Paradise Hell

Time is a concept

"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late. Let every man be master of his time. Things without any remedy should be done without regard; what's done is done." (Shakespeare)

2026, May

It was a windy afternoon in Rio, and that now holds a completely different meaning. The windows on the third floor of the abandoned building were partially covered as usual with that dark foam, but Amany could still see the army tanks outside, the cars all black due to the substance, the soldiers all dressed in their soot-covered airtight uniforms.

On the horizon, the Christ the Redeemer statue still loomed above all, and the sea maintained its flawless, unstoppable back-and-forth waves. The ticking of the clock reminded her that Júlia had been out on the streets for a long time. She looked back and saw her friend's notebook on the ground and let out a deep sigh. "How can a human still have the energy to be creative in the midst of so much chaos?"

"Anything that makes you happy, my friend. Anything that gets us out of Rio today," she said aloud.

Amany was hoping their plan would succeed; the last time she came close to leaving it all behind was a failure. That was less than two years ago, but now she remembered it as if it had happened in another life.

2024, October

Amany and Julia hastily departed from the ambassador's office, swiftly descending the stairs. The scent of burnt papers still lingered in the air, even after they closed the door behind them. According to Julia, Amany's father was waiting for her at the airport with the entire family and had sent a message asking them to burn certain documents before departing. Amany couldn't comprehend why she had to burn those documents alongside her secretary. She grappled with a sense of unease, torn between not leaving her father's home like his wife and their two other children, yet determined not to succumb to emotional turmoil amid the chaos.

The airport was crowded once again, with all sorts of languages being spoken in the corridors. There were crying children, camping tents set up all over the main hall, and many people shouting at the news being broadcast on every TV scattered around the place. But even in the midst of chaos, Amany felt happy and safe; she was finally leaving Brazil and returning home with her father by her side.

She had longed to get to know him better for so long, and even after over a year trapped in this war-torn mess, she still felt they had no kind of closeness. But despite her stoic personality, Amany still hoped that when they could have dinner together in a decent place, that would change. It was like she had completely forgotten that she had tried to get closer to him for the last two years trapped in Brazilian soil. The thought of her and Markus finally having some dad-daughter moments made her almost smile. But suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by his secretary's voice.

"We're almost there. The diplomatic families must depart by 3 pm," Júlia said.

"I know that. I have my documentation with me," Amany replied indifferently.

"Do you have his letter, Amany?"

"Of course, Júlia. I'm not stupid."

Júlia stopped walking and dropped the bag she was holding, letting it fall to the ground. Amany was very irritated by her secretary's behavior.

"Weren't you super concerned about us getting this on time?" she asked, not exactly expecting an answer.

Julia stared at her as if she could rip her soul from her body, thinking of all the names in English, Portuguese, and German she could call that lady. However, remembering her subordinate position at that moment, she took a deep breath and said: