An airship landed at the refugee camp.
Dahlia noticed a group of people who looked like guards or soldiers.
Although they were different from before, judging by their actions, Dahlia knew that their goal was not much different from the previous ones.
She wondered if a week had already passed.
After all she had experienced, Dahlia had sunk into despair and stopped counting the days.
While some people were mobilizing and seeking rescue, this time Dahlia preferred to simply sit still.
Her faith in everything had vanished, and she had given up trying. But... why was her hand moving?
With a shocked look, Dahlia looked at her right hand, which had moved when the strange man before her reached out.
Her hand had stopped inches from his. She was confused and didn't know what to do.
Had she really given up yet?
Did she really still want to hope?
Did she... actually still have faith?
Before Dahlia could decide, the man's hand reached for hers, startling her.
His metal glove felt cold, lacking any softness or warmth. However... Dahlia felt happy.
It had been so long since anyone had held her hand.
Dahlia looked at the man, and her lips trembled.
Once again, before she could do anything, the man in front of her acted first.
"Do you want to come with us?"
Dahlia's body trembled, and her eyes began to well up with tears.
She held back tears and tried to answer him.
She had suffered in that place. So with a small nod, she finally left.
Following a group of strangers wouldn't guarantee safety, but she knew it was better than remaining silent.
Dahlia noticed that all the people rescued this time were young.
There weren't many of them. Some seemed to prefer to remain in the refugee camp with their parents. For others, they would have to face separation if they wanted to survive.
Dahlia understood the feeling of separation from her parents, but none of that mattered. Besides... whether she left or not, no one cared because she was alone.
The airship took off, and everyone sat down orderly, or so Dahlia thought.
Dahlia noticed there weren't many seats on board, so most of them had to stand.
As the airship soared through the sky, Dahlia looked out the window and was shocked by the sight below them.
Monsters roamed, buildings burned, red mist billowed in all directions, and explosions and flashes of light were everywhere.
"How much has the world changed?"
Dahlia compared the memories of the beautiful city and nature to the utter chaos below them.
Several hours passed, and their airship finally landed near a very large building.
Hesitantly, Dahlia approached the man who had invited her earlier and asked, "Where is this?"
"This is a facility—"
"A special orphanage." A woman in a white coat suddenly interrupted the man.
For a moment, the man stared at the woman in front of him.
After a moment, Dahlia realized that the man she was questioning wasn't the one who had invited her along.
Almost all of their clothes looked the same, and that was what made her mistaken. So, feeling awkward, Dahlia moved away from the two of them and gathered with the other children.
*****
When everyone entered the so-called orphanage, the gates immediately closed, and they were taken to be registered.
Dahlia watched every step of the way. Each child would take turns entering a room every five minutes. However, when another child entered, the previous one wouldn't leave.
She wondered if they would all be gathered in one room.
Dahlia noticed how many there were. Although she couldn't count them because she didn't have a good angle, she was sure there were around a few dozen of them. "Will the room be enough?"
"You."
Surprised to be pointed out, Dahlia, caught off guard by her thoughts, panicked slightly before realizing the woman was simply telling her to come in.
There was no order in their queue, so each child would be randomly selected for a turn.
As soon as Dahlia entered, she noticed another door in the room and felt the previous one move.
"Did the kids who went in earlier go there?" Dahlia wondered as she walked over to sit down.
Beside Dahlia, a woman was waiting for her.
"Eat these candies."
Dahlia noticed five large candies with colorful wrappers on a small plate. "Mama and Papa don't let me eat just any candy."
"Don't worry, this candy is full of vitamins. You won't find anything like this anywhere else."
Upon hearing this, Dahlia quickly took one of the candies and began to eat it.
When Dahlia felt the candy soften slightly, she immediately realized it was a chewing gum.
With a feeling of repressed joy, Dahlia chewed the candy slowly and for a long time, savoring the taste.
"Hmm...? It's red, but it's not strawberry flavor... It tastes very different from any candy I know."
"Does it taste good?"
"Mhm, it tastes good."
"Well, let's get started. What's your name?"
"Dahlia."
"Your age and date of birth?"
"Um... 12 years old, and June 8th."
"Have you graduated from elementary school?"
"Yes."
"I see... Give me your hand."
Dahlia obediently extended her hand, still chewing candy in her mouth.
As the woman placed what looked like a pen on her middle finger, Dahlia suddenly felt a sharp pain where the woman had placed the pen.
Dahlia examined her injured fingertip and watched as the woman in front of her had just drawn a drop of her blood and inserted it into a machine.
After that, the woman performed several health checks, such as checking her weight, body temperature, blood pressure, and so on.
"Put this on."
Dahlia accepted an ID necklace with the code S-9 clearly on it.
"It'll be difficult to remember so many people's names in a short period of time, so calling you by your first names will be easier."
"Aaa..."
"Okay. You can go through the door now."
Still confused, Dahlia walked toward the door and disappeared from the room.
Right after Dahlia left, the woman glanced at the candy bar, which had only one remaining, then at the monitor displaying a warning sign with a seemingly high level.
*****
After Dahlia passed through the door, Dahlia was alone.
She looked left and right.
Compared to the previous place, the place seemed to have a slightly more serious aura.
She walked around calmly, but her head constantly tilting and glancing at everything couldn't hide her confusion.
Dahlia saw a guard guarding an area.
"I wasn't stopped, that means... I'm allowed to come in here, right?"
Dahlia entered the area and found a place that looked very clean.
"Oh, this is... S-9. Is this my room?"