Heart of the unknown

I stepped out of the storage room with a seemingly steady stride, but inside, I was falling apart.

The doll... that smile... the piercing gaze... it all lingered in my mind like the echo of a scream that hadn't yet faded.

As soon as I was outside the room, the mask of calm shattered from my face, and my steps broke free from restraint.

I started running.

I ran like someone fleeing their own shadow, like someone who had seen a ghost and knew it was following.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the marble corridors, pounding against the stone walls like my racing heartbeat. I didn't know exactly where I was going—I just needed to find someone. Anyone.

I reached the first floor, glancing around with lost eyes, searching for a glimpse of hope, a human face in this endless night.

And then, through the flickering shadows, I saw it—a faint glow in the distance.

A flame.

Someone carrying a candle.

I hurried toward it, hoping it wasn't another trick born of fear.

As I drew closer, the features under the candlelight became clear.

Cairo.

He stood as usual, composed and confident, his tired eyes watching me as if he had expected my arrival.

He raised an eyebrow and said in his usual voice, tinged with sarcasm:

"What now? Another cat?"

His words weren't meant to hurt, but they felt like a slap in that charged moment. I was gasping, breathing heavily, as if my lungs weren't used to such a sprint.

"N-No... this time... it's different..." I said, breathless, trying to gather my scattered words.

I rested my hands on my knees, catching my breath, then looked up at him, speaking with a seriousness born of my heart:

"There's a doll... a moving doll... in the storage room."

Silence fell.

A heavy silence, as if time itself paused to verify what it heard.

Cairo didn't move, didn't even blink. He looked at me with eyes caught between caution and doubt, as if trying to separate truth from madness.

Finally, he spoke slowly, testing the weight of my words:

"Are you joking right now?"

I felt something explode inside me—a bitterness mixing fear with disappointment. I snapped:

"Does this face look like it's joking?!"

I pointed to my sweat-soaked face, my gasping breath, the trembling in my voice I couldn't hide. If this wasn't the face of a terrified man, then what was?

Cairo sighed, his breath slow like he was retreating from his own stubbornness. He raised the candle and said, with less sarcasm:

"Alright... let's go see. But I'm sure it's another cat."

I shook my head in despair, walking beside him without replying.

If it were a cat... I'd gladly adopt it myself.

But I know what I saw.

And the doll... wasn't a cat.

---

We walked together toward the storage room.

I watched my steps like each one brought me closer to the mouth of an invisible abyss. I didn't truly want to return... to that room that felt like an open trap, its door made of old wood and its floor paved with mystery. I wanted to dismiss it all, to say, "It's fine, maybe I imagined it," to leave the doll behind and forget that terrifying smile I saw just moments ago.

But I couldn't.

I'm the second floor guard. It's my duty to protect Lord Valis, no matter the threat... even if it's a doll.

I looked at Cairo, walking beside me, holding a candle whose flame danced across the cold walls. He walked confidently, his face showing a mix of boredom and disdain, as if certain we were about to witness another scene in my absurd theater.

We arrived at the storage room door.

I stood before it, staring at the handle as if I were about to open a gateway to the unknown. I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then slowly pushed the door. It creaked, slicing through the silence like a knife. The candlelight crept inside, revealing stacks of crates and dusty shelves.

But...

The doll was gone.

I froze, feeling sweat bead instantly on my forehead, as if my body had declared a state of emergency.

I was sure...

Absolutely sure I had placed it on that exact crate, with precision, with caution, like placing a ticking bomb in its designated spot.

So where was it?!

Lost in thought, I was snapped back by Cairo's voice:

"What's this? I don't see any doll—"

Before he finished, without thinking, I kicked his leg lightly.

"Ouch!" he yelped, turning to me with confused eyes. "Why did you do that?!"

I laughed nervously and said with a forced tone:

"Haha, sorry, my mistake..."

I looked at him, eyes pleading for him to understand, to feel what I was feeling, to realize that something... was watching us.

But Cairo didn't get it.

Of course he didn't.

He said with semi-sarcastic tone:

"So, where's the doll—"

I kicked him again, harder this time.

"Ouch!! What is wrong with you?!"

I laughed again, the sound closer to crying, and said:

"Haha, sorry again... I'm really a mess tonight."

I stepped closer, checked no one was watching, then whispered:

"T-The doll is gone."

He froze, as I continued, panting between words:

"I'm sure I put it on that crate just minutes ago... It must be... watching us now."

I glanced at the room's dark corners, searching for movement... a look... a whisper... anything.

Then I whispered again:

"We need to leave, quickly... But if we run, it'll know we came because of it. Clearly, it's not dumb."

Cairo was silent for a few seconds, then whispered, hesitant:

"Are you sure... you weren't imagining things?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing slowly to avoid screaming, then opened them and looked at him like a man at the edge of madness:

"I'm sure I wasn't."

He sighed, voice low:

"Alright... alright... So what do you suggest we do to... leave?"

---

I leaned in closer, whispering cautiously, trying to appear normal despite the cold sweat forming on my brow:

"Let's pretend we're looking for my pen."

He raised his eyebrows, confused, and whispered:

"You carry a pen? Are you a weirdo?"

I kept my cool, knowing now wasn't the time for empty arguments. I whispered:

"Yes, I carry a pen. Like anyone might keep something dear to them... There's no time for this, just act natural."

We went quiet for a few seconds, eyes scanning the room with concealed tension.

Then, in a loud, fake tone, Cairo said:

"Are you sure you dropped your pen here?"

I answered quickly, matching his act:

"Yes, I'm sure."

He said, with a rehearsed tone:

"Then... where do you think it could be?"

I sighed and said:

"I don't know. That's why I brought you."

He nodded as if convinced, then said:

"Alright, let's look for your pen."

And so began our "fake mission" — or at least, that's how we hoped it appeared to whoever was watching.

I searched the right corner of the room while Cairo ran his hand across a crate on the opposite side. Neither of us was truly looking for a pen, but for a sign... any sign of that terrifying doll.

I moved objects carefully, watching shadows, making sure each corner had my full attention.

But nothing.

No movement.

No trace.

Not even a single thread to show it had passed through.

The room was suspiciously clean, as if something had deliberately erased all signs of its presence.

Time passed. Still nothing.

Cairo let out a frustrated sigh and said:

"Ugh, where is this pen...?"

He continued in a bored tone, as if trying to convince any observer we were no longer concerned:

"Doesn't look like it's here... Let's go look elsewhere. You probably dropped it somewhere else."

I nodded in agreement and said:

"You're probably right... let's go."

We began walking calmly toward the open door. A small sense of relief crept into my chest, as if we had escaped the monster's mouth unnoticed.

But...

What I didn't know was that Cairo decided to "tease" me.

Just before we exited the storage room, he lightly slapped my back and laughed:

"Hey, don't worry so much about your pen. We'll find it."

But what Cairo didn't know... was that this light slap would trigger everything.

I felt it. It wasn't strong, but it pushed me forward unexpectedly.

And in that next moment...

Click!

The pen fell from my pocket.

The very pen I had claimed to be searching for.

It hit the stone floor and bounced twice before settling. Its sound echoed through the room like a scream of exposure.

I froze.

Cairo froze too.

We both stared at the pen as if time had stopped. Dread seeped into me like cold water into an open wound.

The sound of that pen was like a gunshot in the silence.

As if the room itself understood what that sound meant...

As if whoever had been watching... now knew we had been lying.

In that moment, I felt the air in the room change.

Something was getting closer... something we couldn't see, but could sense our every thought.