Prologue
Fifty-five years ago, the beginning of a new world war. They called it World War 3, which broke out exactly twenty-five years after World War 2.
World War 3 was caused by nothing other than the selfishness of governments and those in power who refused to make peace or share the earth's resources. They were also far too quick to take offense, too proud to back down.
Explosions went off everywhere, shaking the ground and blanketing the sky in thick smoke. Thousands of corpses, human, animal, and of course, trees, lay scattered everywhere. The sound of gunfire, screaming, and collapsing buildings became the backdrop that repeated itself every single day.
Countless innocent people were taken hostage, and no small number were tortured to death in horrific ways. Their bodies lay nameless, silent witnesses to the war's cruelty.
Most parents ended up giving up their children, hoping they'd be found and cared for by someone kind. They placed their hope in a cruel world, praying for even a sliver of mercy.
Until, forty years after the war began..., more precisely, in the city of Surabaya. In an underground prison built by the enemy nation to hold hostages there.
"AHH!" a woman screamed, shoved until she fell to the floor. The sound of her body hitting the stone surface echoed sharply. The woman had long black hair and no clothing. Her body trembled, her face covered in bruises.
"Get out, you're useless now. Someone else's turn," said the man who had shoved her. He was tall, dressed in a soldier's uniform. His eyes were cold, without a trace of guilt.
Yes, rape had become an ordinary occurrence in that place. And there were plenty of hostages, women in their twenties and older. They were treated as though they weren't even human.
Until one day, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl with black hair. Not long after, the woman ran, carrying the baby she had just delivered, trying to escape that prison of suffering. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her legs shaking, but she kept moving, pushing through the narrow, dark corridor.
Huh... huh... huh, the woman's breathing grew heavier as she stopped at a low cliff overlooking a river below. Sweat poured down her face, her right arm clutching tightly to the cloth-wrapped baby.
"Stop right there!" a man shouted from behind her. Not just one, several men were chasing after her. And yes, they were soldiers from the enemy side holding the hostages.
The woman then rolled the baby down the cliff, letting it drift into the current. "I hope someone kind will take care of you," she murmured through her tears. Her tears fell heavily, her cheeks wet with both grief and hope.
"And... forgive your mother, my child," the woman continued, before being dragged away by three large men who had caught up to her. They dragged her roughly, her body scraped and torn along the ground.
The river carried on down to the foot of a hill, sweeping the baby all the way toward the city. There were weapons and gunfire all around, but by some stroke of luck, no one noticed the baby drifting through the middle of the river. The river seemed to serve as the dividing line between the two warring sides trading gunfire.
Then, at some point, an old man in his sixties came walking along quietly, moving with careful steps. The old man wore glasses, his hair a graying black, and he eventually reached a bridge, where he looked out toward the river. His steps slowed as he noticed something drifting in the current.
"What's that?" the old man murmured, narrowing his eyes as he studied something wrapped in cloth far in the distance.
"I-is that...," the old man murmured, his eyes going wide as he realized there was a baby inside. He immediately crouched down at the edge of the bridge.
The old man then ran off the bridge, hurrying toward the riverbank, and waited for the cloth-wrapped bundle to pass beneath the bridge. His feet dug firmly into the ground, bracing himself against slipping.
"There we go," the old man murmured, scooping up the soaking wet baby. He pulled her gently out of the current.
He unwrapped the cloth around the baby and found a piece of paper with "Lindsey" written on it, presumably the baby girl's name.
"Lindsey?" the old man murmured, reading the paper. He then flipped it over and found more writing.
"Whoever finds this, please take good care of this baby," the old man murmured, reading the words on the paper. The writing was blurred from the water but still legible.
"Hmm, alright then," the old man said, then stood up and carried the baby back to where he lived.
Eleven years passed since that incident, or more precisely, fifty years after World War 3 had begun. This marked the start of peace after fifty years of war.
Around that time, a police officer was making his rounds through the ruined city, searching for war survivors. He was a large man, appearing to be in his forties. He had neatly kept hair, a glossy black with a distinctive streak of blue at the tips.
"What's that?" the man murmured as he drove his car, narrowing his eyes at an old shack in the middle of the forest. His left hand gripped the steering wheel tightly.
The man suddenly brought the car to a stop. "What is it, Dad?" his son asked. His name was Ryuu. He had the same build as his father, black hair with blue tips, and he was around thirteen years old.
"I saw a shack over there," said Ryuu's father, whose name was Arion, pointing toward an old shack deep in the forest.
Arion quickly opened his car door and stepped outside. Fresh air brushed against his face as he stood. "Come on, Ryuu," he called out, then walked with heavy steps toward the forest.
Once they reached the front of the shack, Arion turned to an old man who was sweeping leaves, bent over at the waist. The soft scraping sound of the broom filled the air.
Arion tried to greet him. "G-good afternoon..." he said warmly. "Hwaaa~" came a sound from behind him, it seemed Ryuu was having trouble getting through some thorny bushes. He hopped around lightly, swatting at the branches.
The old man looked up, noticing Arion. "Oh, good afternoon. What can I do for you?" the old man said. He straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Um... we're from the Surabaya city police. We'd like you to come with us," Arion said formally, holding out a wallet with his ID card and a star-shaped badge. He extended it slowly.
Hearing that, the old man was visibly startled. "Huh!? I-I haven't done anything," the old man said hurriedly. He took a half step back.
Arion gave a small smile. "Relax, I'm not arresting you for a crime," he said gently.
"I'm just going to bring you to my residential complex. So you won't need to keep hiding out in a place like this," Arion continued, glancing around, his eyes sweeping over the shack's fragile condition.
Hearing that, the old man relaxed immediately, giving Arion a small smile. "Well, if that's the case, alright then."
"At least come inside first," the old man said warmly, gesturing for Arion and Ryuu to step in.
"Excuse us~" — "Excuse us~" Arion and Ryuu said, stepping into the old man's shack. They walked carefully across the wooden floor.
The shack was made entirely of wood, the floor, the walls, even the roof. All of it, wood. Though it looked fragile from the outside, it was actually sturdy enough to have lasted since it was built thirty years ago. Yeah, even if it was quite worn down by now.
"Lindsey!" the old man called out.
"Yes, Grandpa?" Lindsey asked, running in from another room into the living area. At that time, Lindsey was already eleven years old. She had grown into a beautiful girl, with black eyes and long black hair to match.
"Make some tea for our guests here," the old man said, giving Lindsey a small smile.
Lindsey bowed her head. "Okay, Grandpa," she said, then ran off toward the kitchen. Her steps were quick and light, her hair swaying gently behind her.
Ryuu and Arion sat down on a wooden sofa in the shack's living room. Like I said before, everything was made of wood. And the "kitchen" Lindsey was currently using to make tea, that was actually just an outdoor space behind the shack.
"Wow, this is pretty comfortable," Arion murmured, leaning back against the sofa. He gazed up at the wooden ceiling in admiration.
"Yeah!" Ryuu agreed with a nod.
"Oh, would it be alright if I looked around the place? I really admire the craftsmanship in this shack," Arion said, looking at the old man standing before him.
"Oh, sure, go ahead," the old man replied.
Arion then got up from the sofa and walked further into the shack. He noticed there were two rooms inside.
"This is really worn down," Arion murmured, pressing against the wooden wall beside him. He could feel how decayed the surface had become.
He then stepped into one of the rooms. Inside were a wardrobe, a table, a chair, and a bed. All made of wood. Arion also noticed a thin sheet of cloth that seemed to serve as Lindsey's sleeping mat.
He then spotted a few sheets of paper on the table in Lindsey's room. He picked one up.
He froze, stunned. "T-this...!?" he murmured, eyes wide as he stared at the writing on the paper.
"W-who exactly is this old man...!?" Arion murmured.
"Grandpa!" Lindsey called out from behind the house, running into the living room carrying a tray with two cups of tea.
Arion quickly hid the paper, slipping it into his pants pocket, and left the room.
After chatting for a while, Ryuu, Arion, the old man, and Lindsey stepped out of the shack. The old man gathered a few large belongings and loaded them into the trunk of the car.
"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself..."
"...I'm Arion Houdoug, and this is my son, Ryuu Houdoug," Arion said, offering a handshake.
The old man accepted the handshake. "I'm Yolan." "Well, I don't have a last name since I've been on my own since I was a kid," Yolan said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
Ryuu then looked over at Lindsey, who was hiding behind Yolan's legs. Ryuu crouched down to get closer to the girl.
"Hey there, what's your name?" Ryuu asked kindly.
Lindsey tried to peek out, but she seemed shy, or maybe a little scared, looking at Ryuu.
"Lindsey, don't be like that," Yolan said firmly, looking at her.
"I-I'm... Lindsey," Lindsey said, glancing away.
"I see. Nice to meet you, I'm Ryuu," Ryuu said warmly, gently patting Lindsey's head.
"Alright, let's get going," Arion called out from the driver's seat.
After that, they made their way to the Houdoug residential complex.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh7pWlXbZ1
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