Chernobog. Natalya curled up her legs to cover them with the plastic sheet. She already knew how to get a little warmth while sleeping alone, and how to avoid being discovered by other refugees or the Reunion Movement. It wasn't actually time to sleep, but she was too tired. In hopes of getting Lada a little soup with flavor for her fever, Sonya grabbed half a leather belt off another group of refugees. And, of course, they didn't let her go easy. They chased Sonya all the way back to their hiding place. The commotion woke the already weak and drowsy Natalya. She used the huge weapon she had been carrying on her back for the first time. A few days ago, they dragged it out of a burnt-out ruin, and after inspecting the remaining parts, despair yet again cast its shadow on their hearts—it was practically unusable. Natalya describes it as a former siege weapon, now abandoned. Several eyes looked it over only to fall into silence. But Natalya still found a few almost-usable cloth straps and fixed the huge device to her shoulder. Anna and Sonya said nothing, they just clutched their own handy weapons tightly and walked on in silence. Natalya followed. The massive weapon now rested across the bottom of Lada's neck, covered with a layer of found fabric, making it just a little bit softer. It didn't actually fire anything that could cause any real damage in the recent scuffle, but Natalya stood in front of a few already-broken refugees, and snapped off a component of unknown function—the weapon worked strangely, a mixture of thick black smoke and flames gushed out, igniting the debris next to it. The fire drove off the refugees who were pursuing Sonya, meaning they lost their own hiding place. Several hands tugged at the plastic sheet in the corner. Anna coughed weakly, trying to muffle the sound in her throat. Sonya stared into space with her eyes wide open, not allowing herself to sleep. The flickering flames in the distance reflected on their faces. The feverish Lada suddenly clenched her fists and woke up from her sleep, muttering and grabbing the small pot next to her, preparing to rush out. Anna skillfully placed her hand over Lada's forehead, and Sonya pressed down the corner of the plastic sheet to prevent the wind from coming in. Through the gap in the sheet, they saw the dark night sky, glittering stars, and Natalya, still cowering alone nearby. Lada murmured and reached out to her, and after grabbing her equally pale hand, she quieted down and slowly fell back asleep. The next day, Natalya felt an unfamiliar warmth beside her. When she woke up, she saw a small, yellow, dirty star-shaped plush toy hanging off her weapon, swaying back and forth. Lada wrinkled her nose and laughed. Rhodes Island. 'Please wait a moment, Sonya. I'm not ready yet.' 'Ugh, you suck, Natalya.' 'Listen, you're a logistics operator, and you're the one who applied for a replacement weapon. How did I end up being the one pushing <i>you</i> through the process?' 'Because I suddenly realized that I've gotten used to it.' 'You've never even fired the thing. The last time you tried, the pile of scrap almost exploded on you.' 'I know how maximally utilize its functions.' 'You told us it was a military siege weapon.' 'Well, I like its color.' 'Ugh, are you screwing with me? Do you wanna use it or not?' The white-haired girl laughed. She fiddled with a dirty, tattered, star-shaped plush toy behind her back and remembered the night when she huddled with her companions for warmth. 'I've changed my mind. I don't want to replace it. To me, Sonya, it's more than just a weapon.'