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Paris, France. February 2035.

   In one of the many universities in Paris was a tiny green room, home of two young students, exhausted from so much studying. Their small corner was filled with pots with plants of various species and scents. It was a way for both to remember their home, where nature was abundant, where they didn't have to stay up until the early hours of the morning studying for exams. Both were happy with their university careers, but in them they were forced to go through certain subjects that were a real headache. However, they were grateful every day for their lives, the opportunities they had, and the simplicity of their days.

   Everything was fine.

   It was barely five in the morning when Antonia, Nadine's Spanish roommate, took her by the shoulders in an attempt to wake her up.

   "Whatever, they're calling you on your phone. How is it possible that you're still sleeping with that horrendous music as your ringtone?" said Antonia.

   "Let it ring," Nadine replied, annoyed at not having slept enough.

   "Okay, but it's your mom calling. Don't come complaining later that I didn't warn you..."

   "You should have started with that! Pass it, pass it. Before the call gets cut... You can be annoying when you want to be."

   Antonia, teasingly, stuck her tongue out at her friend while handing her the phone. Even at that early hour of the morning, she was full of energy. She was a tall, slender girl with long, curly blonde hair. Her cheeks were always rosy (a little gift from her rosacea). She felt insecure about her nose, however, Nadine always loved it. She always told her that she will never get tired of her beauty and that every time she looked at her, it reminded her of Greek sculptures.

   "Hi, Mom." Nadine whispered sweetly as she slipped on her bunny slippers while heading to the sink to wash her face, trying to wake up a bit more.

   Antonia watched her go, and began to prepare a lavender tea. She knew perfectly well that her friend would need it when she returned. Nadine spoke with her family on the phone every Sunday, but since the wave of violence had begun, each call was laden with some bad news. Neighbors, relatives, being attacked or being attackers. Too many things were speculated: some said the countryside was driving them mad, others believed there was a slowly spreading disease. Concern grew when new cases were reported on other continents, all in rural areas. Most were men, which didn't surprise anyone as they had always topped the list of suicides.
   Nadine suffered a lot, not only from missing her family but also because she was afraid for them. Although the farms were not very close to each other, the attackers seemed to be targeting them with the intention of causing harm to others, only to end their own lives afterward. Just thinking about it made the spanish's skin crawl; she cared deeply for Nadine and hated to see her distressed.

   They had met in college, but they didn't attend the same classes. Their encounter was due to Antonia's previous roommate requesting a change, claiming she was tired of hearing her talk all day without understanding a word she said. Initially denied, but when Nadine arrived, who had known Spanish since childhood thanks to her entire paternal family, they were assigned to room together. From the beginning, they had chemistry, as Antonia put it, making things much easier for both of them.

   "Why the long face?" she commented as she watched Nadine, who had just finished her call and was entering the room. It was an invitation for her to share what had happened.

   Dragging her steps, Nadine sat on the floor with her back against her roommate's legs, who automatically handed her the infusion she had prepared and began to stroke her hair.

   "The Foissards, from the neighboring farm. They're gone."

   "To Finland?"

   That country offered temporary refuge to all those who were not safe in their homes. There were rumors that they were preparing a shelter in another nearby country, in case everything went out of control. Citizens themselves were opening their doors to provide asylum. The world was moved, but it was also scared. Few offered their help, many only devoted their prayers, thinking it was enough. The fear of it spreading globally was immense; the world did not need more violence.

   Gradually, almost with a sense of timidity, various countries were preparing and mobilizing to join in solidarity. Finland was the most prepared in Europe to host them immediately.

   "Yes. They have all left. Only my family remains, along with the townspeople. My father wants to go, at least until the storm subsides." replied Nadine, her gaze fixed on her tea.

   "I'm not sure that's the best way to put it," Antonia chuckled without much joy. Both remained in the same position.

   "What do you mean?" Perplexed, Nadine lifted her eyes from her breakfast to look at her friend.

   "They call them 'drowned'. It's been a few weeks now, it's like the official term." Antonia made air quotes with her hands. "The nickname emerged when all the debts that complicate the lives of most farmers came to light."

   "Drowned in debts..." Nadine confirmed as she nodded. They're people, she thought, people pushed to the limit, to the point of madness... But they're people who no longer remember and no longer fear leaving.

   "Exactly... What does Maureen think about leaving the farm?"

   "She doesn't want to leave, as expected. Her ancestors took care of that farm all their lives, she intends to do the same. My mother is very stubborn. She won't want to leave until there's no other option. When she sees that they are in danger, I know she'll pack her bags with all the sorrow in her soul. I just hope that happens before a tragedy."

   "She's a prudent woman, she'll understand it in time."

   But it didn't happen that way.

Burgundy, France. February 2036.

   Less than an hour remained before nightfall when another downpour began. The temperature hovered around forty degrees, and walking for hours in such humidity didn't help the situation. It wasn't the usual weather, February used to be cold. However, in the last year many said that the seasons had vanished: the temperature never dropped below thirty-six degrees during the day, and the humidity was indescribable. During the night, the temperature plummeted drastically, capable of killing the most vulnerable. The entire world had turned into a hell where humidity clouded the thoughts even of the brightest minds; during the night, it froze even the warmest of hearts.

   There were barely less than a hundred meters left to reach the town, so she decided to run. She was exhausted. It had been hours since she had left her home, but she wanted to find shelter for the night, especially before the storm worsened.

   By considerably shortening the distance, she slowed her pace. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention; she didn't know if anyone was still there. And she hoped that if there was, it wasn't one of the 'drowned.' Stealthily, she advanced, walking in the shadows with her weapon ready to shoot. The beat of her heart was so strong that she could almost feel it pounding in her chest. The storm had ceased, but small droplets fell from the rooftops into puddles on the ground, creating a constant sound that didn't allow her to listen attentively.

   The peaceful town of Burgundy held significant memories for Nadine. In her mind, all those moments were carved like stone... running through the cobblestone streets, the sun filtering through the old stone houses, the fruit stands filled with colorful delights. Nostalgia took hold of her; she longed to go back to those times when everything was well.

   It had been a long time since things were not well in Burgundy. The entire town was consumed by so much work, by striving to exhaustion to put bread on the table. Every day was a new, relentless challenge. Soon, everything worsened, the wave engulfed the town in a few months; one by one, they fell, faster and faster. The drowned set fire to their own homes with themselves inside. Others ran towards nowhere, and they were not heard from again until they attacked plantations, farms, or families. It was a chain reaction, a massive snowball, and there was no way to stop it. The town lay in ruins. In just a few days it had gone from being a welcoming community to the backdrop of thousands of lost lives. Many had fled in time, others refused to leave behind the work of a generation. Millions of agricultural towns met the same fate, increasingly swiftly.

   Finally, after nearly an hour of searching for shelter, Nadine found a place that seemed to be standing enough not to collapse onto her head, but that wasn't her main concern. She knew that as everything progressed, the affected individuals had also evolved: they no longer took their lives as swiftly; sometimes, they even seemed dormant until finding something new to destroy. Ultimately, they died due to not having ingested any kind of food, or they ended their own lives. Step by step, she advanced, approaching the heavy door wide open. The top hinges had been torn off, making it impossible to close.

   What was once a warehouse now lay in ruins, dark and damp. It remained in an unsettling silence. She advanced, measuring each step with caution. The floor was covered with rotting vegetables, emitting a bitter and suffocating smell. Nausea soon set in. She quickly scanned the warehouse, searching for the perfect spot to go unnoticed. She decided to take refuge for the night under a staircase, behind a stack of boxes and barrels. Feeling something similar to safety.

   That night, due to her headache, her dreams were an endless stream of overwhelming memories in which, for just a brief moment, she could feel peace.

   Her dream began with the town's train station. Fleeting images of her family standing on the platform, her father laughing, her sisters overwhelmed with emotions, her brother in her arms, the scent of her mother whispering words of courage, though she couldn't hear them. Suddenly, a high-speed train, and the station vanished along with her family. Now Nadine finds herself sitting on the floor of a tiny room, the only things in it being two empty beds, her suitcases, and some old curtains swaying in the wind. She doesn't take her eyes off the window, that morning she had expected to sit in the sun as she always did at home, but the weather had other plans. Thunder echoes in the avocado-green walls, making her feel more alone than ever. A high-speed train once again changes the course of her dreams. This time, she is inside the carriage.

   There is Antonia. Sitting across from her, with bare feet on the seat. Her hair rests on her shoulders, looking more golden than ever due to the sunlight streaming through the window. Only the sound of the speeding train is heard, but it gradually diminishes until complete silence remains. Antonia's hands caress the next page of the book on her lap, the sound of the pages turning is almost as loud as Nadine's heartbeat. It was Christmas Eve. Antonia paused in her reading to look at her, and she smiled. The train stops, the world stops too. Only the gleam in their eyes remains. Peace, they convey peace.

   A loud noise jolted her awake, leaving her memories camouflaged in dreams behind. She immediately sat up, gripping the weapon so tightly that her hand ached. When she managed to calm her breathing, she realized the sound was coming from outside. She grabbed her belongings and quickly, but silently, approached the door and peered out. The cold was so intense that every muscle on her face hurt. It was barely dawn, and she couldn't see anything, a grayish dust covered the entire street. Determined to leave as soon as possible, she began to walk briskly toward the train station. Along a small cobblestone street, she advanced, dodging debris, trash, and the occasional corpse. She could already see the station in the distance, a faint smile attempting to appear on her lips, but the same strange sound echoed once again.

   With her back against the wall and her heart in her mouth, she watched as gray dust billowed from the next street. She crawled along the stone until she reached the intersection, cautiously peeking to see what had happened. When the clamor subsided, she began to hear the voice of a desperate woman screaming toward a collapsed house, raising that gray cloud.

   "My baby! My baby!" she screamed desperately in French. "I'm coming, my love! Don't be afraid! Mommy will get you out of there."

   The woman still had a swollen belly from pregnancy. She crouched down and tried to lift a heavy wooden beam, but it didn't budge. Screaming in desperation, she traversed the ruins, searching for her son.

   Nadine watched her, paralyzed. She knew it was dangerous, but she couldn't leave. No matter how small the chance of someone surviving a collapse, she couldn't leave. She had to help. She emerged from her hiding place and ran toward what had once been a home; the woman didn't notice her presence, so both of them rummaged through the debris without acknowledging each other. Suddenly, the woman began screaming and sobbing nonsensically. Nadine observed her from the other end of the rubble, simultaneously hiding behind what used to be a wall.

   The woman, who appeared to be around forty, was kneeling on the ground. Her long skirt, torn and dirty, was completely covered in that gray dust. She wore no shirt or anything to cover her chest, her breasts were swollen with breast milk. Her bare feet were bleeding. In her dirty hands, she held something small wrapped in an equally dirty blanket. She screamed incessantly, calling for her son, crying and looking at what she held in her hands. Her screams were painful, her voice cracked, and she seemed on the verge of losing consciousness due to lack of breath. But suddenly, she fell completely silent, staring at the sky. As if she no longer cared, she left what had been her son on the ground a few minutes ago and stood up, still gazing at the sky. Her eyes lost life instantly; the colors seemed to fade from them.

   In silence, Nadine began to walk backward, never taking her eyes off her. She knew what would happen next, and also that if she didn't leave immediately, she would face a serious fate. Once far enough, she started running towards the train station. When she turned the corner, she looked over her shoulder to check on the woman, but regretted it instantly.

   What had once been a mother was now a broken soul, a lost being. There was not a shred of sanity in her eyes, she was completely out of his mind. Kneeling on the ground, with her face also on it, her feet moving hysterically and her hips rising to the sky, it seemed as if she were praying. Her hands held a heavy stone with which she hit her head again and again, modifying her shape, but making no sound. She didn't seem to perceive pain, there was nothing left in that body of hers. That woman had already died, but her body was still active, hurting herself over and over again.

   When Nadine finally arrived at the abandoned train station, she sat on a wooden bench and began to cry. It was the first time she had seen something like that, that woman's soul had withered in just a few minutes. The image of her bloody, out-of-place jaw kept appearing in her mind.
   After a few minutes, she managed to catch her breath and regain composure. With great effort, she stood up, adjusting her clothes. Her chest ached from anguish, but there was no time to lose.

   With as much caution as haste, she began walking along the damp platform. She tried to force open the doors of the food stalls, but they all seemed to be locked from the inside. She was about to give up when one of the doors gave way. Upon opening, small wooden crates that had blocked the door fell to the ground, scattering their contents. Various tools, pipes, and empty plastic bags spilled onto the floor, causing a loud commotion.

   Nadine was about to investigate the tools when she was pushed with great force onto some shelves, causing a row of them to fall with a domino effect. Her ribs took the full impact, causing great pain. She found herself standing, staggering and disoriented, struggling to adjust her eyes to the darkness, managing to make out a figure watching her.

   He seemed to be a man almost twice her height, with a thick mane of brown, tangled, and dirty hair. In some parts of his head he had no hair at all, as if it had been brutally ripped out. His eyes stared directly at her, melancholic, lost behind the most feral state of the human species. His entire body was covered in countless bruises, from what seemed to have been in the past smooth skin ideal for giving hugs. However, now he was nothing more than human debris, mud, and wounds. He wore a dirty beige suit, stained with garbage and blood, with torn knees and a missing sleeve.

   Everything was starting to go dark, she was very tired and couldn't fight anymore... she could almost feel her own humanity fading. When her family came to mind, for a second she found herself at a wooden table, in the shade of a French oak tree. The whole family had vegetable pie for lunch, everyone laughed, everything was fine. Spring was beginning and the rays of the warm sun filtered through the leaves that slowly moved in the gentle breeze, bringing with it the aroma of home-cooked food and wildflowers. The man turned her up, tearing her from her reverie, he was preparing to take her by the neck with both hands. In his eyes you could see that he intended to end her life once and for all. With the last of her strength, Nadine lifted the heavy key hitting him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Without giving him time to do anything, she positioned herself on top of him, holding her arms with her knees and began to hit him repeatedly in her face.

   He wasn't moving anymore, but she continued hitting him, screaming and crying. She couldn't feel her body and tears had clouded her eyes. She continued hitting him when what was previously the face of her attacker made a noise from inside, like an eggshell falling to the ground. Dropping the key, she hastily crawled away from the limp body and began to vomit. When her stomach was completely empty she crawled again, but this time towards her belongings that had been left lying next to the door. She ignored what she had felt, ignored that for a second she surrendered as her very being slipped through her fingers.

   She put on his backpack and grabbed the shotgun tightly. She tried to stand up, her muscles were beginning to cool down and the pain was present throughout her body, the blows to her torso did not allow her to straighten up. Her bleeding nose constantly stained her shirt, her shoes, and the floor. She tried to take a step, but instead she collapsed, unconscious.

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