Invisible Cities Chapters
Written on January 25th, 2023 by Ethan Zhang
I would like to preface this page with the fact that this is based on a book called Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Although these chapters are my own, I took heavy inspiration from his book. With that being said, I hope you enjoy, and do check out the original book.
Endless Cities and Dreams
The city of Sophia does not truly exist, only ever in those who are in a limbo of consciousness. The city appears only to those who have a strong desire, or something unbeknownst to most. Sophia is inescapable, and she draws inhabitants in with her gleaming gates sitting on the edge of reality, walls all around her entrance. The only way is in. The city stretches for miles, and in once its realm, one wanders endlessly, mindlessly, and slowly through her series of buildings, each indistinguishable from the one next to it, and with every door locked.
Sophia herself is a maze of the same buildings, extending to the horizon, with no variation. Openings exist between the buildings where one may take a turn, but once that turn is taken, the same surreal visual greets the lost wanderer. The tiles of the street are clean, as the inhabitants never discard much, never needing to.
Sophia constantly brings new inhabitants to its realm, and to each person wandering her endless and empty streets, the faces in the window begin to blur, and eventually, the faces take a new form. As the wanderer pleads for the seemingly familiar faces to open the door, the faces mere stare, cold, unloving, and disregarding, for they know, soon, the man below will become a permanent resident. Lusts and secrets are already forgotten in the past of reality.
Nobody knows how one becomes an inhabitant of Sophia, for all one knows is that once in her grasp, she never lets go. Only in succumbing to her will one be free of her blessing, her never-awakening inhabitants always staring out the window, cold and unloving. Sophia is the place of secrets, desires, and dreams, but she punishes those who take them to the extreme. One may only wander through the city without being an inhabitant, never being able to open a door or take shelter from the elements, this is Sophia’s punishment for those in her realm, those who are unfortunate enough to be caught in her grasp.
City of the Dead
The city of Rose only exists in a realm the living may not visit. One may only encounter the city if they are under her counterpart that exists in reality. Her real counterpart does not contain much, only a cemetery in a barren wasteland, the only colour provided is the dark crimson of the dying roses on the stone slabs that commemorate those who once walked above. Within the newfound realm of Rose, one can see only the colour of the veil the city wears, the veil of roses.
The buildings and shops of Rose are constructed solely of red metal, each shaped like a leaf or a stem of a rose. Rose’s buildings never stay for long though, as she destroys and rebuilds herself every day, including her buildings, her people, her essence. The city is simple, yet so complex, its dynamics and lifestyle will never fully and truly be understood. There is no escaping the unbroken cycle.
The city is constantly bustling, and none of the inhabitants have a face, everyone is a magician with thousands of masks. No two masks are ever the same. Her endless masks are destroyed and rebuilt, each time, portraying a different face. No two masks are ever the same. The faceless wander the streets, nobody knowing who they are. They are the faces of Death, the faces of a dream nobody awakens from.
In the realm of the living, we may only ponder life in Rose, as she does not let in those who are unready to see her in her truest form. Her existence in the realm we call reality breaks once we fall, and the desolate city comes to life. In humanity’s current state, we may only hear her doors close, her winds reassembling her parts, her voice, enticing us to enter. However, once one enters, there is no turning back.
Cities and Silence
The city of Athena is only visible if one is in deep philosophical thought when he passes. Otherwise, her form remains unseen by the people. A city of steel and marble, Athena is regal and lacks any sort of emotion. Only objective thought is possible in the city of Athena. The inhabitants solely think objective thoughts, no emotions. The stoic city operates in silence. The moment one thinks emotionally, the city disappears. Silence.
>The buildings of Athena only resemble objects that serve the philosophical mind. Transactions are done silently. A thought of purchase. An exchange. Completion. Philosophy and critical thought play a large part in Athena’s society, as only the most ornate and objective perceptions of life are heard by the rational and higher-order people of Athena.
>A marble building stands tall at the centre of Athena. This building is all the schools of thought relevant to Athena’s society and its objective views. The marble is immaculate. The interior is ornate, filled with decorations from all different eras and the objective school of thought that accompanied it. There are no flaws in this building or any of her buildings for that matter. The simple city remains silent in her regality. Not a sound can be heard from her interiors.
Silence. A storm blows through a barren wasteland. Unaffected, the city of Athena observes the storm around them that seemingly passes through the city. Nothing is broken, and no building is touched. All is silent. Nobody thinks about the storm, not daring to think with emotions. Not daring to leave the safety of the city.
