"Do you watch a lot of movies or something?"
"What do you mean I suddenly started changing?!"
"But hey, it'd be a cool power though," he said, chuckling.
His carefree attitude was starting to get on my nerves. After everything… after all that begging, after sharing that intense dream with him, was this really his reaction? I was disappointed.
But also… full of questions.
I couldn't tell if the dream I had was one of those meaningless nightmares or something more. Either way, I needed answers. I needed to understand. So, without saying another word, I got up and walked away from Tami.
I headed toward the staircase, determined to explore the upper floors. Somehow, I felt like I needed to understand this building completely before stepping out into the world beyond it.
"Eve?"
"What?"
"Where are you going?"
He didn't follow me.
A small ache bloomed in my chest. I had expected him to come with me. Without realizing, I froze halfway up the stairs, stuck between going and staying. Could I handle the truth? Did I even want it?
Whatever it was, I'd been here far too long. I couldn't waste any more time being confused and clueless. If I was going to be stuck here, I needed to know why.
Without even realizing it, my expression had hardened, fists clenched, and my steps became more determined. One stair after another, I climbed, until I reached the first floor.
It was empty. Dusty. Maybe even spiderwebs clung to the corners. But on the first day I'd come here… it had been spotless. Not even a speck of dust. How had it gotten like this so fast? It was like time didn't flow the same way here.
I looked around.
The space reminded me of a shopping center—a cylindrical building with a hollow center. Each floor had its own open terrace that looked down into the atrium, and at the bottom, I could see a small fountain surrounded by a tiny garden. The view was oddly beautiful.
I walked to one of the doors. Then another. And another. All of them—locked.
Strange. But in that moment, all I could think was that I had to find a way to break them open. I needed to know what was behind those doors.
For now, I'd use what little strength I had. Maybe I wasn't that strong, but I could try, right?
I threw my weight against the door handle, trying to break it, to twist it, to do something. But whoever had built these doors… knew what they were doing. Solid. Firm. Unbreakable.
After what felt like forever, my arms gave out. Exhausted, I slumped against the door and slowly slid down to sit. Disappointment washed over me. I wasn't strong enough. Maybe I couldn't do anything.
My nose burned—a telltale sign. I was about to cry. My eyes were filling with tears when—
I heard it.
Running.
Familiar.
She ran right past me again—just like before.
The little girl.
I knew it was her. I was sure.
Her footsteps, light and fast, echoed the same way they had before. And before I could even think, I was already up, chasing after her.
"Hey—wait!"
"You know I'm not going to hurt you!"
"Please don't be scared… just let me reach you!"
Damn it. How was she so fast?