CHAPTER 2 — THE CALL BACK

Days passed.

The memory didn’t.

The NGO camp buzzed with the same chaos—children laughing, nurses shouting, life fighting to exist among ruins.

Then the radio crackled.

“Medical unit needed at the military base. Multiple serious injuries. Immediate assistance requested.”

The tent fell silent.

Arya felt a cold ripple down her spine.

“Military base?” she asked.

Her supervisor nodded, jotting names. “They’re short on medics. We’ll send four of you.”

Arya exhaled. “And I’m one of them, right?”

“Of course. You’ve handled field pressure before.”

Field pressure. Right. Like standing on a bomb.

A few hours later, she was back in a dusty jeep bumping down the road—this time not by mistake, but by assignment.

Beside her, Dr. Patel flipped through his kit. “You okay, Arya?”

“Yeah,” she murmured, eyes fixed on the horizon. “Just… déjà vu.”

The base came into view—fences, tents, smoke, the hum of tension.

When the jeep stopped, she stepped out, scarf pulled over her face as the wind kicked dust into the air.

Then she saw him.

Helmet off. Sleeves rolled. Sweat on his brow. Calm as ever.

He turned, caught her staring.

“Doctor,” he said, walking toward her. Voice steady—softer this time.

“Captain,” she said, trying not to smile. “You again.”

He smirked faintly. “You’ve got a habit of showing up in dangerous places.”

“Yeah, well,” she shrugged, “you’ve got a habit of saving people who stand on bombs. So maybe we’re even.”

That earned a quiet laugh.

Then chaos cut through—“Three with shrapnel wounds! One unconscious! Internal bleeding suspected!”

“Where?” Arya asked.

“Follow me,” Alex said.

He led them through the maze of tents—voices, engines, orders colliding. The air was thick with antiseptic and gunpowder.

Inside the medical tent, time shattered. She worked—swift, steady, blood on her gloves, calm in her eyes.

Hours blurred.

When she finally stepped outside, the sun had dipped into orange haze.

Alex joined her, standing in silence for a long while.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again,” he said.

“Didn’t plan on it,” she replied.

“Still volunteering?”

“Still trying. Kids don’t stop getting sick just because the world’s gone mad.”

He nodded. “You’ve got guts.”

“Or bad luck.”

That got him to laugh—barely. Then, quieter:

“The World here is now full of chaos…”

“mmm...Yeah”

“The children are suffering for no reason. How are the children in NGO?”

Her heart skipped. “yea, indeed—they’re fine"

Before he could answer, an explosion ripped through the air.

The ground shook.

Sirens wailed.

And the calm shattered again.

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HIII!!!🎀

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Oh, ah, ah yeah

어찌어찌 걸어 바다에 왔네 이 바다에서 나는 해변을 봐 무수한 모래알과 매섭고 거친 바람 여전히 나는 사막을 봐 바다 갖고 싶어 널 온통 들이켰어 근데 그 전보다 더 목이 말라 내가 다 아는 것이 진정 바다인가

아니면 푸른 사막인가 (I don't know)

I don't know. I don't know

내가 지금 파도를 느끼고 있는지 yeah

I don't know, I don't know

아직도 모래바람에 쫓기고 있는지 yeak

I don't know, I don't know 바다인지 사막인지 희망인지 절망인지

진짜인지 가짜인지 shit

1 know I know 지금 내 시련을 I know I know 이겨낼 것을

I know I know 나야말로 네가 의지할 곳이란 것을 yeah 좋게 생각해 마른침 삼켜 불안하더라도 사막일지라도

아름다운 나미브 사막이라고

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah

yeah

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah yeah

바다인줄 알았던 여기는 되려 사막이었 고

별거 없는 중소아이돌이 두번째 이름이

었어

방송에 짤리기는 뭐 부지기수

누구의 땜빵이 우리의 꿈

어떤 이들은 회사가 작아서 제대로 못 뜰거래

I know I know 나도 알어

한방에서 일곱이 잠을 청하던 시절도

잠이 들기전에 내일은 다를거란 믿음도

(믿음도) 사막의 신기루 형태는 보이지만 잡히지

는 않았고

끝이 없던 이 사막에서 살아남길 빌어

현실이 아니기를 빌어

결국 신기루는 잡히고 현실이 됐고 두렵던 사막은 우리의 피 땀 눈물로 채

워 바다가 됐어

그런데 이 행복들 사이에

이 두려움 들은 뭘까 원래 이곳은 사막이란걸 우린 너무 잘 알아

울고 싶지 않아

쉬고 싶지 않아 아니 조금만 쉬면 어때 아니 아니 아니 지고 싶지 않아 원래 사막이잖아 그럼 달려야지 뭐 더 우울해야지 뭐

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah

yeah

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah yeah

Ocean, desert, the world

Everything is the same thing

Different name

I see ocean. I see desert. I see the world Everything is the same thing

But with different name

It's life again

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah

yeak

희망이 있는 곳엔

You know, you know, you know, you know, yeah yeah

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 절망이 있네

희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 절망이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 절망이 있네 희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 절망이 있네

우린 절망해야해 그 모든 시련을 위해 우린 절망해야해 그 모든 시련을 위해

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