Lily’s small hands trembled as she read the words aloud, her voice breaking with each syllable. The letter was written in an official tone, stamped with the emblem of the army. She did not understand every word, but the weight of its meaning pressed heavily upon her heart. The adults around her were silent, their eyes filled with tears that frightened her more than the letter itself. She was only a child, yet in that moment, she felt the world shift beneath her feet.