Aurea fell to the ground with a loud cry, one hand firmly grasping the arm where she had received the painful cut. She rolled on the floor and quickly got back on her feet; there was little time to lament her injury. Her cry still echoed across the empty corridors of the subterranean maze as she rose, only to be interrupted by the roars of the angry abilox. The reptilian creature leapt forward, sword in hand, seeking to sink it in what little flesh there was on Aureas bony frame. The girl was still dazed from the hit, but her short, curved sword was still where she needed it to be. Sparks flew as she deflected the enormous creature's blows...

Once again, the world was at war. It no longer was new to anyone. This time, countries that would otherwise be neutral were dragged into the conflict due to pressure from their alliances with more powerful nations, and so I had to see my home disappear under the explosions of the bombs. A couple of days had passed since, and now I only focused on surviving. I had met a small group of survivors near the place where I lived, and I stayed with them as we wandered; we were planning on finding help together, but the entire immediate area had been attacked, and there was nothing left in sight...

It was a howl that woke me from restless, confusing dreams, so suddenly that, at first, I could not even be sure that it was real. I stayed in bed, waiting for something to happen. The light coming from the street lamps could barely break through the heavy curtains, and the darkness that prevailed in the room helped me focus my attention not on what I could see, but on what I could hear. The street was completely empty, and not even the noise of the wind was enough to disturb the night’s stillness...