Volume start: A Face Nearly His
Wagner awoke to darkness. His senses were dulled by the absence of light and sound. Panic seized him as he reached into the emptiness, searching to find something to hold onto.
Gradually, faint memories began to surface in his mind, like fragmented shards of glass piecing together a shattered picture. Then, the darkness around him shifted, forming shapes and figures that moved in front of his eyes.
From a distance, Wagner saw a light. He walked towards it. Each footfall echoed loud in the emptiness. As he got closer to the source, it became clearer, showing its shape– a luminous figure that looked like his mother. Her face was clear but her body stayed vague.
When he reached her, his mother held out her arm. He he reached for it. When they touched, the world around them began to morph.
Behind her, two faint figures materialized. Their faces were unclear but something inside of him recognized them: his late grandparents. Next, four children appeared, playing in the darkness. Their faces were clear but he didn't recognize them.
The scene began to form, growing richer with details with each moment. Above, a mostly clear sky glowed with an orange sun, dotted with a few clouds that mirrored the hues of the sun. Beneath his feet, the sand Sparkled in the warm orange glow.
In the distance, coconut trees swayed gently in the breeze. Under them, native huts appeared, with straw-covered roofs.
As he stood in the shifting scene, Wagner felt cold air hitting his back. It carried a familiar scent— the salty smell of the ocean, a smell he remembered from his childhood vacations.
He tried to touch his mother, but his hand passed through her like a wisp of smoke. Again and again, he tried but it soon became clear that there was no hope. He tried to reach his grandparents. He couldn't.
The three figures stayed in their place. Looking at him without eyes. The only movement came from the kids he never knew. He ran after them, calling them, begging them to stop. They didn't seem to hear him as their playful laughter echoed along orange-teal shore.
The closer he got, the more they faded. One by one, they vanished as if they had never existed. Wagner fell to his knees. He was exhausted. He knew he ran a long way. But couldn't remember why, or what he was chasing.
He looked behind. Almost everything had vanished – the huts, the coconut trees, his grandparents. Only an expanse of sand and the luminous figure of his mother remained.
The shift in scene didn't affect him. To him, it was always like this. To him, it didn't change.
He got on his feet and started walking towards his mother. As he got closer, he noticed that her face became slightly vague. Some features remained, but they were blurred and hazy. He tried to see it clearer. Some part of him wanted to. But he couldn't.
He reached out to her again. For a brief moment, his fingertips brushed her form, but in an instant, everything around him vanished, returning to the empty void from which it came.