°

  I had never seen such a beautiful vehicle—it was so big, a little gray, and very powerful, but it still scared me a little when I looked at it.

  Mom ran out carrying me and didn’t let me see much; she also held Zane and stuffed us under the bnkets. I opened my eyes as I heard Mom breathing heavily, her heart pounding loudly. I didn’t understand, didn’t know why she was scared.

  My eyes were near the door, trying to peek through the window, but Mom pushed my head against her chest and hummed softly to me. That annoying noise made my ears hurt again. Zane opened his eyes—he looked sleepy.

  — Zane. — I called him when I saw him rubbing his eyes. I tilted my head and hugged my little brother. He whimpered. — Zane, what did you dream about? — I murmured softly. Mom was still watching us.

  Zane sighed and stretched a little, snuggling against us. He pouted, his chubby cheeks wobbling.

  — I dreamed I was sleeping... — He mumbled zily, closing his eyes again. I huffed at his silly answer and flicked his head lightly.

  — You zybones. — I grumbled and raised my head. He grumbled back in response to the flick. Mom held us a little tighter before adjusting herself and turning around, frowning hard.

  — You two... — The words Mom was about to say vanished as someone began speaking, impossible to ignore.

  "All citizens of this area must immediately present themselves in orderly lines outside their homes. Any attempt at disobedience will be considered an act of treason against the nation and the King, and will be met with due consequences. We will tolerate no resistance to the order. I bring in my words the commands of His Majesty." His voice sounded a little sad and scared me. I jolted up, and Zane jumped, unable to sleep anymore. I wanted to ugh at Zane for getting scared, but Mom seemed afraid, so I didn’t.

  Mom’s eyes were shiny, but she didn’t seem happy. I didn’t pay much attention to what the voice said, but I understood we had to go outside. Mom hesitated for a few seconds before standing up and helping us up. Her heels were tossed aside, and she held my hand.

  I wrapped my fingers around hers and turned my head back—Zane’s sleepy eyes were wide open. He held Mom’s other hand, his steps clumsy as we left the house. It was cold and full of smoke and soot, though that wasn’t what caught my attention. There were many men in front of that ship... It’s huge, it scares me. Looking at it felt like a nightmare.

  Mom hugged us, trembling, looking around. I didn’t know what she was doing. My eyes were on those men—they were so big and strong, holding weapons. Zane shrank against Mom, and my head swayed slightly. There were beautiful, shiny oak tables.

  The tables were truly beautiful, but each had a masked man behind it and rge bags with something heavy inside. I was a little curious, but it also gave me a cold feeling in my stomach, so I didn’t want to get closer. These must be our country’s soldiers—Aunt Liora told me so... They must be here for charity programs! We’re poor, so sometimes charity comes here. I think that must be it.

  I opened my eyes, staring at the face of that st man. I think he was the one who called us here. A cold wind lifted my curls, and my eyes burned a little. The dust blinded me for a few seconds. I rubbed my eyes with my hands and raised my head again. The prettiest soldier looked back into my eyes. His mask was different, and his cape swayed beautifully in the wind.

  I want a cape as pretty as that. He had a ponytail, long hair. Maybe it’s a woman, not a man. I was curious, and my eyes didn’t look away. Mom shoved Zane into a line, making me turn my head and move closer to her.

  There were too many people, and I couldn’t focus on all of them. I saw Aunt Liora’s hair and jumped, but I couldn’t find her. I hope she’s near us.

  — Rei, stay still. — Mom stopped me from jumping and looked at me with narrowed eyes. I didn’t know why she seemed so tense. But I knew something must be wrong. Why are Aunt Liora and Mom so scared?

  — I think I saw Aunt Liora, Mom. — I whispered to her, pointing to where I saw her hair. Mom sighed in relief. She must be worried about Aunt Liora.

  — It’s okay. Mom will take a quick look. You stay here with Zane. — She adjusted herself nervously and kissed my head. I know Mom cares about Aunt Liora and wants to make sure she’s really okay.

  Zane held my hand, and I turned to him, ruffling his hair. It was messy. I fixed it a little. He seemed scared.

  — Don’t be afraid. Mom said she’ll just take a look. — I repeated Mom’s words to him and hugged him. Zane wrapped his arms around me too and nodded slightly. He didn’t seem to fully trust what Mom told us.

  I saw Mom’s bck hair and her old dress. I smiled and showed Zane.

  — See? She’s already back. — Zane looked relieved and nodded, watching Mom as she quickly returned to us and rejoined the line, pushing past those in front.

  Before Mom could fully settle back, the noise returned to my ears, irritating me and giving me a headache. My forehead throbbed with the horrible sound filling the pce.

  "In the front line, all children twelve years and younger! Show your obedience and line up!" The voice was terrifying and made me afraid. Zane seemed even more scared than me. He started crying loudly, calling for Mom.

  — Mom, why do we have to do this? — I opened my mouth, my chin trembling. Mom shivered even more, and people started compining.

  That woman... That soldier, she looked furious, I think. She stared at us with a gaze that made me tense, tremble, and afraid. I shrank against Mom, and she didn’t answer my question. I sighed softly.

  Mam?e hesitantemente nos levou para a fi que nos mandaram entrar. Zane abriu a boca e come?ou a chorar como uma crian?a. Eu n?o entendi completamente a situa??o e me virei um pouco. Ouvi uma voz cra e alta. Meus olhos encontraram o rosto da tia Liora. E franziu a testa e abriu os lábios.

  — Essas fis baseadas na idade n?o consideram as necessidades individuais de cada crian?a! Além disso, há bebês que mal conseguem engatinhar! Como podemos colocá-los todos na mesma fi? — A voz da tia soou angustiada e se destacou. E estava certa — como os bebês poderiam estar na mesma fi que as crian?as mais velhas?

  Mam?e se encolheu, e eu ouvi um barulho. E me puxou para algum lugar na fi, trazendo Zane junto. Eu mantive meus olhos onde eu via a tia Liora enquanto e fava. Eu vi seus cachos se erguerem — e deve ter pudo para trás, talvez e tenha caído.

  Todos come?aram a correr, e eu n?o conseguia mais enxergar. Tudo estava caótico, com tantas pessoas gritando. Mam?e abriu a boca, seus olhos brilhando enquanto e fazia uma cara triste. Eu a ouvi solu?ar no meu ouvido antes de engolir seu choro. Algo estava errado.