In the heart of devastation, the sky was covered by dark clouds, and the flames danced on the horizon as if breathing violently. Inside the ruined house, Nova and Mira sat in silence, sensing the imminent danger.
Mira looked at Nova with eyes full of fear, as the whispers of the fire filled the space. "How will we escape?" she whispered, her voice trembling under the weight of terror. The ruined walls of the house loomed like ash, and the thought of escape seemed out of reach.
But Nova, with his sharp eyes and calm smile, showed nothing but composure. "We won't be able to escape, but we can hide," he said in a voice full of confidence, though it carried a sharp intelligence planning something bigger than mere escape.
Mira, with a confused look, asked, "But where? This place is completely destroyed."
Nova did not hesitate to answer. "The gang had seventeen people, right?" He asked the question as if the answer were obvious.
"Yes, seventeen," Mira replied, watching Nova warily, as though waiting for a new maneuver.
"Then, if we can kill four, why can't we kill ten more?" Nova added, his voice calm but filled with power.
Nova then pulled a gun from his bag and handed it to Mira, along with two extra magazines. "Go to the ruined rocks, and use the gun to cover us. I'll be behind you." His eyes were filled with focus, his fingers moving with care as if weaving a plan from the shadows.
"I'll protect you," Mira said with confidence, though her heart was screaming in fear.
As Mira hid behind the rocks, Nova began his work. He scattered fuel in front of the entrance, drawing a line leading into the building. Then he hid behind a column, watching everything as the sounds of the flames drew closer.
It wasn't long before Zack appeared, storming forward with intense anger. His words were like thunder that tore through the night's silence: "You, you filthy bastard! How dare you hurt my friend and threaten me in my own place? You will pay the price!" He shouted, his eyes blazing with fury, pointing to the members of his gang who advanced with him.
Nova, calm as ever, pulled a string tied to a candle near the entrance. The candle fell onto the fuel, and flames erupted suddenly beneath the gang's feet. The sounds of their screams mixed with the noise of the fire consuming their bodies, and they vanished into the darkness.
As the fire devoured them, Zack screamed, furious and enraged. "Nova! I'll make you pay!" His voice trembled with anger, and in his eyes was a deadly desire.
Nova, watching Zack closely, smiled a mocking smile and said, "You're just a highwayman. Four of your men are dead, and thirteen remain. What do you think? Will you retreat now, or are you ready to fight?"
His words were like knives that pierced Zack's heart, but in that moment, Nova had signaled to Mira to move behind him. Mira understood the signal immediately, and she moved through the wreckage with incredible stealth, slipping through the debris like a shadow.
As the flames died down, two men from the gang entered the ruined building, searching with their eyes for any trace of Nova or Mira. They found nothing but the burned corpses of their comrades, and suddenly, their voices vanished with the wind.
At that moment, Nova and Mira had successfully moved away from the danger. They had managed to sneak away and escape.
As they ran through the darkness, Mira sighed in relief and said, with a smile on her face, "We made it... I thought we were going to die there."
Nova laughed, but his laughter carried a deeper meaning than mere reassurance. "Die? After everything we've been through—nuclear wars, hunger, destruction? I don't think death will catch up to us so easily."
After three hours of walking, Mira stopped and collapsed onto the rocks, exhausted. "Okay... I need a break. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten. I can't keep going."
Nova looked at her, understanding her need for rest. "Alright, we'll rest, but not in the open. Over there, by the wreckage, we can hide better."
He picked her up in his arms, and Mira felt a bit embarrassed by the situation. "Nova, I can walk to there. You don't need to tire yourself."
But Nova responded with a reassuring smile, "You're light, so carrying you won't tire me. I want to see you comfortable." Her smile was soft and shy, but filled with gratitude.
They reached a safe spot among the debris. There, Nova lit a small fire and took out canned food. "Here, eat this. You're hungry."
Mira took the food and ate quickly, her joy filling the air. Nova, watching her, felt a sense of peace knowing they had finally found some calm. After cleaning the area of debris and stones, he extinguished the fire and said, "Alright, we can sleep now."
As darkness surrounded them, there were no sounds from the gang, but Nova knew that their danger was far from over, and they had to keep moving.
At that moment, both of them felt that life had given them a new chance, but at the same time, they knew the future remained uncertain.