The field grounds are ash gray, the rubble of damaged homes spread across, the smell of bodies attracting crows. A war between two countries resulted in the destruction of a neutral country using it as a battlefield. The sounds of gunfire and women, trying to calm their children while the men wielded weapons like knives, guns, and axes, guarding the doors or the hiding places of the women and children. Among the homes, bombs pierce the sky and the sounds of collapsed buildings.

Between the rubble of one of the fallen houses is an underground cellar, deep within the 5 feet deep cellar contained a family of 4, The Meren family, Laik Meren the youngest, and his older sister Rika Meren, and his Parents Annie and Fred Meren. They were one of the few who knew the war was going to be in their country because their father was a governor who had connections with the Krim, a country fighting due to a feud with Treen Al. Even though they have gotten the news first of the sudden events they didn't have time to flee the country. They decide it's best to hide and the safest option was an underground safe house, They purchased an abandoned cellar. Hiding for 5 hours, the sound of explosives and gunfire faded leaving a silence, making the hidden civilians, even more, frightened, trying their best not to make noise as there was no gunfire noise, other noise will be a dead giveaway to their location. They were unaware of the situation, this applied to the Meren family as well.

Two hours later in the cellar, Laik look up at his mother's chin while she embraced him praying with tears flowing down her cheek. He looked to his right he can see his sister writing in a book while his father was sitting on a chair holding an action bolt-rifle cleaning it.

"Mom why are we here it dirty and hot" He looked at his mom with questions.

"Sshh, not much noise sweetie, we are hiding from bad guys don't worry after the good guys win we go back home" she whispers in a low voice.

Laik is 7 years of age, with a spoiled attitude, he grew up in a home where he was given what he wanted, and with what he didn't know what was occurring he didn't want to accept what he was told.

"NO!, I want to go home now!" he shouted in a loud tone standing up fast from his mother's embrace.

"Laik, you better stop that attitude with your mother" His dad refutes with anger on his face.

"NO!, NO!, NO!, I don't want..." before Laik could finish his sentence his sister slaps his face leaving like Laik speechless as his sister never laid her hand on her brother before it was his first he couldn't understand why everyone was on edge if there was a bad guy he would lose the hero always wins. That was his mindset with his days watching tv shows reading comics and listening to stories.

"Laik... you need to stop giving mom and dad a hard time" His sister looked at him with eyes he had never seen her shown clearly showing that she was angry, as a matter of fact, he has never seen her when she was angry, she had always showed him loved and cared for him.

While the family was in the midst of quarreling, the Treen Al empire was searching home after home, they broke doors down killed the men and separated the women and children, and place them at the back of trucks with metal cages. The children would be placed in a truck with the number 42 on it and the women with the number 39 on it clearly going separate ways when departing. The Treen Al empire encountered problems where the men or women were armed and shot the soldier upon entering. Frustrated they decided to throw explosives in the houses to reduce casualties of the soldiers. Many people killed themselves upon being captured, the Treen Al empire was one of the worst countries among the 5 it was a major country that grew on slavery, theft, and drug manufacturing. Because of this, their country was a haven for criminals and they grew bigger with more of the population rise. They were eventually able to rival another great country called Krim. Many feared this country, one of the reasons for the start of this war was the fact the Krim empire feared their growth and how It might influence other countries.

TAH TAH DUSH!!

The sound of the cellar door was being knocked down, Fred signed his wife and daughter to take their son and go down the entrance behind the cupboard, moving the cupboard, it fell to the floor make a loud thud, they rushed through the hole, Laik asked his mother about his father she gave him a look of despair and made a forced smile. His sister saw what happen and give Laik a reassuring answer telling him not to worry their dad is going to meet with us later. The tunnel they went down seems to lead to a sewage system, upon arriving at the metal latter bar leading to the top they heard a noise in the background.

"Faster, they are getting away, get the governor son he is a top priority, don't make me repeat myself" A soldier with a buzzcut shout at the 4 soldiers in front of him.

Hear the sounds of the soldier's orders Annie and Rika hurries with making Laik climb up first after Rika followed along, leaving the sewer Rika looks back waiting for her mother, she looks down she saw her mother with a smile with tears flowing from her cheek.

"Rika... I want you to take your little brother and go to the country of Diamr, find a woman named Carole and tell her your identity after that you don't have to worry anymore"

"Mom...Please don't you still have time" Rika's tears left her eyes catching the attention of Laik he walk toward the hole and sees his mother.

"I love you, my Boy... listen to your big sister while Im not around" Let the words flow out of her mouth seamlessly she runs in a different sewage tunnel screaming leading the soldiers in her directions.

"Mooom!!" Laik tried to go back but Rika pulled him away running from the hole, she held back her tears and followed her mother's instructions. She held crying Laik's arm as she head forward away from the soldiers, 3 hours of running they rested In a shack surrounded by rubble.

"Sniff Sniff, why did we leave mom and is dad coming back" crying he cover his eyes with his hands asking Rika,

"They're not coming back," Rika said as she had a depressing look in her eyes while she hugged her knees tighter.

"What do you mean so does that mean they are dead?" Laik's eyes start to swell, he looked like he was about to cry.

"Yes they are, don't worry too much I promise Mom that I would look after you" She replies with a cold look in her eyes, Laik knew that Rika isn't the same anymore she seems blunter.

Days passed and Laik and Rika moved to a different place, but Rika seemed to fall ill, so they decided to stop for a while till she recovers, They heard the news that the Krim empire is taking in refugees, while the war ended with both sides withdrawing, Treen Al country still collects civilians probably to use in slavery or organ traffic.

With Rika fallen sick Laik need to gather food for them, the food they have been eating were canned goods, scattered around from destroyed groceries stores, Laik leaves Rika in a huge house that wasn't affected by the explosion, Laik felt reassured to leave her there since there was a fence and tripwires to send noise if someone came in. Leaving the house he heads to the nearest grocery store he could remember, He passed through this area with his sister a couple of days ago. He looked around for canned goods around the ground some of the cans were damaged with leaks most is already obliterated, looking around this scene remained him of a video game or movie, it looks like an apocalypse of the sort or the end of the world, Rika told him the story of what actually happened during their days travel and that their parents weren't coming back, of course, he wasn't an idiot and or oblivious to the situation, all he did was cry all he could.

***

"Marcus, are we really gonna scout for civilians, I doubt that they even comply with us, even Treen Al is going around these parts." Said a dark-skinned colored man, with a beard, wearing a camo uniform.

A total of 6 soldiers search through the rubbles and broken buildings, the leader of the squad was a man named Marcus Cervion, they were a squad that belong to Krim, one of the biggest countries.

"NORM!, complaining about the whole ordeal won't help us in any way, it a headache that Treen Al brought the war to this country, a country with no connection to ours"

That right this country doesn't have any connection to our what so ever, they were a neutral country, but as the saying goes In a location or setting to which neither side has a connection and therefore gains no benefit or advantage. This all started as the result of a traitor among the empire, causing the death of the 1st prince and heir to the Krim Empire. Norman thought to himself

While searching they haven't discovered a single person present aside from the dead, 5 hours have passed and the sunset was coming, they scoured 4acres of the land but without avail they haven't found a single alive person, just as they were about to leave and pack up, the noise of falling sheets of Tin and metal fell.

***

Going back is more of a hassle than finding food, which way did I take, I swear I passed through this house again, in a time like this I have no sense of direction. Laik thought to himself

passing through the house that seems like it hasn't taken much damage than the rest, he eventually finds his way back to the shack that his sister was in, he opened the door and saw his sister lying there on the floor with her cloth torn apart and her eyes looked lifeless, he rushed to his sister's side and scream out calling her name.

"RIKA!, wake up please, no no no, please don't die, we still have to find mom" he cried out her name, tears rushed out flowing endlessly.

The sound of the door opening with a shirtless man entered the same space as the sibling looking at the boy crying, the man spoke.

"Oh my, what do we have here a heartfelt scene of loving siblings"The man's face was filled with ecstasy.

Laik saw the man's face and shivers went down his spine.

"Wh-Who are you" Laik stuttered as he continued to weep.

"Hmm, I guess I'm the bad guy, and i must say that sister of yours was really tasty too bad she was a bore she didn't even hold up to the end"

"You leave my sister alone!" Laik screamed and he rush to the man headfirst.

The man decided to let laik headbutt him because the man thought what damage could a kid do, as laik headbutted the man leg the man was about to laugh when laik took the piece of broken glass shard and stab the man leg.

"You Mother F**ker!" The man groaned in pain and kicked laiked against the wall and all the sheets of tin fell from the impact.

"You must really want to die today, you twerp" the man let out a small groan from the wound he received, and walk toward Laik, and pulled out a blade getting ready to stab the laik.

when a gunshot rang and shot the man down, laik opened his eyes and stared at the man as the man's leg gave out and fell.

"You okay kid" Marcus shouted out as he rush toward Laik side.

"Sector 4, we got a civilian here redraw the founded count and well be heading back to camp, we will finish up and head over" Marcus put the radio back in the bag.

(To Be Continued)