Echo walked alone beneath the dim glow of streetlamps. The quiet air carried a strange tension, like something forgotten was trying to return.
A small toy clattered near his feet — a wooden soldier, worn from play. A child had dropped it while running off down the alley.
"Wait... this feels familiar..."
He bent down, picked up the toy, and called out.
"Hey, kid! You dropped your toy!"
He gave chase, steps quickening — but just as he reached out to grab the boy's shoulder, the world behind him cracked.
The cobbled road split open.The ground trembled, buildings bent and twisted.The sky darkened. Where the ground had once been, a field of enormous eyes emerged, spread across the pavement, stare up at him.The eyes began to scream as his feet crushed them, a chorus of agony echoing through the air.
The child came to a sudden stop ahead of him. Echo slowed, confused.Until the kid turned around.
There were no features. No nose, no mouth, No face.
Just a single, oversized eyeball, bulging from the center of its head, staring straight at him.
Echo froze.The child raised its pale hand toward him.
"Join us!"
"Join us!"
"Join us!"
The voice echoed, layered and distorted, like something demonic was speaking through the child.
The voice echoed in layers, distorted, several mouths speaking through one throat. It didn't sound like a child anymore. It sounded demonic.
Echo tried to move, but couldn't. Cold hands clawed up from the eye-covered ground, gripping his ankles. The eyeballs beneath him writhed, blinking rapidly, as the child screamed again:
"JOIN US!"
Echo jolted awake, drenched in sweat. His breath came fast, chest rising and falling as he sat up.Darkness filled the room, quiet and still. Only the faint glow of the moon leaked through the curtains. He glanced around, disoriented. Everything looked the same…
His throat felt dry, parched.
He reached up, wincing slightly — the bandage still throbbed against his sore head.
Midnight silence hung heavy in the room.
Echo pushed off the blanket.He winced at the slight pain in his head but pressed on, careful not to make too much noise. Quietly, he closed the door behind him.
The hallway stretched before him, dimly lit. Ronald's room was on the left, Serik's on the right, both door were shut. The house smelled earthy. and natural.
He made his way downstairs, each step careful. In the kitchen, a large wooden bucket sat near the counter, filled with water. A carved wooden ladle rested against its rim.
He picked up the ladle, dipped it into the bucket, and drank. The water cooled his dry throat, calming him for a moment. After a deep breath, he set the ladle back and turned toward the stairs.
As he climbed, a woman voice brushed against his ear.
"Leaving?"
He froze at the whisper.Spinning around, he found only darkness and silent.
He bolted up the stairs, rushed into his room, and slammed the door shut. Locking it, he dove under the blanket.
"That voice... sounds like a woman.."
He eventually drifted off to sleep.
The following day, sunlight pierced through the window, landing right on his face.
"my eyes!"
He groaned, cover them with blanket.
"Morning,"
Serik greeted, standing by the window with his usual blank expression.
"Breakfast's ready.Go wash your face."
Serik tossed a towel at him. It smacked Echo right in the face.
He sat there, silent, until Serik left the room.
Echo pulled the towel off and looked around. That's when he noticed, the door to the room lay on the floor, completely cracked down the middle.
"I guess that's one way to open a locked door..."
Echo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
He slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. It was simple but clean—basic furniture, a small mirror, and a basin with fresh water.
He looked at his reflection. The bandage still wrapped around his head, dark circles sagged under his eyes, and his clothes, though warm, looked worn and dusty from travel.
"I look awful..."
He washed his face, splashing cool water over his tired skin. It helped a little, but the staleness in his mouth reminded him — he hadn't brushed his teeth in days. The bitter taste lingered as he left the bathroom and made his way downstairs.
Serik sat at the table, staring off blankly, lost in thought. Ronald stood by the stove, tending to the pan, and turned as he heard Echo's footsteps.
"Morning, nephew. Come, have a seat."
Echo sat down, still feeling a bit sluggish.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ronald ask, smiling as he returned to the food.
"He... sounds like my mom.... no, maybe I'm just being paranoid..."
"…Yeah."
"That's good to hear."
Echo glanced around the room again. The table was set, the morning sun spilling through the window in warm beams. The aroma of cooked food lingered pleasantly in the air. A couch rested near the corner, a few modest decorations lining the walls. Family photos sat neatly on a nearby shelf. He squinted, trying to make out the faces, but his vision remained slightly blurred.
He shifted his gaze to Serik, who still sat quietly, staring into space.
"Let's not bother him..."
Ronald finished cooking and approached the table, carrying a wooden plate stacked with white bread, slices of pie, and a few cuts of grilled fish.
The three of them ate in silence. Echo glanced at both of them every now and then, his mind wandering.But then, his mind wandered back to the events that brought him here. He remembered the man who struck him from behind — his face hidden, and the child who tricked him, but his features remained unclear. The darkness had obscured everything.Those eyes, staring at his soul.
"... I remember now..."
A bead of sweat formed on his brow, and his gaze flickered between Ronald and Serik as they ate peacefully. Ronald, noticing his discomfort, set his fork down and looked at him.
"You alright?"
Echo snapped back to reality, his gaze refocusing.
"Oh, yeah, yeah... I'm fine."
"Are you sure, nephew? You've been like this since yesterday..."
Ronald's voice held a note of concern. He paused, then tried to shift the topic.
"Where are you from, Echo?"
"I probably shouldn't tell him I'm from another world.... He'd think I'm insane."
"I'm from... the west side of Calandria."
Ronald stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Ah, one of the outskirt villages. That explains a lot. No wonder."
"But then again... Serik doesn't seem like the type to carry a toy. Maybe I'm just overthinking It...."
After they finished eating, Serik quietly took care of his dishes and went upstairs. Ronald stood and gathered plates.
"I could use a favor. Would you mind walking Serik to school today?"
"Oh, yeah… sure."
"Appreciate it. You can wear some of my clothes, they should fit well enough. They're in the closet… where was it… ah, in the living room."
Echo stepped into the living room. The space felt cozy.Modest furniture, a couch with worn cushions, a couple of standing lamps, a few decorations, a cabinet, and a window draped with curtains.
He spotted the closet tucked near the corner. Opening it, he found a small collection of old clothes, neatly hung but clearly worn by time. After a quick scan, he picked out a leather jacket and a fedora hat.
The jacket hung a little loose on him, but he folded the sleeves to make it work. He slipped the fedora over his head, tilting it slightly to help conceal the bandage wrapped around his forehead.
Echo dusted off the jacket and slipped his hands into the pockets, checking to make sure there weren't any insects hiding inside. His fingers brushed against something small — he pulled out a single copper penny.
As a beginner in magic, he decided to practice one of the first tricks he learned: making the coin vanish. With a focused breath and a few attempts, the penny disappeared between his fingers with ease. Not bad.
Just as he finished, Serik came downstairs, now dressed in a plain school uniform.
Serik walked into the kitchen.
"Dad, I'm heading to school."
"Oh, right — Echo will walk with you," Ronald said, glancing back from the sink.
Serik gave Echo a sideways look. Echo smiled nervously in response.
"…Let's go."
He grabbed his cap from the coat rack, opened the door, and stepped outside. Echo slipped the penny back into his pocket and followed.
The sunlight greeted him. The neighborhood felt peaceful, modest homes lined the streets, each with its own character. The sky was brushed with warm hues, and the air carried the scent of morning. People moved about — children laughed and ran, men gathered at a shopfront, sipping tea and chatting, and a dog barked wildly at a squirrel darting through the trees.
Echo found himself distracted by it all, almost too long. Serik was already waiting ahead.
He quickly caught up to Serik. They passed beneath the warm, hand-painted sign that read, "Welcome to the South of Calandria!" As they left the southern district behind and moved into the heart of the city, a quiet settled between them.Serik broke the silence.
".... I know you heard her voice last night..."
He kept walking, eyes ahead.
"I heard It too."
"I knew it... 'her voice'... so It really was a woman..."
"Yeah... Do you know who she is?"
Serik voice grew quiet.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"... He's definitely hiding something that's for sure...."
Echo drifted into his thoughts, staring blankly ahead. He hadn't noticed they'd already arrived at Serik's school. The building stood tall and worn, made of old stone and weathered wood, surrounded by a fence of iron bars. Students moved past them, chatting and heading inside.
Serik came to a stop at the front gate, then turned halfway to Echo.
"I have to go- ...Never mind."
Without waiting for a reply, Serik walked through the gate and disappeared into the crowd.
Echo remained still, watching him go.
"... I never got a good look at those photos on the shelf..."
He blinked, snapping back to reality, and looked around. He was still standing alone in front of the school, lost in thought.
"Huh.... I'm dumber than I thought... I didn't realize..."
Echo rubbed the side of his neck.The morning breeze carried faint laughter and chatter from nearby students, but something felt off.
The light around him dimmed slightly, as the sun dipped behind unseen clouds.Echo's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, inexplicable pressure.The air itself had thickened around him. It was subtle at first, barely noticeable, but it grew steadily stronger. The normal bustle of the city continued — people walking by, unaware of anything out of the ordinary. Yet, there was something in the air... something... or someone is watching him.
He turned his head, scanning the crowd. Everything seemed normal...
...
From a distance, perched atop a streetlamp, a 'human' watched him intently. A small, unsettling smile stretched across their face.
"Fascinating..."