The township's central square featured a dilapidated fountain, its basin dry and filled with rubble.
Statues that once adorned it lay broken, their pieces scattered around the base.
Scattered throughout the township were signs of hurried departure: abandoned carts laden with half-rotted goods, homes with doors left ajar, and personal belongings strewn about. A thick layer of dust covered everything, indicating that no one had set foot here in a very long time.
As Aksai's clone moved through the streets, he noticed faint, almost imperceptible, signs of life that once thrived here—a child's toy left on a doorstep, a weathered sign swinging gently in the breeze, and a market stall with remnants of what might have been vibrant cloth.
Dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.