fatherless

Ali looked at the large sign once more. Hormonos Hotel.

This name… It reminded him of something.

Yes, he knew this place. He had passed by here before. But how? When? He couldn't remember. The only thing he knew was that this place was close to his home.

But where was his home?

Ali's heart started to race. His eyes wandered over the streets, the buildings, the signs… Everything felt familiar, yet completely foreign. It was as if he was trapped in a dream, and the moment he tried to recall the details, they blurred and slipped away.

Luca jumped to the ground, his tail swaying as he started walking.

"Follow me," he said.

Ali frowned.

"What? Where are we going?"

"I don't know. But instead of standing here panicking, moving forward makes more sense," Luca replied.

Ali hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Luca was right. Standing still wouldn't solve anything. If he wanted to remember, he had to see.

As they ventured deeper into the city, small fragments of memory started surfacing from the depths of his mind. Faint images… A street corner, a broken wall, a bus stop covered in graffiti…

And then, as they reached an intersection, a sudden realization struck him like lightning.

This place!

He knew his home was nearby. But which street was it? Left or right?

Ali closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A child's laughter, the creak of a door…

He opened his eyes.

The narrow street on the left.

This was it.

Or at least, it should have been.

But as he walked down the street, nothing felt familiar.

The buildings, the signs, the old apartments… None of them reminded him of home. It was as if the city had shifted, altering itself just to erase his memories.

He stopped, took a deep breath, and looked around. Had he been wrong?

Luca sat down, flicking his tail.

"Was this supposed to be the place?" he asked.

Ali clenched his jaw. "Yes… Or no… I don't know."

The city buzzed around them. Distant car horns, the rhythmic footsteps of pedestrians on the pavement… Everything seemed normal, yet he still couldn't find his home.

Ali clenched his fists. "I know it's supposed to be close… So why can't I find it?"

Luca watched him carefully, then said something unexpected.

"Maybe your home isn't here anymore."

Ali froze. "What do you mean?"

Luca narrowed his eyes.

"If you feel like you're so close but still can't find it, maybe your home isn't here anymore. Or maybe… it never was."

Ali's breath caught in his throat.

"No. No, that's impossible."

But deep down… he was terrified that Luca might be right.

Ali shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. Why had he come here?

He was looking for his home, wasn't he? But why?

For a moment, everything blurred. The world trembled. The streets rippled, the buildings twisted, the signs bent out of shape.

No… It wasn't really happening. It was happening inside his mind.

His breathing grew ragged, his vision darkened. He clutched his head as if trying to force his thoughts back into place.

Luca took a cautious step back, watching him.

"Ali?"

Ali squeezed his eyes shut. He had to remember. Why had they come here?

And then, a cold voice echoed inside his mind.

"Why are you here, Ali?"

That voice…

It was his own.

Ali's eyes snapped open.

And in that moment, he understood.

He hadn't come here to find his home.

He had come here to find the truth.