Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 279 The New Century Belongs to All Humanity
The wind blew all night.

When Kaja opened her eyes, it was still dark, and fog drifted in through the broken walls of the warehouse.

She moved, and immediately felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.

My clothes were damp and cold, as if I were wrapped in a heavy layer of mud.

Katja turned to look at Anthony, who was lying beside her.

The boy was curled up, his face buried in his arms, and his two shoes were different colors.

There were dry, cracked bloodstains at the corners of his mouth, and his calves were purple from the cold.

The wind is still blowing.

It carried the unique scent of early spring, along with the scorched remnants of a fire somewhere.

"It's time to go," Kaja said.

Anthony didn't open his eyes, only humming in response.

Five days ago, he stopped asking "Where are we going?"

Because they had no destination at all.

We can only keep heading east.

To the east are forests, railways, and the legendary resistance army.

There might be a way out in the east, a glimmer of hope.

The snow on the ground had mostly melted, dampening the covering soil.

As soon as you step in, your shoe sinks in half an inch, and you have to struggle to pull it out with every step.

The sky remained gray, without sunlight, but fortunately, it was enough to illuminate the way ahead.

They bypassed the abandoned pastures and checkpoints, and shared half a loaf of black bread near the edge of the woods.

Anthony wasn't picky; he took the food and ate it very slowly, as if he were performing some kind of ritual.

He didn't say he was hungry or cold.

Occasionally, I'll have a dream at night where I suddenly scream and then immediately cover my mouth.

Kaja didn't ask him what he had dreamed about.

She knew it.

They had all dreamed about it.

On the sixth day, they passed through a village where they were still hearing the radio broadcast.

German.

The content was roughly a battle report of "complete pacification of the eastern border".

The host's voice carried the joy of boasting about a bountiful harvest.

There was a small square on the edge of town, with two corpses hanging from a tree.

One male and one female.

A sign was hanging around his neck:

"Those who harbor illegal publications are traitors."

There were no onlookers.

Everyone walked hurriedly past the tree with their heads down.

A man pushed his bicycle past Kaja, his eyes fixed on her toes.

Anthony glanced at the corpse, then looked at Katja.

Kaja gently shook her head.

So they continued eastward.

On the fifteenth day at noon, they crossed a wasteland overgrown with dead trees.

What used to be a highway is now blocked.

On the left, barbed wire was used to form a blockade, and on the opposite side, mounds of earth were piled up, suggesting that defensive fortifications had been built.

They walked around several concrete slabs and saw a pit dug not far away.

It wasn't deep, but it was wide enough, and it was filled with corpses.

Face down, some with their hands still bound, their backs riddled with bullet holes.

The muddy water mixed with bloodstains emitted a foul, sour smell.

Anton's expression was blank.

He finally learned how to "not see".

Kaja took his hand and led him forward.

At the very end of that grove of trees was a wall riddled with holes, surrounding a factory building.

The cement blocks weathered and cracked, and rust grew along the window frame.

It was once painted with grayish-white paint, but now most of it has peeled off.

This revealed the original slogan underneath.

The red, mottled, and blurred handwriting has been worn away.

Only one line of text remains barely legible:

—The new century belongs to all mankind.

A huge black "X" was painted under the character "人" (person).

The imperial eagle emblem is printed next to it.

The ink dripped before it was dry, forming a winding trail.

Kaja stared at them for a long time.

It was stamped with a black "X" and the imperial eagle emblem was printed next to it.

“Do you know what this is?” she asked.

Anthony shook his head.

“I remember it was said at school,” Kaja said calmly. “Back then, they said the future belongs to everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background.”

"Everyone can read books, watch movies, and have heating."

"Someone will build a machine that can take people to the moon."

“Space.”

At this point, a spark of light finally appeared in her eyes.

"I used to really enjoy astronomy class."

"The teacher said that the universe is expanding and the stars don't move. Actually, it's just us who are rotating."

"How interesting!"

"How captivating."

"And then?" Anthony asked.

Katya stopped talking.

The wind howled as it blew through the "holey wall".

On the night of the fifteenth day, they decided to stay and instead settled in the abandoned factory.

Anthony sat in the corner.

Kaja found him some paper to put under his feet and took off her old coat to cover him.

"Are you cold?" she asked.

He nodded, then shook his head.

"Do you remember where we came from?"

Anthony picked at the dirt under his fingernails.

“I remember you slapped me,” he said.

Katya smiled.

"I'm afraid you'll rush out and get yourself killed."

“I understand,” Anthony said softly. “Will you hit me again?”

"As long as you don't go and get yourself killed."

Anthony nodded again.

Silence spread.

After a long silence, he said, "I will not die. And I will never forget their faces."

Kaja looked at him.

"Before the accident, Kovalchk had mentioned to me that he was going to Saratov."

"It's probably the same there as here."

“Are we going that way?” Anthony asked.

“Perhaps,” Kaja paused, “but there might be soldiers there too.”

"Because... I haven't heard from Kovalchk since he left."

Kaja looked at the ground; the mud on his shoes had dried and cracked.

She lifted her foot and rubbed it hard, but it didn't come off.

"Actually, the fact that we are still alive is already a miracle."

"I wasn't stopped on the road, and I even managed to get away with it at the train station."

The problem is, we've been relying on luck all along.

Katya's voice lowered.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold on like this."

"It could be tomorrow, it could be during the next inspection, or it could be right now that someone is looking for us."

"But I still hope to hold on longer, much longer."

"Let me see them."

"Let me see him."

Anthony turned his head and met the misty tears welling up in her eyes.

He suddenly felt a little lost.

I don't know whether I should speak or where I should look.

Kovalczyk was her lover.

He had seen them holding hands.

Another time, on the riverbank.

He turned around too quickly and saw them standing very close, talking, and then they kissed.

Kowalczyk loved to laugh and always tried to bring back some candy for them.

“Young man, you’re too thin,” he once said, patting Anthony on the shoulder.
"Eat more sweets so you can run better in the future."

"If you don't believe me, look at her. She can walk forty kilometers a day without even getting out of breath."

He laughed loudly as he said this, and even winked at Kaja.

Anthony felt embarrassed at the time, but also a little happy.

It seems he was also included in some little secret they kept.

Now, Anthony wanted to comfort Katya, but couldn't think of the right words.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He tried again.

Could you tell me more about that person from your old school?

"That story about 'the new century belonging to all mankind'?"

(End of this chapter)