1 Prologue
She didn't think the day would come so soon. Faced against the heat of the volcano and the dust from the broken roads and earth, she knew that taking on this fight would mean the risk of facing her own death, but, if only she had known it all.
Her formerly-pristine white coat was covered in dust and soot. Her face was scratched and covered with sweat and drool. Her lips were dry and her tongue felt like sand. Pain echoed in her lungs making it difficult for her to breath and her abdomen felt as if it was facing frostbites during a volcanic eruption.
The air was too humid for her liking. Too moist. But, she couldn't move an inch to adjust herself more comfortably. She lacked the strength...
And her former will.
What burned in her heart was no longer the determination to survive or to save as many people as possible.
No, not after she saw the breaking news on the city's wide advertisement screen in Beijing. Nothing, but anger burned in her chest now. But, she no longer had the will to enact that anger.
No will to move, no strength to scream. All she was left was tears of frustration that shamefully rolled down her cheeks.
Not only had she become a coward, but she was finally left with nothing now. She had thought that, even if she were to die on the front line, she wouldn't be dying in such a pitiful manner. Not like this.
She was naive.
So naive to have thought that everything would turn out all right in the end, like those of novels.
Anger rose in her throat, but only tears grew in abundance as a result. She couldn't feel the tips of her finger or her legs anymore. Her breathing was laborious and she was weak.
Yes, so weak. All because of him! Oh, how she just...
Just couldn't stand him! Not that sneer outlined under the black mask or the upstanding facade of his!
If only she had known! If only she had known that she would only just be a puppet for his money-making and prestige! Never before had she felt this.
This rage!
After everything she had done for him. Everything they've done for him! Gone through for his goal! She's never felt anger so intense that she could only shamefully cry in tears under the umber brown hair covered with ash and grime while the fire raged in her.
She hates him to the core and she could never forgive herself. As the water flowed from her eyes, the fire only danced closer around her. She could barely decipher what was before her anymore with her face against the trampled dirt road.
She hated it all.
Her own useless effort in dancing for the man whom she thought had given her his trust and faith for the future of the people. No, it would be more accurate to say that she hated him.
As she thought thus, she finally noticed it. The faint trace of ashes dancing their last dance before resting on the ground next to her. The dance was more graceful than that of the flicker of the flames itself and its landing was more gentle than that of snow. Much like the snow she once played in for the first and last time with her little brothers back in Nevada. Those days...
Was now only a distant dream in her mind.
Now she could only wonder, was it the action of gods pitying her poor state with a cruel dream or was it the gods' lecture of what she had given up to that pitiful man now probably lying in his own blood? Were there really gods in this world after all?
It was then that a smile finally cracked upon her parched lips and her blotched skin full of dark patches looked as if they were burnt away by the dance of fire licking at her heels, coat and tattered business attire.
If someone were to see her now, no doubt they'd see a pitiful and sickly woman dreaming her last dream with a warm smile on her face. If only they could see her eyes...
Her cold eyes...
