A cold snout brushed his cheek, like a drop of winter reminding him he was still alive. Rays slowly emerged from a fragmented sleep. He groaned—more beast than man—and a soft bark answered him.
"How are you doing, Rex…?"
His voice was hoarse, shattered by cold and exhaustion.
A second bark, gentler, like a sound wrapped in affection.
He reached out hesitantly, grasping at nothing, then finally found the collar. The leather was worn, the buckle slightly bent—his old makeshift repair. A cracked smile split his chapped lips.
"Come here, buddy…"
With painful slowness, he clipped the leash on. Rex shivered slightly and pulled—an invitation.
"The kitchen? All right. Lead the way."
Each step was a trek across a desert. Rex moved in short bursts, stopping, barking sharply whenever Rays veered too far left or nearly bumped into a chair. The young man clung to the leash like an anchor in the void.
They arrived. Rays slowly knelt.
"Okay… let's find something to eat."
His fingers fumbled blindly. Drawers, empty bags, icy edges. Crumbs. Empty cans. And finally… a dented tin, sticky with frost, but still sealed.
"Rex… come here. We'll share."
The dog approached, and together they returned to their spot: a frayed rug, half-devoured by damp, in the middle of the room. Winter had sunk its fangs into every crack in the wall. The windows were sieves. The cold was no longer a sensation—it was a presence. A silent deity, ever-watchful and merciless.
And then, it spoke.
"Hello."
Not a human voice. Neither deep nor high-pitched. Neither near nor far. It came from everywhere and nowhere. Like a breath on the nape of the neck.
Rays didn't flinch. He simply closed his eyelids—slowly.
"Oh. You again."
"No response."
And without warning, his body was ripped from the ground, snatched by an invisible hand. He slammed against the wall, his throat crushed by an unnamed force.
He struggled, confused. Air fled his lungs. His legs kicked at the empty air.
"Khhh… what the…!"
Rex barked himself hoarse, slashing at the void with his paws. Nothing to hit. Nothing to bite. Just weight. Just intent.
"This is punishment."
Then it stopped. Rays collapsed to the ground, gasping, searching for air like one searches for a memory.
Rex immediately stood between him and… nothing. A blind shield. Unshakable.
"What do you want?" Rays whispered, every word shredding his lungs.
"A quest was given to you seven months ago. You've done nothing."
"I don't even have a phone, man…"
"You've never checked your status window."
"I don't even know what that is, your crazy-ass nonsense."
"It's right in front of you."
"… Are you messing with me?"
And then the Voice recited, mechanical, like a divine automaton:
"Name: Rays
Class: Unknown
Age: 21
Stats:
Strength: 13
Speed: 7
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 11
Skills: Echolocation, Heightened Senses
Element: Not chosen
Fragment: 12 / 100"**
"I never went to school. Can you at least explain?"
"Echolocation: perception of space via sound reflection.
Heightened Senses: all your senses are enhanced."
"And the fragments?"
"You earn them by shattering other people's dreams."
A sharp silence.
"… Lovely."
"Choose an element. Earth, Water, Wind, Fire."
Long pause.
Rays hesitated. He had no knowledge. No guide. Just instinct. Earth… it sounded stable. Solid. Unshakable.
"I choose Earth."
"Choice accepted. Element: Earth.
… That was not the right choice."
"You could've told me before, you celestial prick!"
Nothing.
"Rex. Bring the food."
The dog trotted over, grabbed the can between his teeth, and dropped it at his feet. A tin that stank of rust and mold.
"Bad idea to eat that."
"You think I have a choice? It's -30°C out. And this is my last ration."
Silence. Then:
"Accept my final gift."
"… Go ahead."
And the world tore apart.
A crack. Like a spine snapping. Then a scream. Rays doubled over. His bones shattered from within, twisted, reformed. His blood boiled, nerves screamed. His body became a battlefield.
Rex howled too. They convulsed together, bound by the same curse. The air turned unbreathable. The stench of burning flesh, bile, and forbidden things filled the room.
"Your impurities are being expelled. Since your birth, they have poisoned your evolution."
"YOU… SAID… GIFT!!"
"Bone realignment. Cellular restructuring. Flow unsealing."
"SCREW… YOU!!"
And then—silence.
A full silence. Absolute.
Rays lay on the floor, breathing erratically. Rex panted beside him, eyes red, fur bristled.
And then… something shifted.
He heard snow falling on the roof. He sensed a heartbeat—three floors down. He smelled rust from a cracked pipe in the next room. The world had changed. It had become… legible.
"Holy shit… this is amazing."
They stayed like that, the whole day. Exploring sounds. Smells. The heartbeat of the city. A dog and a blind boy in mutation, sprawled on a moldy rug. But together.
When night fell, the Voice returned.
"Tomorrow at dawn, your quest begins."
"Yeah… whatever you say."
Rex guided him to the bed—a collapsed mattress under a blanket too thin. Rays lay down, heart pounding.
He closed his eyes. Mind empty.
One last breath:
"Hey… Voice."
"What is it?"
"What's today's date?"
"December 27th."
Rays smiled, faintly. Joyless.
"Happy birthday… to me."