As Kyle watched his sister burn alive, her screams shaking the depths of his soul.
Twelve-year-old Izel sat at the dining table.
The delicious aroma of the luxurious food rose, teasing her nose, yet all she did was lower her head and stare at her bowl filled with soup.
There, she saw the reflection of her face.
Empty eyes with dark bags beneath them, lips frozen in a blank expression as if every trace of emotion had vanished.
The little girl looked as though she had lost hope in life at such an early age.
Around her, there was no one.
Literally no one.
Just her and this lonely emptiness.
An emptiness that gnawed at her from within like a disease.
Little Izel remained frozen like this for a while before the spoon slipped from her hand as she placed it on the table, then pushed herself back along with the chair.
The chair scraped against the floor as Izel got down from it.
