Selene stood at the edge of the broken mountain chamber. The soft wind touched her cheeks, gentle but cool. It smelled like ash, old earth, and something she could not name—something forgotten. Her long silver hair moved with the breeze, shimmering like moonlight under the sun. The light touched her skin like a whisper, warm and full of life.
Below her, the valley stretched wide. Once, it had been a city. She could tell from the shapes of the buildings and the roads. But now it looked like the skeleton of something that had died long ago. Towers leaned like tired giants. Streets were cracked and overgrown. Smoke drifted slowly in the distance.
Selene's round eyes were wide with wonder and sadness. She did not remember falling asleep. She did not remember why the world looked like this. She only knew something terrible had happened while she had slept inside the mountain.
She took a step forward, then another. Her bare feet touched warm stone, and then soft moss that had grown wild across the cracks. A narrow path had formed where the mountain had split open. Some parts were steep, others broken and jagged, but she kept moving. Her body seemed to remember how to walk, even if her thoughts were full of confusion.
The sunlight stayed above her. It poured over her like warm gold. Wherever the light touched her skin, she felt less afraid. Her legs stopped shaking. Her chest felt lighter. It was as if the sun itself was guiding her, holding her hand like an old friend.
At the base of the mountain, the path met the remains of a road. The road was no longer straight or smooth. Cracks ran through it like spiderwebs, and grass and vines pushed through the gaps. Metal poles bent at strange angles. Silent machines, rusted and broken, rested by the roadside. Their windows were smashed, their wheels flat. Selene tilted her head. These machines looked like carriages, but without horses. She had never seen anything like them before.
She walked slowly, her silver hair swaying behind her. Her big eyes looked around with quiet wonder. There were signs of people everywhere, but no people. Houses stood with empty windows like hollow eyes. Doors hung open. Toys lay scattered in yards and streets.
She stopped in front of a building with a broken roof. The walls were black from fire. One side had caved in. Letters on a rusted sign had fallen, but some still clung to the frame. Selene did not know what they meant, but something inside her said it had once been a place where children learned.
Torn books and broken desks were piled inside. Outside, among the weeds, she saw toys left behind. Dolls missing arms. A plastic ball split in half. And in the middle of it all, a small stuffed bear sat on its side, dirty and torn. One of its button eyes was gone.
Selene knelt and picked it up gently. The fur felt rough under her fingers.
"You must be lonely too," she said softly. Her voice trembled just a little.
She hugged the bear against her chest. Then, after a moment, she placed it carefully in a patch of sunlight, so it would not be cold.
She kept walking down the ruined road. Her pale feet stepped lightly over broken stone and fallen wood. She passed quiet houses, empty stores, and silent streets. Her heart felt heavier with each step. She still had not seen a single person.
"Where is everyone?" she whispered to the wind. "What happened here?"
Further ahead, she reached what looked like the center of the city. A large open square spread before her. Trees had grown through the stone. Their roots twisted through benches and broken tiles. Glass from windows sparkled on the ground like fallen stars.
In the middle of the square stood a fountain, dry and empty. Around it, stone statues of people stood frozen in time. Some had missing heads or broken arms. Moss and vines covered their bodies like soft green blankets.
Selene stepped up onto the edge of the fountain. She turned slowly, looking in all directions.
She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, "Is anyone there?"
Her voice echoed between the buildings.
But there was no answer.
Only silence.
She stood there for a long time. The sun warmed her shoulders, but it could not chase away the cold ache in her chest.
Then, something moved.
Just at the edge of her vision, a flicker of motion passed through a dark doorway. She turned quickly.
From the shadows of a broken building, a figure stumbled into the light. Its skin was gray and dry. Its mouth hung open. Its cloudy eyes stared at her without seeing.
Selene froze.
It was the same kind of creature she had seen in the mountain.
Two more followed. Then another.
They moved slowly, dragging their feet. Their limbs bent the wrong way. Bones stuck out where skin had torn. But they all came toward her.
Selene stepped back. Her heartbeat grew fast. She lifted her hands, just like before.
Nothing happened.
She looked up at the sky. The sun had slipped behind a thick cloud. The light was dim. The warmth was gone. Her body felt heavy again. Her legs turned weak.
The creatures came closer.
Selene turned and ran.
Her feet pounded against the broken ground. She did not know where to go. She only knew she had to get away. She ran past a crumbled wall, through an alley choked with weeds, and under a fallen sign.
Behind her, the creatures groaned. Their voices were low and hollow, like lost souls calling from the dark.
She slipped between two rusted cars. Her gown caught on the door, tearing a little. She kept running, her breath sharp and fast.
"Please," she whispered. "Please… come back, light…"
The clouds shifted.
A single beam of sunlight broke through the sky and landed behind her.
She stopped and turned around. The creatures were still coming.
The sunlight touched her skin.
Warmth rushed into her chest. Her fingers tingled. Her breath calmed. Her eyes glowed faintly, like glass touched by morning light.
Golden light shimmered from her hands.
She raised them slowly, her small body shaking with fear and power.
A pulse of light burst out from her chest. It swept across the alley like a wave. The creatures didn't scream. They didn't move. They turned to ash and vanished, carried away on the breeze.
Selene stood still. Her heart was pounding. Her hands trembled. She wiped tears from her cheeks.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "What are those things? What happened to the world? Where are my father and brothers?"