STRIKE: WORLD FALL

STRIKE 1: HANDCUFFED

Hours had passed.

The darkness of the night had slowly faded, replaced by the soft light of morning. The sky stretched wide and calm, painted in pale shades of gold and blue-a quiet contrast to the chaos they had left behind.

Inside the helicopter, Rico and Zein had fallen asleep, exhaustion finally overtaking them. Their bodies, worn out from fear, loss, and survival, had given in to the only escape they had left-rest.

Then, after a while- A voice broke through the silence.

"We're here."

The pilot's voice was calm, steady-but enough to pull them back into reality.

Zein stirred first, her eyes slowly opening, her vision still heavy and unfocused. Rico followed, blinking as he rubbed his eyes, both of them adjusting to the light that now filled the cabin.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then- They looked down.

Below them... Was something they hadn't seen in what felt like forever.

An island.nFar from the mainland.

Isolated. Safe-at least, it looked like it.

As the helicopter slowly descended, the details became clearer. Houses stood intact, untouched by destruction. There were buildings-structured, stable... even a hospital.

And people.

Walking.
Living.
Alive.

Zein's lips slowly curved into a soft, almost fragile smile, her eyes widening slightly as if she was afraid that what she was seeing wasn't real-that it might disappear if she blinked.

Rico looked at her, noticing that small change in her expression, and for the first time in a long while-he smiled too.

"We are safe," he said quietly.

Zein didn't answer. She just looked at him, her smile still there-but softer, filled with relief, disbelief... and something deeper that words couldn't quite reach.

The helicopter continued its descent, the ground getting closer with every passing second.

Then- It landed.

The skids touched the ground smoothly, the engines still humming as dust and wind swirled around them.

Outside, a group of soldiers was already waiting, standing in formation, alert but not hostile.

The door opened. For a moment, Rico and Zein stayed still-almost hesitant.

Because stepping out... Meant everything had changed.

Slowly, they stood up. And together- They walked out of the helicopter.

-

After they stepped off the helicopter, the two soldiers who had been inside with them moved quickly toward their waiting colleagues, the scuff of their boots sharp against the metal deck of the helicopter and the ground below.

"Reveal your names!" one of the soldiers barked, voice sharp, unyielding.

Zein's heart sank. Her chest tightened as her hands went instinctively to her sides, and she could feel Rico stiffen beside her, his eyes narrowing at the sudden tension. Their breaths came faster, shallow and uneven, betraying their fear even as they tried to stand tall.

"Hi... I'm Zein Kaliston," she said, her voice trembling slightly despite her effort to stay steady.

"I'm Rico... Rico Donovan," he added, keeping his gaze forward but feeling the weight of every soldier's stare pressing down on them.