evil prevails

little hope

Another crash shakes the paintings hanging on the thin concrete wall, causing a web of cracks to spread across it. Pieces of plaster fall onto the worn wooden floorboards, and the chandelier, held up by a single miserable wire, sways, filling the crumbling house with a loud creak. Books fall from the shelves, a vase with recently picked wild daisies shatters at their feet. The house is about to collapse like a house of cards. The father grabs his ten-year-old daughter by the hand, who is clutching her frightened and sobbing mother's hand, and without hesitation, they flee the collapsing house, taking only the essentials: small savings, identification documents, pre-prepared food supplies, bottles of water, and warm clothes. They were ready for this; they knew this day would come.

Around them, dust and smoke, fire, and the heart-wrenching screams of people burning alive. Some run in panic, while others barely move, holding onto walls or leaning on others for support. The father scoops up his daughter and quickens his pace, looking for a way out of this hell. He frantically looks back to ensure his wife is close, then breaks into a run. Someone nearby cries out for help, trapped under burning wooden beams. The man doesn't turn back, though his heart aches for a moment. There's no helping anyone here. The most important thing is family. There's no time to hesitate.

This small settlement, like many others in the country, has been subjected to constant bombings and will soon be completely destroyed. No one remembers when it started or what caused it. Ordinary people don't dare ask questions or meddle in politics that don't care about them. They've adapted. People have gotten used to living on a powder keg, expecting a new attack to take more lives at any moment. It's unclear who to fear more: the army or its enemies. The only goal is to be ready and survive.

The muffled rumble of shells still sounds somewhere behind. The air is filled with the smell of burning and gunpowder, seeping into every living and dead cell. The leaden sky offers no hint of even the smallest ray of sunshine. It's impossible to remember the last time it appeared, warming them with its gentle light. The man raises his head, squinting slightly, revealing numerous wrinkles on his tanned skin, earned with age and experience. He stares at the sky, trying to discern if it's clouds or smoke. It's impossible to tell. One last look back, a silent regret and farewell to those who perished, buried in yet another settlement erased from the face of the earth. Ahead lies a long journey into the unknown. The father sets his daughter down and takes the provisions backpack from his wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, slumped with endless fatigue. They slow their pace — the danger is behind them.

"Minji, stay close," the father asks his daughter, who is curiously looking around. Fear no longer shows in her eyes, only confusion and a mild shock from not understanding what's happening. Both adults and children are equally unclear on one thing: why?

They move through a ghostly town where dead silence has settled forever. Endless ruins are covered in ash, no green grows on the twisted bare trees, and the small spring no longer flows with water. Life has faded, leaving only cold and human ashes, like snow blanketing the gray world.

Minji frowns in concentration, chewing her lip as she walks ahead of her parents, kicking a rusty metal can in her worn-out sneaker. Trying to drown out her parents' quiet conversation about their future plans, she kicks the piece of metal harder, spreading an echo through the deserted area, alien to the dead void. She's tired of listening to her parents' tense talks. Nothing new. Minji already knows everything. They lost their home again, need to find a new one, need to find work to feed the family, and must wake at the slightest noise until this home is destroyed too.

The child presses her lips together and kicks the can harder, putting all her frustration into it. She understands there's no other way, that they need to survive and do as her father says, but how long will this go on? All the schools Minji attended were destroyed. All the friends she made were soon killed or fled with their families to other places, just like the Kim family. Everyone sought safety, instantly forgetting connections. Nothing and no one stays long. Not in a world reeking of death.