fatherless

Ali's breath caught in his throat. What truth was he searching for?

Unconsciously, he took a step back. His mind scrambled to piece together scattered fragments like a puzzle. He couldn't find his home. Because maybe...

"Maybe it never existed."

The thought struck like lightning. But he immediately rejected it. No. That was impossible. He had a home. He had a family. He had lived here.

Hadn't he?

A whisper echoed in his mind:

"If you really lived here, then why doesn't anything feel familiar?"

Ali's stomach twisted. He clenched his fists. There had to be an explanation. Maybe someone had demolished the house. Maybe the city had changed.

But then, Luca stared at him intently, his deep, quiet voice breaking the silence.

"Ali... if this is near your home, then why does no one remember you?"

And just like that, everything collapsed around him. This was the truth.

He didn't know if he belonged here.

What if he had been searching for the wrong thing all along? What if he had never belonged here?

Ali took a deep breath and looked around. The buildings stretched endlessly, the streets winding in every direction. No matter where he went, he felt as if he was being pulled back to the same place.

A labyrinth.

But this wasn't a dream or an illusion. It was real. The city was playing tricks on him.

He turned into another street. When it felt unfamiliar, he chose another path. But everything blended together. Each time he turned, he found himself at the same corner again.

Luca flicked his tail, irritation flashing in his golden eyes.

"This isn't normal."

Ali hesitated. "Maybe... it's just been too long. I can't remember."

But even that explanation didn't satisfy him.

Because forgetting and being unable to find something were two different things.

Ali narrowed his eyes, searching his mind for clues. He should have known these streets. Yet no matter which way he went, he found dead ends, repeating roads, identical buildings...

As if the city itself was shifting to keep him from finding home.

Ali stopped, his head spinning. He had walked so much, yet nothing felt familiar.

Luca stomped his paws against the ground.

"This isn't right. It's like the city is toying with us," he grumbled.

Ali shut his eyes. Inhaled. Exhaled. He needed a fixed point. Something constant.

Then it hit him—Hormonos Hotel.

If this was near his home, then he had to start from there.

He lifted his head and met Luca's gaze. "We're going back to the hotel."

Luca frowned.

"Are you sure? What if we get lost again?"

Ali nodded. "If I can't find my home, then at least I need something that stays the same."

And so, they retraced their steps.

But something felt wrong.

Finding Hormonos Hotel took longer than it should have.

As if it, too, had moved.