“This is my land. This is our land.
This is the Earth.
And I wish to see it again.
Just like a tree that’s standing by the water, we shall not be moved.”

We patiently waited until the right time had come. No one had to see us leaving. Because our fear of the unknown was great, but our resolve was greater. And the reward would be unparalleled.
Then, a long awaited night finally arrived. Excitement kept us awake, for our dreams and doubts battled vividly in our minds.

At dawn we quietly walked to the wall. Guards were standing at the gates, but none of them cared about us. No one had ever left the city before.
At the first ray of light we were ready, and the long run began.
We ran as fast as we could, pulled forward by the strength of a desperate euphoria. For a moment it put our minds off the risk we were taking.
Just a minute-long wild run, where every passing second instilled a pure sense of bliss and hope in us.
We did it.
We had reached the open outside. Beyond that we were alone and no one could had ever forced us to go back.

It was us alone with the wild outer world, disowned by them countless years ago.
For such a long time we had to follow rules we didn’t understand and show emotions we weren’t actually feeling.
Blinded by what we thought was a honest need of safety,
we had forgotten to live as real human beings.
Our departure was like a sparkle setting a dark room alight. People suddenly realized that there was so much more out there, as if abruptly waking up from a stalling dream. They finally started to move, leaving the city behind.

Then, one day, the whole world changed. The light coming from behind the mountains was so intense we had to shield our eyes. That was the brightest sky we have ever seen. It was beautiful but sinister. When the light slowly faded away the world was left in silence. A dark fear started emerging in our hearths. The wind howled. Then the world collapsed.

Envy and rage had grown fast in those who believed in that pretend life we managed to escape from. They felt betrayed and endangered by us. Their anger led them to attack us with unrestrained force. And we fell. But they fell too. Their own violence was so uncontrolled it crushed them in such a way they could not even imagine. Our land was unrecognizable, but we were alive. The city was gone.

We were hurt, and some people started to forget what we came from. If they could only remember… they would have realized what we had truly lost along with the city, and why we were running from it.

They asked me what future could we possibly have in that wounded world.
I said: “I know we lost everything. But now there’s a blank page in front of us. Don’t be sad.”
Time had passed by and we had survived. The Earth was healing better and faster than anyone could have expected. It seemed like it had forgotten what we had done and what we had used to be. It had forgiven us. That was our second chance.
The sky was turning clearer every day.

We went back to explore what had happened to the city. I remember I saw a woman there, looking at the sky. I asked my companions about her: “She just stays into the night”, one said. We waited, respecting her silent watch. Then I asked her what she was doing inside those placid ruins. She told me that place was where she spent her childhood, and for the first time she could see the stars from there.

There was so much more to live for. We decided to swear an oath. We promised we would have taken care of each other, and that we would have never forgotten where we came from.

The Earth was our land.
And we would strive to live peacefully,
finding happiness through one another.
Because the war was over…

…and the world was falling in love again.