A fragile, almost unreal calm reigned in the house. Outside, the sky remained covered by thick gray clouds, and the last traces of light were slowly fading, replaced by the darkness of the night that was creeping in little by little. The wind brushed against the windows with soft, intermittent gusts, making the atmosphere feel even colder and quieter.
Inside, the dim light of a lamp barely managed to illuminate the room, bathing the space in warm, tranquil shadows.
Arika and Stella spoke in hushed tones, careful not to disturb the momentary peace while the rest rested scattered in different corners of the house.
For a moment, everything seemed normal. Too normal.
Stella let out a small, weary smile as she adjusted the blanket over her legs, seeking refuge in that brief moment of calm
—When all this is over… —she murmured wearily— I want to cook something normal again. I'm sick of canned food.
Arika barely looked up at her.
—What would you cook?
Stella seemed to think about it seriously.
—Something huge. Lots of food. And dessert too… though Hael would probably eat it before anyone else.
—That's a good idea —Arika replied sincerely.
Stella smiled gently before standing up.
—I'll be right back.
Arika nodded slightly.
A few minutes later, Stella returned carrying an old backpack in her hands. She set it on the table and began taking out some bandages, bottles of alcohol, creams, and medications.
—I think we should check your wounds again —she said as she arranged the items—. You've been pushing your body too hard.
Arika's body tensed slightly.
—It's not necessary —she replied quickly.
—Of course it is —Stella replied gently—. You may not say so, but you still don't look well.
Arika parted her lips slightly to respond, but before she could, footsteps coming down the stairs caught both their attention.
Hael appeared in the hallway.
His head was bowed, and his eyes looked teary.
Arika noticed it immediately.
She turned slightly toward Stella.
—Hael is sad.
Stella turned in surprise and quickly approached the boy.
—What's wrong? —she asked with concern—. Are you feeling sick?
Hael clenched his fists tightly.
—Why…? —she murmured, her voice breaking —. Why do the people I love always end up leaving?
The words made Stella frown in confusion.
—What do you mean, honey?
Before she could get an answer, more footsteps echoed on the stairs.
Everyone looked up.
Delma was slowly coming down the stairs alongside Althea, who was carrying Mian in her arms. Both of them had backpacks slung over their shoulders.
Arika stood frozen for a few seconds when she saw them.
—Why are you carrying luggage? —she asked.
Althea immediately looked down, hugging Mian tighter, unable to answer.
Delma gently stroked the girl's head before speaking.
—We're grateful for everything you've done for us… but our path must continue elsewhere.
Silence fell over the room.
Stella took a step toward them.
—What? Are you leaving now? —she asked worriedly—. It's still dangerous out there.
—I know —Delma replied calmly—. But we can't stay any longer.
—Going alone is too risky.
Delma smiled faintly.
—I've survived this long. I can protect us.
Arika remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
—I understand… but at least wait for the others to return. You should say goodbye.
Delma hesitated for a moment.
Then she nodded.
—All right.
The hours began to pass slowly.
As time went on, the tension inside the house grew heavier and heavier, permeating every corner with a restlessness that was hard to ignore.
Stella managed to calm Hael down and left him resting near the living room, covered with a blanket as he tried to regain some composure. Even so, the atmosphere remained uncomfortable, heavy with worry and exhaustion.
Arika stood motionless by one of the windows, watching the outside through a small gap between the boards covering the glass.
Darkness.
Silence.
Not a single sign of the group.
Outside, the wind continued to blow, and the clouds completely obscured the moon, making the night seem even deeper.
Stella watched her for a few seconds before slowly approaching her.
—Hael has calmed down now —she said, trying to lighten the mood.
—He's fine —Arika replied without taking her eyes off the outside.
Several more minutes passed.
The clock ticked slowly. And the night grew colder and quieter.
Then Arika spoke again, this time in a more serious tone.
—It's already too late.
Stella tried to stay calm.
—Maybe they had trouble getting back… or found more supplies. I'm sure they're close.
But even she sounded unconvinced.
Time kept passing.
The clock's hands finally struck ten o'clock at night, and the darkness outside seemed to have grown heavier, enveloping the house in an unsettling silence.
And yet… no one returned.
Arika slowly made her way down to the main room. Her footsteps barely echoed on the wooden floor as everyone waited in silence, tense and exhausted from the wait.
Delma was the first to speak.
—I can't wait any longer. We have to leave now.
Arika remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
—All right.
Then she looked up at the others.
—But… I'm coming with you.
Stella jumped up from the sofa.
—What are you saying?
Arika looked her straight in the eye.
—It's too late. Something must have happened to them.
The atmosphere grew tense.
—Going out there alone is suicide —Stella retorted—. You can barely stand on your own two feet.
—And your wounds haven't healed yet —Delma added firmly—. You'll only make things worse.
But Arika slowly shook her head.
—It doesn't matter.
Stella opened her eyes in disbelief.
—Of course it matters!
—I can't just stay here waiting.
Her voice wasn't loud. There was no anger in it… but something worse. Fear. A real fear she was trying unsuccessfully to hide, buried beneath that apparent calm.
Althea, who was standing near Delma, gently tugged at her clothes when she noticed the argument was starting to escalate. Delma sighed wearily and brought a hand to her head before looking back at Arika.
—I'll go look for them —she said finally—. But you're staying here.
Arika shook her head immediately.
—No. I appreciate your offer… but I'm going anyway.
Delma let out a heavy sigh and walked quickly over to her.
—Do you want to die?
She gripped her shoulders tightly.
—Listen to me, Arika. Your body isn't well. Going out now will only make—
—Enough.
Arika's voice sounded colder than usual. Her fists clenched slightly at her sides.
Silence fell over the room.
Without another word, Arika began slowly taking off her jacket.
Then she reached for the bandages covering her arm and began calmly unwrapping them.
Everyone watched her in confusion.
Stella frowned, not understanding what she was trying to do.
—What are you doing…?
The bandages slowly fell to the floor.
Beneath them… there was absolutely no wound.
The skin was intact.
No scars.
No marks.
The silence that followed was absolute.
Hael opened his eyes in surprise.
Althea stood motionless, clutching Mian tightly as she stared at Arika, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
Even Stella was speechless.
Delma took a step back, unable to hide the shock on her face.
Arika calmly put her jacket back on, as if it were of no consequence.
—You probably have a lot of questions —she said softly—. But there's no time to answer them now.
Her gaze hardened slightly.
—First, we have to find the others.
No one knew what to say.
The atmosphere had completely changed. The concern was still there, but now it was mixed with bewilderment and a growing sense of uncertainty.
Arika quickly grabbed a few things from the table, adjusted her gear, and walked toward the front door without hesitation.
Delma watched her for a few seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh.
—Damn it…
She grabbed her own backpack and walked behind her, but before heading out, she stopped in front of Hael.
The boy looked up at her, still nervous.
Delma crouched down slightly and placed a hand on his head.
—I'll come back for your brother… for everyone, okay?
Hael slowly clenched the blanket in his hands and nodded silently.
Stella finally reacted.
—Wait! You can't go alone!
Arika paused for just a second in front of the door.
—That's exactly why we have to do this quickly.
Then she opened the door.
The icy night wind burst into the house, momentarily extinguishing any remaining sense of security inside.
Delma turned to Stella, Hael, and Althea.
—We'll be back —she said firmly—. Until then, don't open the door for anyone.
Stella nodded slowly, still nervous.
Delma took a deep breath and stepped out behind Arika.
The door closed slowly behind them.
And the darkness of the night swallowed them up once more.