The Journey of the Forsaken

The platform creaked beneath them as the group huddled together, waiting for the arrival of the transport that would take them away. Each individual bore a mark—a scar, a missing limb, an invisible wound. They were the ones who hadn’t met the National Purity Standards, the silent rejects of the regime. Yet, they hadn’t been told they were unfit. Instead, they had been congratulated, informed they were the lucky winners of the Citizen’s Relocation Initiative, a program designed to transport them to a “better life” in an undisclosed land of opportunity.

Sienna, a frail teenager with a patch over her left eye, tugged on her brother’s sleeve. “What’s the transport gonna look like?”

Jace, older by only a year, but far more skeptical, shrugged. “Dunno. Probably something fancy if they say we’re ‘special.’”

Sienna fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot. Her ears twitched at the sound of footsteps, deliberate and measured. She turned to see a man in a long coat standing at the edge of the platform, his face obscured by the shadow of his hat.

She tilted her head. “Are you one of us?”

Jace gripped her wrist and pulled her close. “Don’t talk to him.”

“But—”

The man extended his hand, palm open. A small, folded paper crane sat in the center. Sienna hesitated before reaching for it, her fingers brushing against the delicate folds. Her lips curled into a smile.

“I love it,” she whispered, holding it to her chest. “That means I love you, too.”

The man barely moved. His voice, when it finally came, was barely more than a murmur. “I count the stars every night. Four hundred and eighty-six are visible here. But only four hundred and eighty-two yesterday.”

“Oh,” Sienna breathed, eyes wide. “You count real good.”

She threw her arms around him in a sudden embrace. He stiffened, his arms locked at his sides, but he did not pull away. After a moment, she stepped back, looking up at him with curiosity. “I’m Sienna. What’s your name?”

The man’s eyes flicked past her, focusing on the distant horizon. A low hum vibrated through the ground. The transport was coming. The others on the platform straightened, anticipation in their weary eyes.

Finally, he answered. “Elias.”

Sienna beamed. Before she could say more, Jace squeezed her hand. “Look.”

The transport emerged from the mist—sleek, metallic, and eerily silent. The doors slid open without a sound, revealing an empty interior lined with seats too perfectly arranged, too pristine. One by one, the people stepped forward, their faces filled with cautious hope.

Jace hesitated, his grip tightening on Sienna’s hand. “Something’s wrong.”

Sienna glanced at Elias, but he remained still, watching. As the last of the group boarded, the doors began to close. A mechanical voice echoed from the speakers above.

“Welcome to the journey of renewal. Your past is behind you. Your new purpose awaits.”

Jace stepped back, dragging Sienna with him. “No. We’re not going.”

Elias turned his gaze to them, finally meeting Sienna’s eyes. He pressed something into her palm—a second paper crane, this one torn in half.

“The stars won’t change tomorrow,” he whispered. “Not for them.”

The doors sealed. The transport whirred to life, lifting from the platform and vanishing into the sky. Sienna clutched the broken crane, her heart hammering. She looked at Jace. “Where were they really going?”

Jace exhaled sharply. “Not anywhere good.”

Hand in hand, they turned away from the empty platform, leaving behind the place that had nearly swallowed them whole.

As they walked through the thick fog, the hum of the transport faded into the distance. Jace kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting soldiers to appear, but the platform remained eerily empty.

Sienna squeezed the paper crane in her hand. “What do we do now?”

Jace hesitated. “We find another way. If we stay here, they’ll come for us.”

Elias, who had been silent, finally spoke. “There’s a place. A refuge. If you want to live, follow me.”

Sienna looked at Jace, her one good eye filled with trust. He sighed and nodded. “Lead the way.”

Together, they disappeared into the mist, leaving behind the illusion of salvation.