Prologue

  The Frontier of Ordinary

  Nil & Aubin

  The cold, swirling air filled the town where Nil lived. It was a memory of Christmas days that always warmed his heart, now colder than frozen coal. The bright day contrasted with the darkness within Nil’s heart. With the rise of the golden sun, the home Nil lived within sprung to life, and realization quickly behind.

  Dread, one for the day of work ahead. He wished he could just get a little more sleep, knowing well the duty was inevitable. The noises of traffic and people signaled him to get up, his workflow following its motion. He groggily pulled out a grey hoodie, once soft, now a rough fabric. Nil slipped into his jeans and ced the ties of his bck shoes. He was still tired, being early in the morning. Brushing his teeth as he walked down the stairs, he thought of his brother Aubin.

  Nil and Aubin had been pnning for this day for weeks. This day was their family gathering, one they had only a couple of times each year. As rare as these days were, they were always the highlight of Nil’s year. Nil couldn’t help but burst with excitement. He could catch back up with what was going on with his family. He stepped toward the door to his apartment, opening the door for Aubin. They looked at each other.

  “Aubin!” Nil yelled, “The stuff is in the kitchen! I’ll help carry it!” Together, they both carried the bags filled with food and gifts. After they grabbed the bags, the journey was to their parent’s home. It was a long way, a few miles as Aubin recalled. Determined to get there on time, they set off, their footsteps echoing in the busy world that was their town.

  Aubin spoke to Nil, “Don’t worry if we end up te. There’s no rush. Though it is disrespectful.” Nil still pushed himself harder, regardless. Finally, they reached the location.

  They opened the door to a home full of memories. After setting the food down, Aubin and Nil hugged their parents in an embrace. It had been ages since they had seen their parents. And quickly after the embrace, Nil and Aubin were pitching in to help with the dinner.

  There weren't a lot of ingredients or time they could work with, but they made it work, anyway. Nil cooked the chicken, while Aubin focused on the sweets. The two brothers took on the responsibility of cooking in honor of their parents, who could no longer manage such things. In the end, they managed a victory in which nothing caught on fire.

  As they sat down, Nil lifted his drink to his mother and father. “I thank you for everything you have given me. I will do whatever I can to repay you someday.”

  Their father smiled, nodding to him. Then Mom said, “Don’t worry sweetie, you already have made us proud.” As the sun dipped below the horizon, they ate for the rest of the time, with everyone filled with ughter and joy. Afterward, everyone said goodbye, and once again, Aubin and Nil were walking home. But as they went to a section of sidewalk, Aubin walked back to his home.

  Aubin waved to Nil, a big grin on his face. “See you tomorrow, Nil.”

  And there he goes, Nil walking into the distance. An old man Aubin recognized as his uncle Jalen yelled out to him. The two stepped from the gravel road and back onto the pavement. They arrived at the construction site, with distant echoes of hammers and machinery. They continued inside.

  Aubin grabbed a trowel and a hammer, with Jalen supplying the cy. Both worked as hard as they could, sweat showing off exhaustion. It was now their time for lunch break, they stepped down from their workpce down underground to the lunchroom.

  Aubin sat down, catching his breath as Jalen ate a sandwich. It had been a long day for him. Gd he took care of his parents, it finally was a time he could rest. Mom and Dad will be okay, they have a babysitter for them tonight until they can bring them to a nursery home. Nothing was going wrong, for once in his life, it was going his way. No deys or accidents, just a regur day. Everything was fine until it wasn’t.

  With a shake from the ground, what once was a near-silent space was bombarded with noise at all angles. Windows shattered and lights short circuit while infrastructure crumbled unto them. They hid beneath the tables, hoping they wouldn’t be crushed. A rock fell onto Jalen’s leg, wailing in pain and unable to move. Dust and gss covered them, but Aubin wasn’t going to let them stay here. He fought through the debris, unearthing Jalen and carrying him out of there.

  From some miracle, the rubble stopped raining to the floor, with the clouds of dust. Aubin looked out to the horizon, and everywhere for miles in the vilge burned in fmes.