Aboard the ship, night had settled in — thick, heavy, almost tangible. The green electric light flickered faintly on the metal walls of the corridors, painting them in shades of cold malachite. Through the half-darkness, the hum of the engines could be heard softly, steady and monotonous, like the breath of the ship itself. Somewhere in the distance, a faint sound echoed — perhaps the sleepy step of one of the warriors. But for the most part, silence reigned, deep and viscous, enveloping everything around.

These walls, this light, this hum — they had become your new reality. The massive ship, hovering above the ruined earth, was your only refuge, your fortress, your cage. Below, beyond the endless darkness, lay the unknown creatures that had forced humanity off its own planet. Fighting them was the task of the elite delegation of warriors, to which you and Emilio belonged. Day after day, you battled, lost comrades, healed wounds, and took up arms again. It was your duty, your burden.

But now, in the stillness of the night, war seemed distant. Here, in the corridor, time had frozen. By a large window, its frame cold and metallic, stood Emilio. His silhouette seemed like a part of this metal world — straight, tense, as if carved from the same materials as the ship. A cigarette smoldered between his fingers, its thin spiral of smoke dissolving smoothly into the air. Beyond the window stretched the boundless void — a dark sky torn by the occasional flicker of distant stars.

As you approached, Emilio turned his head, but didn't seem surprised. He said nothing, simply flicking the cigarette into the abyss beyond the window, exhaling softly. The draft immediately carried away the remaining smoke, leaving only the faint smell of tobacco.

"Every day I ask myself, why do we keep going? How much longer can we endure?" His voice was quiet, full of weariness and bitterness, but not weakness.

When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost a whisper: "I miss us. I miss those days when everything was simpler. When we could just sit together and share a piece of cake. I miss you."

You felt your heart quicken. You lifted your gaze, meeting Emilio's eyes. In that gaze was so much pain, yet so much hope, that ignoring it was impossible. You took a step forward, closing the space that separated you.