Some time later, Diamond felt something gently nudge his arm.
That light touch woke him.
He opened his eyes slowly; his face was still wet with dried tears, as if there was nothing left inside him that could be shed.
He sat up slowly, confused, wishing—with all his being—that everything he had experienced had been a bad dream. But no...
He wasn't on the ship.
All around him stretched an immense field of flowers, an ocean of blue roses that faded as far as the eye could see, and beyond.
When he lifted his head, Diamond saw who had woken him.
He blinked several times, rubbing his eyes with one hand to clear his vision, while the other buried itself among the soft petals.
In front of him stood a tall man—twice his size, perhaps six feet six inches, with short, slightly messy black hair. His eyes, a warm shade of light brown, watched him with a mixture of calm and curiosity
Diamond looked down and noticed the sword hanging at his side. His attention then fell on the
stranger's hands: five fingers. Not four.
Diamond's heart skipped a beat.
It was a ceramic mannequin.
And he wasn't hiding it.
On instinct, Diamond recoiled, covering his face with his arms, trembling with fear.
After a few tense, silent seconds, a question mark hung in the air.
The ceramic man raised an eyebrow, straightened calmly, and rested the sword on his own shoulder.
"Is that all you're going to do?" he asked in a deep, resonant voice, surprisingly pleasant despite the coldness he displayed on the outside.
Diamond slowly lowered his arms, looking at him with confusion and fear, as fresh tears welled in his eyes. The man noticed.
"Don't do that," he said calmly. "Crying won't do any good."
Diamond wanted to ask if he was going to hurt him, but the words caught in his throat when, suddenly, the ceramic man scooped him up in his arms with a single movement. He lifted him easily, holding him seated on his forearm.
Diamond instinctively clung to his clothes, afraid of falling again. However, this sensation was
different.
It wasn't like the guard's rough grip that had thrown him into the void.
It was a firm contact, yes... but gentle.
Almost tender.
The man said nothing more; he moved forward silently, carrying Diamond in his arms. For a while, only the
soft rustling of the flowers as they were moved aside by his footsteps could be heard.
Diamond, still wiping his tears with his arm, broke the silence:
"Where are we going...?"
The ceramic man barely turned his eyes toward him before answering, his voice deep and sharp:
"To a safe place."
"A ship?" Diamond asked hopefully.
The man gave a short, bitter laugh, shaking his head.
"No. Nothing like that."
Diamond looked down, uncertain, and then spoke again in a soft voice:
"Um... uh... what's your name?"
The man answered bluntly:
-Change.
-Like the noun for "change"? -Diamond asked with a touch of innocence.
-Yes... but in another language it sounds more romantic. Say it right. -His tone was calm, almost patient.
Diamond frowned, puffing out his cheeks slightly.
-C... Change.
-No, not like that. Change. As if the "a" were an "e," and it ends with an "s."
Diamond tried again, more slowly:
-Change...
The man nodded, more satisfied this time.
-That's better...
Diamond avoided looking at him, still nervous. He didn't know if this ceramic man was going to hurt him, although
asking seemed stupid. Change had already said they were going somewhere safe...
However, Diamond couldn't help himself: he'd already been tricked once by a ceramic doll, and he didn't want to be betrayed again. But at the same time, he also didn't want to be rude to someone who seemingly wanted to help him.
So he decided to remain silent, alert, prepared for any setback. If anything happens, he thought, I hope the ship's gym classes will be of some use...
Change noticed his worried expression and, as if reading his thoughts, spoke with a calmness that
was disarming:
"No, I'm not going to hurt you."
Diamond stared at him in surprise, his eyes wide.
"How...?"
Change barely smiled.
"No, my talent isn't mind-reading. You just seem like an open book."
Diamond frowned, puffing out his cheeks in visible annoyance... though the gesture was more endearing than threatening.
Diamond remained silent for a few minutes, until an unfamiliar sound caught his attention.
It was birds
He raised his head, fascinated. In the ship, with its artificial and enclosed atmosphere, he had never heard anything so alive, so free.
Change noticed and approached, still carrying him in his arms, until they stopped beside a nearby tree. Among the branches, several birds moved in a small nest, responsible for that sweet melody.
"Do you like it?" Change asked in a calm voice.
Diamond nodded, raising his arms toward the birds, as if he wanted to touch them. But Change didn't lift him any higher. He knew that, however tender the scene was, the animals could be frightened... or unintentionally hurt him.
Without saying anything, he resumed walking, the sound of the birds receding with each step. Diamond, however, rested his head on his shoulder, looking back, trying to etch that moment into his memory.
"There are many kinds of animals out here," Change commented serenely, "but you must be careful around them."
Diamond nodded, still gazing at the sky, marveling.
After a long journey, they finally arrived at the shelter.
At first glance, it looked like a small town, quiet and surrounded by a warm air of everyday life.
But when Diamond looked up, he was speechless.
Before his eyes lay something he would never have believed possible based on everything he had learned on the ship:
cloth dolls and ceramic dolls, living together.
There was no hostility or fear. Only cooperation.
A cloth doll was exchanging coins with a ceramic one for supplies; further on, a ceramic man was working in a forge, helped by a small cloth doll who handed him tools with a smile.
Diamond watched the scene, completely bewildered.
"What... is this?" he asked, barely a whisper.
Change smiled slightly, his deep voice softening.
"This is Peace, the city of equality."
Diamond stared at him, still surprised, not knowing what to say
"I'd like to tell you more," Change said calmly, "but you've come in after a bad fall... and I still don't know exactly what happened to you. I'll take you to a bedroom so you can rest."
Without another word, he led him to a medium-sized wooden house, simple but welcoming. As they entered, Change's footsteps echoed softly on the floorboards as he made his way down the hallways to a quiet room.
He laid Diamond on a soft, warm bed, then silently bent down to remove his shoes. As he took off the boots shaped like deer paws, he paused for a moment, looking at them with a touch of curiosity.
"I thought they were actually your paws," he remarked with a faint smile.
Diamond looked down, barely smiling.
"I... I often get that..."
Change covered him with the blanket up to his shoulders, with a gentleness that belied his imposing appearance.
"Rest," he said simply before leaving the room and closing the door
Diamond was left alone, silence enveloping him. He turned his head to the side, his eyes moist again. "Tri..." he whispered sadly.
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