Pak

　　My escorts arrive. For the first time, they let me walk freely, no collar, no leash, hands unbound. This complex is heavily guarded. I`m hardly a threat. Our footsteps echo down the manicured square tunnel, and Tok`sera walks wordlessly at my side. We come to a door with symbols I can`t comprehend etched into its face, its curved mushroom-wood handle already slightly depressed and partially unlatched. My stomach turns. My mouth is dry, lips chapped and raw enough that it burns when I lick them.

　　"You`ve been incredibly helpful to us," Tok`sera says. "For that, we are eternally grateful. I truly hope the best for you and your father today. Find healing, for us, son. This could mark the beginning of the rest of your life among your people."

　　She rests her hand on my shoulder.

　　"Are you ready?"

　　he misses you too

　　I start, checking behind me. I don`t recognize that voice. It`s similar to the familiar voice from Grandmother`s house, the one who led me to her, but&

　　I shake my head. "I`m ready."

　　"Miago and Uliel will be right outside if you need them. I have a briefing I must attend, but they can reach me on your behalf if necessary." Tok`sera smiles. "Good luck."

　　She disappears down the corridor. Miago opens the door the rest of the way and ushers me in. It shuts behind me.

　　"Are you really who they say you are?"

　　He speaks before I`ve had a chance to so much as skim his face. His voice is quiet, meek, gravelly as all the others, speaking Obsidian elvish to my ears. He wears a clean uniform, like every soldier I`ve seen. A pitcher of water sits on the table in front of him, next to my mother`s letter, neatly folded. He watches it with his hands in his lap, foot bouncing underneath. He has long white hair tied into a limp ponytail on his neck and gaunt, star-speckled cheeks. He`s small, like me. The room is otherwise empty, except for the chair waiting for me. I can`t move my feet.

　　"Depends on if you`re who they say you are," I say.

　　This room stinks of sweat, and it`s so humid I can hardly breathe. I wonder how long he`s been waiting in here, practicing his own monologue. Mine vanished the moment I walked in. A long silence lapses. I shuffle to my chair and sit, hunched forward, hands in my lap.

　　"What does it look like to you?" I ask.

　　"The letter? I haven`t looked at it, yet," he says. "Haven`t gathered the courage."

　　"Open it."

　　He glances at me, hesitates, and picks up the letter, squinting as he looks over the text.

　　"I`m sorry," he says. "They told me you said it`s enchanted, but it looks normal to me."

　　I told you you`re crazy.

　　"Maybe she enchanted it just for you," he offers. "I`m not talented with magic like she was. I don`t know how it works. If you can`t read it, maybe the spell is wearing off. I don`t know."

　　He sets it on the table. I snatch it back. It`s the same as it`s always been, shimmering, wobbling. I stuff it in my pocket, clenching my jaw.

　　"They said you used to live on the surface," I say, watching the empty clay mug in front of me. "Why can`t you understand surface Elvish?"

　　"That was centuries ago. I`m out of practice. And I never learned to read it, anyway."

　　"How did you learn to speak it?"

　　"The Belethlian elves once welcomed us," he says. "We learned from them. But that alliance didn`t last long. I imagine they never taught you about that, where you`re from. They probably don`t even know."

　　I don`t think he`s lying&

　　I grit my teeth, ignoring the voice.

　　"How did you get on the Plateau?" I ask.

　　"I`m not allowed to tell you that," he says. "It`s classified. Seems silly to me, but I have to follow the rules."

　　"That`s stupid," I mumble, picking at the dirt beneath my fingernails. I still haven`t looked him in the eyes.

　　"I know."

　　"You would`ve had an accent."

　　"Nobody questioned it," he shrugs. "There was an influx of refugees at the time. You just say you`re from somewhere else. Simple."

　　"You don`t seem moved to learn you have a son," I say, clearing my throat to hide the quivering in my voice.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

　　"Still doesn`t seem real," he says. "Everything about Iridan feels like it happened in a different lifetime. You`re still young& You`ll understand. In a couple centuries, all of this will feel like a dream, the kind you barely remember when you wake up. It`s the strangest thing about our existence-"

　　"I`m not here to talk philosophy," I interrupt, gritting my teeth, staring at the mug.

　　"...That`s fair," he says. "It`s not that I`m not moved, son. I just& haven`t let myself feel it, yet. They only told me the day before last. I get back from gathering supplies, and they spring this on me. You, though& You`ve been dreaming of this for a long time, haven`t you?"

　　The voices squabble in my ears.

　　When do you think he`ll do it?

　　He`s not like that&

　　How do you not see it? He`s practically boiling over.

　　I squeeze my eyes shut, folding my arms over my stomach, and quietly sway side to side&

　　Don`t forget what I told you, Pak.

　　Please don`t listen to him&

　　Kano & Cabbage

　　 I`ve been drawing circles in the sand

　　endless little loops

　　that always disappear beneath the tide

　　One of these days

　　the tide will disappear beneath the sun

　　You`ve been singing lullabies

　　endless little loops

　　that always find their way into my head

　　But one of these days

　　the song will have to come to an end

　　*******

　　The Dream`s terrain grew ever more dangerous. Kano would be walking through a level, grassy meadow, only to plunge into ankle-deep sand in his next step. He`d stopped short of falling on his face dozens of times. Something sinister always seemed to be waiting just around an ineffable corner, outside of his perception, but still unquestionably there. He kept his eyes fixed on Cabbage so firmly the strain made his brow twitch.

　　Still, his mind wandered. That was nothing new. He never got the hang of meditation, though he imagined it would have been a great skill to have in the Dream. Each time his mind wandered towards Pak, he felt a tug on his neck, something beckoning him to look. He refused. He`d learned that lesson the hard way. But, the farther they went, the more persistent the tug became, an itch he couldn`t scratch, a thirst he couldn`t quench, a desire to look that rapidly transformed into a hopeless, terrible need - but he still refused. Make Cabbage proud. That was his new mantra, the thought to end all thoughts. Make Cabbage proud. Make Cabbage proud.

　　You`re going to kill him, aren`t you?

　　Kano`s blood ran cold. It was Pak`s voice in his left ear, and something told him it wasn`t just a trick of the Dream. He shook his head. Make Cabbage proud, he thought, though his stomach gurgled and twisted his gut. Cabbage stopped in front of him, head rotated all the way around with a look of grave impatience.

　　"S-sorry," Kano said. Cabbage said nothing, and they continued on.

　　With that weapon of yours, you could do anything.

　　He glanced to his right. It was unmistakably Pak`s voice, with a sinister undertone he`d never heard before. He inhaled sharply. Make Cabbage proud.

　　Some things just need to die.

　　It came from behind him this time.

　　"W-what are you talking about?" he said on a shaky exhale, fighting to keep his gaze forward. He could feel eyes upon him from all directions. Something was terribly wrong. He looked for the smudge on the cat-owl`s head. Make Cabbage proud. Make Cabbage proud.

　　Something whizzed past, close to Kano`s shoulder - a shadow, or a person. It made his skin crawl, as if a stranger had deliberately brushed their sweaty body against him.

　　"Cabbage?" he said timidly. Cabbage stopped.

　　"What."

　　"I& I think there`s something following us&"

　　Cabbage`s head rotated. "Why."

　　"I don`t know how to explain it," Kano said, still sensing the shadow`s residue on his skin. "It feels like it`s nipping at my heels, but I know I shouldn`t look&"

　　Cabbage hopped a full rotation plus a few steps closer, checking to Kano`s left and right, up and down, and beyond his mortal comprehension. He paused, sniffing the void intently, whiskers twitching, a sharp yet absent look in his eyes. Then, he turned again and continued down the path they were already traversing.

　　"Wait - Did you find anything?"

　　"No."

　　Kano blinked. "But-"

　　"Hurry up."

　　The scene around Cabbage`s form began to blur and twist. Kano staggered, overcome by dizziness. He took a deep breath to ease the panic pumping his blood and started to follow the cat-owl, but fearing he might stumble again, he glanced at the ground, and that was all it took. His stomach lurched as he plummeted down an unfathomable hole.