The hollow soul

Silence fell over the group as they walked through the dark tunnel, their feet touching the damp ground that smelled of ancient dust. The lamps hanging on the tunnel walls flickered occasionally, as if whispering something incomprehensible.

Minamoto led the way, followed by Kaito's father, who had been teasing me since the beginning of the journey:

"I knew I'd find an adventure like this one day. I told my wife when I married her that I was born to be a hero!"

One of the girls laughed, while Kaito rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"And was the tunnel in your wedding hall too?" he said sarcastically.

Hairu laughed loudly.

"That boy is finally getting a sense of humor!"

But it wasn't long before the tunnel walls began to expand, and the ceilings rose gradually, until they reached a massive gate, carved into the rock, eroded at its edges. Above it stood a sloping sandstone sign inscribed with strange symbols.

Everyone stopped before it. The air there was different… still, as if the outside world no longer existed.

Minamoto stared at the symbols and said thoughtfully,

"These aren't any of Earth's known languages… neither Chinese, nor Greek, nor even prehistoric symbols."

Kaito stepped forward quietly, as if something was calling him. He raised his hand and touched the stone inscription with his finger, then muttered, without realizing it:

"…the village of separation…"

Tsuki turned to him in surprise.

"Kaito? How… did you know that?"

Kaito blinked, hesitating.

"I don't know… I just… felt it. It's like… I've been here before."

There was silence. Before a faint sound interrupted him… the rustle of small footsteps. Everyone turned toward the entrance of a small house built of wood and ash. From inside, a small insect emerged, resembling a firefly with short wings and wide eyes, glowing with a pale blue light. It wasn't aggressive. It approached Kaito with light steps, even though Minamoto and his father were standing in front of him.

Everyone stopped, and Hiro clenched his fist, but the insect showed no aggression.

Then it began to make strange sounds… a mixture of whispers and pulsations, unlike anything they had heard before.

Kaito stared at it… then said in a low voice,

"She's asking who we are… and saying they're gone… a long time ago…"

Everyone exchanged glances, stunned.

"She also said… that this land was once inhabited… but now it's at the mercy of darkness… waiting for someone to restore the light."

Kaito's father approached, a look of genuine shock on his face:

"Kaito... How do you understand that?"

Kaito didn't answer. He just stood there, staring at the tiny insect... as if it were whispering to him secrets buried beneath this mountain centuries ago.

Inside the Old Bug's House

Dampness seeped through the walls, and the dim light emanating from a glowing mushroom filled the cramped room with a strange smell of mold and ash. Kaito stood at the front of the group, his eyes scanning the arched ceiling. Tsuki looked around cautiously, and Hiro Shin resisted the urge to speak loudly.

The old bug sat in front of them, its body arched, its horns curled back as if bearing the weight of centuries. It looked at Kaito with dull eyes, then moved its jaws and let out a strange sound. It was complex, filled with tones and vibrations unlike any language they had ever heard before.

Hiro whispered something sarcastic, but stopped when he saw Kaito slowly approach the bug, concentrating carefully, and then suddenly... answered in its own language.

Everyone froze.

Tsuki turned to him in surprise, while Minamoto's eyebrows rose, and Kaito's father whispered, "What the hell is this?"

The insect spoke again, its words quieter now, its gaze focused on Kaito as if it saw something in him that no one else could.

Kaito translated slowly, "You're asking me... what I'm doing with the surface dwellers."

A heavy silence fell.

The insect suddenly spoke in human language, though its words were distorted and slurred, "You're... not like them."

Kaito's hand shook slightly, as if something inside him had stirred.

"What do you mean?"

It spoke again in its native tongue, and Kaito translated, adding, "It says that the insects have been aware of the presence of humans for thousands of years, but the tunnels haven't been opened because... the pact hasn't been broken yet."

"A pact?" Tsuki muttered, her eyes narrowing.

Kaito's father took a step closer and said cautiously, "What agreement? And who broke it?"

But the insect fell silent. Its gaze turned cold, as if the conversation had ended. Then it pointed to Kaito and said, "The stranger has returned."

The words hung in the air. Kaito felt something inside him break or reveal itself... as if the phrase had touched a part of himself he didn't know existed.

Kaito took another step closer, his voice tinged with caution and curiosity.

"Who broke the pact? And why?"

The insect slowly raised its head. Its gaze was merciless, but not hostile, more like the gaze of a being who had seen many ends.

It whispered hoarsely, "One person's mistake… could weigh down an entire world."

Everyone exchanged glances, but the insect closed its eyes and turned its fragile body toward the wall, as if refusing to speak. It was understood that the conversation was over.

Minamoto sighed slowly, then gestured.

"Let's go."

They left the insect's hut and walked into the quiet alleys, the blue light emanating from the mushroom walls reflecting on their tense faces.

Hairu Shin tried to break the silence, as usual.

"What do you mean? Who is this person? Is she hallucinating? Or is she talking about a mythical being or something?"

But Kaito, visibly moved, said in a low voice,

"She said they'd known about our existence for centuries… They didn't attack us because an ancient agreement forbade them. But someone broke that agreement. She didn't say who… She just said the consequences for one person could fall on everyone."

He was silent for a moment, then added,

"Then she looked at me and said, 'The stranger has returned…'"

Tsuki placed her hand on his shoulder, as if feeling the weight of what he'd heard, and his father simply stared at him silently, as if he knew something he hadn't yet said.

Minamoto, who rarely showed any emotion, frowned slightly and said,

"This village… isn't just the remnants of a civilization. They know more than we thought. We must be careful."

Everyone looked at Kaito, suddenly at the center of a story bigger than all of them.

Fin chapter