1 Chapter 1 - Soundless Night

"MOM!"

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.

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"MOM!!" Miers's shouts grew louder, but his mom didn't turn around.

"Mom! Miers…" Miers's heart pounded, making it difficult for him to articulate his words.

Miers gripped his younger sibling's hand tightly, gathering all his strength. His gaze faded, dampened by tears. His body sweated, feeling both hot and cold at the same time, making him uncomfortable. The shouts of the crowd and the distant thud of bombs drowned out his soft voice.

"Miers will take care of Melino! Don't worry, Mom!"

"WE LOVE YOU, MOM!!"

Even though Mom Miers was somewhat far away, Miers was confident that his mom could hear him. For a brief moment, Mom glanced at Miers with a smile.

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"Miers~" A soft voice called into Miers's ears as he peacefully rested. Miers tried to open his eyes but struggled due to his fatigue.

"Miers, wake up~" Once again, Miers heard that gentle voice calling him.

"Emm... Stop bothering me..." Miers grumbled in annoyance.

THUD!

"Ouch!! What's this, Mel!"

"Hehe~ That's right. Mel asked you to wake up, but you wouldn't. Hurry up." Melino replied while hugging the thick book she used to thump her brother. Supposedly, it acted as protection from her brother's anger.

"If you want to wake me up, don't hit me with that thick book. It hurts, you know! Do you even realize how painful it is? Look at this. Swollen, bumped! Hmphh!" Miers complained while rubbing the part Melino hit.

"Oh... Don't be angry, Miers. Mel called you for a while, but you wouldn't wake up. Hurry up. Mel is hungry."

Seeing his younger sister's pitiful face, Miers' anger quickly faded away. Miers got up and stretched to relieve his joints and muscles after sleeping on the cold concrete floor with only his shirt as a makeshift mattress.

Miers once again looked at Melino's round-faced appearance. His younger sibling, wearing worn-out clothes, long hair, and a slightly messy face, still held the thick book in front of him. Only one of Melino's eyes could be seen behind the book.

The sadness in his heart was overshadowed by his responsibility as an older brother. He didn't want to show his sadness in front of Melino. He couldn't display any weakness because his sister depended entirely on him.

Miers knelt to tidy up his sleeping area. The makeshift mattress, also his shirt, was stuffed into the backpack. Melino had been silently watching every move of her brother. It was unclear what was going on in his mind right now. Was it about their mother or what kind of food they would get today?

"Hah. Why the delay? Quickly pack up. You said you were hungry." Miers scolded, causing Melino to startle from his small thoughts.

"Hehe~ Is Miers angry at Mel again? Don't be angry."

"Not angry anymore. Put the book in the bag quickly. The sun will rise soon."

Quickly, Melino put his book into the bag, afraid of being scolded again by her brother. Despite their age difference being only a few minutes, Melino still respected Miers, who was now their only family.

After finishing the cleanup, Miers tightly held Melino's hand. They walked side by side, slowly leaving the ruins that had been their shelter for the past few days.

The dark night, illuminated by the faint moonlight, helped Miers see his surroundings. He carefully examined every corner, as they couldn't afford uninvited guests to discover their hiding place. The current situation made it challenging to find a safe place.

Half an hour later, they arrived at a tunnel, a remnant of the high-speed railway from the past. Miers lit a torch to see inside the tunnel.

Click! Click! Click!

"Got it!" Melino shouted softly.

"Shh! Don't be too loud," Miers cautioned.

Melino quickly covered his mouth while glancing at Miers. Miers released Melino's hand and signaled him not to move from that spot. Melino just nodded in understanding and let her brother move toward a board that was making the noise.

Cit! Citt! Cittt!

A moderately-sized mouse had fallen into one of the traps they set a few days ago. Miers looked at Melino. Tears of joy were visible at the corners of Melino's round eyes. They both smiled broadly, satisfied with tonight's catch.

Without wasting time, Miers struck the mouse's head and put it in a sack to take back to their hiding place. Before heading back, Miers and Melino went to check another one of their traps. Perhaps their luck tonight was still with them, and the other trap had caught something too. Miers set it not far from there.

As soon as their feet stepped out of the tunnel, Miers froze with a scream heard not too far from where they were.

"Help! Is anyone there?! Please help us."

The voice of an old woman.

Miers' breath caught in his throat. His eyes didn't blink for a moment. His body trembled, and cold sweat poured out of him. Melino's hand was squeezed so tightly that it hurt. Melino let it be because she knew what was going on in her twin brother's mind.

Fear...

What was feared was not the old woman, but 'them.' 'Them' who initiated and let the world fall into chaos.

"Please help me. My child isn't breathing! Please!"

The old woman's cry rang out again.

Miers' legs couldn't support him anymore, and he fell to the ground. Melino pulled Miers and leaned against a wall. Melino let go of Miers' grip and hugged him tightly, closing his eyes, hoping that all of this would pass.

BANG!

A gunshot echoed throughout the area. A moment later, everything fell silent. No more cries from the old woman.

Melino still hugged Miers, who trembled all over. Until Melino felt Miers had calmed down, she invited him to go back.

"Miers. Come. Let's go back."

Miers didn't speak.

Slowly, he stood with Melino's help, bowing his head and covering it with his hood. They then moved again to go home, canceling their intention to check the other trap.

Upon reaching their hiding place, Miers lit a small fire. Just enough to cook their catch of the day. What should have been a night of joy for them, having meat to eat after a long time of stomachs only lined with small insects and green plants, turned into a quiet night after what happened earlier. Throughout the night, Miers remained silent, and Melino left his twin alone. She knew her brother would calm down eventually.

A tiring night for both of them. Although they didn't engage in any strenuous activities, the events of the night left Miers and Melino feeling tired and weary. As if there was no more energy left to do anything, Miers and Melino fell asleep after eating the meat and putting out the fire.