9- SOUL SONATA

The soul sonata had begun.

I had wandered through every corner of the cinema hall, searching for a single person who could help me. The school consisted of two massive levels. Maze-like compartments interwove and led to doors no larger than mouse holes. I understood that games of chance were played in rooms with red or burgundy doors. In some areas, dim lights flickered; in others, the lights blinked brightly. I already found myself missing the sky.

Despite all the places I had searched, I hadn't run into Ayaz again. I hadn't set out to find him—but if I had, I would've been secretly glad, maybe even cried. Considering I had lost my way back, his being here to save me once more would've been nice. The place had become deserted; not a single person was in sight. That left me alone with the voice of my conscience. A single word, even the tiniest phrase of reassurance, might have calmed me.

The moment I stepped into an empty corridor, everything lit up.

I heard sounds coming from one of the rooms.

My footsteps echoed on the floor. I began scanning all around me. The walls felt like they might hurl out a force to shatter me into pieces with its fingers. I could feel the icy coldness of the concrete under my feet piercing through my skin. There were voices, but they weren't clear. As I approached one of the doors, the sound grew louder. My hands were sweating; I intertwined my fingers and took a deep breath.

A voice inside me told me to open the door. Where was this place? Something about it felt familiar on my skin. My hand, trembling involuntarily, reached into my pocket for the card. The point card also served as an ID. Because your score is your identity.

As I held the card up to the scanner, a sharp "click" echoed and the door swung wide open.

I saw two faces staring at me in the dark.

Those eyes were familiar.

I was frozen in place. The interior resembled a golf arena. Kale and Ayaz stood facing each other. At the bottom of the holes in the ground, Kale stood firmly. The room sparkled like a crystal that continuously fractured and reflected light. I remembered the promise Ayaz had made to Kale. As both of them saw me, Ayaz's eyebrows furrowed. A black curtain passed before my eyes.

Kale twirled the golf club in his hand and looked at me, tilting his chin to the right. When Ayaz let his club fall onto the turf, I began to tremble.

"It's been a long time since you came back here," said Ayaz, looking straight into my eyes.

Kale asked, "Would you like to join our golf match?" He smiled like this place once belonged to a happier time. Yes, my heart remembered good days here. But what came after? Everything was just blurry fragments of memory.

I was still looking at the card in my hand. This card had opened the door. Through the neon light, I could barely make out the sign: "Council Chamber for the Enactment of Decisions."

Before I could gather my thoughts, the back doors burst open. People flooded in loudly, rushing to the audience seats. I was about to cover my ears when I saw they all wore familiar faces. Every one of them wore red council uniforms, labeled with numbers like "Council Member 1" or "11."

Voices began to rise from the crowd:

"The Vice President has returned."

"It's time to enact everything."

"Where has she been all this time?"

"Who will be the next president?"

"Will the result of the golf match determine it all?"

As these voices buzzed in my ears, I swallowed my thoughts. People began kneeling with just a glance from me.

Kale muttered mockingly under his breath. "The Vice President of the Decision Enactment Council is here. She'll watch her lover lose."

His gleaming eyes addressed the crowd.

He stared fiercely at Ayaz. Ayaz wore an indifferent expression, as if none of it mattered to him.

"Make the shot," he hissed. "Let everyone see the real outcome."

One of the compartments at the back opened, and a circular platform extended outward. A podium stood atop it. Ayaz looked at the podium—then at me. The Vice President hosted the game. The presidential selection game. That's why she could never be president. As I walked past them toward the podium, all eyes followed me. If I was truly a member here, then why hadn't they recognized me at first? Was the lower and upper floor entirely separate? Since I had belonged to the upper floor... was there a different hierarchy down here?

Looking at the people below, they seemed more close-knit, cheerful, well-kept, eager—and more obedient.

Without knowing what to say, I stepped onto the platform, rested my hands, and began reading aloud from the paper laid in front of me."The Hole Elimination Golf Game has ended. The winner: Kale Ayhan."

I leaned into the microphone."Now begins the Golf Ball Elimination Game."

Taking a deep breath, I made eye contact with the audience:

"This game consists of two stages. At the beginning, players must decide which ball will be considered invalid. In the first stage, a ball is hit and randomly falls into one of the holes. The score of the hole becomes the player's total score.

The second stage is decisive. Three balls are used. Within five seconds, players eliminate two balls and try to land them into the holes. The eliminated ball numbers are added to the score—but only if the ball lands in a hole with the same number as the ball itself.

In this stage, hole points do not matter. Failing to match the ball number with the hole number means automatic defeat. A single mistake in the second stage means losing the game. In case of a tie, Stage 1 scores apply.Are the rules clear?"

Looking directly at Ayaz and Kale, I realized I was trying to provoke both. Kale's disgusting bullying flooded my mind. Those moments that made me feel worthless weighed on my chest. I felt so full I could barely breathe. That heaviness surged as I pressed the buzzer.

The game had begun.