eliminated

:prologue:

what to listen to while reading this chapter:
low frequency earthquake rumble (search on google or spotify)

•~•

2854
the great war

the mountain was restless, and so were the people of the new society.

soriah felt it rumble underneath her feet as she hurried through the trees and grass. there were too many people awake—too many people to see what was about to happen, what she was about to do. she kept her head down and walked quickly, trying not to attract suspicion. but she still got suspicious glances from those who passed her by.

the mountain could explode at any second. she had tried to tell the others, but they didn't listen to her. no one ever listened to her.

she couldn't exactly be sure enough, but she could feel it in her bones. every single muscle in her body quaked, and her heart began to beat faster by the second. its happening tonight, she thought frightfully. i know it is.

soriah came into the clearing where she and others had fought in the war not long ago. it seemed like just yesterday to poor soriah, as the battle had traumatized her forever. she saw horrors of brother turning against brother, and death that came with ruthless, merciless horror to everyone who was anyone. holding back tears and flashbacks from the night before, she continued walking as fast as she could.

who knew what could be out there now, waiting to devour her. the war had brought almost everything and everyone down. soriah pictured images in her mind of hungry animals and rogue survivors of the war and what they could possibly do to someone slow and unprepared like her. she shook her head. there are no other survivors. you know this. keep moving.

she reached a spot in the dry, crackled desert of  the earth where a solitary maple tree stood. she took a deep breath in and out. this was it. he should be here soon.

soriah sat down at the roots of the tree and waited. the sky was clear with gentle wisps of crowds. she squinted at the sun in frustration, but the swoop of the leaves overhead was gentle and calming, like the sound of a fireplace. tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back. finally she was here, finally it was over, finally—

soriah felt a sharp stab in her stomach.

no! she thought frantically. the baby can't be coming now! but it was too late. the pains kept coming. it shot through her nerves and spread to her brain and made her cry out. she clapped a hand over her mouth. foolish, someone will hear you! and yet again, there was nothing to be done and she just pushed through the pain and held back tears of regret and pain and anxiety and angst and pain and resentfulness and pain and why isn't he here yet and—

it was after exactly thirteen hours that soriah heard the cry of her newborn baby.

now it was nightfall. the night was clear, and the moon and stars shone starkly in the distance, each one trying to be brighter than the other.

it was the most beautiful sound in the world. exhausted, and finally taking in a normal breath, she wrapped her crying child in her coat and cradled her. she felt large and unwieldy holding something so tiny and delicate. but the crying subsided a little and soriah smiled.

"shhh." she cooed. "mother's got you. you'll never go back to the society again."

the baby made a few gurgling noises and went to sleep. soriah chucked and set her down on a bed of moss. although she was happy from the birth of her child, she couldn't help but feel worried about him. where are you? she thought desperately, as if he could hear her through their minds.

they were supposed to meet here. but it made no difference. she stopped thinking about what had happened or what was going to happen. she was right where she needed to be.

for now.

"sleep well, little one." soriah murmured, looking out wistfully at the full moon. "we have a long journey ahead of us."

—

how to pronounce names:
lila: lie-luh
sean: shawn
aidan: aid-en
blair: bler
maguire: mah-gooi-r