Kaia had only four hours left. Her timer blinked relentlessly on her wrist: 00:04:00:00. Every second felt louder now, echoing in her ears like a ticking bomb. But she wouldn't spend those final hours trembling or waiting. She needed to make them count.
That morning, as the camp stirred under a cloudy sky, Kaia walked with purpose toward the storeroom. The others had gone quiet around her lately—not out of cruelty, but out of helplessness. How do you speak to someone whose life is measured in hours?
She had been tasked with checking the food supplies, counting the inventory, making sense of what was left and how long it could sustain them. A task meant for someone who might not live to see its benefit. Still, Kaia welcomed the duty. It gave her something to do—something to focus on.
But just before she pushed open the storeroom door, the weight of memory overtook her. She paused, leaning against the wooden frame, eyes fluttering shut as the past surged forward.
It had been just three weeks before the crash. Kaia had been spinning with joy. Sunlight filtered through her bedroom window that day, scattering golden patterns on her walls as she twirled in front of the mirror. Her hand extended proudly, flashing the delicate engagement ring on her finger. A soft, shimmering band of white gold, crowned with a brilliant oval diamond. Her fiancé, Aaron, had gotten on one knee in the middle of a botanical garden, surrounded by orchids and ivy. Her heart had nearly burst.
They were in love—deep, silly, stubborn love. Aaron's goofy sense of humor, his wild curly hair, his way of memorizing every detail about her favorite books—it had all carved a permanent space in her soul.
And then the phone call came.
It was her aunt, voice trembling. "Kaia… you need to come home. It's your mother. The cancer's back. It's aggressive."
Kaia sat in stunned silence. Her mother—her best friend, her lighthouse, her everything—was dying. It had been three years since her mother's last remission. They thought it was over. But it wasn't.
Regret came crashing in next. Their last conversation had ended in sharp words and wounded silence. Her mother had said Aaron was too much of a dreamer, and Kaia had shouted that she didn't need her mother's approval to be happy. They hadn't spoken since.
But now, none of that mattered.
Kaia immediately booked a flight. She told Aaron she wanted to tell her mother the news in person. "She needs to hear it from me," she whispered. "She needs to know before… before it's too late."
She had stared at her engagement ring the entire drive to the airport. She imagined her mother's smile when she heard. Maybe it would help. Maybe it would be the one bright spark in her mother's fading days.
And then… the crash.
The flames. The smoke. The black sky. And silence.
Now she was here. In a place with no cities, no stars, no answers—only a countdown.
Kaia opened her eyes again. The storeroom door creaked as she pushed it open. The air inside was cool and musty, with shelves of boxes, canned food, and scattered supplies stacked unevenly against the walls. This place was their lifeline, and Kaia was determined to get it organized.
She pulled out a notepad and began counting methodically. Canned beans. Powdered milk. Dried fruit. Empty water jugs. Half-eaten boxes of cereal. As she moved from shelf to shelf, a rustling noise caught her attention.
"Hello?" she called.
A little head popped out from behind a sack of potatoes.
A girl—couldn't be older than eight. Her big eyes widened at the sight of Kaia.
"It's okay," Kaia said gently. "Don't be afraid. What are you doing here?"
The girl clutched something behind her back. "I… I wanted a candy bar."
Kaia smiled. "Well, you could've just asked." She walked over to a crate, dug around, and pulled out two candy bars. She handed them to the girl.
"Thank you!" the girl beamed. Her name was Lilah.
"Want to help me count some things?" Kaia asked.
The girl nodded enthusiastically.
They worked together for a while—Kaia writing notes, Lilah reading labels and stacking cans. Kaia checked the little girl's timer out of curiosity. 73 years, 2 months.
She felt something sharp twist in her chest. Envy? No. That wasn't her. She wasn't that kind of person. But the jealousy pricked her like a needle. Why does she get so long? What makes her different?
Kaia pushed the thought away and tried to smile. "What were you doing before the crash, Lilah?"
"We were going on vacation," Lilah said cheerfully. "My mom and dad and me. They work a lot, so we were going to a cabin. No phones. Just us."
Kaia's heart squeezed. "That sounds lovely."
"I think they wanted to be a family again," Lilah said thoughtfully.
Kaia reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "That's really special."
She gave Lilah a small task. "Can you run into that room over there and bring me any cans of meat you see?"
"Okay!" the girl chirped and skipped off.
Kaia continued counting, but minutes passed and Lilah didn't return.
"Lilah?" Kaia called.
No answer.
She set her notepad down and walked quickly to the side room. The door was slightly ajar.
"Lilah, are you—"
She stopped.
Inside, Lilah stood frozen. A man loomed over her, a bag full of stolen food in his arms. One of Zane's men.
Kaia recognized him—scruffy, broad-shouldered, with twitchy eyes. His hand gripped Lilah's wrist. His gaze flicked up when he saw Kaia.
"You," he said with a snort. "You've got four hours, right?"
Kaia's fists clenched. "Let her go."
He released Lilah's wrist and nudged her aside. "Relax. Just talkin'. Told her I wanted to see her timer, that's all."
Kaia stepped forward. "You were taking food. Taking it to Zane, weren't you?"
The man shrugged, stepping closer. "You going to stop me? You've got four hours left. What're you gonna do?"
Kaia stood her ground. "I'm still in charge of the food. I still have a voice."
He laughed bitterly. "Nah. You're already dead. Everyone knows it. You're just a ghost waiting to drop."
He came closer, eyes darkening. "Matter of fact…" he murmured. "Maybe I'm doing you a favor. You've got so little time left, you might as well enjoy your last minutes. Let a real man show you something before you go."
Kaia's blood ran cold.
His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. She yanked away.
"You don't want to do this," she hissed.
He grabbed her again, harder this time. "Come on, sweetheart. Don't fight. Four hours