The room was thick with smoke, heavy with the scent of incense candles. The curtain between it and the corridor fluttered softly, stirred by an invisible breeze. Or perhaps it wasn't the wind at all—
perhaps it was the heartbeat of Toshi Taniguchi himself. Or maybe he had aligned his heart's rhythm to match the movement of the fabric?
Only two muses could offer a clue. Two Luminous Celestial Constellations: one, the fiery and passionate Ophelia—also known as Jessica. The other, her sister not by blood but by spirit—the languid, wise Juno, or in daily life—Mutsumi.
Fire and Air. Life and Death. Any other elements you could name, trapped inside the delicate forms of these girls. To spend eternity with them—what greater reward could he ask?
Toshi's philosophical reverie was of no concern to his companions. Jessica lazily scratched his head, humming a simple tune, while Mutsumi was filing her already immaculate nails. The man, until now focused on studying the room like he'd never seen it before, collapsed spread-eagle onto the wide bed, arms outstretched. His gaze froze on the ceiling, where lines and curves of a mandala spun above him. That's where he wanted to stay. That's where his mind would reside—in the kingdom of flickering fractals.
Jessica's song stroked his ears and guided his awareness down a winding path, like the Amalfi Coast: each curve a detour to nowhere and everywhere at once. Should he follow this melodic compass? Or wander off, blazing his own trail? The thought came to him: -There is no right choice in reality—only the choice you make, and its consequences. - (Elchin Safarli). So all he had to do
was keep walking. It didn't matter where. Or from where. Because… Wait.
Was that... a ringtone?
How dare such crude vibrations worm their way into this divine harmony?!
Without even looking, Toshi reached for the nightstand, savoring the texture of real wood beneath his fingers. Only after fully enjoying the sensation did he finally pick up the phone and press it to his ear.
I hear you. – He
Taniguchi, hello. This is Erich. I need your help. I can't deal with this alone. I hope you remember me.
Toshi winced slightly—both from the intrusion and from how little data he'd been given. And data, as we know, is the oxygen of the modern world. (Ronald Reagan.)
Besides, the young man clearly lacked eloquence. And beautiful, refined language was something Toshi sorely missed in conversations with other thinking beings.
He sighed, both for this boy's condition and for the state of humanity as a whole. After a while, he realized there were still sounds coming from the phone:
Doctor, are you there? You've been silent for like... five minutes. Always the rush, always the noise. Such is the curse of the modern Toshi replied thoughtfully:
I remember you But is there anything in this reality that could truly stop us from growing closer? Perhaps only the fall of the dollar. I charge in that currency today. Meet me at the corner by my house, in an hour.
He ended the call, handed the offending device to Mutsumi, and studied the curve of her mouth— which, he feared, foretold the rise of emotions most unwanted. He hastened to soothe his delicate Juno:
Don't be rash, I beg you. The heart is like crystal—beautiful and so fragile. His kami spirit of fair yet wild nature moved closer, laying her hand on his Don't go, my hope and I Once, long ago, in that half-forgotten life, I believed myself a healer of souls. That old dream returned today—disguised as a phone call from a fractured spirit. But do you want to feel that again? To touch that old web that once held part of who you were? – Mutsumi's almond eyes reached straight through him, down to the very last thread of his essence. Nothing could hide from that gaze. It seems... I cannot fully feel free of those And I do not wish to lose them. Maybe one day... but not today. Then – She nodded, sorrow deepening in her voice. Jessica subtly changed keys, singing higher, more tender, her tone now a farewell. For they both knew…
They were losing him forever.
If fate has betrayed us, for a serene and happy day, I shall never be able to hope again. I was born to weep, I was born to sigh, and for my sweet consolation, Ah, I will always weep.
(-Son nata a lagrimar.)
Putting on his warm padded jacket and lacing up his heavy-duty boots, Toshi glanced across the empty bed—a bed that had never known anyone or anything, other than lost desires and fading memories...
After fumbling with the key for a moment, he finally found the right turn and stepped directly into a nonogram. The whole world turned into a white grid, neatly divided into cells, where cheerful numbers whispered, joked, and danced among themselves. They were waiting for him—and only him. The moment he crossed the threshold of his department, the digits stood at attention and immediately sobered up, awaiting his first command.
Today, my heart craves letters, not I wish to speak, not arrange you into images, my friends.
All the digits understood him without words (as weird as that sounds), and they slowly began peeling off their skins, wrapping themselves up three, sometimes four times, transforming from cocoons into letters. And those were exactly what Toshi had been waiting for. Without delay, he said:
Come on now, my dear listeners, let's form some constructs from our alphabet and help me reach the You there – he pointed to the letter -W-, who was playing ancient Tetris and cursing loudly – be a dear and start forming the word -Way Out-. Then follow with: -Corridor-, -Home-, - Street-, -Road-, and of course – -Encounter-.