The Forgotten Doll

As Felix walked alone through the ruins of this once great city, he felt almost serene. Nature had overtaken the old roads and buildings, vines snaking through the crumbling buildings and bushes growing through the cracking concrete. Birds had set up nests in old skyscrapers and animals darted through the streets. Surrounded by nature and the remnants of his ancestors, he felt a peace unlike anything he felt back home. This life hadn’t been his choice, but after a year of solitude, he felt content, yet there was still a piece missing.

Each day was pretty similar. He would explore the ruins and scavenge. There were all kinds of things to find, and he’d built up a solid collection of books, art, and other novelties. Fortunately, this city somehow fell under the radar. He wouldn’t see anybody beyond the occasional traveler or merchant.

However, today, he found something he had only ever heard about in legends.

He had come across an old church. It had been mostly destroyed during the war. Its roof had completely collapsed, letting in the rays of sunshine that allowed a bed of flowers to grow over what remained of the floor, but this beautiful sight was a bit dampened by a pile of rubble in the middle of it.

Felix was about to move on when he noticed something. Poking out from just underneath the rubble was a tiny little shoe. Curious, he cleared the debris. Beneath, a doll in a state of extreme disrepair, filthy, cracked, and with several holes over her body, but one that was obviously the work of a master and who would’ve been a beauty in her heyday.

Picking the doll up, Felix examined her closely. It really was a shame. Such a beautiful doll left abandoned and forgotten, all but completely destroyed by the elements. He was almost reminded of himself in a way.

As he looked closer, however, he noticed something he could barely believe. “No way…”

She was wearing a pendant, and on the back was written “Velvet Gwehrtain.”

Gwehrtain was a name revered by all alchemists. It belonged to Alfred Gwehrtain, the greatest alchemist of all time. He revolutionized alchemy, leading the exponential advances of the pre-war era. Stories say that, before the war, Gwehrtain created a series of the most sophisticated living dolls ever. There always was a debate over whether or not living dolls could be considered alive, but his dolls, known as the Gwehrtain Angels, were said to be unequivocally living.

Felix studied the doll closely. He had always considered the Gwehrtain Angels to just be a myth, yet he seemed to have one right in his hands.

However, none of that changed the fact that she was dead.

Still, he couldn’t just leave her here like this, alone and broken in some collapsing building, forgotten and abandoned for all eternity. Her fate was one she did not deserve.

With a sigh, he began to remove his coat. “I guess you’re coming with me.” He wrapped her up and cradled her in his arms before stepping out of the ruined church and into the empty streets. Hit by a strong, cold wind, he held her closer and began making his way back home.

Felix considered himself a second-rate alchemist at best, but he had the skills for a simple repair. He couldn’t return her to her former glory, but he would at least be able to put her soul at ease.

Thankfully, his home wasn’t too far away. He had cleared out a few floors of an old apartment building, turning it into his base. Over the course of a year, he had stockpiled a lot of supplies, including those needed for doll repairs such as clay and resin. Heading up to his workshop, he placed her carefully on his desk. He would have to look over her entire body very carefully in order to assess the job. He hadn’t really paid attention before, but her dress was in even worse condition. He could try and fix it, but he’d probably need to find a replacement.

Felix hadn’t worked on a doll in over a year, and this is the first time he’d ever done a repair by himself. He was nervous, but he steeled himself and continued. It just felt like something he had to do.

While he wasn’t nervous to work on the doll itself, there was something else that made him embarrassed. Removing her clothes. It didn’t make much of a difference now, and it was necessary, but it was still awkward. Once her clothes were off, however, he could see the full extent of the damage. Most of it wasn’t so bad, ust some cracks and deterioration. However, the major damage was a real problem. She had several holes across her body. It was hard to imagine what must’ve gone down to cause such damage. Likely some kind of battle, but this was unlike any magic he had ever seen.

The repair would be simple in theory. All he had to do was fuse new material into the doll and over the holes, but to an amateur alchemist, it was anything but simple.

Alchemy was the art of reshaping matter, fueled by one’s own mana, the energy that powers all life. While it took decades to fully learn, a master was only limited by physics itself.

In particular, doll making took a great amount of precision and artistry. Velvet Gwerhtain’s repair was no different, in fact, the skill required was even greater because of the extent of her damages.

But Felix was not deterred. For days he worked, meticulously molding each piece of clay, turning it into porcelain, and fusing it to her body, filling in each hole and crack.

Felix had wanted to just replace her dress, a beautiful gothic piece with a luxurious black color, but it was too nice to throw away, so, to the best of his abilities, he fixed it. Cleaned off the grime, restored the color, and patched the holes.

After countless hours and a few sleepless nights, he had finally finished. To any expert, the work was obviously rough, but her body of pristine porcelain was whole. Once he dressed her up, she looked as good as new. Felix set her down on a small chair by the window. With her eyes still closed and such a peaceful expression on her face, it was like she was sleeping. Felix rested his eyes on Velvet, admiring her. She really was beautiful. He was still so close, not even a foot away, and he could see every small detail. His eyes drifted from her closed eyes down to her lips. He leaned in just a bit closer…

***

Felix went to sleep right after. He had his own bedroom, but he was so tired he fell asleep on the sofa in his workshop. However, he was quickly awoken by a dull thud. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at the window and saw nothing, just an empty chair. Shrugging it off, he lied back down.

He froze.

“What?”

He snapped up and looked back over, only to be met with two glowing red eyes staring right at him.