A cry without an echo 'crime'

Chapter Two:

When **Maik** opened his eyes, nothing seemed familiar. The sky was blanketed with gray clouds, and the air carried the scent of damp earth. He looked around and found himself in a deserted street surrounded by crumbling buildings with battered wooden doors. Everything felt like it had leapt out of a history book.

- “What is this place? How did I get here?” he muttered to himself, trying to grasp what was happening.

He started walking hesitantly, glancing left and right, but the streets were utterly empty, save for the sound of the wind rattling broken windows. Suddenly, an old man emerged from one of the alleys, walking slowly toward him. His eyes carried an unusual mix of wisdom and caution.

- “You’re new here, aren’t you?” the old man said in a low yet clear voice.

Maik stopped, staring at him for a moment before replying,

- “Where am I? What is this place?”

The old man smiled faintly and said,

- “You are in a place where only those meant to be here arrive. But your question is not about the place... It’s about the reason.”

Maik felt deeply unsettled but decided to follow the man when he motioned toward a narrow alley. The alley was dark and tight, the walls covered in moss, adding to his unease.

- “Wait! What do you mean by ‘the reason’? Why am I here?” Maik asked abruptly.

The old man stopped and gave him an enigmatic look:

- “Time tests everyone in its own way. Don’t worry, you’ll find your answers soon enough.”

As Maik continued to explore the strange place with the old man, fragmented memories began surfacing in his mind. Blurry images, distant voices, and a peculiar feeling that he wasn’t alone in this place despite its eerie stillness.

- “There’s something I don’t understand… Everything feels wrong,” Maik said, glancing around nervously.

- “Everything has a purpose, even chaos,” the old man replied, his tone unwavering.

Maik felt as though he was on the brink of losing his composure. The old man’s cryptic words only added to his frustration instead of providing clarity.

- “I don’t want riddles. I want answers!” Maik shouted angrily, facing the man.

- “Your answers aren’t with me. They lie within you. You have to search for them.”

Before Maik could respond, a sharp headache consumed him. He closed his eyes, feeling like the entire world was spinning around him.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene had completely changed. He was standing in a small room, dimly lit by a single flickering bulb. The air reeked of blood, and his hands... they were smeared with it too.

He looked around in shock and found himself surrounded by lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. The sight was horrifying. He tried to breathe, but the air felt suffocating.

- “What… what have I done?!” he muttered in a trembling voice, staring at the knife clutched in his hand.

He stepped cautiously toward one of the bodies, desperate to understand what was happening. The room looked like a crime scene, but the worst part was that he was the only one there.

- “This… this can’t be real. I didn’t do this!”

But no one was there to hear him. The echo of his voice bounced off the walls, as if mocking him. He felt a shiver run through his body, as though everything inside him screamed that he didn’t belong here.

He tried to recall what had happened, but his mind was blank, save for disjointed flashes he couldn’t piece together. All he knew was that he had no explanation for what was happening, and he needed to get out before becoming a victim of whatever he didn’t understand.

Maik bolted out of the room, his steps faltering in his panic. He stopped for a moment in a narrow hallway, gasping for air, before catching a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall. His eyes held a look he didn’t recognize... the gaze of someone merciless.

- “Who am I? What’s happening to me?”

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