Run

Finally out questions about the drones was Finally answered.

That morning, I had no reason to think the day would end in fire.

I was returning from the roadside stalls, humming softly as I adjusted the basket under my arm. The sun was high, the market half-crowded with the usual clamor—shouts over vegetable prices, children weaving through legs, goats bleating from tethered posts. A regular day.

Until it wasn’t.

There was no warning, just a sharp shift in the wind, followed by the sudden descent of the first drone. A mechanical whine pierced the air like a scream. The drones wasn't acting normal they became It was faster, more aggressive blasting everything thing in sight with lasers beam—its sides shimmered with heat and intention. Then came the flash.

Screams tore through the market as the drone fired into a vendor’s cart—wood, metal, and fruit exploded in a burst of flames and splinters taking the lives of some people instantly. People scattered, some screaming, some frozen in disbelief. Women grabbed children, men ducked and ran. I dropped my basket.

“Someone, please stop it!” a voice cried.

Agents nearby rushed into formation, firing weak electric stunners. They barely scratched the surface. More drones poured in like angry hornets, zipping through alleys and corners. Panic thickened the air. I ducked behind a stall, heart pounding in my throat.

Then the sky darkened.

Everyone looked up.

A massive ship broke through the clouds, casting a shadow that swallowed the entire square. Its underbelly was marked with foreign symbols—Ukrainian, I realized. Sleek, metallic, and nothing like anything we’d seen before.

For a moment, silence returned. Then all hell broke loose.

The Ukrainian vessel fired at the drones. The drones retaliated. Beams of searing light cracked through the sky. Explosions shattered windows, set roofs on fire, and painted the streets in smoke. The air became hot and thick—people screamed as the shi rained down explosion, in the village.

Buildings crumbled like paper. Vendors fell trying to protect their goods. I crawled through the dirt, covering my ears from the deafening sound.

And then came the troops.

From the ship, figures dropped—soldiers in exo-suits, their visors gleaming. They swarmed the ground like ants, swift and precise. They weren’t there to protect us.

They were hutting.

They stormed buildings, dragged people from hiding, destroyed anything in their path.

“Why are they doing this?!” someone screamed.

I had no answer. I was confused.

Why..? 

Why did the two nations who has protected us for years suddenly turn on us..??

“Why” I yelled 

Just when I thought I was going to be caught in the chaos, strong hands grabbed me from behind.

“Elira!”

My father.

Valen’s face was covered in soot, eyes wild. “Come now—there’s no time!”

He led me behind the old granary, where an old rusted hatch lay hidden beneath crates.

“It’s a utility shaft,” he said, panting. “Used to move oil barrels out. You can crawl through it. It’ll take you far enough.”

“What about you? What about Selena?”

“They’re looking for people like us. I’ll hold them off. We don’t have time to argue.”

“Please—”

He cupped my face, kissed my forehead. “Go. Stay alive.”

I hesitated only a second longer. Then I slid in.

I crawled for what felt like forever—scrapes on my arms, knees raw, breathing in metal and ash. Then came the explosion.

I looked back.

The hatch caved in, smoke rising from the ruins.

I knew.

I didn’t need to see it. I knew.

Valen and Selena were gone, caught in the fire and smoke .

My hands trembled. I couldn’t cry. There was no time to cry. I just ran.

I emerged miles away, behind the ridge that faced the broken shell of what used to be Setvastl. Fires still burned. The market was flattened. The trees looked black and alien. My home...

Gone.

Just like that.

My feet carried me nowhere. I wandered for days, half-starved, grieving, furious.

And then, on the fifth night, as I lay curled under the roots of a dead tree, exhausted and broken, I was found.

Voices.

Harsh, foreign.

A flashlight in my eyes.

Arms grabbed me roughly.

I was dragged to my feet by Ukrainian soldiers.

They said nothing. Just scanned my face, whispered something I didn’t understand, and shoved me toward their ship.

I had no strength left to fight.

Captured. Alone.

Everything I knew had been reduced to smoke.

But something in me stayed awaken.

Something small, alive, waiting.

Because this wasn’t the end of my story.

This was just the beginning.