London, 15:00

I felt that this strange Shadow was following me. Slowly, I was getting used to his quiet, constant presence and eyes of moster which were always chasing me.We were getting used to each other, me and him. Two outsiders.

March is still the cold month od year, gloomy, full of mist surrounding the city. Grey top, half-ed white shirt and imposed on this dark navy blue coat gave not enough amount of warm but I didin't care. I liked that delicate shivers of cold. Deceptively, it reminded emotions.

I was just walking around the city aimlessly, riding next kilometers on underground, sometimes walking, looking at passing me people who was so sure about where they're going and what they should do. I almost felt jelaous about it.

Quiet sound of an uncoming message pulled me out from letharg. Slowly, I took off my phone, unlocked it and read short text "Pathcode Exo". The blaze of colour blined me, mixing with pictures, places once saw with all that music, sounds I've heard. I took a sharp breath and blinked a few times. And then again 'till the worlf got back to normal. Something changed but nothiongs has changed at all. My phone rang again, with nice melody and I quickly pick up.

"Kai? Where are you? I'm standing behind your door."

"I'm on a stairs, will be in a minute."

I hung up putting phone back to pocket and look around, through this wilderness. I took deep breath, closed my eyes.

And I disappeared, again feeling alive.

***

Barcelona, 10:09

Quiet jazz music was played in my favourite cafe when, like everyday, I ordered cappuccino and with sweeping movement opened morning newspaper, prepared for new wave of criticism, crises, dersonal defeat. I drank some warm coffee and smoothed the title page.

Involuntarily I held my breath, which after seconds turned into frown and scared eyes. The picture showing something I hope I won't see again froze the blood in my veins. Overshadowed sun wasn't just an eclipse. It was something way more darker, more fearful.

Palpable tension in the air was getting stronger when unexpectedly, all of sudden the light flickered and there was a loud crack of snaping bulb above my head. And before I could react, the world froze.

It's strange feeling looking at people inherent in stillness, a cup suspended in the air which just fell out of waiter's hand. Stranger even more, when I haven't felt it for a very long time.

With the feeling of fear I threw away the newspaper with disgust and headed to the door with that strange sense that something has changed. I passed quickly an aged professor who froze in the middle of flipping pages, I passed the businessman working on his laptop.

The feeling of time began to accelerate when I violently pushed the door running out on the old promenade. And world...world once again lived at its own rhythm. Taking deep breath I looked at bored group of people discussing fiercely about something and starting to ran, feeling something worse than fear. The forces were back and with them something much more dangerous.

***

Berlin, 5:06

I like this moment right before the dawn, when the air is the coldest. I like walking around the city at this time, among old houses which had their own, unique atmosphere. I tossed hand-held skateboard and whistled part of song from stupid kid's movie and pulled on headphones entering the house.

On stairs, as everyday, passed me my neighbour's exboyfriend, who, as yesterday and day before yesterday, was going out before current boyfriend come back from his night shift. He nudged me, saying something he thought was funny, like "out of the way babygirl" and walked away before I could have said something. I'm never saying anything.

I tossed bag on a floor, next to her putting my skateboard. I old, quite dilapidated TV, throwing on a couch my fur hat and headphones and after taking glass of water I sat down.

Suspiciously, after whole night of walking around I wasn't tired at all. I felt strange excitement, like my body knew that something was going to happen. I looked at bright TV screen and froze.

Among the noise two words recurred, words I really wished to forget. Pathcode. Exo. I moved to the edge of my couch, staring hipnotically on repeating statement. Something has changed and feeling gentle and yet breathtaking tingling in fingers, I knew what. I rapidly put down the glass, too scared to just look at it and rushed to doors wanting those words to be just a mistake of my numb mind.

But they weren't, still appearing on the screen, being the only witnesses of quietly crackling frost which started hugging the glass like soon to be gone lover.

The cold was back and I prayed to all gods I knew, that with cold hasn't returned fear.