"D-destroyed?" Van had made Luke destroy Akzeriuth? But why?! And more importantly, how? Luke would never willingly do such a thing, no matter how fond he might be of the Commandant! All those innocent people would no longer have anywhere to call home... The mines must have been their livelihoods. What would they do now? They had to find some way to save them!

The next words came from far away, but somehow they struck even more deeply.

"No!" She could barely hear her own voice. "Why are you telling me this? There must be some kind of mistake!"

It was at that precise moment Natalia's legs gave out from under her.