- Where are you going?

- We have been waiting for hours! We are going to next town and see by following the railway?

With that, the first group left, a second one shortly after. We followed the third and last one, along with Hotaru-nee-san.

Someone came back to us, reporting that a second train was nearby, and that its passengers were in the same situation. Employees still on board had confirmed that the railway company was not to blame.

The man said that a few kilometres further on, there was a town, or some kind of a forest. He wasn't sure, it hadn't been made clear to him. What he did know was that this place would serve as our gathering point.

Once we had digested this meagre information, we continued on our way. Each of us went at his own pace, and we always waited patiently for the slower ones, so that no one would get exhausted. The second train was soon in sight, or at least, what was left of it.

Under our feet the rails had given way to dandelions and weeds, until the concrete sleepers that regularly blocked the track were completely swallowed up. Small pebbles no longer stuck to our soles creases, swallowed by the emerging vegetation. Shiro held my hand, absorbed in studying this side of the mirror that he had never approached before.

The second train stood, covered in greenery, half collapsed as if abandoned there for decades. This strange sight aroused emotion, fright, beginnings of anxiety.

We left it behind, turning our backs on it, like to the temple of the little god, on Hinami's grandmother's mountain. Destined to disappear.

The road led us to the town, and we entered it in close ranks, recognising almost nothing. We didn't dare leave our landmark, the metal lines that still shone under the cover of the creeping ivy.

We don't know who took the first step on the dislocated tiles of the station hall, but a rope was already linking us to each other. We all followed the movement, as one, fearing division, the strangeness, the loneliness. Shiro, Hinami and I were only three children who looked up to the adults with falsely incredulous eyes. They, bewildered, displayed their questions in their furrowed brows, their tense mouths, their stiff backs.

I was embarrassed to keep my scanty knowledge to myself, but who would have believed me? How would that have improved the situation?

Step by step, we moved through the streets... We discovered a new urban environment, probably not hostile, but different, deformed by the monstrous assaults of nature. The city had become a luxuriant jungle, it kept some clear lines, some straight avenues, but as whole, our eyes roamed in an impressive fantasy. Trees with striated bark covered the entire surface of some buildings, the concrete disappeared under interlacing lianas. We made our way between these gnarled trunks, these stone-breaking branches and roots, amazed.

- Hey! You there!

A rumour went up among us, there were others! Other people, from elsewhere, from the town itself, also lost. We asked each other questions, trying to understand, to get organised.

The adults scattered again, and some, including Hotaru, volunteered to look after the children. The only help we could give was to stay quiet and calm. Some were crying, asking for their parents, their home. After all, that was normal. They were communicating their unease to the others, and our guardians had all the trouble in the world to reassure them.

The hours passed slowly, we did not move. We were a rendezvous point, and emissaries came and went. We were brought some food and drinks, preserved in the ruins of a combini-market. Hunger - the first of many problems - was already beginning to make our stomachs rumble...

A little girl had become attached to our trio over the minutes. Sitting next to us, she had ended up sticking to Shiro, who didn't seem to mind. When we were handed our portions of food, she had gobbled up her piece, before glancing awkwardly at my companion's, which he had only half nibbled. He had given in to her, discreetly passing his good into her small palm.

- Shiro, don't you need to eat too?

He replied with a smile:

- Yes I do. I'll go and get some more!

The little girl clung to his ankles, with a bright look in her eyes. He stroked her hair and whispered:

- Don't worry! I'll be back soon!

I tried to intervene:

- Wait!

Too late, the little white spirit had already run off towards one of the plant towers. The supervisors did not see him leave, too busy separating two children, brother and sister, who were fighting over their shares.

Worry and anxiety were increasingly present on the faces. The grown-ups spoke in hushed tones, we were kept out of trouble, but the older among us could not ignore the increasingly closed features and sidelong glances that were directed at us.

Soon the day began to decline, the sun bowing behind the concrete and wooden behemoths, the angles of light receding, leaving us in darkness. Shiro still hadn't returned. Six adults were still keeping us company, and anyone who had dropped off some food or blankets had not been around for a while.

I went to relieve myself, in a back alley. When she saw me coming back, Hinami sighed, followed by a bitter smile:

- We're being abandoned again, aren't we? No one wants to be responsible for lost children when they are lost as well. Feeding us, caring for us, worrying that we exist, it's too much to ask for... How long do you think it will be before those too leave us behind?

I nudged her.

- Don't say that. We have to wait and see, and Shiro will be back soon.

Her parents had abandoned her once with her grandmother, and again by never coming to pick her up or see her after her caretaker died... Hinami never trusts adults, which explains why she's always cynical and distrustful, defiant of them. Meanwhile, I shared her impression of the present situation, but her speech would unnecessarily frighten the others. Shiro's young acquaintance was grabbing at me now, looking in the direction my friend had disappeared.

Mr. Nakamura and Hotaru were talking dynamically amongst themselves, no doubt wondering where we should spend the night:

- These buildings are dangerous, we don't know how weak they are, they could collapse on us.

- But we can't stay in the middle of the street... We haven't seen a single animal all day, apart from the birds, but the monkey calls don't reassure me. They are mischievous and can be dangerous if they decide to attack us. We don't know what else we might be exposed to.

The girl tugged at my arm, diverting my attention from the dialogue. A white figure was running towards us. Others, smaller ones, were following close behind.

- Shiro!

I stood up, and everyone turned their heads towards him. He slowed down as he reached the group, he was not alone. Creatures of various sizes, colours and shapes were scurrying about at his heels, or sitting on his shoulders, in his crossed arms. He addressed me directly.

- I found a place to sleep and some food. It was easy, I was helped by the spirits.

The general reaction, after a few seconds of wide eyes and mouths agape, was a great hubbub. The adults participated more than they contained. The various creatures, frightened by the commotion, mostly fled to the four corners. A few preferred to take refuge in the depth of the boy's sleeves.

This time I confided some of what I knew and thought about the current situation, as Shiro was not used to interactions with others and was upset that his little friends had been scared away.

Mr. Nakamura gave me a calm and unobtrusive interrogation. He eventually concluded that we were all too tired to dwell on the details or swallow information that was completely beyond them.

No better option than Shiro's presented itself upon us. We gathered our belongings and followed him through the streets to a low house. It was almost dark, and animal noises were beginning to come from the surrounding area. We entered the house after him, to find an inextricable jumble of everything and anything. Strange fruit, cans, water bottles, chairs, tools, wood debris, clothes in a mess, all lit by a set of luminous insects buzzing on the walls and ceiling. At the back, futons in varying states of shamble stood next to thick layers of leaves.

Shiro clapped his hands and the glowing bugs gathered in the centre of the large room. A small laugh formed in his throat.

The atmosphere relaxed a little, and some children with blankets went to sleep without further question. They fell asleep shortly afterwards. For the others, it took a little longer, the discomfort kept them awake, or they were hungry. The grown-ups glanced at us, asked more questions, always questions, and we didn't necessarily know how to answer, or they didn't necessarily want to believe them. Shiro used me as a human shield and Hinami also defended us. Her nasty temper was ready to sparkle.

Finally, there was silence. Everyone was in bed, except for two guys. The little bugs went out by the window in a single file, leaving us in the flickering light of a candle that had been lit earlier. Shiro lay down between me and Riri, the little chestnut-haired girl. He addressed the watchers one last time before falling asleep:

- We are safe here, the spirits protect us...

They simply nodded in the darkness, not very relaxed. My friend laid down again, closed his eyes. Behind me, Hinami was snoring softly against my ear. Eventually I too dozed off, wondering what trials might await us the next day, or whether I would wake up in my room at the orphanage, barely remembering this absurd journey...

The next morning and all the mornings that followed, I opened my eyes to the sky of this new world, more and more familiar as the days went by. The ruins of our former reality became more and more unrecognizable. The essence of the old world drained away with the rains and evaporated in the shivering of the hot days. After the brutal upheaval of all existences, the Order of things seemed to want to redeem itself, to rub off with an almost imperceptible slowness the last vestiges of modern Japan. Everything, spiritual, living or otherwise, was passively opening itself to a period of evolution and adaptation. It is a bewildering sight, the subtlety and dimensions of which escape our human perceptions, atrophied and tiny in comparison. Strangely, we have all accepted these new rules, without riot, without anger, without madness, almost without doubt... Even the loss of loved ones was eclipsed in the milky fog of change...

The house in which we had spent our first night gradually became our home. Alcoves were carved out of its dark corners, plants stormed the banisters and beams, multiple growths, singing crystals, phosphorescent mushrooms, mossy mouldings, decorated the interior to their heart's content without hindering or endangering the residents. The spirits were invading our corridors. They came in like draughts through the vents - hardly useful now that the walls were randomly poking holes in themselves and closing after a few hours - to sneak under the tatami mats and into the cupboards.

Also, the echoes of our imagination, our desires, each one's vision of an ideal environment rubbed off on the structure of the House. Additional floors appeared from one night to the next, the kitchen grew, the laundry room with its copper whistling pipes and boiler emerged while we looked away. The floors creaked under our feet like bones growing too quickly. We learned not to be surprised anymore by doors slamming, by small objects disappearing, leaving others, incongruous, in their wake. The place's architecture breathed, lived as we did.

It was also true for the other people living in other buildings. It was true for everything that was hidden in our environment. We were all part of the enormous organism that had absorbed us.

We soon began to gather fruits and berries, to cultivate and rear animals. Crafts took shape between our fingers and those of the little spirits. Fate smiled upon us, a mischievous smirk stuck to the corners of its mouths.

Individuals seemed to experience a respite of fulfilment, of letting go. This nameless city became our community, and no one felt the need to look farther.

We didn't suffer from hunger, thirst, cold, or bad weather. In the changing landscape, the elements appeared where necessity called onto them. Diversity flourished in the most unexpected ways. Gestures and habits came to us with surprising genuineness. Soon it was as if everything had always been this way. Only the clarity of our memories and the books we had found allowed us to affirm that there had once been an old world, that everything was different before the Collapse.

The Collapse... We evoke it with reverence, distance, a secret tone in our voices. This event remains engraved in our memories as HAKAI, the cataclysm that razed the foundations of our civilisation, the wave of destruction that spared nothing in its path. We fear its return, we are fascinated by its consequences, and its mystery remains intact.

Time remained our only constant metric, and after a few weeks of floating, the situation changed again. The whispers that had been clouding our minds fell silent, one after the other, and for the first time since our arrival, we noticed them by their silence.

We opened our cleared eyes to our surroundings with complete lucidity.

Riri was with me at the time. We were chatting placidly when her smile suddenly melted away, and then tears streamed down her flushed face : She wanted her mother.

Some left, looking for their family. Often, some walking spirits would slip into their shadows, to follow them wherever their footsteps would lead them. A cloak of greenery clothed them as they disappeared at the edge of the woods, and none of them has yet returned to us.

Since then, we have witnessed many things. Yet, no lawless conflict has overturned our fragile balance. I know the reasons for this, thanks to Shiro.

Through his mind, which brighness keeps pushing the limits of my understanding, which breadth makes my head spin, I could apprehend a much larger scheme:

The gods were watching, wherever they were, whatever they were. Most of them were armed with a phenomenal revival of power. Their grip on the apparent world was tightening. My friend could feel it: the kamigami were channelling all their energy into a common goal, for the common good. With their universal Qi, they were restoring a certain harmony in the midst of these ruins. They had placed a gag on our human consciousnesses, to prevent us from absolute rejection of the facts and the catastrophic fallout it would have cause to us all. This veil had just been lifted, not without pain for most people.

Other days passed, with their share of anecdotes and problems. Weeks followed, then even months. The rice fields prospered, fruits trees alley blossomed, businesses opened. We are certain that there are other towns, other places like our nameless town. Until now, we have never received any news of them.

Even Shiro does not try to go out there. He explores the valley relentlessly, though, always on his own. Nothing keeps him inside for long, day or night. There is something increasingly wild about him. He has friends in the trees, in the streams and under the rocks. Shy friends with whom he shares secrets that he never tells us. When he returns, he becomes discreet, melting into the landscape. He forgets about humans and humans do not pay him any attention. He whispers to the walls of the house, leaving puddles and muddy footprints in his wake. On his left cheek, a nasty scaly crust has developed that itches all the time. He won't let me touch it, but scratches it regularly, making its surface layers fall off in bluish flakes. Some evenings he comes and sits beside me. I untangle his hair for long moments, pulling out leaves, twigs, feathers and tufts of hair. His breathing deepens and he usually falls asleep. I lay him down, turn away for a minute, or blink, and he is gone again.

The mystery that surrounds him fascinates the little girls in the house. He spends time playing with them too. More than once, we had to go and find one or more of his lost playmates in the streets.

Today is probably one time too many. The three girls who were supposed to go to class this afternoon did not show up. We had to go looking for them, braving the torrential downpour that has been flooding the city since dawn. Hinami found them just a few hundred feet from our porch, soaked to the bone.

A shiver runs up my spine as I feel our teacher's gaze burn my face. I try an excuse:

- He couldn't have known the girls would follow him, Sora-sensei.

- That's the problem. He doesn't think about the consequences of his actions on human children. He can't, he's not one! What may be a game to him is dangerous for the girls! I know you think of him as a brother and that you spend a lot of time teaching him things about us, Chihiro. But be careful, it plays tricks on us. I'm running out of patience. It seems far too plausible to me that one of you will end seriously injured.

There's nothing to respond to her statements. Sora-sensei is strict, old-schooled. She considers every counter-argument as defiance or irrespenct. Besides, I have to admit that she is kind of right. I rub Riri with a little more energy. She shivers in the cold and her teeth chatter. The vapors from the laundry room and the hot towels still fail to warm her up. Midori, as chilled as her friend, entrusted to the care of our teacher, defends herself:

- Shiro didn't know! We were following him hidden, all alone! And why do we have to do exercises when there's no school anymore? And he can go and have fun outside? I want too!

The teacher's features close up even more, her stare on me becomes almost accusatory. I curl up a little, concentrating on the wobbly little girl in my arms. Sora-sensei finally turns away, to offer a kind smile to her young counterpart.

- There is no school anymore, it's true. But it is important to learn and to continue to educate yourself. It would be a shame if you couldn't read and write when you grew up. I'm not sure that all children today are lucky enough to be able to go to school.

She adds, in a sanctimonious tone:

- And Shiro is not a child, Midori. He is a spirit. There's no way that I will let you play with him if not under my supervision. He is different. He can hurt you, without meaning to.

That sort of stun me. Hinami makes a theatrical entrance into the room, chiding:

- And Sora-sensei is not a real teacher! She's an old Yokai stuck in a too-tight kimono, who spits on the backs of everything that escapes her authoritarian yoke. Beware Midori! If you contradict her, she will dip you in soy sauce and eat you raw!

The tall woman turns around, stung to the core, draped in her tight clothing and wounded authority.

My friend isn't really clowning around. She doesn't like sensei, her methods, her comments about Shiro. She lets her know that, mocks her and often shows disrespect. I don't agree either, but Hina doesn't set a good example for the younger ones, and I don't agree with the way she expresses her dissent.

We've talked about this before, yet she still insists on being punished... She is the main reason why Sora-sensei can't stand us anymore. Our teacher considers our trio to be a bad influence on the other kids, and lately... we've been proving her right. Each time, I'm the only one who can moderate the situation, since Shiro has no say in the matter and Hinami usually prefers to throw oil on the fire...

- Don't start, you impertinent girl! I won't allow...

Hinami interrupts, twirling to dodge the admonitions:

- Sensei, sensei! You're needed in the kitchen, it's urgent! Shiro, in fact, has just brought back some extraordinary news!

In support, a clamour rises from the half-open door. There is a commotion in the common areas. The tall woman's mouth contorts and her cheeks sucken. She is wary. My friend continues:

- There are travellers with carts coming to the town, they will reach the city centre in fifteen minutes.

This information, and the lively conversations in the corridor, are enough of an argument. Our teacher gently strokes Midori's hair, stands up with dignity, her back impeccably straight, and heads for the exit.

- Don't think you're out of the woods, Hinami. We'll have a discussion later. You're concerned too, Chihiro. Warm up the girls and bring them to the kitchen so they can eat and drink some hot tea.

She finishes with her instructions and closes the door behind her. I don't have time to address Hina that the three escapees, suddenly resuscitated, start chirping around her.

- Travelers? Nah? Real ones? For real?

- Where did Shiro see them?

- Did he talk to them?

- How many of them are there?

- What are they doing here?

- Can we go and see?

I share their curiosity, but Hinami calms down the game by pushing Mine and Midori away with no mercy.

- Not all at once! I don't know anything more than you do. And YOU, YOU and YOU are not going anywhere! You've caused us enough trouble for the day!

She gets three sulky looks. The chatterboxes start up again immediately, while we struggle to get them dressed. Finally, the door opens again, to another dripping face.

Mine has her T-shirt on backwards, Riri has her trousers in her flapping arms and Midori has her head stuck in her collar. Their eyes are round, their mouths open, Shiro at the centre of their attention.

I collect my friend's laundry and hand him a towel. He looks dull, drained. When he moves, he displaces the air like a sigh of exhaustion. Then, all residual emotion fades from his face. He puts a veil of neutrality over it, he wants to hide something. I ask him:

collect my friend's laundry and hand him a towel. He looks dull, drained. When he moves, he displaces the air like a sigh of exhaustion. Then all residual emotion fades from his face. The scab on his cheek looks more inflamed than usual, the dead skin has a greenish tinge that worries me. He keeps his head down, tilted to show only his good side. But even his brown eye is trying to dodge us. He is hiding something. I ask him:

- Have you seen travellers?

His gaze barely shines. He practically avoids me. I touch his superficial consciousness but he withdraws from the contact. I could not feel anything, his emotions and features are mirrored: empty.

- I watched them from a distance. In all, there must be about ten people, they have two carts with them. There are humans, spirits too, some in almost human form.

He pauses for a moment, and adds:

- And they are accompanied by a witch.

The little ones in apnea then intake a deep breath of astonishment. Midori forces her way through her top and cries out:

-A witch?! A real witch who does magic?! like you?!

He seems to lose some of the composure he's been holding on to. For a moment I see a mixture of curiosity and concern, confusion and rejection:

- No, not like me... She's an old mage, disturbing and ugly!