Here, the story of a twelve-year-old girl is published, a story that will haunt readers for a very long time.
From Ukraine to Hungary to Ireland, you don't know war is a tense and heart-pounding chronicle of the aftermath of the Russian invasion.
On February 24, 2022, Yeba's life, "peaceful until the early morning hours," is forever changed when she wakes to the terrifying sound of bombing.
Kharkiv, the home Yeva loved, was no longer a safe place.
Yeba and her grandmother head into the damp, cramped basement, tears welling up in their eyes.
This whole story was the beginning of hell.
From then on, Yeba decided to write 'her own story'.
To tell the truth we all need to hear.

On the morning of February 14th, I woke up early.
Today is my birthday.
I turned twelve.
I'm almost a teenager now! There's a surprise gift in my room.
Balloons! There are five of them.
There are also two silver, pink, gold and turquoise balloons.
My heart is pounding as I think about the more surprising things that await me in the future.
The birthday messages keep coming in nonstop.
Before I left the house, I already had texts from seven people.
I want to go to school quickly.
--- p.21

I checked my phone.
In the school group chat, people were talking about what had just happened.
As soon as we were ready, we headed to the basement.
As I entered the basement, I felt panic attacks again.
I couldn't breathe and my hands were cold and clammy.
The war has begun.

Explosions, noise, my heart pounding… … .
I couldn't think of anything in the midst of fear and noise.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
When I thought of myself and my loved ones, fear came over me.
--- p.35

This is the first time I've felt time passing so slowly.
There is continuous shelling.
Russia is said to have surrounded Ukraine.
Russia wants Kharkiv to surrender.
Another bombardment.
I'm about to have another panic attack.
I sit next to my grandmother and she hugs me tightly.
We were terrified.
There are rumors going around that the city may have to cut off electricity and water tomorrow due to the wartime situation, but we will not despair.
All we can do is pray.
--- p.42

I packed my bags.
The moment I thought, "Has the bombing stopped?", I heard an explosion.
Yes, that's right.
The bombing didn't stop.
We ran into the basement.
It was very cold.
The word 'shelter' is written at the entrance to the basement.
Surprisingly, it's snowing.
They say it's going to snow for the next few days.
I'm afraid that the bombing will start again, but I walk as if nothing happened.
Thankfully it was a quiet morning.
I scroll down the screen to read 180 group chat messages that arrived from my friends overnight.
--- p.48

Messages keep popping up in the group chat.
Polina sent a message that tanks were advancing on Hvardičiu-Sironinčiu street, northeast of Kharkiv.
When I told this news to Grandma and Aunt Ina, they said, “Don’t worry, there’s nothing we can do.
The only answer I get is, “It’s just something that has already happened.”
We decide not to be afraid.
--- p.54

The sun sets.
We want peace.
We no longer remember what dreams we once had or what we once considered important.
I don't even remember the arguments we had in the past or the problems that were troubling us.
Those worries I had in the past are no longer important.
In war, there is only one goal left.
Surviving.
All the hard and difficult things become trivial.
You worry about the lives of your loved ones, and your daily life is shattered by a loud bang.
Forcing myself to hide the fear that grips my heart, I begin to think that it would be fortunate if the rocket landed far away from me.
I pray all day long, asking God for peace.
I desperately cling to every minute, every second of my life.
--- p.66

My heart hurts so much.
That house is where I spent my childhood.
Attacking my home is like attacking a part of me.
I feel like my heart has been crushed.
It was a place filled with countless memories! Our Italian furniture, beautiful dishes and plates, glass tables…
All those memories were shattered.
The overflowing tears are only a part of my sadness.
The things themselves are not important.
The objects themselves are unimportant compared to the memories they contain.
The place where I spent my childhood has completely collapsed!
--- p.93

It's dark outside.
Lira made me laugh by telling me how beautiful the reeds outside the window were.
Some people worry about where to go and what to do next, while others simply admire the reeds.
haha!

There were some scary moments.
The train repeatedly slowed down and sometimes came to a complete stop.
The lights in the room kept going out, and every time they came back on, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
There were many moments when I was afraid to even utter a single word.
My grandmother later confessed that she had seen an explosion in the distance outside the window, but didn't tell me because she was afraid I would be more scared.
The train stopped intermittently, probably because of those explosions.
You had to stop until the situation became safe and you received a signal to continue driving.
--- p.114

As I was looking around, trying to collect myself, my grandmother told the man who had been filming us earlier that I was writing a book.
It remains a mystery how the grandmother explained this to the man who could not speak Russian at all.
Anyway, our work caught the old man's attention.
I approached him and said hello.
The man's name is Flavian.
He works for Channel 4, a British terrestrial broadcaster.
I told him everything that had happened to me.
The man asked if he could film me and interview me.
--- p.125

We're almost in Budapest.
When I looked out the train window at the city, it just felt ordinary and stiff.
It soon became clear that I was wrong.
The train stopped on the platform just outside the station building.
The moment I got off the train, I was overwhelmed by the scenery that caught my eye.
Keleti Station is a beautiful train station with huge pillars supporting a large glass roof.
The reporters started taking pictures of me.
As we entered the main building of the central station, there were stone statues lined up along the walls.
Volunteers were distributing various necessities.
Things like shampoo, sanitary pads, and diapers.
We were able to receive toothpaste, toothbrushes, and food.

I got out of the train station and looked around.
It was amazing! I think I'll keep saying this.
Budapest is truly a beautiful city! Huge shopping centers, old buildings, and the bustle of people and cars all around me.
It's hard to suppress your emotions.
I came to Europe.
For the first time in my life!
--- p.153

I decided to go for a walk with my grandmother, and this time I felt a little more confident than last time.
We took a walk near the park.
Today was a warm and sunny day.
After finishing my walk, I returned to my lodging.
Delara and Tom came and filmed me reading my diary.
I text and call my friends every day.
I ask them what the situation is in Kharkiv.
I also talk to Grandma Gina and Grandpa Josef, who are still staying there.
Tomorrow is a very important day.
After meeting the reporters, I kept this fact a secret, even in my diary.
Tomorrow I will be able to tell you everything.
--- p.167

Then I met a couple wrapped in the Ukrainian flag.
My grandmother and I spoke to them.
They said they had just arrived in Dublin a few days ago.
What I was most curious about was, "Were there a lot of fighter jets where you were? How did you survive in that terrible noise?"
They said, “On the first day of the war, as I was running down the street, I saw fighter planes flying overhead.
“After that we moved to five countries and finally came to Dublin,” he replied.

It wasn't a long conversation, but it was enough to bring everything back to mind.
Both good and bad.
Then sadness and pain came rushing in.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I remembered moments when I prayed that my house would be safe from the bombing.
I thought about Kharkiv and everything that was once important in Kharkiv but has now been destroyed.
As I got into the taxi to go home, tears started to flow.
--- p.192

A month has passed since the war began.
The war brought so much pain to my friends, my family, and everyone else.
How many lives have already been lost in this war, and how many more will be lost in the future?
No one knows what will happen tomorrow, or in the next hour, or even in the next minute.
The more people who don't know what war is, the better.
Then the world will be a happier place.
Because there is nothing more terrible than war.
--- p.209

It's hard to bear the word 'refugee'.
I think it will be like that forever.
When my grandmother started calling ourselves refugees, I told her to stop saying that right away.
I felt ashamed inside.
I think I finally understand why I was embarrassed.
It's embarrassing to admit that I don't have a home.
From the moment I left home and fled to the underground shelter, I felt unbearable.
My dream is that in the near future we will have our own home again.
--- p.222

I was fortunate to have friendly people close to me and my friends.
Whether it's family or pets.
A piece of sugar-dusted bread or a cozy hug with a fluffy doll brought us great comfort.
But the war never went away.
I miss my friends so much.
I hope we can see each other again someday.
I hope all their hopes and dreams come true.
I would like to end this article like this.
We are still children, so we should live peaceful and happy lives!

--- p.250