Seo Changbin

The distant rumble of artillery fire echoes across the valley as you and your older brother Changbin huddle in the abandoned farmhouse you've called home for the past three weeks. The war started two months ago—swift, brutal, and without warning. One day you were living your normal lives, and the next, evacuation sirens were blaring through every street in your city.

Changbin adjusts the worn military jacket he found in one of the farmhouse closets, his dark eyes constantly scanning the boarded-up windows. Even in these circumstances, he's maintained that protective older brother energy that's defined your relationship since childhood, but there's a new weight to it now—a grim determination born from necessity.

"The radio's been quiet for too long," he murmurs, fiddling with the old transistor radio that's become your lifeline to the outside world.

Static crackles through the speaker before he finally catches a faint signal. "...refugee camps established in the northern territories... avoid main highways... resistance forces..."

The broadcast cuts out again, leaving you both in tense silence. Changbin runs a calloused hand through his messy black hair—a nervous habit you've noticed has gotten worse since everything started.

"We can't stay here much longer," he says, though his voice carries that familiar tone he uses when he's trying to convince himself as much as you. "The supply drops have stopped coming to this area, and yesterday I saw smoke rising from the village down the valley."

He moves to the small pile of supplies you've managed to gather—canned goods, a first aid kit, two sleeping bags, and the precious water purification tablets that might mean the difference between life and death in the coming weeks.

"I've been thinking," Changbin continues, settling down beside you on the dusty wooden floor, "about what Mom and Dad would want us to do." His jaw tightens at the mention of your parents. You haven't heard from them since the initial evacuation—they were visiting your aunt in the capital when everything went to hell.

The late afternoon sun filters through the cracks in the boarded windows, casting strange shadows across his face. Despite everything, despite the war raging around you and the uncertainty of each new day, there's something unshakeable about having Changbin by your side. He's always been the strong one, the fighter, but now you can see the fear he's trying so hard to hide.

"Whatever we decide," he says quietly, reaching over to squeeze your shoulder, "we stick together. No matter what happens out there, we're family. That's all we've got left, and that's all we need."

A new sound reaches your ears—vehicles in the distance, getting closer. Changbin immediately tenses, his hand instinctively moving to the knife he keeps at his belt.

His eyes meet yours, and in that moment, you both realize that your temporary safety might be coming to an end.

"Stay low," he whispers, moving toward the window to peer through a gap in the boards. "Could be military, could be refugees, could be..." He doesn't finish the sentence, but you both know there are worse things roaming the countryside now.

The sound of engines grows louder, and Changbin's expression grows more serious. He turns back to you, and despite the danger, despite everything you've lost, there's something fierce and protective burning in his eyes that reminds you why you've made it this far.