It was an ordinary day.
And that alone made it rare.
Kalin woke to morning light slipping through the window,
soft sounds coming from the kitchen,
and the gentle scent of something delicious being prepared.
He no longer woke up startled.
No longer opened his eyes in fear.
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked around.
The room was still new…
but it no longer felt unfamiliar.
It was starting to feel like his.
He opened the small box and checked on Kochi.
Carefully, he took the tiny creature out.
Small enough to fit in one hand…
and glowing.
As if light clung to it instead of reflecting off it.
The creature opened its eyes slowly.
Kalin smiled without realizing.
"Good morning…"
It didn't speak,
but its eyes widened and it moved lightly.
It jumped onto the pillow, rolled clumsily,
as if learning how to move for the first time.
Kalin laughed.
A real laugh. Short, soft, and sincere.
He sat on the floor and played with it.
Rolling it gently, hiding it behind his back,
then surprising it again.
As if Kochi had already grown attached to him.
Closer than it should be.
Kalin paused and stared at it.
"You're strange…" he whispered,
then added with a faint smile,
"but very cute."
The creature approached and touched his finger.
A warm sensation spread through him…
like someone saying: I'm here.
He took a deep breath.
"I was lost…
and I still think about my sister.
I left her. I don't know if she's okay.
I miss her. We used to laugh and play together.
Having a sibling… someone who stands by you…
that was the most beautiful thing.
Was I weak when I lost her?
I didn't know who to trust.
Are you like me too?"
He said it without looking at the creature.
Silence settled.
Then, as if making a quiet decision inside himself,
he continued:
"I found you…
like you filled something missing in me.
You'll stay with me."
He held it gently to his chest.
"I'll take care of you. I promise."
Outside,
the cat chased its tail,
the dog jumped excitedly,
and a gentle warmth filled the house.
Kalin smiled again.
"And I won't forget you either…
You're the reason I feel happy."
For the first time,
he didn't feel torn between two worlds.
He was here.
And he belonged.
He looked at the creature again.
Thought for a moment.
"Kochi."
The creature moved lightly,
as if it liked the name.
"Yes… you're Kochi.
I named you. Do you like it?"
Kalin laughed.
"A simple name… like you."
At sunset, he sat by the window.
Kochi rested beside him.
The cat slept near his feet.
The dog lay quietly by the door.
He thought about everything he had seen before:
the files,
the names,
the dark world he had glimpsed only once.
Then…
he closed that door in his mind.
Not now.
Not today.
He chose to live.
A normal life.
Without fear.
Without feeling watched.
A new page.
With his new family.
With Kochi.
With himself.
"Son! Lunch time!"
his mother called.
"Coming!"
Hours passed.
Night came.
He fell asleep smiling.
Not realizing…
some things are never truly forgotten.
They only wait.
Kochi slipped out of its little box,
moved toward him,
spun once,
then curled near his chest
as if it knew exactly where safety was.
Kalin spoke softly about his day.
"We're together now… right?
I like you."
The creature never spoke.
But its actions did.
Sometimes it vanished for moments…
then returned
as if it had never left.
Kalin didn't ask.
He wanted to forget.
"I'll live normally.
I'll move forward.
Later… I'll search. I'll explore."
What he didn't know…
Far away,
a screen lit up.
File updated.
Status: stable and complete.
"The next phase
will be harder."
Days passed quietly.
Kochi stayed.
Not because the past disappeared
but because the present had become kinder.
The house was no longer just shelter.
It was a refuge.
Morning sounds.
His mother laughing.
His father calling his name.
He hadn't forgotten everything.
But he was healing.
One day, a small cat entered the house.
The next day, a dog followed.
Kalin laughed.
As if he suddenly remembered
what it meant to have a family.
Not someone who watches you…
but someone who sits beside you.
He thought the world had finally stopped watching him.
Was he wrong?
Or was he right?