The wind swept across the dry ground, dragging dust along with it.
There was nothing there.
No buildings, no marks of passage, no sign that anyone had ever stopped in that place.
Just cracked earth… and silence.
Kael stood in the middle of it all, as if that alone was enough.
Behind him, leaning against a slightly crooked rock, an old camera recorded.
He glanced sideways, without turning his body.
— Mike… come here for a second.
A few seconds passed.
A kick against a stone.
Another one.
— I'm coming, relax.
The boy appeared climbing up a small slope, slipping halfway and sliding down with a crooked grin, like it had been planned.
He stopped beside Kael, looking first at the camera… then at him.
— Why do you even want this again?
Kael made a small gesture with his chin.
— Just say something.
Mike made a doubtful face.
— "Something" like… literally anything? Because that's kind of a wide range, you know?
Kael didn't answer.
Mike let out a breath through his nose, stepping closer to the camera.
— Okay… fine… — he scratched his head — this is weird.
He fell silent.
Looked at the lens.
— I never know what to say in these things. It's like everything I think just disappears right away, like… my mind goes blank.
He glanced back toward Kael.
— You could help, you know?
— No.
— Of course not…
Mike turned back to the camera.
— Okay… so… I'll do it.
He took two steps forward, moving slightly out of frame.
Stopped.
Looked at the ground.
— This place is ugly.
He said it like he was stating something obvious.
— There's nothing here. It doesn't even feel like anyone would step here on purpose.
He took a deep breath.
— I don't like when it feels like nobody wanted to stay.
His foot scraped the ground.
And something answered.
It wasn't a glow, not an impact.
It was subtler.
A line began to form on the ground, like someone had walked there many times before.
Mike tilted his head, watching.
— Okay… that helps.
He took another step, following the line.
— If there's a path… then someone comes through here.
The line became a road.
Not perfect. Not straight. But used.
Kael remained still.
Just watching.
— And if someone comes… they need somewhere to stop.
Mike raised his hand awkwardly, like he was trying to draw in the air.
A structure appeared.
First vague.
Then more defined.
A simple little house.
Wooden.
With a window.
With a door.
Mike gave a small sideways smile.
— It's kind of crooked… but you could live in it.
Another appeared.
And another.
He started walking slowly, looking around as everything formed.
— Still kind of empty… — he murmured — it always feels weird when there are things… but no life.
He stopped near one of the houses.
Placed his hand against the wall.
— But you can't just start putting people in like that either… — he made a face — I always mess up the face.
Kael finally spoke:
— Then don't.
Mike looked at him.
— But then it feels abandoned.
— Not everything needs to be full.
Mike went quiet.
Actually thinking.
— Do you like empty places?
Kael answered without hesitation:
— I got used to them.
— That's not the same as liking them.
— No.
Mike gave a small smile.
— Then I prefer my way.
He lightly tapped the house.
— This feels like someone wanted it.
Kael took a few steps, walking through the newly created village.
He touched a rough wooden table outside one of the houses.
Solid.
Real.
— You don't stop once you start.
Mike shrugged.
— I stop when it's good.
— And is this good?
He looked around.
Took a little longer this time.
— It's… almost.
He pointed to a corner.
— That spot needs a tree. Shade helps people stay.
The tree grew.
Naturally.
As if it had always been there.
Mike breathed out, satisfied.
— Now it's better.
Kael stood there, watching everything in silence.
Then he asked:
— Does it disappear?
Mike answered without thinking much:
— If I want it to, yeah.
— And if you forget?
— Then it stays.
— And if you stop believing in it?
Mike frowned, like the question was a bit strange.
— Why would I do that?
Kael didn't answer.
Mike looked around one more time.
Calmer now.
— I like it when it ends up like this.
— Like what?
He took a moment to answer.
— Feels like someone could arrive… and not leave right away.
That hung in the air.
Kael turned toward the camera.
Walked up to it.
And turned it off.
— Are we going to find him?
Mike asked, already walking after him.
— We are.
— Is he still like that?
— Like what?
Mike thought for a second.
— Like he's always solving a problem nobody told him about yet.
Kael answered:
— Yeah.
Mike smiled.
— I like him.
Before leaving the village completely, Mike looked back.
He stood there for a few seconds.
— We're coming back here later?
Kael was already walking.
— If it still exists.
Mike answered immediately:
— It will.
The place where Elion stayed wasn't much better than the other one.
But at least… it looked used.
There was a crooked bench, metal already rusting, and a few marks on the ground that showed someone passed through there often.
Elion sat there, spinning something small between his fingers.
A screw.
There was always something like that.
He didn't get up right away.
But he already knew.
— Took you long enough.
Kael answered without stopping:
— No.
— Yeah, it did.
— Two minutes.
Elion let out a small laugh.
— So you counted.
— He did.
Kael tilted his head toward Mike.
Mike had already walked ahead of both of them.
He stopped right in front of Elion, staring straight at him, no filter at all.
— You still do that?
Elion raised an eyebrow.
— Do what?
— Mess with small things when you're thinking about big ones.
Elion looked at the screw in his hand.
Then at him.
— It works.
Mike smiled.
— I knew it.
He started walking around, looking at everything.
— This place is kind of… still.
Elion answered:
— That's the point.
— But don't you get tired of it?
— Of what?
Mike spread his arms.
— Everything always being kind of the same?
Elion gave a faint sideways smile.
— I like when things stay the same.
— I don't.
— I know.
Kael leaned against a nearby wall.
Saying nothing.
Just watching.
Mike walked back toward Elion.
— I made a village.
— You made a village?
— Yeah.
— Where?
— Back there.
— Is it still there?
Mike answered immediately:
— Yeah.
Elion glanced briefly at Kael.
— He let you?
Kael answered flatly:
— I don't stop him.
Elion let out a breath through his nose.
— Makes sense.
A short silence.
But comfortable.
And then—
Kael pushed himself off the wall.
— Let's go.
Elion didn't even ask.
He just stood up.
It was quick.
No warning.
Kael moved first.
Elion was already ready.
The two met in the middle of the open space, no intent to kill — but not holding back completely either.
Mike's eyes widened.
— Already?!
He took two steps back, excited.
— Wait, wait, wait—
He raised his hand.
— This needs a setting.
The next second—
a beach chair appeared behind him.
Blue, a little crooked.
But comfortable.
He sat down.
— Better.
Looked at the two of them.
— Missing one thing.
A bowl appeared in his hand.
Full of popcorn.
He grabbed a handful.
— Now yeah.
Meanwhile—
Elion dodged a direct strike from Kael, twisting his body and trying to catch an opening.
Kael blocked effortlessly, like he already knew.
— You're still predictable.
Elion answered while stepping back:
— You still think you know everything.
Kael moved forward again.
No rush.
But inevitable.
Mike watched, eating.
— Man… you guys always do this.
He pointed with the popcorn.
— Like… you start normal, then one of you provokes, then the other answers, then it turns into this.
Elion barely dodged.
— Shut up!
— I'm analyzing!
Mike shot back, laughing.
He leaned forward.
— You always attack first, — he pointed at Kael — but not to land it. It's to see how he reacts.
Kael didn't respond.
But didn't deny it either.
Mike turned to Elion.
— And you always try to change the pattern after the third move.
Elion stopped for a second.
— You counted?
— I see.
Short silence.
Kael moved again.
But this time—
Elion changed before that.
Mike broke into a wide grin.
— See?!
He stood up from the chair.
Excited.
— I knew it!
Without noticing—
he started rising.
His feet lifting off the ground.
He didn't even realize it.
— This is way better from up here.
Now he was floating.
Natural.
Like he'd always done it.
Elion noticed.
Glanced over.
— He's flying?
Kael answered while blocking another strike:
— Yeah.
— You taught him?
— No.
Mike shrugged up in the air.
— I just thought it made sense.
Silence.
— Of course it does.
Elion muttered.
The fight continued.
Lighter now.
Looser.
Mike crossed his legs midair.
Eating popcorn.
— I like it when you guys do this.
He looked at both of them.
With a calmer smile now.
— Feels like you're normal.
That…
made both of them stop.
For a second.
Just one.
And then—
— You started without me?
The voice came from behind.
Mike broke into a huge smile.
— LYRA!
He dropped from the air, barely noticing how.
Lyra opened her arms.
— You got bigger.
— You always say that!
— Because it's true.
She messed up his hair.
Then looked at the other two.
— You still fight like that?
Elion answered:
— He started it.
Kael:
— No.
Lyra laughed.
— You're ridiculous.
She stepped forward.
— Let me in.
And before anyone could answer—
she was already in the middle.
Now, finally—
the three of them.
Movement.
Rhythm.
Sync.
And Mike…
just watched.
Smiling.
Learning.