"When light is too honest, the world starts to lie."
---
Aina didn't sleep that night.
Ever since Harith's voice emerged from the reflection of the sink, she knew this world wasn't the real world.
Every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw a red explosion from the old Eclipse with Harith's shadow, his bloody hands and his last voice.
"The human world… or me."
She screamed Harith's name until her voice was gone, but no one came.
---
City Without Shadows
The next morning, Aina went out walking to the center of the city.
The sunlight that day was too strong, the sky was like melted glass and everyone she saw smiled with empty eyes.
A poster on the wall greeted her "TODAY, WE CELEBRATE 5 YEARS OF THE WORLD WITHOUT SHADOWS."
Below it, small writing, VISIT THE "NIGHT OF ETERNAL LIGHT" EXHIBITION at the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF LIGHT.
She stopped.
"Bright night…?"
Her heart trembled.
That was the night when Harith disappeared.
---
Door to the Past
The Museum of Light stood in the middle of a white square, not a single shadow on the ground even though the sun was directly overhead.
The building shone like a giant mirror, reflecting a world that was too perfect.
Aina stepped inside.
The air inside was cold, silent and the smell of metal filled the space.
Every step she took echoed like an echo in a church.
The first exhibition: "The Dark Era — The Sin of Shadows."
A large painting on the wall showed an old world where humans had black eyes, bloody skies and rivers that flowed smoke.
In the middle of the painting, a man's face was large with the words HARITH HADAMI — THE SHADOW EATER.
Beneath it was written
"A half-human creature that rejects light. The cause of the Blood Eclipse."
Aina clutched the necklace around her neck.
A small voice echoed in her head
"Don't trust the light, Aina…"
---
Blind Curator
She turned when she heard slow footsteps from the end of the hall.
An old man walked slowly with a metal cane, his eyes covered with a white cloth.
His smile was soft, but strange.
"Beautiful, isn't it? This shadowless world," he said calmly.
Aina nodded, cautiously. "Beautiful… but quiet."
The man chuckled.
"Silence is the price of perfection, young man.
But sometimes, something that is too clean only hides dirt deeper."
Aina stared at him for a long time.
"Tok… who exactly are you?"
The curator turned to her.
Even though her eyes were closed, Aina felt as if she was being watched.
"Actually, this world," she said slowly, "was built from the remnants of human fear. They couldn't accept their own sins… so they created a deceptive light."
---
Forbidden Painting
They arrived at the last room.
The only painting there was covered by a large white cloth.
On the side, a sign read
"BETRAYAL TO THE LIGHT."
Aina slowly pulled the cloth away.
Tok Halim's painting hung there, tethered by chains of light, his body burning white.
His eyes were closed, his lips still chanting something inaudible.
"Tok Halim…?" Aina whispered.
Her tears fell unconsciously.
"He's a traitor," the curator's voice trembled behind her.
"He tried to save the real world… but this world chose to forget him."
Aina turned around but the man was gone.
All that was left was a metal stick standing alone on the floor and the white cloth that had covered the painting had now disappeared somewhere.
---
When the Lights Went Out
Suddenly, the entire museum flickered.
The lights went out for a moment.
In the darkness, Aina heard the whispers of thousands of voices mingling.
"You shouldn't be here… This world doesn't belong to you…"
She tried to back away, but the light came back on.
And now, all the paintings on the wall changed.
Every single face depicted turned into Harith.
Some were crying, some were screaming, some were smiling at her.
Aina backed away, her breath caught.
"No… this is impossible…"
The floor shook.
From one of the walls, black paint began to drip down, forming its own writing, like thick blood flowing on white stone
"You will find him where there is no sun."
---
Aina screamed softly, but her voice did not come out.
The painting of Harith in front of her slowly changed… the man's eyes blinked.
Once.
And his lips moved
"Come, Aina."
---
Aina ran out of the museum, her heart beating erratically.
Outside, the sun was still shining, but on the distant horizon…
there was a black line across the sky, the place where the light stopped touching the earth.
He knows where to go.
The place without sun... The City Without Mirrors.