As the city lights dimmed, Damon held Svetlana's hand and helped her stay grounded as she opened up about a painful part of her past.
She used to live in a quiet, small town with family and friends. Her life was full of love and warmth.
Her father was a proud, kind man, and her mother was her greatest comfort. It was an idyllic childhood, until conflict shattered it all.
There were only faint whispers at first, hints that trouble was spreading through their country.
But those hints grew louder, and soon, a neighboring country's aggression turned into full-blown invasion.
Overnight, the country changed. Soldiers roamed the streets, and the sound of artillery got closer.
Fear spread through the group like a fog as people talked about lost loved ones and destroyed towns.
With men being drafted in waves, her father was called to serve.
For Svetlana, it was the beginning of her world crumbling.
