Ender's first memories are searing red and smell of carrion. They do not remember the beginning, only the end—their parents’ faces, pale and distorted with terror, eyes glassy and unseeing. Beside them, their younger sister, Rhian, clings desperately to Ender's leg, her wide, frightened eyes searching for solace. In the periphery, the shadowy figures of the Raiders loom, their presence a dark spectre that stripped away everything familiar and safe, leaving only dread and a paralyzing sense of helplessness as Ender's world begins to unravel.

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The siblings were taken, horrifically tortured and beaten for the amusement of the Raiders. The haunting echoes of chains rattling like phantoms reverberate in Ender’s memory, sharp and unyielding. Yet, the details of their escape remain shrouded in a fog of trauma; all Ender can vividly recall is the bitter, metallic taste of blood staining their lips, mingling with fear as they fled into the darkness. Rhian, usually a fierce presence beside them, was hauntingly silent, blood streaked down her hastily bandaged face where one of the siblings' torturers had found vile satisfaction in gouging it out.

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Ender recalled the sharp gasps that tore from their lungs, how every breath tasted of crimson, each inhale feeling like a desperate plea for respite as they dashed through the dense underbrush, half-dragging Rhian behind them. The overwhelming scent of fear clinging to the air, heavy and acrid, a visceral reminder of the horrors that the Raiders would inflict upon them if they were captured. Every rustle of leaves and snapping twig sent jolts of adrenaline surging through their veins, the primal instinct to survive eclipsing the exhaustion that threatened to overcome them.

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Ender recalls the moment they stumbled upon a concealed nook nestled deep within the Warehouse District of Ganymede. Shadows dancing around them as they crouched perfectly still in the darkness, hearts pounding, straining to detect any sign of movement lurking in the night that enveloped them. The feeling of exhilarating fear, then a strange comfort washing over them as they realized—at least for now—they were safe.

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They recall the haunting sound of their sister's soft whimpers, a sound that echoed in their mind like a distant, sorrowful melody. The memory of the anguish sears through them, vividly bringing forth the sharp sting of their shredded neck, marred by the cruel bite of the pronged collar that Ender had ferociously tugged against. As the adrenaline began to ebb away, they remember the raw pain crashing over them like a wave, dragging with it all the emotions of betrayal and despair that had built up inside.

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Ender remembers the moment when everything blurred around them, collapsing into a pool of their own warm blood, the metallic scent filling their nostrils. The feeling of fatigue wrapping around their frail body like a heavy shroud, weighed down by the harrowing effort of their escape. In their fading consciousness, Ender remembers catching a glimpse of Rhian, her figure trembling as she crouches beside them, her face a mask of anguish. The haunting echoes of her desperate cries lingered in the air, gradually fading into a haunting memory. 

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Ender remembers thinking this is where they would die. That they had failed their parents, failed Rhian.

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They do not recall the exact moment they awoke or the duration of their slumber, a haze of time that feels both fleeting and eternal. Ender's first vivid memory after that profound stillness is of Rhian's warm, velvety paw nestled securely in theirs, a gentle reassurance in the quiet sanctuary they shared. Beside them lay their sister, her body relaxed and serene, the rhythmic rise and fall of her breath a soothing lullaby.

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Ender remembers the dim light filtering through the thick blanket of overcast clouds above as they lay there, the kind of light that danced like fragmented reflections on water—though in truth, to this day Ender remains uncertain if any light had actually penetrated the heavy gloom. What resounded more clearly in their mind was the overwhelming sense of tranquility enveloping them, a precious moment where worry and fear melted away into the background.

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Ender recalls the smile that crept onto their face, unbidden yet genuine—a smile filled with hope and relief. In that instant, the siblings found themselves liberated from the burdens that had once shackled them. They were finally free, existing in a bubble of safety for that moment, untroubled by the outside world.

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The remainder of Ender's memories after this cascade like a rapid torrent, each moment a glimpse into a world unravelling—a world where hope could scarcely hold back the tide of despair. It began with an unrelenting hunger that gnawed at their bellies, a bone-numbing fear that coiled tightly around their hearts, and the sheer desperation of survival that dictated their every breath. Yet amid this turmoil, they found fleeting pockets of calm—precious instances when the clamour of their hardships faded away. These were the moments where siblings could simply exist, sharing laughter and whispers, experiencing a fragile sense of hope and happiness that danced upon the edges of their suffering.

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Rhian, ever a magnet for misadventure with her spirited nature, often found herself in precarious situations, her reckless curiosity leading her into trouble. Ender, her devoted sibling, stood resolute by her side, a steadfast guardian unwavering in their commitment. They watched over her with a fierce protectiveness, nursing her back to health when she fell ill, skillfully tending to her scrapes and bruises from encounters with thorny brambles or skirmishes with neighbouring rival felines. This bond, forged in the crucible of a decaying world, became their lifeline; in a landscape rife with scarcity and danger, what mattered most was they had each other.

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Until, one day, they didn't.

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Ever curious and eternally adventurous, Rhian often enlisted the cautious Ender to accompany her on her whimsical journeys through uncharted realms of imagination. With a wild spark in her eye, she would weave enchanting tales that teetered on the brink of recklessness. Ender, typically the voice of reason, would often manage to talk his sister out of her more perilous ideas. However, on that fateful day, driven by an insatiable thirst for adventure, Ender decided to indulge Rhian's whims, blissfully unaware of the sinister dangers that lay hidden within the shadowy depths of the Underground.

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To the siblings, the Underground seemed like just another labyrinthine place waiting to be explored, a mysterious world promising forgotten secrets and thrilling escapades. Surely, Ender reasoned, nothing contained within its damp, echoing passages could be more fearsome than the everyday challenges they tackled.

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They couldn't have been more wrong.

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Ender is haunted by memories of the wretched darkness that enveloped them like a heavy shroud, each breath a laborious gasp against the oppressive, stale air that clung to their lungs like a damp fog. The echoing screams of Rhian reverberate in their mind, cut through with flashes of red, haunting echoes that intertwine with the acrid scent of decay—an unbearable miasma that curled around them like a malevolent spirit, thick and suffocating. It was a horrid stench, one that Ender fears still clings to them, a ghostly reminder of that rotten place.

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They never speak of the horrors they witnessed in the Underground; perhaps the memories have faded into the recesses of their mind like distant whispers, or perhaps the raw terror is an emotion so anguished that they choose to bury it deep within, locked away from their consciousness. The dread that seeped into Ender’s heart in the Underground was as piercing as a knife, an unrelenting ache that clawed at their insides with a ferocity that belied the dark silence that surrounded them.

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Even now, they can still feel the sheer desperation coursing through their veins as they scrambled through the labyrinthine corridors, each twist and turn a reminder of their frantic efforts to find an escape. Ender remembers how they raced toward the flickering dim light that struggled to break through the oppressive murk, propelled by an instinctual yearning for the familiar scents of damp earth and the fading echoes of life. Every heartbeat echoed in their ears, a rhythmic drum driving them forward in their quest for freedom, even as shadows lurked just out of sight, a sinister reminder of the darkness they were so desperately trying to escape.

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But in mere moments, reality crashed down upon them with a harrowing clarity: Rhian was not with them. She was gone, and the weight of that knowledge settled heavily on Ender’s shoulders—an unbearable burden of guilt and despair. They were left grappling with the agonizing truth that resonated in their bones: Rhian was dead, and somehow, in a twist of fate, Ender was to blame.

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In the days that followed, Ender's memories receded into a dull, lurching gray, as if stripped of colour and vibrancy. They moved through life like a hollow husk, going through the disjointed motions of survival on the edge of sanity, yet devoid of the spark of hope that had once illuminated their youthful dreams. Rhian’s laughter, once a melody of joy and light, now echoed only in the hollow chambers of Ender's mind, a reminder of what they had lost. She was gone, and with her, an irreplaceable part of Ender had also perished, leaving them adrift in a sea of sorrow and regret as the rest fades to dust.