Anna stood alone atop the shattered roof of a towering, crumbling skyscraper, its skeleton looming over the ruins of the city. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the distant roar of flames that rose high into the sky, painting the horizon a deep, fiery red. The skyline was an unending canvas of destruction, a stark reminder of the ongoing war that threatened to swallow everything in its path.
She took a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill her lungs, though it did little to ease the weight on her chest. From here, it was easy to imagine herself as separate from the chaos, even though she was right at its heart. Her hand reached out to feel the rough, weathered concrete of the roof's edge. It was grounding, somehow.
