Echoes of heart

Chapter 3: The Hollow Smile

Zorak walked through the familiar streets of the Dominion, his mind lost in thought. The air was thick with the hum of machinery and the distant drone of voices, but there was a silence inside him that could never be drowned out.

He had always been different—seeing beyond the constructs of the society that shaped him. Yet now, more than ever, he felt a growing sense of disconnection, as though the very fabric of the world he had once understood so deeply was unraveling before him.

He reached the central square, the heart of the city, where the people of the Dominion moved with eerie precision, their faces smooth and emotionless.

The perfect order that defined the Dominion was the source of its strength—no emotions, no desires, only purpose. To them, life was merely a series of tasks, devoid of passion or pain.

Yet in the midst of it all stood Kaia, his lost love, moving through the crowd like a ghost.

She had not seen him yet, but Zorak knew her presence instantly. His heart tightened as it did every time he saw her.

She was the same, physically, as she had always been—her dark hair flowing gracefully, her eyes sharp and calculating. But her gaze, once filled with warmth and laughter, now reflected nothing but indifference.

"Kaia," he whispered under his breath, the word escaping his lips like a forgotten prayer.

As if sensing something, she turned and saw him, her face as blank as the others around her. She offered a small, polite nod, acknowledging his presence, and then resumed her path.

It was a routine they had followed countless times—a meeting of empty gestures in a world that had erased all meaning.

Zorak's chest ached with the weight of what had been lost. She had once been his everything—his childhood friend, his confidante, the girl whose laughter had echoed through the tunnels of their underground world, lighting up the darkness.

But that was before the Dominion took her. Before they had stripped her of all that made her human.

He walked beside her, falling into step with her as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Good morning, Kaia," he said, keeping his voice steady.

"Good morning, Zorak," she replied mechanically, her tone devoid of warmth.

"Are you free this evening?" he asked casually, trying to keep the desperation from his voice.

She paused for a moment, calculating. "I have work until the fourth bell, but I will be free after that."

"Perhaps we could walk by the river," he suggested, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew she wouldn't feel anything, wouldn't remember the way they used to spend hours by the water, talking about the future.

But still, he needed to be near her, to pretend, even for a moment, that she was still Kaia.

She nodded. "That would be acceptable."

The hollow acceptance cut deeper than any rejection. Zorak forced a smile, even though he knew she wouldn't notice. "I'll see you then."

They parted ways, and Zorak stood still, watching her fade into the crowd. He felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.

Every day, he walked this same path, hoping for something to change, hoping to see a spark of the Kaia he had once known. But every day, he was met with the same hollow indifference.

And yet, he couldn't let go.

He couldn't stop loving her, even though the woman he loved was no longer there.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he felt a presence beside him. An old man, dressed in rags, his eyes clouded with age, appeared out of nowhere.

Zorak blinked in surprise—beggars were rare in the Dominion, where everyone was given their place, their role. Yet this man did not seem to belong to the order of things.

"She doesn't remember you, does she?" the man said, his voice a low rasp.

Zorak stiffened, his hand instinctively moving to his side. "Who are you?" he asked warily.

The man gave a sad smile, his face lined with the weight of years. "Someone who understands."

Zorak frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You," the man said, his eyes locking with Zorak's, "are not alone in your pain. The Dominion... It has taken much from many. But the heart—it remembers. Even when the mind forgets."

Zorak's heart skipped a beat. He had spent years trying to rationalize his feelings, trying to bury them under layers of logic and understanding. But now, standing before this stranger, he felt something stir deep within him—a flicker of hope.

"How do you know about her?" Zorak asked, his voice barely a whisper.

The man chuckled softly, his laughter filled with bitterness. "I've seen it before. I've felt it. The Dominion may erase memories, but it cannot erase love. Not truly."

Zorak stared at the man, his mind racing. Could it be true? Could there still be a part of Kaia that remembered him, that remembered their love?

Before he could ask more, the man turned and began to walk away, disappearing into the shadows of the city.

Zorak stood frozen, his heart pounding. For the first time in years, he felt a glimmer of something he had almost forgotten—hope.

Could Kaia still be in there, buried beneath the layers of control the Dominion had placed on her?

And if so, could he bring her back?

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city, Zorak made a silent vow. He would not give up. He would find a way to reach her, no matter the cost.

And the Dominion would not stop him.