Nahumi was waiting for her food to be given to her. She already wanted to leave; she was restless. Her nerves were eating her alive, and every few seconds she looked toward the kitchen door where the woman had disappeared.

  Suddenly, the woman came out with a small bag, walking so calmly that she seemed to radiate peace with every step.

  “Here you go, miss. Your food.”

  Nahumi grabbed it quickly, almost desperately, eager to leave that place. But before going, she remembered something: Thymmie’s chocolate.

  “Excuse me…” Nahumi asked while adjusting her veil before leaving. “Do you have any chocolates?”

  The woman turned around and looked toward a small shelf where some sweets might be.

  “Let me check in the back. I think I have some somewhere.”

  Nahumi nodded. She would wait, even though her nerves told her otherwise. Her chest felt heavy, like it was filled with stones.

  While waiting for the woman to return, Nahumi thought it might be a good idea to look out the window. Maybe that would calm her.

  When she looked, she saw it.

  The city rising from the desert, bathed in the light of the three suns. But something was wrong. It was in flames, surrounded by thick smoke. From there she could hear the screams of people desperately running in every direction.

  Nahumi immediately panicked. Her pupils dilated, her breathing changed, and her legs trembled. She wanted to get out of there. Fast.

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  As she watched everything unfolding, she noticed something else: Fhercon ships. But not just any ships. Attack warships.

  At that moment the woman came out of the kitchen holding a chocolate, completely unaware of the situation. When she noticed Nahumi’s state, she decided to approach her before even asking what was wrong.

  “Miss, are you alright?”

  She looked out the window to understand why Nahumi was acting like that.

  When she realized what was happening, she didn’t think. She just acted.

  She grabbed Nahumi by the wrist and quickly pulled her outside. Everything was happening so fast that Nahumi didn’t understand what was going on. By the time they were a little far from the city, Nahumi couldn’t help but ask:

  “Ma’am… where are we going?”

  But it was too late. The woman was already inspecting the area, trying to see if they could spend the night there. It was clear that even if Nahumi shouted, the woman wouldn’t hear her.

  But the characteristic silence of the northern villages didn’t last as long as it should have.

  A sound appeared.

  Something difficult to describe. It was unbearable, horrible, grotesque. Anyone who heard it couldn’t endure it for long.

  Nahumi heard it. Her body went numb. She could barely take two steps without collapsing, without fainting.

  She couldn’t take the noise anymore. She didn’t know what it was, where it came from, or why it existed. She only knew that if it continued, she might lose consciousness.

  Then something interrupted the sound.

  A scream.

  A scream of pain and anguish, so loud that for a few seconds it drowned out the terrible noise.

  Nahumi looked for where it came from, but the only thing she saw was a thin trail of blood running across the sand.

  Was it the woman? Had the Fhercon…?

  Nahumi couldn’t even finish that thought. She couldn’t imagine it.

  But one thing she did know: if the woman had fallen, she might be next if she didn’t act.

  She ran.

  She ran as fast as she could. She only wanted to see Thymmie.

  But she couldn’t.

  They noticed her. She was there, defenseless, with nothing she could do.

  A Fhercon soldier saw her and approached. He held a small device, so small it looked harmless. The soldier pressed something.

  Nahumi couldn’t move.

  She tried to run, but whatever the soldier had done left her completely paralyzed.

  Nahumi was crying. She was terrified. Tears ran down her face, staining her cheeks red.

  The soldier had a very visible grimace of disgust and frustration. He didn’t hesitate to approach Nahumi and lift her chin with a strange “gentleness.” Perhaps it was lust.

  But that didn’t last long.

  He kicked her in the torso with brutal force, sending her flying through the air. Nahumi landed on the sand with a stabbing pain in her chest so intense that the only thing she could do was close her eyes.

  The soldier simply fired.

  Straight into her torso.

  And then that irritating, unbearable noise returned. It came from whatever was stealing the final moments of people’s lives.

  The soldier disappeared into the sunset, leaving Nahumi behind with a trail of blood and unbearable pain