In August 2016, Francesca Capodiferro, a young geologist and team leader with the Rome fire department, was working in the Monti della Laga, on the border between Lazio, Marche, and Abruzzo. On the evening of the 24th, she decided to spend the night on the mountain above Amatrice with her two sniffer dogs. That same night, violent earthquakes devastated the village and surrounding hamlets. Francesca was among the first to arrive on the scene and initiated the first relief efforts, initially using improvised tools, later assisted by her teammates. The relationship with her "own" firefighters was often strained, almost adversarial; while they obeyed her, they lacked affection, which sometimes caused problems even during emergency operations. After unexpected encounters, separations, and reunions, reinforcements arrived. Emotionally shaken by the tragedy and the tensions with her colleagues, Francesca decided to search alone for the missing and those trapped in the surrounding valleys. She searches farms, caves, and forest shelters where frightened people have hidden. It becomes a grueling journey filled with pain and the beauty of nature, sometimes so violent and impervious to human events. Yet, this journey proves necessary to discover within herself the driving forces behind her mission and ultimately find peace with life, her men, and her work.