How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

A girl once surrounded by beauty and bounty now sits in a “skeletal” tree looking down on a strange city that walls itself in at night (254). The girl is hungry, cold, and tired so quickly falls asleep. She awakens starving and cautiously heads toward the city. When she gets to the ground, she can feel an oncoming earth “shake” (256). She lays down on the ground and digs her nails into the dirt and stone, breathing heavily and feeling “power” surge through her (256). She grinds “her teeth” against the bursting earth beneath her (257). The earth shifts and breaks, causing an “avalanche” before moving on (257). She stands up feeling full after the ritual, which turns “the power of the earth” into “force and destruction” (266). As such, she understands she is now in danger and starts to run away.

She wakes up warm but in pain and in prison. She listens but does not hear any threats so quickly falls asleep again. She next awakens to a woman named Ykka accusing her of almost destroying Ykka’s city. She asks if Ykka is “going to kill” her and then attempts to kill Ykka (261). Ykka acknowledges the girl’s murder attempt and asks her how far she plans to go with her destruction.