I stood in my room, looking over the contents of my wardrobe. I didn't want to dwell on depressing thoughts. I put on a red skirt and chose a blouse-like top that subtly covered what needed to be covered but still allowed me to look nice. I let my hair down, allowing the dark strands to fall freely. That's when I noticed that Elis had also dressed up: she wore a light blue dress, her blonde hair glowing even brighter in the dim light. As I looked at myself in the mirror, one thought flashed through my mind: I'm alive. I didn't die. I should be happy about this. I should be happy that I can still see Clara and be here with Elis. However, the moment was interrupted by an unexpected idea. I spotted those high-heeled boots in the wardrobe that I received when I first arrived here. I grabbed them and tossed them to Elis.
"Look, a gift for you!"
Elis stared at them for a moment, then raised her eyebrows.
"Oh my God! Are you trying to send me out on the streets as a stripper?"
My laughter caught in my throat when she added,
"Well, I'd rather be a newspaper vendor because I'd definitely break my neck in these!"
I couldn't hold back anymore. We laughed out loud, and finally, both choosing our own shoes, we set off into the city, nicely dressed.
The streets glowed in the light of the lanterns. The special decorations of the houses, the old marble buildings, the dark yet inviting alleys... everything was so different from the rest of the world. The city had its own charm. It was no coincidence that we preferred walking over any other mode of transportation. As we walked, my thoughts wandered. Then a deep voice echoed in my mind, as if an old echo had returned:
"That was just my reckless decision."
A tight feeling arose in my chest. It was as if images flashed from nowhere. I was confused, my heart was pounding, and for a moment, I felt like I couldn't breathe. In my mind, green eyes flashed, sharp and cold. Instinctively, I blinked, trying to return to the present. Elis was talking beside me, her voice soothing, even if I couldn't fully follow her words. I tried to focus on her, her playful style, her laughter, and slowly I returned to reality.
The club was inviting from afar. It wasn't like an average club: the red carpets, the carved marble columns, the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling all transported us to a sophisticated yet mysterious world. The dance floor wasn't a crowded chaos; every movement here was filled with elegance and rhythm, as if people weren't just dancing but were part of an ancient ritual. As we entered, Elis and I quickly downed a glass of wine. Then another. And another. Just this once... let a little more slip by. The lights flickered, the music pulsed, and I tried to forget what awaited me tomorrow. Then, in a point in the crowd, I spotted a familiar figure. The general. In the play of the spotlights, his face was sometimes shrouded in shadow, sometimes sharply outlined. His gaze met mine, and I immediately knew he saw through me. He saw that I had drunk too much wine, saw that I was trying to have fun, but inside, something was still gnawing at me. Before I knew it, he was already heading towards me. Elis was talking to someone, so she didn't even notice the general approaching. For a single second, I wondered. What does he want to say to me? And am I prepared to hear it? He's definitely angry.
The general approached me, his movements light yet determined, as if he had calculated every step in advance. The shadows danced on the marble floor to the rhythm of the music, and for a moment, I thought maybe it was just the wine playing tricks on me, that maybe I was just imagining he was coming straight towards me. But no. His gaze was locked onto mine, and as he stopped in front of me, a faint, barely noticeable smile crossed his face.
"I see you're having a good time," he said, his voice deep, velvety, yet with a measured discipline.
I couldn't tell if he was mocking me or just making a simple observation. I tried to pull myself together, and with difficulty, I managed to force a small smile onto my face. Although it wasn't customary for me to smile at him or anyone else here, now it was as if I was speaking to a friend.
"Well, since they're sending me to a place tomorrow where I might not return from, I thought I'd make the most of the evening," I replied lightly, as if it didn't hurt at all to say that sentence.
The general furrowed his brow, and for half a second, it seemed as if he wanted to say something. But then he just sighed and placed a glass in front of me on the counter, which the waiter had brought from nowhere. It was water.
"Drink slower. If you really want to enjoy an evening, at least remember it the next day!"
I laughed, but there was something bitter in that laughter. Maybe he felt it too.
"How kind," I remarked sarcastically. "So now you're the one looking out for me?"
The general didn't respond immediately. For a long moment, he just watched me, as if weighing his answer. Then he slowly put down his own glass and looked at me with his head tilted.
"No. I'm not looking out for you. But I can see that tonight, you don't really want to look out for yourself."
His words stopped me for a moment. There was something sharp in them, something too precise. As if he saw something in me that I didn't even want to notice. I reached for my glass, but he stopped my hand with a gesture. Not strongly, just enough to stop my movement.
"You have to leave tomorrow," he said quietly, and for the first time, there was nothing official in his voice. There was no military discipline, just a strange softness I had never heard from him before.
"It's not certain that anyone will bring you back if you get into trouble."
A lump formed in my throat for a moment. I didn't know what to reply. Because deep down, we both knew that was the truth.
"I know," I finally whispered.
The general held my gaze for another moment, then slowly released my hand.
"Then at least don't set out on your journey having already let go of your life."
His words lingered in the air as he slowly stepped back, as if signaling that he didn't want to continue the conversation. But I looked at him for a long moment, trying to figure out what he might be thinking. Then finally, I just nodded and turned back to Elis, who had noticed that something was happening between us. Her face reflected curiosity, but she didn't say a word. The general disappeared into the crowd as if he had never been there.