Several hours passed, and the adults still hadn't returned. They waited, trying to be patient, but even as evening fell, the closed door showed no sign of opening. This made them increasingly anxious and tense.
As darkness fell, footsteps were heard, and the door opened.
All the children quickly stood up and looked toward the door, only to find only a few adults had returned.
"We're getting out of here!" one of the adults shouted.
They didn't know what was happening, and only complied when they were forced to gather their belongings and move away.
They walked for a long distance, finally stopping at a building as night fell.
After they found their new home, one of the children couldn't help but ask what had happened.
"Your family has fought so hard to protect you. They might now be... dead."
"No... no...!"
"Big Brother..."
One by one, the children's emotions began to explode. They threw tantrums, cried, and laughed, unable to think clearly.
Some couldn't believe the news and tried to find their families. However, they were held back and refused to leave.
"They've done everything they could! I won't let their sacrifices be in vain. Your families want you to be safe and happy! So... smile, and don't make their souls sad."
Hearing the man's deep tone, their minds grew even more burdened, but they also began to calm down a little.
On the other hand, Dahlia, who had watched and listened from beginning to end, remained calm.
She walked upstairs and looked for a suitable place to be her room. Once she found it, she locked the door and sat down on the bed.
For several minutes she was silent, until tears began to flow, and sobs could be heard.
And that night... the atmosphere was filled with the cries of various children.
*****
After almost all the adults were declared dead, all the children were taken care of by the few adults who returned.
They used the same system of rules and goals, so their days after that were more or less the same, perhaps even slightly better.
They were given a little more food and were free to choose what they ate. But for Dahlia, she didn't notice any difference.
She noticed the amount of food in her hand was the same as her mother usually gave her... She initially wondered why the other children said there was more, but she quickly dismissed it.
Several days passed, and Dahlia was still trying to get through the day without her parents... For the first time, she realized what loneliness was.
The adults often offered words of comfort, but she ignored them. Maybe because they weren't her parents, weren't people she knew, or maybe... because she couldn't feel the sincerity in their actions.
While some of the children felt relieved and at ease, she felt uneasy.
As the days went by, she grew suspicious of them and tried to investigate them.
She tried to stay out of sight, until one day, one of them didn't give her a ration because she forgot she was there.
"The sister who manages the food supplies always arrives early and leaves before the distribution time begins."
With this knowledge, Dahlia inspected the food warehouse and was surprised to see the girl in charge of the distribution leisurely enjoying her meal.
Dahlia peered through a window high enough to require several wooden crates to reach, so her vision was less than perfect. Even so, she could tell they didn't have as much food as she thought, as they were still searching and gathering resources, with fewer people to feed.
At dawn, Dahlia quietly wandered around. It was said that magis monsters were more active during the day, so she assumed it was still safe.
She didn't know what she was looking for, but she continued to wander around, hoping to find something.
Her search finally paid off. She found some recently burned trash.
She didn't know what it was, but she knew that under these circumstances, there was no need for them to burn trash in these conditions.
It was... like an attempt to erase evidence.
*****
Every night, they were trained to fight and use weapons.
Without guardians or family, they had no choice but to protect themselves, although some still couldn't accept their parents' departure.
They worked and tried their best to create a shelter, hoping it would be enough to ensure their safety.
All the arrangements sounded perfect, and they were each given tasks according to their abilities, without any coercion.
Their days slowly began to improve, and they might have been able to survive on their own, but that was precisely what made Dahlia realize what was wrong.
She remembered their goal: to seek help. They didn't need a strict protection system or to establish a base.
Once again, Dahlia felt like everything around them wasn't right.
"I can't stay with them," Dahlia thought as she made her decision.
So that night, just after midnight because the adults sometimes stayed up late, Dahlia woke up.
She snuck into the storage area and filled her bag with various things, except blankets or other bedding, because all of that was usually already available in every house or residence in the city.
When Dahlia took the items, she felt no guilt because her parents were among the resource gatherers and had helped their group achieve this. So she didn't feel like stealing. In fact, it was some of the adults she considered usurpers and unworthy of her possessions.
"Eh? This..." Dahlia looked at the large box of snacks and was tempted.
A sense of curiosity and rebellion arose as she saw several types of snacks her parents had forbidden.
As her hands grasped one of the snacks, she became even more tempted to try it.
But she knew that once she tasted the flavor, she might want to try it again. So, reluctantly, Dahlia returned the snack, choosing only healthy snacks or snacks her parents had allowed.
After all the preparations were complete, she quickly slipped out, only to fall when she tried to stand.
"I guess I need to know my limits." Dahlia thought as she looked at the four bags on her body.
Dahlia then began to re-sort her necessities, carrying only one large bag on her back and one medium-sized bag on her chest.
After everything was completely ready, Dahlia took out the provincial map she had obtained while exploring the city hall.
No one knows how Dahlia got in there, but what is certain is that she got lost while working on a resource-finding assignment with the other children.