Chapter 2

Dina's heart pounded in her chest, like war drums echoing in her ears. The radioactive gas had already suffocated the air, making her breath shallow and labored. Her vision blurred from tears and panic, but she knew there was no time to hesitate. Binar, her innocent little child, lay in front of her, convulsing, the gas mask that should have protected him now loose and improperly fitted.

"Oh God, please..." Dina whispered inwardly, her hands trembling as she reached for the medicine box. Her eyes locked onto the syringe, which seemed so small, yet all her remaining hope depended on it.

In her desperation, Dina opened the vial and tried to draw the radiation antidote into the syringe. But in the midst of her effort, Binar's small, trembling hand knocked against her arm. Crack! The vial fell, shattering on the floor, shards of glass scattering, and with them, the hope contained within was lost along with the sound of the break.

"No!" Dina gasped, her voice barely audible through her sobs. Her eyes widened, her body felt weak as she stared at the broken glass and the liquid now pooling on the floor. Fear and a sense of helplessness hit her like a brutal blow. "Oh God, what do I do...?"

She glanced at Binar, who was growing weaker, then at Ajisaka, who was also panting in the corner of the room. There was no time to think—only instinct remained. Dina quickly grabbed the last vial of medicine in the box—the final hope to save Binar. Her hands trembled as she filled the syringe with the liquid. Each second felt like an endless nightmare.

"Hold on, baby, Mama's here..." she whispered hoarsely, injecting the medicine into Binar's body.

Binar, who had been convulsing, slowly began to calm down. Dina's hands grew weaker, but she forced herself to move, crawling toward Ajisaka, who was lying on the floor, struggling for breath. With the last of her strength, she pulled Binar and Ajisaka close, laying them down on the worn mattress in the corner of the room, like a mother unwilling to let her children slip from her protection.

But Dina knew her time was running out. Her chest burned, and nausea crept into her stomach from inhaling too much of the toxic gas that spread relentlessly. Her head spun, and each step felt like a heavier weight dragging her down.

"I have to survive... I have to be strong... for them..." Dina thought, though her body betrayed her, her muscles growing sluggish, and each breath becoming more painful.

With trembling hands and vision fading, Dina desperately scraped together the remnants of the broken vial on the floor, trying to save herself. Only a few drops remained, but it had to be enough. It had to be. She injected it into her arm, praying for a miracle.

But her body could no longer endure. Her breath hitched, gas filling her lungs. She staggered and collapsed softly to the floor, her body feeling weightless, as if it were slipping away from this world. Her vision dimmed, but before everything went dark, she forced one last glance at her children, peacefully sleeping on the mattress. A small, weary smile tugged at her lips.

"I did my best..." she whispered before slipping into unconsciousness. Dina fell into the abyss, her body motionless amidst the shattered glass and the remnants of hope.

***

That morning, Dina moved slowly, her body feeling tired and her head still throbbing. At the cold, simple dining table, she carefully arranged the dwindling supplies: three fragile, dry biscuits, two pieces of meat that had almost lost their flavor, one spoonful of peanuts that looked so meager, and a glass of water for each of them. The sight always broke her heart. How could she keep providing this for her children? But she had no choice.

Dina stared at the food for a moment before taking a deep breath. She knew this morning would be difficult again, but she had to stay strong, at least in front of the kids. After making sure everything was in place, she headed to the room to wake them up.

She first went to Binar, who was still curled up in her sleep. "Binar... wake up, sweetie," she whispered softly as she lifted her 8-year-old daughter. Binar, whose small body felt warm in Dina's arms, only stirred briefly before slowly opening her eyes. With a sleepy face and messy hair, Binar tried to sit up, but her body still felt heavy. Dina smiled at her daughter's adorable face, even in a situation like this.

After placing Binar in her dining chair, Dina walked to Ajisaka's room. Her eldest son, 12 years old, was fast asleep in his worn-out bed. "Aji... come on, wake up, let's have breakfast," she whispered while gently shaking Ajisaka's shoulder. The boy only stirred briefly before finally waking up with sleepy eyes. Ajisaka staggered out of his room, dragging his feet, his face showing deep exhaustion. Even so, he sat in the chair Dina had set for him.

In front of the food already laid out, Dina tried to smile, hiding her pain. She began eating her portion without speaking, but from the corner of her eye, she saw that Binar was just playing with her food. Binar pinched her biscuit with her small fingers, staring at it without interest, as if she no longer understood the meaning of eating to survive.

Ajisaka, who had been holding back, finally burst out, "Why only this, Ma? I want rice..."

Dina turned to him, her heart aching. "Aji... for now, let's eat this first, okay? When things get better, we can have rice again," Dina replied gently, even though deep down, she too missed the normal days when they could enjoy decent meals. She stroked Ajisaka's head, trying to soothe her son who was starting to lose his patience. Ajisaka just sighed, looking at his plate with disappointment before finally eating reluctantly.

Crash!

Suddenly, a loud bang came from Binar's direction. Everyone jerked, quickly turning towards the little girl. With an adorably angry face, Binar had hit the table, and the biscuit in front of her shattered into pieces. Dina looked at her daughter in shock, but a small smile appeared on her face seeing her daughter's innocent antics, even in such circumstances. Instead of being truly angry, Binar began picking up the biscuit crumbs she had smashed and ate them in a silly way.

Ajisaka saw this and couldn't hold back anymore. A small laugh escaped his lips. Dina also laughed, though her heart still felt heavy. For a moment, the bitterness was forgotten, even if only briefly. That small moment gave them a bit of warmth, in the midst of the grim reality they couldn't escape.

A few moments later, the warm atmosphere during the meal gradually turned quiet. Only the sounds of gentle bites and spoons clinking against plates could be heard as Dina and Ajisaka focused on their small portions of food. Binar, with her cute efforts, was still struggling to fit a biscuit that was too big into her tiny mouth. In the middle of the silence, Ajisaka suddenly stopped chewing and looked at his mother with a face full of questions.

"Mama... where's Dad? Didn't he come in here with us?" he asked softly but full of hope.

Dina instantly froze, her chest tightening. Ajisaka's question stirred memories she had tried to bury. The image of Cakra wounded, the last time she saw her husband fighting to save them, now resurfaced in her mind. Without realizing it, tears began to fall down her cheeks. Her hand trembled as she set down her spoon.

For a moment, Dina tried to calm herself, but her voice still sounded hoarse as she replied. "Aji... I'm sorry... I couldn't save your dad."

Ajisaka was silent, his face starting to flush, his eyes welling up with tears. Dina knew her son was trying to hold back his tears, but he couldn't. Dina reached out her hand, pulling Ajisaka into her arms. She hugged both of her children tightly, while Binar, not fully understanding, still busy with her oversized biscuit, didn't realize how heavy the atmosphere had become.

Dina bowed her head, her sobs breaking free. "I know this is hard... but sooner or later, I had to tell you," she said, her voice cracking, tears streaming down her face. "Dad can't be with us anymore... Dad is gone."

The words hit Ajisaka like a punch to the heart. Unable to hold it back any longer, he released his tears. His scream echoed within the narrow bunker. "DAAAAD!!" he cried out with all his might, as if hoping that his scream would bring his father back.

Dina couldn't hold back her tears either, hugging Ajisaka tightly. Binar, hearing her brother and mother cry, finally turned around in confusion. Seeing them in tears, Binar started sobbing too, though she didn't fully understand what was happening. Her small voice filled the silence with a simple yet heartbreaking question.

"Why are Mama and Brother crying?" Binar asked, her tears flowing down her soft cheeks.

Dina tried to calm herself, though tears continued to fall uncontrollably. She took a napkin and wiped Binar's tears. "Dad... isn't here anymore, sweetheart. He's gone to a better place."

Binar looked at her mother with teary eyes, not fully understanding. Dina kissed her little cheek and tried to smile through her sadness. "But don't worry, we still have each other... and we'll always be together, okay."

Binar only nodded slowly, though the sadness was evident on her face. She returned to her biscuit, trying to fit it into her mouth, but her tears kept falling. Dina wiped the tears from Ajisaka's face, who was still sobbing, then hugged him again.

"It's okay, Aji. Dad is at peace now... We have to be strong for him," Dina said gently, stroking her son's back.

The three of them continued crying in their embrace at the dining table, but the embrace also became a way for them to strengthen each other. After a while, their sobs gradually subsided, though the sorrow still lingered in the air. They returned to their meals, trying to move on with the day, even though the immense feeling of loss still enveloped their hearts.