On a rainy autumn evening, I was heading home after a long, hard day at work. Suddenly, I heard a strange, piercing cry.

I stopped and listened. The voice came from the bushes near the playground. Sneaking closer, I saw… a crow was soaking wet, its whole body trembling. Without hesitation, I took off my coat, gently wrapped the bird in it, and brought it home.

At home, I quickly improvised a small “hospital” for him: I laid out a soft cloth, gave him a bit of water, and looked for some meat. Arahx – as I later named him – ate poorly, but he tried. 

Two days later, I took him to the vet. It turned out that Arahx’s wing was broken, but there was a chance of recovery. 

Arahx quickly came to love me. Over time, he flew around the room, and later took over the balcony. I could see how much he wanted to be free, but every time I opened the window, he came back. 

Then, one morning, I woke up and found him gone from his cage. At first, I thought it was just a farewell. But the next morning, I saw something shining on the windowsill, it’s a golden bracelet. I thought it must be a joke or just a coincidence. But then I remembered: that was exactly where Arahx used to sit before he disappeared.

And yet, Arahx kept coming back. And each time, he brought something valuable: earrings, a chain, a ring. Some were simple, but others were clearly expensive. 

I tried to find a logical explanation. Maybe Arahx lived in a richer neighborhood and simply found these things? Or perhaps someone had dropped them, and he just picked them up by mistake? But deep down, I increasingly felt that something deeper was happening.