The sounds of clashing swords and spears echoed from outside shattering Huanxin's peaceful sleep. Huanxin rubbed her eyes, and stretched her arms, feeling a surge of frustration and thought angrily.

"Is Shi Wei practicing again in the morning with his foolish friends? Doesn't he have anything better to do? He must be doing it to annoy me again I am going to kill him".

She left bed and walked to the door, determined not to let her brother slip away this time. She opened the door and saw what she never dreamed of her brother's dead body lying on the doorstep. She was taken aback and froze with shock.

Her mother saw Huanxin. She ran towards her daughter still holding her spear drenched in blood.

She said, "Xiner, go in and hide in the room; you know what I am talking about. Xiner you must not come out at any cost until this ends. Don't come out. " Sipping her saliva and holding back her tears, she continued "If we die, you must run from here in the southeast direction. Understand?".

"Mother, brother he....he is dead," said Huanxin crying, sobbing, and breathing heavily.

"You must not come out, you must save yourself. Understand?" her mother said, her voice a mix of anger and deep concern.

Huaxin nodded and ran inside.

She ran to the cupboard slid it and hid in the bunker beneath it. Her mother pushed the cupboard back. She was scared-terrified-but couldn't do anything she was; afraid to see her brother's dead body, her mother drenched in blood, and what about her father? Every question and thought she had was terrifying. She could hear swords, spears, and arrows clashing, along with cries and pleas. She hugged her knees and hid there.

After some time, she heard footsteps approaching.

"Nobody should be left alive; that's chief's order," ordered one man, "If anyone is left alive, we will be dead"

"Yes," said a few people.

Then came the noises of ransacking and searching. She could hear the cupboard opening, her toys and clothes being thrown out, and utensils clattering to the ground. From this commotion, she understood her parents were dead; she began sobbing and covered her mouth with her hands, crying.

"Sir, there's no one and nothing of value except this jade bracelet," reported a woman.

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"This jade bracelet seems to be of good quality; we will get good money for this," said the man, laughing joyfully.

Huanxin felt rage and hatred and wanted to go out, but she remembered her mother's words: "You must not come out."

The soldiers left, and she could hear a troop of soldiers assembling.

"Did you check everywhere?" shouted a woman.

"Yes, madam," replied the soldiers in unison.

"Madam, we found this boy and girl hiding in the house. What do we do with them?" asked one.

"What do we do?" said the chief mockingly "We kill them"

"Yes," replied the soldier.

The children begged not to kill them but no one listened.

"Let's go," said the woman.

Huanxin heard the sound of horses and soldiers galloping away. She stepped out and ran toward the southeast without looking back. She couldn't bear to see the dead bodies of her family and her tribe. In the distance, she spotted a city and sprinted toward it.

The city was lit with lamps and a big sign that read 'Jinggu'(jing-goo), meaning Silent Valley. Contrary to its name, the city was bustling with people. As she burst into the city, the air shifted, thick with the scent of street food and the distant echoes of laughter and music. Towering buildings appeared magnificent. Crowds thronged the streets—a sea of unfamiliar faces, each absorbed in their own lives, oblivious to the storm that had just engulfed her world.

The streets buzzed with energy, vibrant murals adorned walls, narrating tales of struggle and resilience. Vendors shouted their wares, their voices melded into a harmonious chaos.

Yet amidst the frenzy, she felt a strange isolation. The city thrummed with life, but her heart remained heavy, each laugh a distant echo of a life she had. As she navigated through narrow alleyways adorned with flickering lamps and colorful banners, the warmth of humanity enveloped her. Still, it felt like a cruel reminder of what she had lost.

The spices filled the air with an intoxicating aroma, mingling with the sweetness of baked goods. Yet, even in this vibrant chaos, her mind replayed the horror—the faces of her loved ones, her brother's lifeless body, her mother's shattered state. The city offered solace and distraction, but it was a fragile shield against the haunting memories that clung to her like a second skin.

Huanxin stepped away from the crowd and found refuge in a shadowy corner of a narrow alley. Overwhelmed, she cried and sobbed, memories of her brother's lifeless body and her family's joyful moments flooding her mind. Each wave of grief pulled her deeper into despair, but beneath the sadness, simmering anger began to rise.

"Why did they do this?" she thought, clenching her tiny fists. The voices of the strangers who had taken everything from her burned in her mind, and an unfamiliar feeling settled in her heart: a fierce longing for justice, a need to make them pay for what they had done.

Her heart felt heavy with bitterness, and the more she thought about it, the stronger that feeling grew. She might be small, but the desire to confront those who had caused her pain filled her with a fragile strength.

At that moment, she realized she was alone in a world that had turned dark and unfair. With a deep breath, she wiped away her tears and rose to her feet, her heart thudding with sorrow and a newfound determination to face whatever lay ahead.