Tunde waited until her breathing evened out, shallow and soft like rustling paper. He pulled the thin blanket over her shoulders, adjusted the bowl catching leaks near her bed, and stood in silence. The lantern's light flickered, then died with a sigh.The darkness was heavier inside than outside. Sleep didn’t come. Every breath still felt jagged, and lying down only made his ribs throb harder.So he climbed.Each movement up the side of the hut made him grit his teeth. The wood groaned in protest under his weight, and he half-expected the rusted nails to give way. The rooftop was barely more than patchy sheets of metal and old tarp but it was the only place that felt wide enough to hold the noise in his chest.He sat there, legs crossed, staring at the stars barely visible through the smoke-haze sky. The ruins of Quarry 3A stretched out below, quiet, sleeping, broken. The citadel lights blinked far off in the distance, cold and untouchable.Then, softly, he sang. Not loudly, just a
Last Updated : 2025-07-18
