The Blue-Haired Girl Lost in Music as the World Burns

She sat on the weathered bench, her blue hair cascading over the bulky headphones that drowned out the world around her. The rhythmic pulse of the music guided her fingers as they tapped lightly on her knee, oblivious to the chaos unfolding behind her. Towering plumes of smoke curled into the sky, buildings crumbled in slow, agonizing collapses, and fire painted the horizon in violent shades of orange and red. Yet, she remained still, eyes half-closed, lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile, as if the destruction was nothing more than a distant, irrelevant dream.

The air trembled with shockwaves, sirens screamed through the streets, and distant figures ran for their lives, but she didn’t flinch. Maybe the world had already ended for her long before the first explosion. Maybe the music was the only thing left that made sense. A stray ember floated past her, landing softly on the sleeve of her jacket before dying out, leaving nothing but a whisper of heat. She sighed, adjusting the volume on her headphones, drowning out the last remnants of a city that no longer mattered.