Read Cotton Echoes :: The beginning 1,3

Diamond purred louder as he hugged the small stuffed animal to his chest.

"Go ahead, you can go put it in your dorm room. We'll see each other again in class," Tri said calmly.

Diamond nodded with a radiant smile and ran down the hall. When he got to his room, he placed the stuffed shark in the middle of his bed, arranging it carefully, as if it were a treasure.

Then he skipped off happily toward the classroom, letting his mind wander about the new day he would spend with Tri.

"Maybe we could go to the aquarium," he thought excitedly. Vic loves sea creatures... it would make sense with Tri's gift.

But when he got to the classroom, he stopped dead in his tracks. The door was closed, and a poster hung in the center.

Diamond frowned, puffing out his cheeks in a small pout of confusion. He stared at the poster, not quite understanding, then sighed softly and decided to wait, sitting on the floor by the door, patiently wagging his tail from side to side

As the minutes ticked by, Diamond began to get bored. At first, he sat still, but soon he started pacing, hopping between the tiles and avoiding the cracks in the floor, as if playing a little game to kill time.

Then, a deep voice pulled him from his distraction.

"Diamond? There's an urgent meeting. Why haven't you come yet?" asked a professor with dark red fur, his tone stern.

Diamond stopped dead in his tracks and looked at him, confused.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know," he replied timidly.

The professor sighed, crossing his arms.

"And it didn't occur to you to read the sign on the door? It says so clearly," he reproached him.

Diamond, somewhat embarrassed, glanced back at the sign and, this time, read it carefully. Before he could say anything else, the professor took his arm firmly, but gently, and led him down the corridor toward the ship's central hall, where the meeting would be held

They quickly reached the central hall. There, standing on the large circular table, was the ship's master: a tall, imposing man with long black hair, eyes of the same color, and velvety, pale skin that gleamed in the hall's artificial light.

Diamond stood beside the professor, silently watching as all the dolls gathered around. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with a tension that made even the air seem denser.

The master raised his voice.

"We are gathered here to discuss a terrible event..." he began, letting the echo of his words fill the room. "Today, our beloved Vic passed away. He was found this morning by one of his colleagues in his dormitory... with his chest ripped open. All indications are that he was the victim of a ceramic doll."

A shuddering murmur rippled through the room. Diamond's eyes snapped open in horror; his expression froze, and his already pale skin drained even more color.

"Vic...?" he murmured, barely audible.

The sound of voices around him grew distant, muffled. It was as if the entire world had been shrouded in a thick veil. Trembling ran through his arms and chest as his friend's name echoed over and over in his mind

"This pendant was found near Vic's body," the boss announced in a grave voice.

He raised his hand and displayed the object to everyone: a small, shiny, blue ball with ears and soft fur.

Diamond barely caught a glimpse of it, still paralyzed by the news of his friend's death. However, another doll's voice broke the general murmur.

"Diamond bought that pendant recently at my shop!" shouted the ornament clerk, pointing at him from the back of the room. "I sold it to him myself!"

Diamond blinked, puzzled, not quite understanding.

"Huh...? What...?" he stammered, before focusing his gaze on the object the boss was holding.

His eyes widened. He recognized it instantly. It was the gift he had given the day before... to Tri.

"That... I gave that to Tri," he clarified in a weak voice, barely managing to escape his throat.

The boss frowned at him

"Tri?" he repeated, flipping through the documents on the table. "We have no navigator registered by that name currently on board."

Diamond felt the floor disappear beneath his feet.

"What...? No... that can't be..." he murmured, unable to believe what he was hearing, as his breathing became ragged and the entire room seemed to become a distant echo.

Diamond placed a hand on a chair, trying not to lose his balance. He felt everyone's eyes on his back, heavy as stones. His breathing became short and trembling.

"Go check his bedroom," the boss ordered in a firm voice.

Diamond barely raised his head. He didn't care if they searched his room; he had nothing to hide. He just wanted to get out of there.

"I have to go see Vic..." he murmured, taking a step toward the door.

But before he could move forward, a guard stepped in front of him and grabbed his arm tightly.

"You can't enter the crime scene," he said authoritatively.

"Then... let me go see Tri," Diamond pleaded, his voice breaking, a mixture of pleading and fear

"No. You need to be isolated, for your safety... and to make sure you don't try to escape," the guard replied, without looking him in the eye.

Diamond opened his mouth in disbelief.

"Escape? Where would I go? We're on a ship, in the middle of nowhere!" he protested, as he was dragged away from the lounge, with the other dummies watching in silence.

Footsteps echoed through the cold, empty metal corridors, toward a room where he would be locked in quarantine.

And for the first time since he had woken up that morning, Diamond felt real fear.

Diamond was dragged down the corridor to an empty room. When they arrived, the guards opened the door and shoved him carelessly inside. He stumbled, falling to his knees on the cold floor.

The door slammed shut behind him. The sound of the bolt echoed throughout the room, but Diamond barely heard it. He stood there, still, his breath ragged

Slowly, she brought her hands to her face, covering her eyes. Through her own fingers, she saw the blurry floor as tears began to fall. One... then another... and another.

Soon, sobs filled the silence of the place.

"Vic..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "What happened to you? Were you scared? Did you suffer a lot...?"

His body trembled. Tears slid down his velvety skin and fell onto his knees, leaving small dark marks on the fabric.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Vic..." he repeated over and over, until his voice trailed off in sobs and the echo of the ship enveloped him completely.