Halyna faced the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, in Kyiv — the day before, she had been preparing for a major event and went to bed late. At 5 a.m., explosions woke her up, and she saw a column of smoke outside the window. She was in shock, called her parents, and for the first time said the word “war.” She stayed in the city during the first weeks, trying to adapt. Together with her neighbors, they came together, helped the elderly, shared bread, stood in long queues, and supported each other.