Miracles | 𝔐𝔞𝔤𝔫𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔱 ℭ𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔶

part one

The sun set slowly over Mila's small Ukrainian village, casting a golden hue over the quiet, worn-down streets. She leaned against the wooden frame of her family's home, watching as another uneventful day came to an end. Life here had become unbearably dull, and it was hard for her to ignore the ever-present shadow of the past.

Two years had passed since the Tatar raid—a raid that left the village in fear and sorrow. Fifteen girls had been taken, among them Alexandra La Rossa, Leo's soon-to-be wife. That day had changed everything for Mila, leaving a void in her life that no amount of routine or repetition could fill.

Leo, once full of hope, had retreated into himself, silently planning. He had never given up on Alexandra, not for a moment. And now, after two long years, he had made his decision—he would leave, find her, or die trying. The news had sent a ripple through their tight-knit group of friends, but it had sent something else through Mila: excitement.

She had always longed for something more, something beyond the village where dreams were left to wither. While Leo was leaving to search for the woman he loved, Mila saw this as her own chance for freedom, an escape from the life that had been laid out before her. A chance to shape her own destiny.

As she sat on the edge of her bed, contemplating her decision, her best friend Lena—whom she fondly called "Lenka"—burst through the door. Lena's voice broke the silence, carrying an air of urgency as she looked at Mila with a mix of concern and hope.

"You're going with Leo, aren't you?" Lena asked, her voice steady yet tinged with longing.

Mila hesitated. "I've thought about it... but leaving? It feels like running away."

Lena's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing her own regrets. Finally, she sighed. "My wedding day was the worst day of my life. I practically sold myself and any ambitions I had. Don't let yourself succumb to this same fate."

Mila glanced at her friend, sensing the deep sadness behind her words. Lena had been married for just over a year, but the glow of newlywed life had long faded. Her dreams of being an artist, of exploring the world beyond their small village, were buried beneath the weight of marriage.

Lena stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. "Leave this place, Mila. Go somewhere where there are opportunities. Not west, but south, into the Middle East. Perhaps that is the only place where our womanly dignity can still exist."

Mila's heart raced. Lena's words echoed in her mind, solidifying the choice that had been lingering in her thoughts for weeks. There was no future for her here, not one she wanted. And if there was any chance for something greater, she would have to take it.

"I'm going," Mila said finally, her voice resolute.

Lena smiled sadly, her eyes betraying the pain of her own trapped fate. "Good. Don't look back."

And with that, the path was clear. Mila would leave with Leo, not just to search for Alexandra but to find her own place in the world. The village, with its small minds and limited opportunities, was no longer her home. There was a vast world beyond the borders of Ukraine, and Mila was determined to find it.