Inside a bunker, where a yellowish light illuminated gray walls and old furniture, a young woman with white hair, which clashed with her age, sat at the table.
Yuliya, sipping some tea, placed the cup on the table, a thin wisp of steam still rising from it.
In her other hand, she held a book, flipping through it absentmindedly.
"Sigh…"
After a sigh, she set it down on the table and began to stretch.
They don't seem to be coming back anytime soon…
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the stairs leading to the house's exit.
It had been a while since they'd left, with Isis and her younger siblings being the last to go.
Since then, Yuliya had been alone at home, waiting for her family's return.
Even though I'm happy with my recovery, the days have been getting more and more boring…
It wasn't the first time she'd been left alone at home.
In the past, she spent practically the entire day in bed, both due to the side effects of medications that made her drowsy and her health, as she lacked the strength to stand.
However, especially in recent months, her health had improved remarkably.
Finished stretching, she turned a weary gaze to the old book, lying open on the table.
"I think it's time to pick another one…"
Standing up, she began to walk, one hand still resting on the table.
Father won't let me go out anytime soon, so I'd better get used to this for a while…
She knew she wasn't fully recovered; she was still thin, and her appearance was still that of someone unwell. Moreover, she would still suffer from the aftereffects of the poisoning, though she hadn't noticed any yet, beyond the change in her hair color.
After taking a few steps, she stopped beside a bookshelf.
"Let's see…"
Made of dark wood, it had an aged appearance but carried a certain beauty with intricate details and carvings on the wood. Taller than Yuliya, nearly reaching the bunker's ceiling, it was filled with books of all kinds and sizes.
Her eyes darted from title to title, searching for something that might spark her interest.
"Sigh…"
But she found nothing.
In fact, just by reading the title, she could recall exactly what happened in each book, having read them dozens, perhaps hundreds, of times.
And to think I've read so many…
Somewhat incredulous, she continued to observe them.
Before falling ill, she hated books. Since childhood, she'd been that way, still remembering how she tried to escape her mother's lessons, wanting to leave the house with Father to explore the city.
But after she got sick, during the moments when she couldn't sleep and was alone in the bunker, with nothing else to do to pass the time, she turned to books. It was hard at first, with halting reading and having to reread passages to remember them, but at some point in that struggle, she began to enjoy it—immensely.
Pausing for a moment, taking two steps back, she started to admire the wide variety of books present.
But we didn't have this many at home.
Biology, physics, mathematics, poetry, fiction, even cookbooks—various types of worn covers, all crammed onto that old bookshelf.
Looking at the more than one hundred books, Yuliya had a faint smile on her face, tinged with a slight melancholy.
When she developed a taste for reading, she finished the bunker's books in just a few months, as there weren't many. Because of this, Father, when he went to the citadel, began returning with new books for her.
Though happy, it frightened her, as she knew how valuable they were there. Even when she asked him not to, certain he paid dearly for them, he never listened.
"And as Mom used to say, the appearance of a stone, but soft as cotton…"
When she first met them, unlike her mother, who had a kind and warm gaze, Father had a stern face and a cold stare that scared her. But after talking with her mother, she began to notice how he acted, understanding how he showed his love.
With a nostalgic look, Yuliya murmured:
"I was so lucky to meet them that day…"
She wasn't their daughter; they had rescued her when she was about to be sold by her former mother.
Turning her attention to one of the shelves, she saw a black-covered book that brought a faint sparkle to her eyes.
It's been a while since I discussed this book with Seven…
Approaching it, after picking it up, she began to flip through it with a slight smile.
Of all the books there, this was one she never tired of reading, her favorite.
It told the story of a young child named Ainz, living in a magical world with dragons, elves, and dwarves. He led a peaceful life in his village with his family until it was attacked by a neighboring kingdom, which destroyed it completely.
Though he survived the attack, he was separated from his family, who were captured by the invaders. Alone and lost, he was rescued and trained by a wise old woman, who turned him into a great warrior.
Making up her mind, she closed it, returning with it in hand.
Both she and Seven loved this story, even though it lacked an ending, as it concluded with the protagonist setting off to confront that nation. But precisely because of this, the book remained alive for them, as they had imagined hundreds of possible continuations.
Sitting at the table, excited, she opened it to read.
But before she could continue, she heard the sound of the bunker's door unlocking and opening.
Isis must have arrived…
Given the time that had passed, it was most likely her, as Father had warned he'd be back late.
While waiting, she began to hear some strange noises, causing her to frown.
Why is Isis messing with the second door?
Besides the entrance door, there was a second one, forming a small room at the entry.
After a while, as the second door opened, surprising Yuliya, two people wearing helmets with gas masks finished descending the stairs.
"Father? Seven? Didn't you say you'd be out late?"
Stopping near the door, Father removed the helmet he was wearing.
"Things went very well. Seven learned to shoot quickly while maintaining good accuracy, so I saw no need to stay longer."
Seven, walking silently to the table, dropped his backpack on the floor and sat heavily in the chair.
Still wearing his helmet, he looked up with slumped shoulders.
He looks exhausted…
Seeing that scene, Yuliya smiled.
"Daughter."
Turning to Father, who was removing the heavy camouflage coat he wore, he hung it on a wall hook.
"How was your day? Any pain come back?"
With a neutral voice and a cold expression, Father asked, but with a warm smile, she replied:
"No, I didn't feel anything today, not even discomfort—just boredom…"
With that last word, though with a melancholic expression, Yuliya shot a playful glance at Father.
"…I understand. You'll be able to go out soon, but it'll be gradual, and we'll be careful."
Sigh… alright…
Sighing, she lowered her head theatrically.
"…"
Father, turning his head, began walking toward a door.
"I'm going to store things in the armory. When Isis arrives, please call me."
Raising her head with a smile, Yuliya replied:
"Yes."
Father stopped at one of the doors, typed a password into a small terminal, then entered and closed it behind him.
Left alone, Yuliya turned to her brother with a surprised and curious tone.
"You look exhausted… Was the training that tough?"
Adjusting himself slowly in the chair, Seven removed his helmet and looked at her.
"Yes and no… The training itself wasn't the issue, but getting to the place where I trained was. I had to walk a lot and passed through a creepy area…"
Frowning, Yuliya tilted her head.
"Creepy?"
"An ocean of gas. It's unbelievable, but there's still a place like that, covering a colossal area…"
Widening her eyes slightly, Yuliya froze for a moment.
"…That's really unbelievable…"
An ocean of gas… to think that still existed in the city…
It had been years since they last talked about the green gas. Even in small amounts, it was no longer found. They didn't know why, but over time it had diminished, allowing the city to recover.
Recalling that place, Seven felt a slight chill.
"The area it covered was so vast that I couldn't see anything beyond the gas… When we entered it, the layer that formed above us was astonishing."
How did so much gather in one place?
Finding out that gas still existed in the cities was surprising enough, but learning it was in such a massive quantity was even more so.
Curious, she turned to Seven.
"S—"
But before she could continue, he spoke.
"Sister, how was Isis today? Before leaving the house?"
His gaze, though still tired from the day, had become more serious, carrying noticeable concern.
"…She was fine, a bit tense, but I think that's normal since it was her first time leading. Why?"
"Well… she had a nightmare last night, so—"
Interrupting their conversation, the bunker's door was unlocked again, making Seven stop and look at the stairs.
Soon after hearing it close, heavy, slow footsteps began descending, revealing Leon, Mia, and Victor.
The three, with slumped shoulders, let their backpacks slide off their arms until they hit the floor.
Yuliya and Seven, looking at the situation with confusion, exchanged quick glances before turning to the fourth person appearing on the stairs.
Isis, who descended the stairs naturally.
"I'm back… Wait? Seven? Weren't you staying out late?"
Stopping, she turned, surprised by her brother's presence.
"We were, but things went well, so we came back early."
Relieved, Isis sighed.
"Good… For a moment, I thought I'd taken too long…"
As they talked, finishing their march, Mia, Victor, and Leon began lying on the floor, catching Yuliya's attention.
"Wait, why are you all doing that?"
In silence, after lying down, the three murmured:
"Tired…"
"Sleepy…"
"I want to sleep…"
Surprised by her siblings' exhaustion, turning to Isis, Yuliya asked curiously.
"What did you do differently today to tire them out so much? There wasn't that much work, and you weren't out for long."
Looking at them, Isis had a slight smile.
"It wasn't me. We found a buried machine, and they tried to dig it out, but it was very heavy work."
Seven, with sudden excitement, stood up quickly from the chair.
"Wait! A machine? You found another one? Where?"
Isis, startled by his energy, turned to him.
"Well… it's inside the building where the vineyard is. It's really impressive, bigger than the others we've found in the city."
Frustrated, Seven complained:
"Damn it. I wanted to see it, but we won't be back there until next year…"
Feeling a pang in her heart, with a bitter expression, Isis placed a hand on her chest.
"Well…"
But before she could continue, interrupting the conversation, a metal door opened, with Father stepping out.
"You're back—"
Stopping, Father's attention was immediately drawn to the younger ones still on the floor.
"Why are they there?"
Somewhat startled, Isis turned to him stiffly.
"Father!"
"Yes?"
Looking past the younger ones, he focused on Isis, causing her to look down.
Why is he looking at me like that…
His expression remained as impassive as ever, but somehow, she felt a pressure weighing on her shoulders.
"Well… the fruits…"
Trying to speak, she felt the words stuck in her throat.
I didn't want it to be like this.
She had hoped for a perfect day, so she could speak calmly when she arrived, without mistakes. But things hadn't gone entirely well; she failed the last task.
Even forcing the words out, they remained trapped.
"…"
Breaking the silence, Father began:
"Daughter, how was the first task?"
Raising her gaze slightly but not meeting his eyes, she replied:
"Well…"
"And the second?"
"Also…"
"Did something happen with the others?"
"…The vineyard's fruits, they were still green."
"…"
In his silence, looking down, Isis waited for a response, unable to see his face.
"I see. Something must have happened to the vineyard for it not to be ready yet. We'll have to go back later to harvest the fruits when they're ripe."
Approaching, Father stopped just in front of her, close enough that, even looking down, Isis could see his boots.
Slowly raising her head, she looked directly at his face.
"Don't worry, daughter. It wasn't your fault. We don't control everything; unexpected things happen."
Raising his hand, Father placed it on her head.
"Yes…"
Feeling a bit better, Isis nodded.
"Then we'll still get to see the machine!"
Cheerful, Seven celebrated.
"A machine? What machine?"
Surprised by this sudden information, Father turned to Seven.
"Isis found one completely different from the ones we've seen, near the vineyard!"
"…What's it like?"
***
In the sky, a beautiful full moon illuminated the night, surrounded by great constellations and planets.
Below it, somewhere in the city, at the center of a collapsed building, a kind of vineyard had grown over its ruins, forming a green pocket in the heart of the structure.
In one corner of the place, surrounded by piles of rubble and plants, an ancient machine covered in marks stood out against the environment.
Approaching it, a man in camouflage clothing and wearing a helmet with the number eleven, covering his entire head, stopped beside it.
Carrying a large weapon with a drum magazine, he examined the machine for a moment.
Slipping the weapon onto his back, he went to the rear of the juggernaut, searching for something among its crevices.
As soon as he found what he was looking for, he activated it.
With a click, a louder metallic noise echoed in the area.
Moving from its back to the front, where a part of the chest had shifted slightly forward, forming a crevice in the armor.
Inserting his hand into that space, using his strength, he began to open it, pulling it upward, producing a loud creak.
As he moved it, before finishing, some bones fell from inside, including a human skull wearing a helmet with a small screen.
Pausing for a moment, he watched it roll a few centimeters before stopping near his feet.
Ignoring it, he continued opening. Once finished, it revealed a kind of capsule inside, a spacious area with screens, controls, and a seat.
Moreover, at the center of that cockpit, the rest of the bones, covered by an almost complete but heavily stained military uniform, remained.
"…"
Entering the machine, he began searching for something in its lower parts.
Finding nothing, he stepped back, turning to the bones that had fallen from the armor, where something reflected the moonlight.
Crouching, he moved some bones before picking up the item—a necklace with two silver dog tags.
Wiping it with his finger, he revealed an inscription.
"— Major Klaus —"
Pocketing it, he looked at the bones scattered on the ground.
…
Some time later, in an unknown part of the city, a man carrying a large sack on his back placed it on the ground.
Hitting the ground, the bones inside produced a dry sound.
As he finished, turning to leave, he took a few steps but hesitated, looking back at the sack full of bones.
You'd want me to bury him… wouldn't you, dear…
Scratching his head, he returned to where he'd left the bones.
Stopping nearby, he began searching the surroundings, finding pieces of stone, rubble, and some vegetation.
"…"
Carefully emptying the sack, he began piling stones he found over it, covering it completely.
At the top, he placed a small cross made of twigs, where, taking the dog tag from his pocket, he hung it on the cross.
Finished, he looked at the grave one last time.
"…Thank you for your service."
Turning, he walked away.