Seated on a worn bench in a lonely square under the cloak of night, two girls looked like shadows lost in time. Their hair—long and black as onyx—contrasted with the ghostly pallor of their skin. They wore simple, tattered clothes, and their eyes, as dark as precious stones, reflected a deep fatigue. In particular, Alice's eyes were droopy and exhausted, as if rest were a distant luxury.
— How much longer do you think you can stay awake, Alice? – asked her sister, her voice laden with worry.
— Not much… maybe a few hours, – Alice replied, as the weight of exhaustion made each word an effort.
Even in that silence, there was a faint hope to prolong the moment, as if mere company could postpone the inevitable arrival of sleep.
— But I don't want you to leave yet. I want to stay with you until you fall asleep – insisted the other girl.
— Ha, don't be an idiot. You're going to stick with me until the very end. That's what siblings are for, remember? – Alice retorted with a melancholy smile, though forced by fatigue.
As her soft laughter mingled with the yawn that overtook her, Alice's mind sank into disjointed thoughts. She could hardly make out the faces passing along the sidewalk; the only sound that remained clear was her sister's voice, though even that gradually turned into a distant echo.
After a few minutes immersed in that state of suspension, they stood and walked toward the nearby police station. The building, worn by time, offered no comfort, but it was the only option for orphans like them.
Upon entering, Alice noticed a man seated behind the reception desk. Lost in thought and absorbed by an old television, he did not immediately notice the girls' arrival.
— Excuse me, sir – the girl said, her timid voice contrasting with the cold environment.
Now alert, the man tried to soften his expression, though sparks of resentment still flickered in his tired eyes.
— Hello, little girl. How can I help you? – he inquired, addressing her with a mix of curiosity and veiled disdain.
He examined the two: the first, marked by signs of malnutrition and thinness, was a portrait of the hardships imposed by dark times and a desolate region; but when he fixed his gaze on Alice, something changed. Her eyes—heavy with involuntary yawns and a fatigue that went beyond the physical—told a story of endless nights.
— I see… Do you have any guardian with you? – asked the officer.
— No, it's just me and my sister. Please, sir, help her, – Sophia pleaded, revealing the urgency of the moment.
— Well, that's my job – the man replied as he grabbed a notepad and began jotting down the information.
— Tell me your names, ages, and how long the symptoms have been present.
— I'm Sophia, and my sister's name is Alice. We're 16, and her symptoms started a week ago, – Sophia explained with a resignation that weighed more than her fatigue.
— You girls are very strong. Congratulations on enduring for so long – the officer praised, though his look betrayed doubts about the future.
After collecting a few more details, the officer led them to a room at the back of the station. The space was cold and filled with old equipment—sleep machines that seemed like relics from a distant past, in contrast to the modern devices from Asia or the sophisticated ones used by the Legacies. Even so, they represented the best hope available in South America.
Without delay, the officer positioned Alice in one of the machines.
— Sweet dreams, sister, – he said, as if that were the final rite before a plunge into the unknown.
That was the last voice Alice heard before succumbing to the torpor. When she became aware again, she was already immersed in her first nightmare… the first of many to come.