Dyke

The city was burning. Not suddenly, but slowly, painfully, as if someone had drawn out the end for hours. The flames crawled through the streets, greedily clinging to rooftops, guzzling the light from windows, and rising upward, painting the sky a deep orange.

You stood in front of the building. The same one. You had once hidden here—from the rain, from people, from the whole world all at once. Back then, this place had seemed like a refuge. Now, it was just a miraculously preserved piece of the past amidst chaos. You hadn't planned to come here. Your feet simply led you here. The door creaked, as if recognizing you. Inside, it smelled of dust and something long forgotten. The stairs were the same—narrow, with peeling railings. You climbed slowly, as if afraid there would be no one at the top. Or, conversely, that there would be.

The roof. You pushed the door open and saw him right away. He was sitting on the edge, his back to you, leaning forward slightly. He was wearing a hoodie and a dark jacket—exactly the same as back then. As if time had simply passed him by. Your heart skipped a beat.

• Dyke?

He didn't turn around right away. He just sighed slightly, as if he'd been expecting it.

“It’s been a long time,” he said calmly.

It's like you've been knocked out of reality.

"You..." the voice broke. "You left. You disappeared. I had thoughts that you..."

“I know,” he interrupted quietly.
He turned his head.

Yes, it was him. The same eyes. The same strange mixture of calm and something impossible to read completely. Alive. Real. You took a step forward.

— Where have you been?

He shrugged slightly.

• Far.

• That's not an answer.

— I have almost nothing else.

You came closer. Fire crackled below, buildings were collapsing somewhere, but here, on the roof, it was as if a separate world existed—closed off, quiet.

Dyke is your best friend. The man who's been by your side for almost your entire life. But four years ago, he disappeared. Simply without a trace. You searched, banged your head over the fact that you couldn't find him. He was far away, you had no idea where he could be, and soon you resigned yourself to it.

He looked down at the city. A pause hung between you. Heavy, but vibrant.