Inside, everything was so quiet. The air was full of smoke and fog, making everything look blurry. I heard Mama’s voice from the kitchen. “She's not here, go away! Even if she was, I would never give her to you!" Something didn’t feel right, like something bad was about to happen.  

“Mama?” I called softly, my voice all wobbly. “Papa?” 

“No, Seira! Run away!” I heard Papa shout from the kitchen as he saw me. My legs felt so heavy and shaky, like they wouldn’t move. And just then, a big man came charging toward me from the direction of Mama and Papa. He looked so angry. 

That's when my Papa came charging out from the kitchen too, jumping onto the man in front of me. My knees finally gave out, and I fell to the ground, sitting on my butt, unable to move, completely filled with fear. All I could do was sit there, frozen. As both of them tumbled to the floor, Papa’s fists hit the bandit’s face with a sickening crunch, the sound of bone echoing in the room. But the victory didn’t last. They kept fighting, throwing punches harder than the last. 

“Seira, get back!” Mama shouted from the kitchen as she leaped toward me, pulling me close since I couldn’t move on my own, holding me tight. I didn’t understand what was happening, why it was happening, and why it was happening to me. 

“Your brother… and sister… Kaelen… Lura… they’re gone,” Mama whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, my love… I’m so sorry…” 

What did she mean, they’re gone? I could barely speak or ask because I was too scared, and everything was happening so fast. 

The bandit growled, his knife flashing in the firelight as he lunged forward, driving the blade deep into Papa’s stomach. Blood splattered onto the wooden floor, dark and thick, as Papa collapsed, blood pooling around him. His lips moved a little before his eyes closed forever. “I never wanted it to get this far… I’m so sorry, Seira. Darling… I love y—” 

“Papa…” I whispered softly, not believing it, but Mama held me tighter, blocking my view so I wouldn’t see any more. 

“Don’t look, my darling,” Mama whispered, her voice trembling. “Don’t look…” 

But I had already seen it. Papa’s body lay still on the floor, surrounded by his blood. Then the bandits turned their attention to Mama. 

Mama squeezed me even tighter and faced the bad man, never letting go. “You’ll not touch her!” she screamed, her voice full of a mother’s fury. “I will protect you, darling. Close your eyes. It will be okay.” 

The bad man came closer, looming over us. Mama turned her head, glaring at him, still holding me, and she looked so angry. The bandit slapped Mama across the face, and the sound of it echoed in my ears. She was knocked to the ground, the floor shaking as if it was going to break. But Mama didn’t give up. She sat back up, clutching me even tighter, like she was shielding me from everything. “Stay away!” Mama cried, her voice rough and strong. “I won’t let you hurt my daughter!” Her voice filled the room. 

The bandit seemed irritated, and then, in that moment, my whole world shattered apart. I didn’t know this would be the last time I’d ever get to feel the warmth of Mama’s hug. The bad man attacked Mama with his knife—once, twice, three times. Over and over. Mama’s screams turned into gasps as she collapsed on top of me. With her last bit of strength, she smiled at me, and with one final effort, she whispered, “It will be okay, little Seira. You will be okay. I will always love you, my little star…” 

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I was stuck under Mama’s body, frozen in shock. Everything was falling apart. Mama, Papa, Kaelen, Lura—gone in an instant, taken from me, and I couldn’t do anything. I could only stare, feeling so empty inside. 

The bandits, done with whatever they came for, picked me up like I was nothing. “We got what we wanted,” the bandit said, grinning. “You’ll make us rich.” 

They dragged me out of the house, pulling me through the streets. The village was still burning behind us, but I didn’t feel anything. My heart felt hollow, like everything good had been taken away. But there was a small light deep inside me, something that tried to reach out. It didn’t matter, though, because the horrible things I had just seen were too strong on my mind to overshadow the light in my soul.