(Elira's POV)
I was singing. No—we were singing.
The whole street had somehow turned into a festival. People were clapping, laughing, singing along with me, and the guy from the café was still playing his guitar like he had suddenly become the background musician for my life story.
Honestly, it felt amazing. Just a while ago I had been a runaway girl hiding in black clothes, and now I was standing on a food stall counter like some dramatic street performer, singing at the top of my lungs while strangers danced around me.
Best escape plan ever. I hit the high note of the song, closing my eyes like a professional singer would. People cheered and clapped along with the rhythm, and the entire street echoed with music and laughter.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I actually belonged somewhere.
Run, run, run away, Let the broken chains decay,
Run, run, run away, Tonight I find my way—
Then something strange happened. One second we were all singing happily under the glowing street lights. The next second…Everything stopped.
I finished the high note and opened my eyes, expecting applause or at least some cheering. Instead, silence greeted me. Not the normal quiet that comes when music ends.
No. This was the kind of silence that makes your ears ring. My eyes widened. In fact, they widened so much I was pretty sure if they opened any more they would pop out of my face. My mouth stayed open too. Because everyone…Every single person on that street…Was frozen.
Completely frozen. A woman stood with a spoon halfway to her mouth. A man held his drink in the air as if he had just been about to take a sip.
A kid nearby was mid-step, one foot lifted off the ground like he had paused in the middle of running. Even the guitarist looked like a statue, his fingers resting on the strings of the guitar without moving.
For a moment, I just stared. Then I blinked. Then I rubbed my eyes."…Okay," I muttered slowly.
No one moved. No one blinked. Nothing.I carefully jumped down from the stall I had been standing on and landed on the street. The sound of my boots hitting the ground echoed strangely in the silence.
I walked toward the nearest person—a middle-aged man holding a drink. His mouth was slightly open like he had been singing with me moments ago, and his eyes were still pointed toward the stall where I had been standing.
"Hello?" I waved my hand in front of his face. Nothing. Not even a blink. "Sir?" I tried again. Still nothing. I slowly reached for the glass in his hand and gently pulled it away.
The drink slid out of his grip easily. He didn't react. Not even a little. I stared at the glass in my hand, then back at him. "Well," I said awkwardly, "I was kind of hoping you'd grab it back and yell 'Hey, that's mine.'
"No response. Great. Apparently I was now the only moving person in a city full of human statues. I sighed and walked farther down the street, still hoping someone would suddenly laugh and say it was a prank.
I waved my hands in front of people's eyes. I snapped my fingers. I even lightly poked a guy's shoulder. Nothing. Not a twitch.
"Wow," I muttered. "You people are very committed to this game."
I tried a few more things out of pure curiosity. I waved dramatically in front of a woman's face. Still nothing. Then, because my brain apparently thought this was the perfect time for childish behavior, I stuck out my tongue at her. She remained frozen.
I sighed and spread my arms wide. "Seriously?" I complained to the empty street. "Are we playing statue statue or something? Because if we are, I would really appreciate someone explaining the rules."
Silence answered me. Typical. As I wandered around the street, my eyes suddenly landed on a bench nearby. And I instantly regretted looking. A couple was sitting there. Frozen. Mid-lean. About two centimeters away from kissing.
I whipped my head to the side immediately. "NOPE." I held up my hands like I had just walked in on something illegal. "I am absolutely not watching that."
After a moment I peeked again. Still frozen. Still almost kissing.I folded my arms and looked at them thoughtfully.
"Well," I said slowly, "how romantic." I gestured dramatically toward them.
"I'm singing an emotional high-note song about freedom and life, and you two decide that's the perfect moment to kiss." I nodded approvingly. "Honestly? Respect."
Then I looked up at the sky. The night was clear and filled with stars, scattered across the darkness like tiny glowing lights. "And cherry on top," I added with a grin, "a beautiful starry night." I reached up and patted my own head proudly.
"Good job, Elira," I said to myself. "You are a very good girl. Providing background music for romantic moments." I gave myself a small round of applause.
But as my eyes wandered across the quiet town, something caught my attention. In the distance, rising above the rooftops, stood the old clock tower. Normally it was just part of the town's background—something people barely noticed anymore.
But tonight…
For some reason, my eyes were drawn to it. I squinted slightly, focusing on the large clock face. At first, I was just curious. Then my smile slowly disappeared. My eyes widened again. And this time…
I didn't laugh. I didn't make a joke. I simply stood there, staring at the clock tower in the distance as a strange realization hit me. "…Oh." The word slipped quietly from my lips. I didn't even notice the silence of the street anymore.
I was too busy staring at the tower. 'No fucking way', And suddenly…
I wasn't so sure this strange night was just about my freedom anymore.