NightofDay3
As usual, the group gathered around the bonfire, but this time, they were joined by their new members—the bear cubs.
They knew tomorrow would be a busy day, so they took a moment to relax and enjoy the night sky together.
Kit and Kat lay on their father's lap, while Rose rested her head on Kai's lap.
Kit pointed at the sky. "There are so many shiny dots up there. They're so pretty!"
Rose smiled and turned to Kai.
"Those are called stars. If you want to know more, we'll introduce you to our teacher—my brother. Please give him a round of applause!"
Kit and Kat clapped enthusiastically, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
Kai, who had been quietly enjoying the moment, rolled his eyes at Rose's antics.
"You're always using me as your storytelling tool, huh?"
Rose grinned. "Well, you're the smart one. Might as well put that brain to good use."
Kai sighed but couldn't help smiling. "Alright, alright. Let's talk about the stars."
He began explaining:
"If you want to know, stars actually have a lifespan. Every star that forms will eventually meet its end one day—even our sun.
Stars began forming around 4.5 billion years ago. Back then, a star died, and because it had enough mass, it went supernova.
We don't call it weight; we call it mass, but for simplicity, let's just say it was heavy enough.
Before the supernova, there was a region filled with dust and gas in space.
The supernova caused this dust and gas to collapse, forming a nebula. If you want to know, in our world, astronomers really love the beauty of nebulae.
I've always imagined our sky filled with nebulae everywhere—it would be as beautiful as a sci-fi story, haha."
He paused, letting the group absorb the information before continuing.
"Back to the story about stars. When a star dies, its death kickstarts the formation of new stars from the collapsing nebula.
Outer space is the same—many stars are born from nebulae. That's why nebulae are called stellar nurseries.
So, now you understand that galaxies aren't just made of stars, rocks, and water. They also contain dust and gas.
When a nebula collapses, its particles start colliding with each other over millions of years, and from this, stars are born."
The group sat in awe, their eyes fixed on the starry sky above.
Kit and Kat, though young, seemed to grasp the basics. "So, stars are born from dust and gas?" Kat asked.
Kai nodded.
"Yes, and when they die, they create more dust and gas, which can form new stars. It's like a cycle."
Rose added, "It's amazing how everything in the universe is connected, isn't it?"
Vix, who had been quietly listening, smiled. "It's humbling to think about how small we are in the grand scheme of things."
Then Kai looked up at the sky
"But even though we're small, we're part of something much bigger. And that's what makes it all so beautiful."
After a long time, all the girls fell asleep in the laps of their respective family members.
Vix and Kai remained awake, watching them sleep peacefully despite not having done much heavy work. They chuckled softly.
"Maybe we should make a calendar, Kai. It'll be easier to keep track of our age and the days. I don't even know my exact age, but I'm sure I'm around 35 years old. You came here around 2024, right?" Vix asked.
Kai nodded in agreement, but they didn't have paper or tools to keep track of time and days.
"Maybe we can start with an old-style method for now. I'll call it the 'fist calendar' because I forgot what it's actually called,"
He explained the steps:
"First, make a fist with your hand. Second, make sure we start counting from the knuckle of the index finger—that's the first bump. Each bump represents a month:
- The first knuckle (index finger) is January.
- The space between the first and second knuckle is February.
- The second knuckle (middle finger) is March.
- The space between the second and third knuckle is April.
- The third knuckle (ring finger) is May.
- The space between the third and fourth knuckle is June.
- The fourth knuckle (pinky finger) is July.
Then, we start over from the first knuckle for August, continuing until December.
The raised knuckles represent months with 31 days, while the spaces between knuckles represent months with 28/29 or 30 days."
Vix listened carefully, then tried it out with his own hand.
"So, January is 31 days, February is 28 or 29, March is 31, April is 30, and so on?" Vix asked, counting on his knuckles.
Kai nodded. "Exactly. It's a simple way to remember the number of days in each month without needing a calendar."
Vix smiled. "That's clever. We'll use this method for now until we can make a proper calendar."
"Today is the third of January, Year 0001, in our new calendar. Just remember the day, and we'll have no problem keeping track of time for now," Kai said with a smile.
Vix and Kai clapped their hands together, sealing the moment.
Kai's expression softened as he looked at Vix.
"Sorry for being late, bro. If I had come a little earlier, maybe you all would still be alive," Kai said, his voice filled with regret.
Vix shook his head, his eyes calm and understanding.
"There's no easy journey in this world. At least, before I died, we were able to save as many people as we could and live happily together. That's what matters."
Kai nodded, feeling a mix of sadness and gratitude.
"Our new world, our new first days," Vix repeated, his voice filled with hope.
The two men sat together, their minds wandering to the challenges and possibilities of their new life.
As the fire crackled softly, they felt a sense of determination.
Together, they would find a way to thrive in this world, one day at a time.
The stars above twinkled brightly, as if blessing their new beginning.
For the first time in a long while, they felt a glimmer of hope—a promise of a better tomorrow in this strange, beautiful world.