Previously; Seeing her boys after what she had just been told, Anna could no longer hide her tears as Kai and Tala walked home to their mothers tear streaked face.

Now;

Walking through the door only to be welcomed by their mother's tear stained face, Kai and Tala exchanged lost looks. Not quite knowing what to do, as they had never seen their mother cry before, this was something new to them and something they didn't want to see again.

Both boys lost for words, neither knowing what to say.

Making a move forward Kai reached out to his mother,

"Ma'? What is it?" He asked with a small, timid voice

Looking at them, she didn't know how to tell her boys the news but there was no way of getting around or out of it now so, bracing herself, she raised a hand wiping the stray tears from her face and straightened herself out.

"Boys.. I." Inhaling, she carried on. "I have some bad news. Concerning your father."

Air becoming thicker as a dark aura clouds over the room.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she could feel the boys' burning stare through the darkness.

What do I do know? What happens next?

So many questions that she did not know the answers to.

Oh well here goes.

"There has been an accident at your fathers work. He's been taken to hospital."

No longer looking at her boys shocked, wide eyed expressions she turned her attention to the window.

Trying to dislodge the depressive atmosphere, Kai walked up behind his mother and placed a hand on her shoulder, unintentionally startling her. She was unable to hide her surprise as Kai then wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug.

Nothing, nor no one else moved for a good 10 minutes.

"So what's going to happen now?" Tala asked, breaking the silence.

Reluctantly breaking away from the comforting embrace of her youngest, Anna turned to answer Tala.

"I'll need to make a few phone calls, so why don't you boys go check on Bryan, I'm sure his father was working the same shift?"

Kai and Tala looked to each other, a silent agreement passed through their eyes as they both left the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chernobyl nuclear power plant, reactor block 4: 1:23 am (1)

Just a regular night at work, nothing out of the ordinary happening tonight. So, why couldn't Vasily shake this strange feeling?

"Working late tonight, Nikolai?" (2) He asked as his colleague walked into the control room.

"Yeah, with the May celebrations coming up, I want to take my family to Moscow, Bryan's going to love it there."

The conversation was interrupted by their night supervisor as he entered the room.

"Alright guys, listen up. Tonight, will be a big night, there is a test we must do. We've been told to carry out an experiment that will determine the future of our power plants."

"Experiment?" Vasily highlighted, sounding slightly skeptical.

"Yes, an experiment that will find out whether or not we can produce more energy using fewer resources"

"That sounds stupidly dangerous!" Vasily argues.

"These are not my orders. You will do as you've been told if you want to get paid, get ready the test will be carried out in 5." And with that, the man left the room.

Nikolai stood quietly, slightly stunned at his friends outburst towards a superior.

But even he couldn't help the feeling that this seemed, wrong. Experimenting with nuclear products could have a huge effect if something was to go wrong.

And so the control room staff of reactor 4 prepared for a long night.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"D'you think dad's gunna be okay?" Kai asked his brother as they walked down the corridor of the apartment block.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Came Tala's answer, not quite knowing what to say.

For Kai, the nagging voice in his head struck again.

'They're lying to you my boy.' The distorted yet soft voice soothed.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Kai tried to ignore the statement.

"You alright?" Concerned for his younger sibling.

"Fine" Snapped Kai.

Though he hadn't meant for it to appear so aggressive.

"Sorry I'm just worried that's all. I want to know what's going on." He apologised.

"It's okay Kai, me too." Tala comforted as he knocked on the door to their friends apartment.

Moments later the door opened, revealing a troubled Bryan.

"Tala kai, hey what's up?" He closed the door and stepped out into the hall.

"We thought we'd come to check on you, I take it you've heard the news?" Asked Tala.

Looking down at the floor, Bryan took a breath before replying.

"Yeah, I've just been told but there's something not right, why is everybody being so secretive?"

"Beats me..." Tala was about to continue but was interrupted as the peaceful afternoon air was filled with ringing sourcing from the city's tannoy system.

The ringing that sounded out to get the city's attention had ceased and had now been replaced with a woman's sharp voice.

"For the attention of the residents of Pripyat! The City Council informs you that due to an accident at the Chernobyl Power Station in the city of Pripyat the radioactive conditions in the vicinity are deteriorating.

The Communist Party, its officials and the armed forces are taking necessary steps to combat this. Nevertheless, with the view to keep people as safe and healthy as possible, the children being top priority, we need to temporarily evacuate the citizens in the nearest towns of Kiev Oblast.

For these reasons, starting from April 27 at 2 pm, each apartment block will be able to have a bus at its disposal, supervised by the police and the city officials. It is highly advisable to take your documents, some vital personal belongings and a certain amount of food, just in case, with you.

The list of employees of the power station are needed to stay in Pripyat to maintain these facilities in a good working order. All the houses will be guarded by the police during the evacuation period. Comrades, leaving your residences is temporarily, please make sure you have turned off the lights, electrical equipment and water and shut the windows. Please keep calm and orderly in the process of this short-term evacuation"

Everyone throughout the entire city fell silent and still.

It was as if time itself, has frozen.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at the power plant, it was anything but silent.

The room was lit up with bright flashing lights and the sound of the alarms where deafening.

Nikolai and Vasily exchanged looks, both faces filled with sorrow and fear.

"Oh god. What have we done?"

(1) - Just to note that in Russia we do not see it as the next day until it is 6 am, so we refer to 1 in the morning as 1 at night.

(2) - Nikolai is Bryan's father in this story.

Please bear with me, these first few chapters will be setting the story for later on, so it will all make sense. The other characters will make an appearance shortly.