Southeast France, Lyon City Hall – April 14, 2030
Lyris is sitting on a basketball court, in a dream that seems peaceful at first, but an unsettling atmosphere surrounds him. He is initially frightened by the scene. He glances down at his feet and recoils in horror.
Lyris falls, paralyzed by terror.
"AAAAAAAH!" he screamed, his voice both high-pitched and soft.
Bodies envelop him in a suffocating embrace. Out of the corner of his eye, Lyris sees his sister and mother looking down at him. He lifts a trembling arm toward the figure of his sister.
"Mom... Rose... ROSE... HELP ME!"
The corpses in the blood-soaked tide immediately rise. The infernal sight terrifies him. They are the same children, the same bullies — corpses with white eyes. Among them, adults — his history teacher with that contemptuous look, and school staff wearing fake masks of compassion. They grab him by his arms and legs, as if to tear him apart. But what breaks his heart most is his sister, powerless, banging on the glass behind which she is trapped.
These former demons crush his bones with savage brutality, devour him — Lyris is beaten to death in this macabre vision...
"Big sister..."
1st District of Lyon – 8:45 AM
"BIG SISTER!!!"
Lyris jolts awake, panicked and disoriented. He springs from his makeshift bed, only to be immediately comforted by the warmth of Lorane's arms.
"LYRIS... ARE YOU OKAY?!" exclaims Lorane, also startled awake.
The girl's innocent gaze soothes him, and Lyris offers a faint smile of relief.
"Smells like a wedding soon, you two..."
Lyris's mother suddenly enters the room, blunt and intrusive, having picked up on the budding affection between the two youths.
"There might not even be a society left soon, and she says that...?" Lorane mutters to Lyris with a smirk.
Lyris looks embarrassed and just smiles faintly. Deep down, he wants to disappear, overwhelmed by the awkwardness.
"Lyris... you didn't—"
His mother suddenly collapses onto the wooden floor, clutching her head in pain. Her fever is back. Lyris rushes to her side.
"Mom... what about your medicine?"
Lyris's mother gently places a finger on his forehead — he's already in tears. Watching his mother waste away in such a chaotic time tears him apart.
"You know, Lyris... medicine is scarce now... They only give it to those deemed essential... And thanks to your sister's status, at least we have an apartment," she says, coughing.
"Lorane... please find a piece of cloth and wet it for my mother..." Lyris murmurs, his voice nearly choking. He holds his mother close, checking her temperature, his eyes full of worry. He clenches his left fist so hard it hurts — powerless.
"Alright..." Lorane replies softly. Lyris's pain deeply moves her. She wets a piece of cloth with cold water and places it gently on his mother's forehead.
Lyon City Hall – 1:05 PM
Soldiers guard the square in front of Lyon's City Hall. Supply trucks are parked all around, the hall now transformed into a shelter and makeshift hospital by the military.
"ONE RATION PER HOUSEHOLD!" a soldier orders.
Lyris stands in a long line of refugees, waiting his turn. After an excruciating wait, he steps up to a young female soldier distributing the supplies.
"Name?" she asks coldly, her eyes void of emotion.
"Lyris..." he murmurs.
"How many in your group?" she replies.
"Three, including me."
She hands him a ration and instantly looks away, drained and indifferent.
"NEXT!" she shouts over the noise.
A large man, around 40, cuts the line and shoves Lyris aside to get ahead.
Lyris trembles, but tries to muster some courage. His legs shake, but he speaks up anyway:
"WAIT! PLEASE! Give me some medicine in addition to the ration, I beg you... My mom is sick and can't move, so..."
The soldier looks annoyed, and the large man scoffs at him.
"I SAID NEXT!" the soldier shouts, unmoved by Lyris's desperation.
The imposing man, built like a titan, turns toward the thin, frail boy. But Lyris, burning with anger, doesn't shrink before the man's size.
"LISTEN TO ME, DAMN IT! MY MOM'S GOING TO DIE IF I DON'T DO SOMETHING! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET A WOMAN WHO SPENT HER LIFE HELPING OTHERS JUST DIE?!"
Among the crowd, contemptuous faces stare at him.
"Hey kid... get a job. Compassion doesn't exist anymore," the man says with a sneer.
"Medicine is rationed... Since your mother doesn't work anymore, she's no longer a priority," the soldier adds flatly.
Lyris, consumed by rage, loses control.
"MY MOTHER IS SICK, THAT'S WHY SHE CAN'T WORK! SHE WAS A NURSE — AND YOU'RE LETTING HER DIE?!"
A sharp pain suddenly strikes his skull. His vision darkens, and within seconds, Lyris collapses into unconsciousness.