Night fell for this land's people as the gentle snow coated the ground. This country, Denomi, was simultaneously on the brink of collapse and rebirth. Everywhere, everything, all at once. All without consideration for its people. People who wished for nothing but peace, cherished the home they had, and lived to continue living.
Days of peace were numbered; many across the country felt it, and some began to experience it. For those immediately impacted, life took a drastic change. They could not understand how or why, but that didn't matter anymore. All that mattered now was survival.
Among them, a certain demi-human experienced the full extent of this new order. Sitting in the corner of a basement, not his own, he quietly wept to himself. Grappling with his new status quo, he sat completely alone. Hiding from the dangers of the surface was his only objective at the moment, it couldn't be helped, nothing else could be done.
He sat there for quite a while, thinking about what he'd lost and wishing for some of it back. Of course, he knew this would yield no result. It was only natural for someone who'd lost something so precious to them, so important that their soul couldn't exist without it. Regardless, he continued wishing for the impossible.
Although he was in a terrible place to wish for anything, it didn't stop his efforts. The home he found himself in didn't belong to him or his family. The building was decrypted, abandoned, and blood stained the walls around him. Among the scent carried from the people who lived here, he smelled gunpowder. It was painfully quiet.
His eyes darted around the room, thinking of what could have happened to the people living here. The implications frightened him, almost enough to leave. But he knew the truth; staying down here was his best chance at survival.
Holding his tail around his legs, trying to control his body's shivers, he sat on the ground. The cold air strained his lungs, and his head ached, all while his heart desperately kept blood flowing to his vital organs. His mind was clouded with guilt, unease, and overwhelming dread. But, despite his, he didn't move.
He couldn't think of anything else to do in this hellhole but find something to occupy his mind, something to keep his grip on reality. So, he wrote a letter to himself.
"Entry 1: Day 1. My name is Toranto Kamala. My family and I talked about the future every day, but it looks like it's gone now. My new job, a family car, and Mama no longer working two jobs to bring in money. I was finally ready to contribute like she did for so long. Now, all that is gone, and I wasn't enough to protect them.
This only started yesterday. But it keeps replaying over and over in my mind: when Mama woke me up, the look on her face, the sound of banging on our front door, the smell of gunpowder from outside, hearing the gunshots, and hearing their bodies hitting the ground above me. It couldn't be described as anything but a literal nightmare. I miss my grandmother, I miss my grandfather, I miss my mother. Only one day has passed, and I miss them more than I thought possible. Even as I'm writing this, I'm tearing up.
But at the same time, I don't want to live without them. I know they'd want me to live and find some way to escape, but I DON'T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS. Who would??? My home, my family, the life I was starting to build for myself, it's GONE. And for what?? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?? The king and his administration promised us peace and look where I'm sitting now. Inside a decrypted building on the verge of collapse, with nothing but blood and bullet holes painting the walls around me.
Judging by the damages, this village was probably raided a few days ago. Hopefully, that means they won't be interested in it anymore, maybe fleeing here was a good idea after all. But the worst part is the smell. From all directions, it's the same, the scent of dried blood. Like my family, it seems everyone who lived here was killed or taken. I don't know how long I can keep myself together before I die next.
I suppose that doesn't matter right now. My family, the Esfan province, and maybe all of Denomi are gone.
Grandma always said that when dealt a bad hand, adapt and plan your next move. I need to calm down and think of a strategy for survival. I have my provisions, shields, and mind. I don't know how long I'll have to survive like this, but preparation is a must. It's like Grandad taught me: take note of what you have and need.
I've found a small, abandoned village to take shelter in; it looks like the militia has already raided this place. One of the smaller houses had a basement, which I'm resting in now, and this house appears heavily damaged, so I'm hoping they don't think it's worth checking. It feels…disturbing. I can't sense the presence of anyone's soul near me, which makes me think they've killed or displaced any demihumans or denoms that lived here.
I thank God no corpses were left behind; I don't think I could handle that. I can barely handle the blood. But the good thing is I can use my senses as a wolf-type to help me through this. For survival, my sight, smell, and hearing will undoubtedly be useful. My horns are best suited for sensing other people's souls, which'll help me learn which areas to avoid.
I've got enough food and water to last the next few weeks. But, looking in the forest behind this village for a stream is a good idea, I won't last long without a constant water supply. I'm prepared to fight if I need to, I hope. In truth, I haven't even put on my shields. I know I should, but the idea of fighting is terrifying. Sure, I'm fast, but they have guns. I'd rather just avoid them altogether; fighting is too risky. I'll keep my shields in the bag for now. Charm-casting is probably my best option, using a simple wind charm to knock someone off their feet gives me an easy escape route. I'm a lot more proficient with earth and fire-based charms, but I know I can produce a gust of wind strong enough to knock down a small building if necessary. Although I pray it never comes to that.
As much as I want to sit here and cry, I can't let that get in the way right now. I need to survive. Tomorrow, I'll survey the area and make sure there's no military presence here. For now, this is the best I can do.
This was…helpful, in a way. I'm still scared and have no idea what's happened to Denomi, but at least I'm alive. That counts for something. My family would be happy to know I survived, so that's all I need to push a little further. I hope I can be with them again one day. Until then, they'll have to live in my memories. And thanks to the photo I saved of us, I'll never forget their faces.
Goodbye grandma, goodbye grandad, goodbye Mama, I'll miss y'all. If you can hear me, please pray for me.
REMEMBER THIS: Live for them.
The date is January 15th, 2018."