Chapter 6 - 1.6 : The Small Building and The Big Beginning
They walked down the side corridor of the estate toward the dimming garden. At the end of a narrow stone path, a small structure came into view, faintly illuminated by the rising moonlight. Moss crept along its walls, and the wooden window frames were rotting. Overgrown grass curled around its foundation, and an old garden lamp flickered weakly, barely clinging to life.
Al followed behind Harun in silence, footsteps echoing faintly along the corridor. The distant sound of the other servants faded, leaving only stillness.
He closed his eyes for a moment. A flicker of memory surfaced—
a cramped orphanage with a leaky roof, spoiled rice, children’s laughter echoing through dusty halls, and the promise of a kind old woman he once loved:
"You’ll find your home someday..."
Now, he was here.
But to him, this place already felt colder than that orphanage.
When they arrived, Harun stood before the old door and pulled out a slightly rusted iron key. A heavy click echoed as he turned it in the lock.
"This is it," he said, without any preamble, and slowly pushed the door open. He stepped inside and turned on a dim light.
The room was dark, thick with dust and cobwebs. The floorboards creaked underfoot. The air smelled of damp wood mixed with the faded sting of old mothballs. Broken crates and discarded planks littered the corners. It looked more like an abandoned shed than a former cat house.
Al stepped in, paused, then turned toward Harun.
"This is better than I expected. I’d like to clean it myself. Where are the cleaning tools?"