Chapter XI - Neither you nor me, it's not them.

Walking down the narrow, dark corridor, the boy felt every step echoing, mingling with the sounds of his companions behind him. The sterility of the cold walls made him feel as though he were stepping into something alien. No pictures, no signs of life. Only the terrifyingly clean white. At the end of the corridor, a large room suddenly opened up before him. He stopped in the middle.

- Jaśmin?! - Teodor called from behind, his voice trembling. He was huddled by the wall, with Nulla standing next to him, her face frozen in concentration, as if trying to ignore the cold emanating from the walls.

In the middle of the room stood three white sofas, looking more like sculptures than places to sit. Beside them, a table—massive and unpleasantly cold.

- Jaśmin? - Teodor repeated, his voice growing more anxious.

- Wait! - Jaśmin shouted, pressing a white button on the wall. Cold light from the ceiling flooded the room in an instant.

Nulla, squinting her eyes, scanned the room. A row of narrow windows barely let in blue light from outside. Beneath them, another white table with several chairs. Everything was sterile, almost disturbingly clean.

- So clean... - Nulla sighed, but there was something unsettling in her voice.

A silence fell, and the three of them began nervously looking around for Ignacy. Jaśmin looked up at the ceiling, noticing the intensity of the lighting, which cast no shadows—only evenly illuminated, relentless whiteness.

- Here, - Jaśmin pointed over his shoulder at the only contrasting element in the room. A small black screen in the wall to the right, looking like a control panel. - It's probably broken, - he added after a moment, hitting it with his fist.

- What are you doing?! - Nulla scolded him, her voice sharp, as if every careless move could cost them their lives.

- It's not working anyway, - Jaśmin replied, shrugging.

- Do you hear that? - Teodor suddenly interrupted, turning his head as if listening for something hidden in the silence.

- You're imagining things, - Nulla said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

- I swear, I hear something, - Teodor replied, now fully turning around, his anxiety growing.

Suddenly, a sneeze cut through the silence. Everyone froze. Teodor, frightened, hid behind his sister, as if seeking shelter in her. Jaśmin, on the other hand, gently moved toward one of the large, white cabinets across the room.

- It must be from here, - he whispered, turning to the others. Step by step, he slowly approached the source of the sound, gently grabbing the cabinet door. He was about to open it when Nulla lunged forward, pushing him aside. Jaśmin fell straight onto one of the soft, white sofas.

- Wait! - she called out sharply.

Before she could do anything, a figure suddenly jumped out of the cabinet, and the whole scene seemed to explode into chaos. The man leaped onto Jaśmin with a cry of "Min!", his long, blue-silver hair wrapping around Jaśmin like a cloak. Everything happened so quickly that Jaśmin stood there stunned, his body in shock, his hands instinctively holding onto the unfamiliar figure. He stood with his feet slightly apart, his eyes wide open, his brows raised in surprise.

- Blue? - he finally asked, not entirely sure what was going on.

The figure he was holding suddenly began to sob loudly. Jaśmin, although surprised, tried to stay calm, but it was clear he didn't know how to react to this sudden outburst of emotion.

- What are you doing? - Ignacy interrupted, jumping out of the cabinet right after Blue. His face was flushed, nearly beet-red with anger, and his eyes gleamed in the light. He automatically grabbed Jaśmin by the arm, trying to pull him away from the person pressed against him.

- Ignacy? - Nulla asked, watching the whole scene from a distance, as if not fully believing her own eyes. Her face was stone-cold, but her eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. She grimaced but didn't move from her spot, observing everything from a safe distance.

Teodor, who had been silent until now, slowly rose from the sofa, his eyes expressing pure confusion.

- Who is this? - he asked, half-conscious. He looked at Blue and his thick, blue hair, as if trying to remember where he knew him from. - Blue? - he repeated in his mind, though his brain seemed to be struggling to keep up with what was happening.

Blue, wiping his tears, broke free from Ignacy's grasp and threw himself back into Jaśmin's arms. This time, Jaśmin was more prepared, but still shocked by the intensity of the emotions.

- I've missed you so much, - the Asian man said, wiping away more tears, his voice trembling with emotion.

- It's okay, - Jaśmin replied, trying to calm him down. - I'm alive. Everything's fine.

He gently pushed Blue away from him, looking at him with care but also slight uncertainty. He was used to emotional reactions, but this situation had clearly thrown him off balance.

- Blue, - Nulla repeated after a moment, stepping closer to them.

- Do we know each other? - Blue asked, squinting at the albino, as if trying to find something familiar in her face.

Teodor, still dazed, tried to make sense of his feelings. Looking at the unfamiliar face, he felt even more alienated. Had he been calling out to him all this time? Thoughts rushed through his head like mad, and his heart was pounding faster, as if trying to break free from his chest. His pink lips trembled slightly, and suddenly the thought appeared: "It's not her?" He mechanically shook his head, drawing the attention of the others in the room. The blue-haired figure turned away from his brother, took a step forward, and tried to approach the blonde.

- NO!! - he screamed, disbelief in his voice.

Teodor looked toward the long corridor at the end of which were white stairs. He turned to face the people standing around, a cold, strange shiver running down his spine.

- I... - Blue started slowly.

- No! - he shouted, running into another corridor.

Everyone stood in silence, looking at each other. Nulla, who had no idea what to do, moved closer to the white sofa and collapsed onto it, completely exhausted. She rested her head on the armrest, looking at the other men in the room.

- You're Blue, - she said after a moment, shaking her head.

The blue-haired one looked at her, then shifted his gaze to the younger brother standing behind Ignacy, swallowing audibly.

- You should have figured it out from the hair color, - said the green-eyed brunette, leaning forward. - And I...

- Exactly you, - Nulla interrupted him, furrowing her brow in surprise.

- I'm Emi, - he said, not paying attention to her.

- I thought you didn't survive, - Blue answered loudly, running up to Ignacy. The man grabbed him by his left arm and then looked at the spreading circles in his eyes with pain.

- He's fine, - Jaśmin replied, stepping between the redhead and Blue. He noticed the Asian, whose pupils had dilated to an unusually large size. - Don't make a victim out of him, - he added, turning away from them.

- We need to get outside the wall, - the white-haired woman spoke, her voice full of determination.

- No chance, - Emi replied, leaning against the wall. - After that fire, they reinforced the gate.

- What did they do? - Ignacy asked, disbelief creeping into his voice as his concern grew with each passing moment.

- They've deployed more cyborgs and drones, there are also networks - Emi said nonchalantly, as if talking about everyday matters, not a potential trap. - No one's getting out of here.

Ignacy opened his mouth to ask something, but Jaśmin beat him to it.

- What networks? - he asked, a trace of irritation in his voice.

- They trap in circles, - she replied, barely audible, absorbed in the softness of the couch.

- Exactly, - Blue added, glancing at her with appreciation.

- We're grounded too for now, - Emi added, folding his arms across his chest, as if the situation were under control.

- Everything depends on Artur, - Blue muttered, not taking his eyes off Emi.

- And do we know where he is? - Jaśmin glanced at the brothers, as if expecting a quick answer.

At that question, Blue turned his face to the side, and Emi focused his gaze on the white floor, as if searching for an answer in the simplicity of the cold room. The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive, suggesting that no one knew the answer. Nulla rolled her eyes and gracefully rose from the sofa, her movements full of confidence, as if not letting the situation overwhelm her.

- What are you doing? - Emi asked, looking up at her with interest.

- Nothing, - she replied flatly, walking toward the table. Her eyes wandered around the room, as if searching for something, though perhaps she just wanted to escape the tension. When Blue noticed Nulla had stood up, he immediately took her spot on the couch.

- Doesn't it hurt? - Blue, now comfortably sitting, asked, pointing to Ignacy's arm. - Igi, your arm...

- Igi? - Jaśmin repeated, raising an eyebrow.

- No, it doesn't hurt, - Ignacy replied, standing next to the wardrobe. The blue-haired one suddenly jumped up.

- I'll go get some medicine and bandages, - Blue said hurriedly before sliding into the second hallway.

- I... I... - Ignacy stammered, looking at the disappearing Blue.

Emi, looking at everyone in the room, finally broke the silence.

- We should come up with a plan.

Jaśmin walked up to Ignacy, gently taking his hand. He squeezed it tighter than usual, but there was no hostility in it - more like desperation.

- I think I'm going to sleep, - Jaśmin said, as if he didn't want to talk or think about the difficult situation anymore.

- We're going to sleep, - Ignacy summarized, returning the squeeze.

Jaśmin pulled Ignacy toward the hallway, suddenly stopping at the threshold. He turned and looked at Blue, who was slowly returning with the first aid kit.

- You... - he said quietly, his face red. - I'll show you to your room.

- aaa, - Blue nodded, scratching his neck.

- Jaśmin will show me to my room! - Ignacy shouted toward his sister, disappearing behind the white doors leading to the hallway.

- Change the bandages, - Nulla called after him, looking at her brother before disappearing behind the white doors with Jaśmin. The teenager shifted her gaze to the remaining two in the room.

- And me? - she asked, turning to the other two, looking at them uncertainly.

- You? - Emi repeated, looking at her with a slightly surprised expression, as if he had just realized that Teodor was still there.

- I don't know this house, - Nulla said, as the men looked at her expectantly.

At that moment, the white door in the hallway opened with a quiet creak. The brunette, pulling Ignacy along, appeared in the doorway.

- Something happened? - Nulla asked, glancing in their direction with an arched eyebrow.

Blue, lying on the couch, turned toward them, a bit surprised by the sudden entrance.

- It's the kitchen, - Jaśmin replied calmly, already climbing the stairs leading upstairs. His voice had something mechanical in it, as if the only thing that mattered now was getting to the destination.

Emi shook his head as if trying to shake off unnecessary thoughts, then turned to Nulla. Blue, who had earlier seemed full of energy, now lay on the couch as if completely drained, staring at the white walls.

- I'll show you your room. - Emi said after a moment, walking towards her.

Nulla nodded, following him. She took one last look around the empty, sterile room, as if trying to memorize its atmosphere before leaving the space.

***

Sitting under the large, white window of this harsh, abandoned house, Teodor stared at the night sky above the White City. The feeling of emptiness gripped his throat. He observed the cold, bluish light from the street lamps filtering in through the narrow, tall window. There was something unnatural about it—the enormous pane of glass, despite offering a view outside, made him feel even more disconnected from the world. It was as if it were a barrier, a ledge, through which nothing could pass. He searched for stars but found only an unsettling emptiness. The sky was dead. Wherever he looked, he only saw gloomy clouds stretching like blotches against the sky, blurred, lifeless. It was a landscape that resembled a digital illusion, not reality. Teodor missed something real—something that could soothe him, make him feel that he was part of something bigger. Instead, he felt trapped under a dome, cut off from the real sky, from the cosmos. The blue glow of the city suppressed every sign of life, blocking out the light of the stars. In this cold light, technology seemed to consume everything—even his own thoughts. He felt overwhelmed, angry. Blue. The man he had met didn't resemble the figure from his dreams that kept circling in his mind. All of this irritated him. The discord between imagination and reality burned him from the inside. He felt like he was slowly losing control of himself, as if he, too, was melting into this dead space. He had become foreign—like those stars that once existed but were now hidden.

A sudden sound pulled him out of his reverie.

- What are you doing? - asked a voice, calm, yet tinged with a hint of amusement, as if the whole world didn't matter much.

Teodor turned sharply, as if something unknown had touched his heart, as if someone had broken the barrier he had built around himself over the years. Before him stood Blue—a figure so different, it was almost unreal. His blue hair gleamed like mythical light in the darkness, and his clothes—light, worn-out pants and an oversized yellow T-shirt—formed a stark contrast with the gray surroundings. He looked as if he had come from another dimension, out of place on this earth, as if the hard ground wasn't for him—his feet touched it delicately, as if he didn't want to hurt it too much.

- You ran off quickly... - Blue said, his smile a shadow on his face, gentle but unsettling. This was his first conversation with Teodor, yet everything between them already seemed... obvious. - Did something happen to you? - he asked, leaning against the opposite wall. He looked at Teodor with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, as if he felt something in this moment was both funny and frightening.

Teodor looked at him, clearly confused, as if he didn't fully understand what this boy meant. A shadow of confusion appeared in his eyes—something hard to grasp. For a moment, he was silent, wondering if an answer even made sense.

- What are you doing here? - he finally asked, eyeing Blue, but without any trace of interest. His tone was more analytical, as if he were searching for meaning in something that didn't have any logical explanation.

Blue, ignoring these words, sat next to him, right under the huge window that opened to the cold, dead sky. In that silence, in that dark space, everything felt even more foreign, distant.

- You won't see any stars here... - Blue finally said, looking at the emptiness of the sky. His eyes were as blue as ice, reflecting the light that seemed to be the only life around. - You know... - he began uncertainly, trying to break the barrier that so clearly divided them.

Teodor inhaled, as if something in those words hit him with unexpected force. He looked at Blue, but his thoughts were far away. He remembered something he didn't understand, something that appeared in his memories like fog.

- Every time I landed on that beach... - he started, stopped, and inhaled again.

- A beach? - Blue repeated, somewhat confused, but intrigued. His voice was light, as if the words were meant to flow calmly, not tug at his senses.

Teodor closed his eyes for a moment, as if searching for an answer in his thoughts.

- I never saw stars there... - he said, his voice trembling. - I think the night sky could have been as beautiful as... as her eyes.

His words hung in the air like an unfulfilled dream. And though Blue didn't understand what Teodor meant, he felt something dark in those words, something that went beyond ordinary understanding.

- Listen... - Blue replied, his tone now filled with gentle concern but also confusion. - I think I've never seen you before. - His voice trembled in the silence, as if he wanted Teodor to understand something he himself couldn't put into words.

Teodor looked at him for a moment, his eyes cold, filled with inner uncertainty.

- You're probably right... - he said calmly, though there was a note in his voice that was hard to recognize. - I've seen someone very similar to you... - he added, and his voice hung in the air, as if he wanted to say more, but couldn't develop it.

Blue nodded, trying to make sense of these words. But he couldn't.

- I'm Blue... - he said, this time his voice full of certainty, as if that name was meant to define him. - Blue Finder... I'm eighteen... and I don't have rings.

Teodor looked at his hand, noticing the turquoise rings on Blue's skin, which were so similar to those Ignacy had, but less distinct, more chaotic. A faint gleam appeared in the blonde's eyes. - This... this is something I don't understand - he thought, feeling an unexpected pain that pierced through him at that moment.

Blue noticed the silence, and then, without warning, he felt tears begin to flow from his eyes. Suddenly, uncontrollably, like rain that had no end.

- What are you doing? - Teodor asked, surprised, looking at Blue who was sobbing as if this whole conversation had broken him into pieces.

Blue couldn't answer.

- I don't know why I'm crying... - he said, but those words sounded so absurd that Teodor felt even more lost, as if the world around him was no longer real.

The anger that suddenly overtook Teodor was unexpected. He stood up abruptly, as if trying to escape from what he didn't understand.

- If you're going to make jokes… - he started, his voice like the screech of metal. - This isn't funny. - His body tensed, and a shadow of irritation appeared in his eyes, an expression that didn't fit his usual calm demeanor.

- Go to sleep! - he shouted, turning away from Blue, who was still by the window, his figure disappearing into the night.

Teodor didn't want to see this, didn't want to understand it. He took a deep breath and ran toward the door that led to another part of the hallway. He released the doorknob and quickly stepped through, leaving Blue alone in that dark space.

Blue remained alone, kneeling on the cold, white floor. He covered his face with his hands, letting the solitary night consume him.