After a year and a half
Etoll city
Etoll City one of the three largest cities in the Seventh Section. Like any other city in the Seventh Section. It was distinguished by factories that specialized in producing fast food. It was said that humans had advanced in this field prior to "sprouting." After Earth's flora was destroyed, countless flavors were lost.
Twenty years ago, when humanity reclaimed this area and started to settle there, a young chef in one of the little establishments served a doctor. The doctor got up the moment, took a bite, grabbed the chef's hands, and asked him what his secret was. With this conference, the first and biggest restaurant chain following the "Sprouting" was launched, affecting all 11 sections in the empire and establishing the standard for the seventh section for the ensuing two decades.
Since then, a battle between restaurant chains has erupted, leading to the creation of a wide variety of cuisines and fast foods, earning the seventh section the moniker "junk food land." The section became one of the most developed provinces in the empire as a result of the competition between food chains.
But now all that's visible to the observer are ashes and remnants. Cries can be heard, nearly drowning out the siren sounds that surrounded Etoll City.
Only two hours ago, the city was thriving. Today seemed like any normal day until the Aloki suddenly attacked the city and consumed it in less than thirty minutes. The troops fell quickly. The commander in charge of this section was fighting in the south of the city with his division, but there were limits. As for what ten people could do, the rest of the soldiers were just ordinary humans and couldn't awaken their inner weapons yet; all they could do was evacuate the civilians.
A young soldier, hobbling, went gingerly across the debris. An elderly woman lying on his back was coughing up black liquid from too much smoke in her lungs. As his arms were occupied with hoisting the elderly woman, a little girl with ash covering her face walked by the side, fearing she would get lost. The girl gripped his right leg, her face was wrapped in fear, the girl's arms and legs were bruised, and there were signs of tears on her face. The young girl forced a hard look on her face while fighting back the tears in her eyes.
"Are you okay, sir soldier?"
"There is no need for such formalities, Dima. I assure you that I am fine. We should reach the shelter soon, so please do not worry." The soldier said that while breathing heavily. Dima saw that, even though she was eight years old, she could tell that this soldier was lying so that she would not worry about him. The soldier did not seem to mind or voice any complaints despite her grandmother's persistent coughing to the point where a sticky black liquid stain appeared on his shoulder.
As a result of the impact of multiple battles out there, the house fell on top of her parents and her baby brother. She and her grandmother were the only survivors of her family, but given her grandmother's state, she was afraid that she would become the last of her family. Thankfully, a soldier heard her screams and arrived to save them. The soldier ordered her to leave the rescue of her grandmother to him and hurry to the shelter. Refusing, she declared that she would not abandon the last surviving member of her family. She did not search in the debris and did not ask the soldier to do so. From the appearance of the rubble alone, she knew that it was impossible for anyone to survive that.
The shelter is approximately 20 minutes away from their home. Her parents and the school instructed her to constantly be aware of the location of the closest shelter. She and the soldier moved at a slow speed for about 15 minutes. Now, if they continue like this, they will arrive at the shelter in 10 or 15 minutes.
Is her grandmother going to be able to survive it till they get to the shelter with its supplies and medical support? This was a question she was afraid to ask herself. She was not ready to hear the answer.
They passed by many injured people on their way to the shelter. They turned a blind eye to their requests for help. This was not due to the hardness of their hearts; rather, it was because they realized there was no help they could give. The soldier heard the victims curse at him and label him a coward for leaving them; she saw tears barely holding it in his eyes. He did not defend himself, though, as if he thought he deserved that contempt.
Her face flushed, wanting to shout that this soldier was not who they say he is before she spoke up to correct them. Smiling, he placed his palm on her head and murmured, "Dima, it's okay," before returning his hand to balance her grandmother so that she wouldn't fall. His hand was devoid of any life. similar to a tree's old, chopped branch. She had heard of this condition before. The Aloki had sucked the life out of that hand. This soldier had fought one of them before he came to her and her grandmother's aid. Maybe this was why he was limping as he walked.
The tears that she had barely held back began to flow involuntarily. She was breathing hard. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. One moment she was playing with her dolls, and the next moment she was crying and asking for help to save her grandmother. She could not even see the bodies of her parents, nor did she hear her baby brother crying under the debris; everything collapsed in one moment. If the soldier had not come and sprayed a blue shiny liquid on her grandmother, she would have died as well, leaving her alone in this world.
In her eyes, this soldier was more than just a hero. On this hard day, he was the one who reached out to her and offered her hope. She was wounded as much as the soldier was by their nasty remarks. She only chose not to curse them like they did out of respect for him. She was indifferent to their agony and the loss of their loved ones. They ought to refrain from speaking poorly of her savior.
"Dima, we are nearing the shelter. I want you to run ahead and summon assistance. Fetch the rescuers and bring them to us as swiftly as you can."
"but...."
"Without but, dash over there. With each breath your grandmother is growing weaker. If we continue to go this slowly, we won't be able to save her."
Dima did not want to leave them alone in this state, but her grandmother's cough got worse and worse, and the soldier was not in better condition either. His face turned into pale paper, and his lips were bluish. This was the only solution. With her falling tears, she ran towards the shelter, hoping to arrive in time.