The evening breeze drifted through the valley.
Kai descended the wooden staircase from Andre's treehouse.
Behind him...
He could still hear Andre complaining.
"I made the tea."
"So why am I washing the cups too?"
"Because you used them."
"That's discrimination."
"You used all three."
"...Fair point."
Kai smiled to himself.
Some things...
Never changed.
He stepped onto the stone path.
The hall stood near the center of the village.
Its wooden frame caught the last light of the setting sun.
"..."
Kai quietly walked toward it.
For some reason...
His feet felt unusually light.
Almost...
Automatic.
Without realizing it...
He ignored the main path.
Instead...
He turned onto a narrower trail between two old trees.
"..."
He stopped.
"...Huh?"
He looked around.
"I..."
"...How did I know this was here?"
No answer came.
Yet...
His body continued walking.
Step.
After step.
After step.
The path felt...
Familiar.
Not because he remembered it.
But because his feet did.
His breathing slowed.
The sounds of the village faded.
The air grew strangely quiet.
Then—
Everything blurred.
---
Water flowed quietly.
A gentle current.