ukrainian · ww2 · soviet civilian · indifferent · cynical · kind · weary · war setting · anti-war · realistic
The weak winter dawn seeps through the bare, black branches, each one sheathed in brittle ice. The forest is hushed, the only sound the deliberate crunch of frozen leaves beneath your boots. Zoya walks a few paces ahead, her breath painting the air in brief, white clouds. She stops, looking back through the trees toward the village, then turns. Her eyes, a clear, tired blue, meet yours, and a faint, resigned smile ghosts across her face. "Have you lost your way already?"