Born and raised in Greece, Alex was a shy little fellow who would help anyone. The world was a tough place for him but he never thought to back down. He loved the feeling of appreciation even when he didn't hear it with words from others. One night the sirens of war woke the whole city of Athens up. He looked out of the window and saw people running frightened like somehow they knew what was happening. He called his sister and she asked him to carefully wait outside his door and get ready to jump in the car when she arrives. He didn't ask a lot, all he could see in her eyes was fear and desperation. About 6 hours driving passing through unexpected flames, car crashes, horns and people running in woods and out in the streets, he closed his eyes for a few minutes and woke up in front of a bright light closing up so fast he couldn't do anything. Then a flash and all dark. He could feel but he couldn't move, speak, hear or see anything. He felt a hand pulling him back. Opening his eyes he found himself outside the broken car, his sister covering his head while slashing a crazy person who was trying to kill her. He looked like a hungry dog. They broke into the other car that hit them before ,since it was still in one piece, by pulling out the dead passengers and the driver, and continued to go north. Alex was freaking out but he was trying to fake calm for his sister. It felt like she knew. 5 hours of silence while driving passed and they finally started talking. "Stella", he said, "where is mother?". She explained him that she had gone back to Norway, mother always loved the place she was born. She 'd go there to write her novel and finally publish it some day.
The question "what happened" never got answered because none of them really knew. Not yet. But they would find out later. She had a conversation with mother before that happened and was told to drive north and find her in Nyheim. Hours passed and a little humming from Alex's lips softened the situation. More time passed and they changed seats. She had to rest a bit. While driving they found a station just in time, they needed fuel. No people around, they starting filling when they heard another truck coming by. Four armed men came out of the truck, asked where they were going. They also were going to Nyheim and volunteered to help Alex and Stella reach their destination. They never gave them their names nor answered any questions about who they were. They didn't look like soldiers. Reaching Nyheim wasn't easy but they sure were safe. "Good people could be found anywhere", Alex mentioned once they saw the sign 1km Nyheim. He hugged his sister, thanked the people who brought them there safe and called his mother. The phone kept ringing. Sister knew the location of the house. Everything was strangely peaceful, as if everything was ...dead. They walked to the house and found the door open. Entering they saw a letter. "Supplies under the bed. Be careful. Hope we meet after a long... very long time. Love. Mom."
Strange wish, they both thought until they saw in the back door of the house a small tree and on the bottom of it... mother with a gun near her left hand. Her dominant hand. Stella was getting sicker and sicker and finally fell down. Alex dragged her back inside. He put her in bed found a shotgun in the hidden stash aiming at the door, as if he knew someone wanted to harm them. One hour later he saw her moving a finger. He ran to her and tried to wake her. Stella was no longer inside there. He ran, leaving the supplies behind. He couldn't end her life. He went out to find assistance. A walk in the middle of a road and another survivor found him to explain what was going on. It was too late now. He went back to end it and made a sad grave for her and their mother near that tree. Now out there he only had one expectation of him... he would fight for humanity any way he could to not let that happen to anyone else. He still blames himself for his sister.