On opposite sides of the Bering Strait, Nikita in Eastern Siberia and Martha in Northern Alaska watch their world collapse. The Arctic permafrost—the ground frozen for millennia that once sealed in the era of mammoths—is now thawing at an unprecedented speed. As the land sinks beneath their feet, all human infrastructure collapses with it: homes crack, roads buckle, and entire communities are at risk.

But this crisis extends far beyond Martha’s and Nikita’s villages. Arctic permafrost is a time bomb from the past that has already been triggered. It stores vast amounts of prehistoric flora and fauna, now decomposing and releasing carbon and methane into the atmosphere—gases that accelerate climate change across the globe.

World leaders’ ambitious climate pledges have faded amid war and economic instability. “Energy security” has become the top priority for governments worldwide. Across the Arctic—home to vast, untapped fossil fuel reserves—drilling is expanding faster than ever. In Siberia, Russia’s oil and gas development continues despite international sanctions. In the U.S., a massive drilling project has been approved around Martha’s community.

Scientists warn the Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average. They speak of tipping points and irreversible feedback loops, but their voices are drowned out by short-term political and economic gains. Nikita and Martha’s stories are not just local tragedies—they are a final alarm from the far north, to all of us.