They drove to a quiet little café on the outskirts of town. Soft music played from speakers overhead, and Alice felt special walking in with a handsome man by her side. She had the distinct feeling people were staring at her—their eyes glinting with jealousy. Proudly, she settled into the chair Not-a-Doctor pulled out for her. The waiter took their order with a smile. This was a world she’d never known. And she liked it.

  “So, how do you feel in your new form?” Not-a-Doctor asked, flashing her a charming smile.

  “I love it. Everyone looks at me with envy. I could get used to this,” Alice said, her gaze sweeping the room.

  “Life’s no fairytale.” He stared at the ceiling, his voice dropping. “But that doesn’t mean it has to be a nightmare, either. Yours won’t be a storybook ending—that’s for certain. The rest, though? That’s up to you.”

  Alice’s heart lurched, but not in the pleasant way it had before. Her muscles tensed as a sharp, unfamiliar ache spread through her chest.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  And just like that, the magic shattered.

  “What do you think I mean?” His ice-blue eyes locked onto hers. “You’ve learned to swirl dust motes into shapes, maybe spin a snowflake or a dry leaf now and then. The radio glitches when you’re in a bad mood, and lights flicker when you’re scared. That’s not enough, Alice. Nowhere near enough.”

  His tone sharpened like a blade.

  “I didn’t come here to play the prince from your storybooks—to rescue you from pain. And I won’t pretend to be the wise mentor, spelling out every secret for you. By now, you must realize I have my own reasons for being here. And whether you admit it or not… so do you.” A pause, weighted. “Life’s slipping through your fingers. There’s work to be done. Time’s running out. It’s been… amusing. But it’s time to grow up.”

  His laugh, melodic yet hollow, echoed through the café. A few patrons shivered, though none could say why. Inside Alice, the last flicker of joy guttered out, swallowed by something darker—a thick, seeping void of fear, anger, sadness, and something else, too raw yet to name.

  “Why are you telling me this?” she asked.

  “Are you really that na?ve, girl? It’s time to take a step forward.”

  A step forward? In an instant, Alice’s mind conjured every painful moment of her life—

  the death of her parents, her aunt’s abandonment, the relentless bullying at school, and even… Yes, even the death of that stranger—the one whose name she’d never learned,

  though his blood still clung to her hands in dreams.

  “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here,” she whispered, tears carving hot trails down her cheeks.

  Around them, the café’s patrons turned away in unison, their gazes sliding off the pair like water off glass. She knew he’d orchestrated it. Knew it in her bones, even if the how eluded her.

  “You think I had you practice all that for no reason? Every second was training—rewiring your brain. Your mind’s begun grasping that limits can bend, that so-called ‘laws’ aren’t ironclad, even if you haven’t found the cracks yet. The energy you emit now warps the world’s reactions. Stronger field, less effort, greater reach. And thanks to that, I’m invisible here. Right now, Alice? I don’t exist. I’m just your shadow.”

  “So you can waltz in and out whenever?” she spat. “Then why the hell should I listen? You got what you wanted.”

  “Are you mocking me?” His smile evaporated. “Your tantries bore me. This world—a festering pit of rot and vermin spilling into the cosmos—disgusts me. I’m only here because of you. Without you, I’d never dirty myself by crossing the boundary.”

  “So I’m just your tool,” she said, surging up from the table.

  “If I’m nothing to you, then get out of my life! Find another puppet!”

  Her muscles locked. Her knees gave way, dumping her back into the chair like a discarded marionette. Defeated. Crushed. Utterly powerless.

  “I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”

  He lit a cigarette despite the café’s no-smoking policy. The waiter brought an ashtray without a word already forgetting the table’s occupants.

  “You’ve learned to focus energy, even direct it slightly. But that’s child’s play. School taught you the world is particles. Now you’ll learn to reshape them. Time to understand world you live in, and the society that rejects you.”

  As he spoke, fresh tears cut tracks down her cheeks.

  “Enough. No more tears. I’m not hurting you. I know puberty messes with emotional stability, but bursting into tears every fifteen minutes is just hysteria.”

  “What do you want from me?” Alice growled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

  “I want you to gain control of yourself. Move past this adolescent phase. Focus on self-mastery. You’ll choose your own path.”

  “My path?! You already chose it for me!”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Lower your voice. No one’s going to notice you anyway.” Not-a-Doctor grimaced, clearly annoyed by her outburst. “Their minds aren’t even trying to resist. So don’t waste your energy.”

  “You’re erasing their memories? Just like that?” Alice stared with disbelief.

  “Obviously. That’s why you should also understand that I can use you like a ragdoll whenever I want. The only reason we’re even talking right now is because I choose to. I won’t force anything on you, won’t try to convince you of anything. You’ll make the decision yourself— and you’ll pay the price for it yourself.”

  “Then I’ve decided. Get out of my life!”

  “Entirely doable. But what will you do once I’m gone? Where will you go back to? Where will you get money? Have you thought about that—even for a second? Because surely you don’t believe I gave you all this out of the kindness of my heart. The old house, Helena, Valery, Gregory, everything in that bunker… Once I decide to leave, you lose all of that too.”

  Alicja’s retort died. She mulled over his words hunting for alternatives that weren’t there. The bastard was right. Without him, she’d be destitute.

  “What do you want me to do?” she asked, not bothering to hide the contempt in her voice. “Nothing major, Alice,” he said, stubbing out his cigarette.

  Silence stretched between them, a battlefield of locked gazes. Alice trembled—not from fear, but from rage fermenting in her blood. Across the table, the black-haired man smiled, savoring his victory like wine.

  “There’s a tremendous talent inside you, Alice. What you manage to do now, with such great effort, is nothing compared to what you could achieve. Let me stop your childish accusations before they start: I don’t want to use you. You don’t owe me anything. I’m not asking for help. I just want you to awaken what’s still dormant inside. It won’t be easy—but it’s possible. What you choose to do with that power afterward is entirely up to you. If you want to save the world, I won’t stand in your way. If you want to burn it down, I’ll hand you the match. And if you choose to disappear, I’ll understand.”

  “Too good to be true,” Alice muttered into her latte. “Where’s the trap?”

  His smile widened, all teeth and no warmth.

  “There is no trap.”

  “I didn’t ask if one exists. I’m asking where you’ve hidden it. Don’t try to convince me things are as perfect as you make them sound.”

  The Not-a-Doctor paused, his ice-blue gaze drilling into her. The sensation crawled under her skin like insects, but she held his stare, or at least didn't look away first.

  “I’m not sure I like your tone," he said at last, exhaling as if bored by her defiance.

  "You should. It’s the same tone you’ve been using with me all along. I’ve just learned it from you. If you want me to change it, then start by changing the way you speak to me.”

  At that, the Not-a-Doctor let out a loud laugh.

  “Ah, adolescence… Such a miserable stage of life. The only time you humans so clearly show you’re just animals roaming a concrete jungle, where nothing natural threatens you anymore.”

  Alice didn’t have a good comeback for that. Hard to come up with one when you're burning with fury inside. Still, she wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to show weakness again. This was war now—a dirty, cruel war. She didn’t like it, but then again, she’d started it.

  “Well, since you’ve already insulted me enough, can we get back to the part about the ‘no trap added’ offer of yours?”

  “There are none, Alice. I already told you that, and I’m not changing my answer. Do what you want, but unlock your potential.”

  "Why do you even care?"

  “Because I want to see which path you’ll choose.”

  She waited silently for more, but nothing came. The man was studying her intently. He was analyzing her—she was sure of it. She couldn’t say how, or why, but something was circling around her, drawing tighter and tighter.

  "And after you see?" Her voice barely carried.

  “Then I’ll feel satisfied.” The man lit another cigarette. “You don’t understand—and you won’t. Don’t waste time trying to. Immortals have their ways of killing boredom. Sometimes, we don’t need a rational reason to find something fascinating.”

  Alice nearly choked when she heard his words.

  “Immortal?!” she asked, once she’d stopped coughing. “You’re joking, right? You mean, like, you can’t be killed?”

  He looked at her with almost theatrical indifference.

  “Nature doesn’t like things that last forever. I can be hurt. I can be killed. I breathe, I bleed, just like everyone else.”

  Alice laughed, but there was no joy in it. Only irony, far too bitter for someone her age, and a trace of grim satisfaction. But all of that vanished when she heard what he said next.

  “The only problem is... no one’s managed to do it yet.”

  Silence fell—the worst kind of silence. Awkward, heavy, crushing under its own weight. The words he’d just spoken echoed in the girl's mind, growing more threatening with every passing moment. And yet, another voice rose within her—a cynical one, urging her to doubt, to question all of it. Yes, she wanted to. Honestly, considering the vastness of the universe, it was hard to believe she was really sitting here, drinking coffee with the most powerful being in existence. Too bad that didn’t change anything. That quiet, melancholic voice had been with her ever since her parents died. And now it whispered again, reminding her: even if someone out there was strong enough to defeat him, even if someone could bring him down, it wouldn't matter. Not to her. She wouldn’t stand a chance either way.

  “Should I explain anything else?” he asked.

  She said nothing, so he continued with a sneer.

  “Why do I bother asking? You already know everything. After all, you’ve mastered the art of dust manipulation. But—if you ever feel like listening to someone as unworthy as myself—I’d advise you to work on your energy shield. Learn to build barriers around yourself. I have a feeling that skill may come in handy soon. And beyond that... it’s time you learned to affect your surroundings more efficiently.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud.”

  Once the bill was settled, they left the café. They stayed silent on the way home. Soft music played. They stared straight ahead, watching the road unfold. Maybe there’s some kind of metaphor in that, Alice thought, though she knew it was nonsense. The world exists, follows its own rules. Only fragile people search for meaning and symbolism in everything. He doesn’t need that, she thought, glancing at the Not-a-Doctor. He walks the path he chose—no signs or explanations required. A dozen or so years isn't enough to comprehend reality. But it’s enough to know the world is far more complicated than we’d like it to be. Alice knew this. She felt it. But the hormones raging through her still wanted to believe something else. The man behind the wheel sensed it, but not even a flicker of understanding stirred in his heart. They both had their roles to play. That was what mattered. That was the priority. Everything else—moral dilemmas, tangled debates, frantic analysis—meant nothing.

  They parted without a word. She gave him a small nod in farewell, pressed her lips together in a gesture of thanks. He tilted his head slightly, meeting her eyes. For a brief moment, a faint smile touched his thin lips, but it vanished before she could decipher what it meant. She closed the car door behind her and felt suddenly older. A new weight settled on her shoulders, one she’d never known before, and had no desire to carry. Something strange tightened in her stomach as he finally drove off, leaving her alone in the driveway with all of it. A breeze brushed past her cheek. Only then did she realize she was crying.