A barefoot boy ran across the damp ground. Sometimes he lost his balance and fell after stepping on the slippery surface, but he quickly climbed back to his feet and kept running.
People were moving in the same direction all around him—in front, behind, and beside him. If one looked down from the sky, one would find people from all directions gathering toward the same place.
The lower city, which had not seen sunlight since the upper city was built, finally welcomed a light that did not come from electric lamps.
Yet this light represented destruction and slaughter. Explosions and flames in the distance scorched people's hearts. Perhaps only the Holy Maiden and God could offer them even the slightest sense of security.
On the square, which had clearly been rebuilt later, a statue stood tall.
Lucia had found a huge stone and carved it with a weapon. It was the image of God in her heart. Although she had never seen him, she always felt that if God truly existed here, then he must look like this.
This place had been named "Miracle Square." More and more people gathered here—crowded, damp, and stiflingly hot.
The boy found a slightly elevated spot and stared at the pure-white figure beneath the statue, shouting the name "Holy Maiden."
"God, what should I do?"
Lucia had witnessed the slaughter with her own eyes and no longer held any hope for "negotiation."
Her Master had taught her many things, and she had come to understand many things herself. Some things would not be given to you simply because you yearned for them.
Only by striving for them yourself was there even the slightest chance of grasping them in your own hands.
Suddenly, a small stone fell beside Lucia's feet. She raised her head in