Emir was late to the meeting.
Not because he overslept.Because he hesitated.
His hands hovered over the doorknob to the Circle's back room for almost five minutes.
He could hear them inside.
Not arguing.
Just… toneless.
Too calm.
That was worse.
He finally stepped in.
Conversations stopped—but not in the usual way.
No "leader just arrived" silence.
This one was heavier.
Someone—Jeren—stood up and handed him a printed tweet.
It wasn't his.But it used his name.Again.
Worse this time.
Twisted his ideas into a call for "cultural purification."
Hundreds of comments.
Many in support.
Some violently so.
And the name of the account?
@RealMemoryLine
He blinked.
— "Not me."
— "We know," Jeren said.
But she said it like someone choosing to believe.
Not someone certain.
—
"You feel it?" Atatürk asked."This is where belief fractures—not because of truth,but because of fatigue."
—
One of the newer members—Devran—was pacing.
Younger, smart, loyal.Until recently.
Now his voice had sharpened.
— "You never give us answers.Just questions.Ideas.Poetry."
— "Because that's what lasts," Emir replied.
— "Not when people are looking for shields, not riddles."
That landed harder than it should have.
Someone else added:
— "We thought we were ready.Turns out we just wanted to belong."
—
That night, Emir didn't go home.
He walked through the city instead.
No goal.
Just… circling.
The posters of his face were still up.
But they were now… graffitied.
Words like:
"Too soft to matter.""Reformist = weak.""Another mouth with no plan."
He pulled one down.
Crushed it.
Not in anger.
In exhaustion.
—
He sat on a bench.
Hands on his knees.
Eyes on nothing.
"You tried to be clean," Atatürk said."But clarity doesn't protect you from distortion."
— "They're breaking off."
"Then let them."
"Movements don't fracture because of betrayal.They fracture because someone forgets who they were serving."
—
He looked up at the night sky.
No stars visible.
Only neon reflections in puddles.
— "So what now?"
"Now, you stop trying to be understood."
"And start trying to be unmistakable."
—