In the mouth of Professor Brown, who often complained and spoke without restraint, the term “concentration camp” no longer appeared.
The war seemed to break out without warning. Their army swiftly advanced into the city, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and strange. Some stood in the streets shouting to welcome their allies, as if it were a tradition.
An uncontrollable force would tightly connect two countries belonging to the same ethnicity before a large-scale war, yet after the war, they would each follow their own politics. Khanyi was not as adept as these scholars at grasping and analyzing current events; what she felt more was the oppression and silence beneath the cheers, just as she felt in this school.
The gray-haired principal spoke to all the teachers and staff from the podium. “Friends, as you can see, our school will be requisitioned by the military… Of course, classes must continue, at least until the end of this semester…” His words trailed off as he bowed his head, removed his glasses, and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.
Everyone fell silent, and Khanyi’s mood suddenly grew heavy. Although she had escaped that country, the flames of war had spread here as well. Perhaps this was something everyone in the world had to face during these extraordinary times; no matter where she fled, she could not escape the claws of war.
In addition to the combat troops, there were also members of the black-uniformed SS. The streets were lined with sentries, quickly establishing several blockades. Whenever Khanyi saw those black military coats, she would shiver from head to toe. She felt like a wild rabbit, desperately dodging the shadows of these black hunters. Unless it was something particularly important, she stayed in the school dormitory.
That night, she had a date. Khanyi wrapped a gray-brown scarf around her face, keeping her head down as she slipped into a small tavern. The tavern was not very crowded, and she found a seat by the window at the back. She called the waiter and ordered two drinks, then set down the scarf wrapped around her head, sitting quietly and waiting for a while. Khanyi felt a bit anxious, constantly glancing at the clock on the wall behind the bar. It was already 8 PM, and she had to return to her dormitory before curfew.
The blonde model Irina walked in with light steps, sitting across from the dark-haired girl under the gaze of a few men. She picked up the drink that had been ordered for her. “Gianna, you always like this spot.”
“You came really late; curfew is about to start.” Khanyi was already quite anxious, while Irina appeared unhurried.
“Curfew? No problem, I have this.” Irina pulled out two papers covered in several stamps from her small handbag, her red-nailed fingers pinching the papers as she gestured to Khanyi. “These will let you pass freely until midnight.”
“Irina, you really have connections.” Khanyi was not in the mood to care where she got these passes. “Did you find out about the matter I asked you to investigate?”
“Of course, such a small matter is nothing to worry about.”
“Really?” Khanyi widened her eyes in disbelief.
“But don’t get too excited just yet; I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”
“…The bad one.” Khanyi lowered her dark eyes, having long been accustomed to hearing bad news.
Irina seemed a bit disheartened by her response, raising her glass and taking a sip. “The Red Cross you mentioned used to have a branch here, but they evacuated before the war.”
“Oh,” Khanyi replied softly, “then what’s the good news?”
“I brought you someone…” Irina’s beautiful eyes sparkled with a smile as she looked mysteriously at the serious-faced dark-haired girl.
Khanyi followed Irina’s gesture and noticed for the first time that a slender man was following Irina, sitting in the seat next to them. The man wore a blue suit and overcoat, his hat pulled low over his face. He slowly removed his hat.
Beneath the top hat were a pair of black eyes, thin eyelids, yet the gaze was bright and spirited. The man had the same jet-black hair as her. When Khanyi clearly saw his face, she covered her mouth, and in an instant, tears filled her eyes. It felt as if something was blocking her throat, and she sobbed silently. His voice could only be described as frantic, “Khanyi! I’ve searched for you so hard!!”
“Victor—! How could it be you!?” Her voice cracked slightly, and tears finally burst forth.
