CHAPTER ONE

My childhood was relatively normal until I turned seven. It was then that my older sister had to leave home.

At that time, I couldn’t understand why, especially since Hannah was only twelve years old. My parents explained that her departure was part of her mandatory schooling, and although they reassured me she would visit often, saying goodbye to her was the first great pain I had ever felt. Until then, Hannah had been my whole world; we were inseparable and enjoyed every moment together. But since she left, I felt her drifting farther and farther away.

Another drastic change was my school routine. Extra hours of physical training were added, becoming a daily requirement. At first, it was fun, but over time, it grew exhausting and lost its appeal. Despite my disinterest, my parents constantly reminded me that attending those sessions was mandatory.

However, everything changed completely when I turned eight. The coaches decided to separate us by gender to introduce a new sport: combat. My classmates and I were trained in hand-to-hand combat techniques and the use of sticks as weapons. The truth is, I hated the sport. I simply didn’t feel right hitting my classmates, so I mostly defended myself from their attacks. As a result, I almost always ended up getting hit. My performance worsened, disappointing my coaches and making me a target for mockery from my classmates, who noticed I wasn’t keeping up with them. All of this made me enjoy training even less.

One day, after an exhausting session, one of my coaches approached me to talk about my poor performance.

—I know why you’re not improving, but it’s something you need to do. Are you trying to get better, Yonah? —the trainer asked, sitting down beside me.

—I’m sorry —I murmured, staring at the ground.

—Well, I don’t see any effort from you —she replied sternly.

When I looked up, I noticed two of my classmates by the door, whispering and laughing behind my back.

—Yonah, look at me —the trainer said—. Some of the kids use the training rooms to practice after hours. I want you to join them and practice, understood? —her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

—I understand —I answered quietly, feeling a lump form in my throat.

—Believe me, this is for your own good. Later, you’ll understand why I need you to be at the same level as your classmates, okay? —she concluded, standing up and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Clearly, there were no other options. So, I followed the coach’s instructions and went to train after class. There were several kids there, and it wasn’t easy to approach them because I was very shy. Making friends my age had always been hard for me. But that day, things changed.

—That stick is too big for you —an enthusiastic boy surprised me—. You should get a smaller one. With that, you won’t be able to practice properly.

—R...really? —I asked shyly, looking at the stick I’d been using.

—Yeah, come on, let’s find a smaller one —he said, leading me to the storage room where all the practice sticks were kept.

He was very kind, so I followed him.

—This one should work for you —the boy said, handing me a new stick—. Try it out.

I took the stick and made a few movements with it.

—You’re right, —I said with a shy smile—. Thank you.

—No problem. —He smiled wider. —Hey, you're my neighbor, right?

No wonder his appearance seemed familiar. I had seen him in my building recently.

—I think so, did your family just move in? —I asked, a bit unsure but relieved by how naturally the conversation was going.

—Yes, we’re the new ones, —he answered cheerfully—. My brother and I were thinking of greeting you, but we hadn’t had the chance until now, —he said smiling—. My name’s Finney, what’s yours? —he asked, with a warmth that made me feel more comfortable than I ever thought possible.

—Yonah, —I answered without looking him in the eyes, but I was surprised at how easy it was to say my name.

—Let’s be good friends, Yonah, —he said, placing his hands on my shoulders.

I couldn’t help but blush. No one had ever spoken to me like that before, and I didn’t know how to react. His gesture made me feel special, like I finally belonged somewhere.

—What’s wrong? Don’t you want to? —he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice, noticing my lack of response.

—No, I mean, yes, I do want to be friends, —I replied nervously.

—Great! —he cheered—. Rhys! —he shouted to a boy who was fighting with someone else—. Come here!

At that moment, I thought the boy was his friend, but as he got closer, I realized it was the boy who lived with Finney. I assumed he was his brother.

—What’s up? —Rhys asked, with a surprised expression On his face—. Hey, you’re the neighbor, right? —he added with a smile.

—Yes, —I answered shyly, avoiding his direct gaze, though a warm feeling settled in my chest seeing how friendly he was.

—She’ll be our new friend from now on, —Finney said, grabbing my shoulders from behind.

—Really? —Rhys asked with a wider smile—. Alright, then let’s be good friends. —he added enthusiastically.

I remember when I looked up at both brothers, I couldn’t help but blush at their huge smiles.

—I’m Rhys.

—I’m Yonah.

At that moment, I had no idea how special Finney and Rhys would become in my life. Over time, they became my closest friends, almost like brothers. I admired them deeply, especially for their unique personalities. Finney, who was my age, radiated boundless energy and exceptional charisma. In contrast, Rhys, who was a year older, had a calmness and patience that counterbalanced his brother’s impulsiveness. His ability to maintain harmony and avoid trouble was admirable. Later, I met their parents, who reflected the same joy and kindness as their children, showing that theirs was a family full of love.

When I was eight, my life suddenly became happy the moment I met Finney and Rhys. Before that, aside from missing my sister, every day was marked by frustration. The mandatory training weighed me down, the teasing from my classmates for not keeping up with them made me feel worthless, and the reprimands from my coaches only discouraged me. But the friendship and support of those boys made those worries disappear. It felt like everything was back to normal, and that feeling was so comforting that nothing seemed capable of ruining it. But as often happens with good things, the joy that defined that moment in my life didn’t last long.

When I was nine, a piece of news shook me. In class, one of my teachers explained why we were forced to train.

—Maybe many of you have wondered why we place so much importance on training —the teacher said, walking around the classroom—. Today, I’ll tell you the reason. But before, I want you to know that it’s not something to fear, but to be proud of —he added cheerfully—. You see… humanity is facing difficult times. The world as you know it is not in its best condition. And what you might not know is that this country is the only one inhabited by humans.

—There are no more people? —asked a boy sitting next to me.

—That’s right. Many years ago, a devastating conflict changed everything. Unknown forces emerged and wiped out much of the planet’s population —the teacher explained.

My classmates began to murmur among themselves, their faces reflecting a mix of disbelief and fear.

—And we’re supposed to face them? —asked one classmate.

—Exactly, —said the teacher—. You have, and will have, the ability to fight what threatens our existence.

My thoughts were racing, filled with confusion and fear.

—But why us? —asked another classmate—. The country has a huge army.

—Unfortunately, the armed forces can’t defeat these enemies. That’s why the government has decided to train new generations to become formidable defenders of our society.

A girl near the teacher asked:

—But is it mandatory for everyone?

A child’s scream echoed in my ears:

—I don’t want to be a soldier!

The teacher raised his voice, and the whole group fell silent. In that moment, I felt how the tension took over the classroom; my classmates’ faces turned serious and scared.

—You are not ordinary children, —the teacher said seriously—. You are special, and soon you will see what you are capable of.

The silence was overwhelming. My hands gripped the edge of my desk. I looked around, seeing the same emotions reflected in my classmates' stunned faces. Some seemed confused, others scared, and a few showed determination in their eyes. "A conflict that wiped out most of the planet's population? An enemy that threatens our existence?" I thought, trying to grasp the gravity of what I had just heard. The weight of the responsibility resting on my young shoulders. How could we face such danger? The teacher’s words echoed in my mind: "You are not ordinary children… you’ll soon see what you’re capable of."

Suddenly, I remembered Hannah. "Is that the reason she had to leave?" I wondered, my heart tightening in my chest. In that moment, I knew nothing would ever be the same again.

When I was ten, I understood what my teacher meant when he said we were "special" during a training session with Finney and Rhys. I remember how exhausted I felt that day. The past few months had been tough, with endless hours of combat practice that left every muscle in my body sore. I watched Finney and Rhys exchange jokes while picking up the practice sticks, a display of the boundless energy they both had.

—What do you think about practicing hand-to-hand combat now? —Finney suggested with a smile on his lips, but I could see the spark of impatience in his eyes. There was something in his tone that suggested not accepting a 'yes' was almost unthinkable.

I grimaced at the idea.

—The trainer told you to work on that —Finney reminded me.

With the annual tournament approaching, Finney and Rhys had offered to help me improve in combat. However, despite their efforts, I was still far from reaching their level.

—I’m too tired, I can’t continue —I said, collapsing onto the cold floor of the training room.

—Come on, Yonah! —Finney complained.

—I’ll leave it for tomorrow —I said with a smile.

—But… —he insisted.

—Finn! —Rhys interrupted, who was putting away the sticks we’d used—. Let her alone.

—Stop defending her! —Finney snapped at his brother—. You know she needs to improve before the tournament.

—And she is, but that’s enough. She can’t keep up with us —Rhys said from a distance.

Somehow, what Rhys said bothered me, but it was the truth. They were clearly pushing hard to win, and I was just holding them back.

Many of my classmates had been eagerly awaiting the annual tournament. At least it was something that motivated them to train hard. However, that wasn’t the case for me. Still, I didn’t want to fall behind.

—Alright —I jumped up—. I’ll practice.

I was still amazed at how effective those guys were at motivating me. They just had to bug me a little.

—Awesome! —Finney shouted excitedly—. Come on, let’s fight together, try to hit me —he said, getting into position.

—Not yet, I’d rather practice with the bags —I replied, heading toward them.

—How boring —Finney complained, clearly disappointed.

I laughed at his expression, but it was clear I wasn’t going to practice that way. If I already hated hitting others with the stick, I certainly wouldn’t try to hit Finney directly. I spent several minutes hitting the bag while both brothers watched me. My plan was to keep hitting the bag until they got bored and left, but that didn’t seem to be happening. "How persistent," I thought. At one point, I managed to land a pretty strong punch with my right arm, and both cheered.

—Awesome! —Finney cheered—. Okay, now fight with us.

I stopped hitting the bag when I heard that. I had no choice. They weren’t going to leave me alone until I fought them.

—Okay —I said, resigned—. Both of you?

—Don’t worry, we won’t be too tough on you —Rhys said with a smile.

—Speak for yourself —Finney muttered.

Rhys shot him a glare, and I just laughed.

So, I prepared to fight them. Their challenging smiles and relaxed stances told me they weren’t going to take it seriously, as usual. With a resigned sigh, I launched myself at them with a precise punch, but they slipped out of my reach with such grace that I felt clumsy in comparison. My fists clenched in determination, but every movement seemed slower and less coordinated than the last.

Their bodies moved with ease, dodging my attacks effortlessly, making me wonder if I’d ever match their skill. Every time I thought I had an opening, it vanished before my eyes, leaving me feeling like I was fighting shadows rather than my friends. Finally, with a defeated sigh, I dropped my arms and stopped.

—It’s useless… —I said, laughing—. I think I’ll never be at your level, guys.

—You can do it, just keep trying —Finney said, trying to cheer me up.

—I gave it my all, guys —I said, sitting down on the floor.

In reality, I knew I could try harder, but what stopped me was the fact that I didn’t feel comfortable with that kind of combat.

—Really? —Rhys said, squatting in front of me. Somehow, I felt like he had read my thoughts.

—What? —I replied, puzzled.

—Yonah, you can fool Finney, but not me —Rhys said seriously—. Do you really think I don’t know you?

I was surprised. Rhys had never spoken to me like that.

—Huh? —Finney asked, looking confused.

—Listen, I’m going to fight you, and this time, I’m going to attack you for real —Rhys said, taking my hand and helping me up—. Okay?

—But… —I said, confused.

Had he figured out that I wasn’t taking it seriously?

—Ready? —Rhys said as he got into position.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, a wave of fear that gripped my thoughts. My body tensed instinctively, a sense of unease flooding me as I watched Rhys take his stance.

Without warning, he launched himself at me with a series of swift, precise movements. My muscles responded quickly, my survival instincts kicking in. I dodged his first few strikes with difficulty, but then a blow to my left caught me off guard, knocking me to the ground.

The air left my lungs as I clung to the floor, confusion and fear clouding my mind. In that moment, I realized Rhys was fighting seriously. He continued his relentless assault, each strike faster and more brutal than the last. Desperation took hold of me. I didn’t want to hurt someone so dear to me, but I also couldn’t allow myself to be defeated.

With my heart pounding wildly in my chest, I spotted an opening in Rhys' movements. Without hesitation, I gathered all my strength and landed a solid blow to his abdomen. The impact echoed in the room, a crash that was drowned out by the thud of his body slamming against the wall. I stood frozen, shocked by the force of the blow. In the distance, I saw Finney rushing to his brother.

—Rhys… —I managed to say.

—Yonah! —Finney screamed.

I snapped back to reality at his shout.

—Yonah! He’s not waking up! —Finney screamed, tears streaming down his face as he held Rhys.

Rhys had slid down the wall, ending up sitting with his back against it. When I reached them, my tears began to flow. Rhys was unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth.

—Yonah! Stay with him! —Finney ordered me—. Hold him like this —he said, placing my hands on Rhys's shoulders—. I’ll go get help!

Finney ran off, shouting for help, and all I could do was cry uncontrollably. I tried to hold Rhys, resting his head on my shoulder, and noticed blood at the back of his head as well.

—I’m sorry, I’m sorry, forgive me —I kept repeating, as if those words could undo what had just happened.

We stayed in that position, my gaze fixed on the wall where Rhys had slammed into it.

That day, my hands were covered in blood.

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