As the carriage rolled past the old winding road, the atmosphere shifted. What was once lively chatter between Mila, Leo, and Irina fell into a heavy silence as the familiar outlines of Irina's old home town came into view. Irina leaned forward, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"I can't believe we're almost here," she said softly, her voice filled with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. "This is where I used to live. I haven't been back in years."

Mila looked at her curiously. She could see the hope in Irina's eyes, a hope that this place would still feel like home. But as the town came closer into focus, Mila's heart sank. The picturesque homes that Irina had spoken so fondly of were gone, replaced by weathered gravestones and a cemetery that stretched far across the land.

Irina's face paled, her hands trembling as she clutched the edge of the carriage seat. "What... what happened?" Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "Where is it? Where's my home?"

Leo pulled the horses to a stop, and Mila quickly climbed down from the carriage, following Irina as she rushed towards what remained of the place she once knew. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the scene before her—no grand manor, no familiar gardens, only rows and rows of graves and broken land.

"This can't be..." Irina gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. She walked through the graveyard, her feet dragging as she scanned the names etched in stone. "It's all gone. My home... it's all gone."

Mila hurried to Irina's side, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Irina. I had no idea."

Irina shook her head, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "This place was everything to me... and now it's a graveyard. My family's home, my memories... all buried beneath these stones."

Leo, who had quietly followed behind, knelt down beside a few of the headstones. "It must have been torn down a long time ago," he said, his voice low. "Perhaps a plague or famine swept through the town."

Irina swallowed hard, her throat tightening as she stared at the cold, hard reality before her. She had imagined her return to be full of life, full of the laughter and warmth she had known as a child. But this... this was something she could never have prepared for.

"Please," Irina whispered, turning towards Mila and Leo, her eyes pleading. "I can't stay here. Let's go... let's just leave this behind. I don't want to see any more of this place."

Mila nodded, understanding the pain written all over Irina's face. "We'll go," she said softly. "We'll leave right now, if that's what you want."

Irina glanced back one last time at the gravestones, her heart heavy with the weight of what she had lost. She took a deep breath and nodded, her voice firmer this time. "I want to go to Hungary. I can't stay here."

Without another word, they made their way back to the carriage. As the horses began to move, Mila caught a final glimpse of the cemetery in the distance, the sun casting long shadows across the stones. Irina sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, staring at the road ahead, her heart now set on leaving the past behind and moving forward.

Hungary, Mila thought to herself. It was as good a destination as any, and she hoped it would give Irina a sense of peace after the heartbreak of this dreadful place.