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Chapter 1: The Last Hope
February 7th—The day the world burned. The nuclear war between the USSR and the USA turned Earth into a wasteland, leaving only ruins and ashes behind.
Amid the destruction, one survivor remained in London—a girl named Kale. She sat beside a weak fire, her body shivering from hunger. It had been three days without food, and her water supply was nearly gone. Desperation clawed at her mind.
"I can't sit here and die."
She forced herself to stand and headed east, searching for anything that could keep her alive. But fate was cruel. She encountered a group of raiders, ruthless scavengers who stole her last bottle of water. Hopelessness set in.
As she wandered aimlessly, she saw a girl dying on the ground. Kale wanted to help, but she could barely move. Her body had no strength left. The girl took her last breath, and Kale could only watch.
But then—hope appeared.
A radio lay in front of the dead girl. Kale's fingers trembled as she adjusted the frequency. Static crackled, and then, a voice came through:
"Any survivors... come to Pusho..."
Pusho? Kale's eyes widened. Next to the radio was a glass bottle with something inside. Smashing it open, she pulled out a map of the USSR—and there it was: Pusho.
But before she could think, she heard footsteps.
Kale hid behind the ruins, her heart pounding. Peering out, she saw three men—one with a rifle, another with a sword, and the third, a boy tied up as their prisoner.
Her heart screamed: "Run away!"
Her mind whispered: "Don't forget humanity."
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed a metal rod and charged. With a fierce swing, she knocked the rifleman down. The second raider lunged at her, but she fought like an expert—a warrior trained in karate.
"Run! Whoever you are!" she shouted to the boy.
She turned to escape, but two raiders grabbed her by the hair. Pain shot through her scalp. She struggled, but she was outnumbered.
Boom! Boom!
Gunshots echoed. The two men holding her collapsed. The captured boy had taken the rifle—and saved her.
"I'm Jack," he said, lowering the gun.
Kale barely had time to respond before he spoke again, eyes wide.
"Follow me!"
She ran after him, their feet pounding against the rubble. Soon, they stumbled upon something unexpected—an injured dog.
Kale hesitated. Her grandmother had always taught her to help animals. She couldn't just leave it. Kneeling down, she bandaged the wound.
Jack watched and then nodded.
"You said there's a radio?" he asked.
Kale took a deep breath. "Yes."
Jack tightened his grip on the rifle and grinned.
"Then let's go."
To be CONTINUED