a floating square.
"Oh, delicious. It's been so long since I had one of these." I watched the passersby come and go. Finished eating. Rested my hands on the bench and tipped my head back. The wind brushed over me.
A cold touch caressed my face.
I opened my eyes.
Maia tucked my hair behind my ear. Drew her hand away. Her honey-colored eyes shone in the light. Warmth kindled in my belly.
She leaned closer. "Shall we keep going?"
Marisfera
Maia took me to Marisfera. The dark-blue surroundings gleamed across the transparent floor. Fish swam beneath our feet.
I walked slowly, enchanted by the little creatures.
When we reached the shark area, Maia stopped before the great white shark tank. Watching the creature with almost reverent attention.
I read the information on the holopanel. Joined her. "They're incredible."
One glided close to the glass, and I shivered.
"I hate this." Maia's voice was low. Almost a whisper.
I frowned. "You hate this place?" Understanding struck. "I know what you mean… but these places are safer than the sea itself."
"Should've been different."
For the first time, I noticed a restrained anger in her. What was inside her?
"Imagine your home and everything you know being destroyed. Then they put you in a cage." Maia touched the glass. Her fingers traveled over its smooth surface, as though they could feel the shark there. "Look at him. So big and strong. The most feared predator in the seas. Even that couldn't keep him out of here." Pain threaded her voice. She pocketed her hands and narrowed her eyes. The aura around her changed. Something chilling lurked within her.
I swallowed hard. Whatever it is, will you tell me someday? "Imagine if they rebelled?" I stared into the animal's eyes.
A crooked smile touched Maia's lips. Melancholy. "It's more than the cage…" She closed the distance between us. "A soul can be chained too. You can let him out, but he'll stay where he is. Because this world is all he knows. How would you free that soul?" Her honey-colored eyes pierced me.
"I-I'd try to show him that freedom is…" The sentence died in my mouth. Freedom? As though I knew what it was! Who was I to talk about it when I didn't even know it myself? I turned my burning face away.
Maia straightened. Her gaze still weighed on me. "You don't know either." Her expression conveyed understanding and a fleeting sadness.
What was this? This feeling she gave me? Where did it come from? It seemed to suffocate her. Suffocated me too.
"Shall we keep going?" She laced her fingers through mine.
We passed jellyfish. Rays. Seahorses. Turtles. Fish large and small. Some vibrated with color. Others were stealthy shadows. Each possessed a unique, captivating beauty.
We also saw rocky shores. Corals inhabited by sessile creatures. Sponges. Starfish. Sea lilies.
Then we reached the section I most wanted to visit: penguins.
My excitement overflowed. I pulled Maia toward it. She laughed at my enthusiasm.
The room simulated an icy landscape. A realistic chill blew through it. Some penguins swam. Others swallowed whole fish.
I pressed my face to the glass.
The penguins there were Gentoos. The third-largest penguin species, after the Sentinel and the Aurora. Seventeen penguin species nearly driven to extinction by humans. Thanks to sanctuaries, their preservation remained possible.
I turned to Maia, smiling with joy radiating through my heart. I had only seen them in pictures! "They're sooo cute and beautiful! They're my favorite animal."
She let out a soft snort. Came closer. "Like beautiful, cute things?"
My heart warmed. Heat rose to my cheeks. How did she unsettle me with so few words?
Maia caressed my hand. "They are cute, but what I like most is that most species choose a mate for life. They can part. End up hundreds of kilometers apart, but they always come back to each other." Her affectionate tone sent a shiver through me.
I swallowed, flustered. "Yes…"
"Know what other animal's like that?" she breathed into my ear.
My heart stumbled. I shook my head.
"Gray wolves. They're my favorite animal." Maia grinned mischievously.
My face caught fire. I looked away.
Animinhoca
We emerged beneath shades of orange and purple. The sunset painted the sky in warm, ethereal tones. We headed toward an attraction devoted to films and animation: Animinhoca.
"Watched every animated film they've made." Maia's voice was serious.
I chuckled at the spontaneous declaration. "Yes, I've seen them all too."
She raised an eyebrow, amused.
At the entrance, a holoprincess greeted us. "Welcome to the kingdom of imagination!" Her lively voice rang through the space.
We sat in a bus and put on our virtual reality glasses.
The holosimulation began.
The bus flew. We floated through magical kingdoms and futuristic metropolises. Glided over crystalline seas. Hoped a giant whale would avoid a collision. Crossed storms in the sky. Dodged fire-breathing dragons.
It was so real. My stomach lurched with every unexpected turn.
Colorful birds accompanied the vehicle. Giant smiles greeted us in the clouds. Vibrant landscapes intertwined. Worlds of sweets and enchanted forests. Planets inhabited by fantastic beings. Ninjas leaped across rooftops. Heroines fought aerial battles around us.
It felt as though we could fall at any moment. The bus swerved sharply. The projected sun glittered ahead.
The journey ended.
When I took off my glasses, I realized I was gripping Maia's wrist tightly.
She found it all hilarious. "Really having fun." Her charming smile warmed my chest.
"Hmm… that princess needs a few driving lessons." I bit back a smile.
We finished the attraction.
Goodbye
Night greeted us outside. Sideria had grown quieter. Visitors were ending their day. Maia and I walked across an aerobridge hidden among the buildings. Headed toward Hanove, the heart of Centrália.
She seemed lost in thought. I smiled foolishly at flashes of the day. The memories returned. Over and over.
"What is it?" Her curious gaze on me.
"It's just…" Joy filled my chest. "I loved today so much. Knowing I could feel this good. Thank you so—"
Maia held my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me.
I lost control for a moment. Kissed her back.
Joy exploded. The world around us faded. The Corchesweave curved to the rhythm of our racing hearts and mingled breaths. The universe held its breath.
"Ah… Aki…" Her fingers slid tenderly across my face. Her eyes shone with affection.
There was something in them, as though they wanted to tell me every secret hidden beneath her layers. Yet nothing left her lips. Everything she wanted to tell me, she said with each touch. Each look. Each measured word. What she truly needed to tell me, I was unprepared to hear. However much I wanted to now. I was still on my way.
Maia closed her eyes and brushed her forehead against mine. "Gotta go. But I wanna stay."
My cheeks burned. I wanted to ask her to stay, but I had to let things flow. My heart was hers, just as hers was mine.
I kissed her softly. She returned it with the same affection.
On the way home, I covered my face with my hands. Flooded with a happiness so familiar and ancient. I couldn't stop smiling.
If all of this were a dream, I would want to stay asleep forever.