The first thing I noticed about the bronze city wasn’t how it looked. It was the sound.
Not loud. Just a low hum, like something quietly working beneath the streets. At first I thought it was in my head. Then I realized it followed me.
I got there just before sunset. Everything turned gold for a few minutes. Not the pretty kind. More like the whole place was heating up again after a long time. The buildings weren’t reflecting light, they were holding onto it.
The streets didn’t make much sense. They bent, narrowed, opened up again without warning. I stopped trying to figure out where I was going and just walked.
There was a small market somewhere in the middle. No one tried to sell me anything. People just watched. I picked up a small metal key from one of the tables. It was warm, even though the air wasn’t.
I put it back.
Further in, the city felt older. Darker bronze, less polished. I touched a wall and pulled my hand away almost immediately. It felt… wrong. Not hot. Just not dead.
That’s when I saw someone at the end of the alley. Standing still, like they’d been there a while. Their face hidden behind a smooth bronze mask. I could see my reflection in it, but it didn’t quite line up with how I was standing.
They turned and walked away.
I followed. Not really sure why.
The alley opened into a small courtyard. In the middle, there was a tree made of bronze. Thin branches, delicate leaves, all frozen in place. No wind, no movement. Just light catching on every edge.
The person was waiting there.
“You hear it?” they asked.
I didn’t answer right away. The hum was louder here. Or maybe it was just harder to ignore.
“Yeah,” I said.
They nodded slightly.
“Most people don’t.”
I looked at the tree, then back at them.
“What is it?”
They paused for a moment.
“Nothing strange,” they said. “Just the city not forgetting.”
