Sl: Veter viharja je mršavil Matejine lase, ko je stopala med ruševine majhne obalne vasi.
En: The wind of the storm ruffled Mateja's hair as she walked among the ruins of the small coastal village.

Sl: Zapuščene kamnite hiše so se opirale druga na drugo, kot da še vedno čakajo na prebivalce, ki so jih nekoč napolnjevali z življenjem.
En: Abandoned stone houses leaned on each other, as if still waiting for the inhabitants who once filled them with life.

Sl: Listje je šumelo pod njenimi nogami, valovi pa so se lomili na bližnji obali.
En: Leaves rustled under her feet, and waves crashed on the nearby shore.

Sl: Jesen je vsepovsod risala svoje barve.
En: Autumn painted its colors everywhere.

Sl: Mateja je prišla sem iskati... nekaj.
En: Mateja came here searching for... something.

Sl: Smisel, mir, preprosto točko, kjer bi lahko ponovno našla dom.
En: Meaning, peace, simply a place where she could once again find a home.

Sl: Bojan se je skrival za starim zidom, opazoval je njene poteze.
En: Bojan hid behind an old wall, observing her movements.

Sl: Videti je bila odločna, vendar je zaslutil senco žalosti v njenih očeh.
En: She appeared determined, but he sensed a shadow of sadness in her eyes.

Sl: Tudi on je bil tukaj iz podobnih razlogov – pošteno čistil naselje, v upanju, da bi našel nekaj vrednega, kar bi mu lahko pomagalo preživeti prihajajoče mesece.
En: He too was here for similar reasons—honestly cleaning up the settlement, hoping to find something valuable that could help him survive the coming months.

Sl: Na koncu dneva, ko se je sonce spuščalo proti obzorju, sta se srečala ob stari fontani.
En: At the end of the day, as the sun dipped toward the horizon, they met by the old fountain.

Sl: Najprej sta si le zadržano prikimala.
En: At first, they just nodded to each other reservedly.

Sl: »Iščeš kaj posebnega?« je vprašal Bojan, ko je z naporom dvignil kos zarjavelega železa.
En: "Are you looking for something special?" Bojan asked as he laboriously lifted a piece of rusty iron.

Sl: Mateja je z nasmehom skomignila.
En: Mateja shrugged with a smile.

Sl: »Nekaj kar me bo spomnilo, da nisem sama.«
En: "Something to remind me that I'm not alone."

Sl: V tednih, ki so sledili, sta se učila sodelovati.
En: In the weeks that followed, they learned to collaborate.

Sl: Mateja je hotela postaviti znak – ogromen bakl, ki bi opozarjal morebitne preživele, da tukaj ni vse izgubljeno.
En: Mateja wanted to erect a sign—a huge beacon to signal to potential survivors that not all was lost here.

Sl: Bojan sprva ni bil naklonjen ideji.
En: Bojan was initially opposed to the idea.

Sl: »Tak znak bo le privabil nezveste,« je oporekal.
En: "Such a sign will only attract traitors," he objected.

Sl: A Matejina vztrajnost je bila nalezljiva.
En: But Mateja's persistence was contagious.

Sl: In globoko v sebi je Bojan začutil, da je morda čas, da začne zaupati spet nekomu drugemu.
En: And deep down, Bojan felt that it might be time to start trusting someone else again.

Sl: Njuna različna pogleda sta pogosto povzročala trenja, toda skupna naloga jih je prisilila v kompromis.
En: Their differing views often caused friction, but the common task forced them into compromise.

Sl: Bojan je poskrbel za tehnično plat projekta; iskal je kovine in orodja, Mateja pa je z neomajnim optimizmom vsak večer prižgala majhen ogenj na hribu, da bi ga preizkusila.
En: Bojan took care of the technical side of the project; he searched for metals and tools, while Mateja lit a small fire on the hill every evening with unwavering optimism, testing it.

Sl: Nekega mrzlega jutra, ko je bil njun projekt skoraj končan, se je oglasilo grmenje iz daljave.
En: On a cold morning, when their project was almost complete, thunder rumbled in the distance.

Sl: Valovi so postali divji, veter pa se je okrepil, kot bi se hudič sam spuščal na zemljo.
En: The waves became wild, and the wind strengthened, as if the devil himself was descending to earth.

Sl: Vihar je grozil, da bo zlahka uničil njuno delo.
En: The storm threatened to easily destroy their work.

Sl: Ko je dež začel padati, sta Mateja in Bojan tekla proti svoji konstrukciji.
En: As the rain began to fall, Mateja and Bojan ran towards their construction.

Sl: Veter je bil neusmiljen, a sta delovala kot eno.
En: The wind was relentless, but they worked as one.

Sl: Mateja je vezala in zavezovala vezice, medtem ko jih je Bojan še zadnjič trdno pričvrstil na zemljo.
En: Mateja tied and knotted the cords while Bojan fastened them securely to the ground one last time.

Sl: Njune roke so bile usklajene, kot bi plesale.
En: Their hands were coordinated, like they were dancing.

Sl: In ko se je nevihta umaknila, je bil znak še vedno tam, nepoškodovan.
En: And when the storm passed, the sign was still there, unharmed.

Sl: Mateja je pogledala Bojana, stisnila njegove mokre roke, in v njegovih očeh zaznala nekaj, kar je sploh ni pričakovala – iskrico spremembe.
En: Mateja looked at Bojan, squeezed his wet hands, and saw something in his eyes she had not expected—a spark of change.

Sl: »Hvala,« je rekla.
En: "Thank you," she said.

Sl: Ničesar drugega ni bilo treba dodati.
En: Nothing else needed to be added.

Sl: Sta pa oba vedela, da sta našla nekaj vrednejšega od zalog: skupnost, zaupanje.
En: They both knew they had found something more valuable than supplies: community, trust.

Sl: V tihoti, ki je sledila viharju, sta vedela, da sta našla en drugega.
En: In the silence that followed the storm, they knew they had found each other.

Sl: Mateja je našla nekoga, s kom bi lahko delila breme preteklosti, Bojan pa je končno videl vrednost stalnosti.
En: Mateja found someone with whom she could share the burden of the past, and Bojan finally saw the value in permanence.

Sl: Skupaj sta stala ob ognju, ki ga je njun bakl oddajal proti temnemu nebu, in vedela, da že obeležujeta novo poglavje, prežeto s spominom in obljubo boljšega jutri.
En: Together, they stood by the fire that their beacon cast into the dark sky, knowing they were already marking a new chapter, infused with memory and a promise of a better tomorrow.