Violas Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The bright light of the afternoon sun was filtered through the snowy canopy of the forest. Its rays sparkled along the glassy icicles that hung along the trees. Over coated in a thick blanket of snow, the frozen forest was a white canvas pleasantly stained by the green conifers that line along the flowing river. Along the way, one could find the trails of a visitor who persistently traversed the hazardous path.

It was a woman who aged far beyond her prime. On her wrinkled skin lies the scars of countless adventures that she had faced in her youth and her current trek is nothing compared to those days. Clutching her thick hood tighter around her freezing body, she walked through the deep snow with an eye burning in determination. Her knees were weak but she refused to fall.

When her eyes caught the sight of a house by the lake, her eyes did not twinkle with relief but instead, she stood firm and sharpened her senses. Inevitably, her arrival was greeted by knives that were thrown right in front of her feet and a few more that landed on the trees beside her.

Unfazed by the attack, she turned her eyes towards its source, cursing harshly for the poor aim.

“You missed,” her voice was unkind and hateful.

Not far from her, she saw the figure of her assailant, the girl whom she shared loathsome memories that they value all the same.

“Leave,” Ismene growled at the old woman.

She stood in front of her in a stance ready for battle and eyes that gazes in indescribable hate. On her hands were a hatchet and a few more knives, instruments that would not fail to make a painful mess. The old woman had a pistol holstered on her waist but against a gem user, even a malfunctioning one, such a thing serves nothing but display.

“Leave?” the old woman spat at her, “Leave to where?”

Ismene’s unwelcoming gesture and murderous intent was still up but upon hearing those words, she slowly let go of her raised defenses.

Reluctantly, she snarled, “Weapons.”

It was then that the old woman smiled for the first time before throwing her pistol to the ground. Then, they walked towards the house.

Every line of reason and logic inside Ismene called to reject their unwanted guest. She was someone from the outside world, a person who could bring the end to this world that they wished to protect. But try as she might, deep inside her thoughts laid the great respect towards this woman and the genuine curiosity about what madness led her to this place alone and unguarded. Thus, biting her tongue, she opened the door for her.

“We have no alcohol here but we have tea. Would that be enough to warm you up?” Ismene asked as the old woman entered their home.

She knew that she must be freezing and she was trying to be polite as much as possible without getting too close.

“That’s a rather bold way to poison a guest.”

The old woman sourly rejected Ismene’s question but, inexplicably, those same words managed to lighten up the once heavy atmosphere.

“And could you please stop forcing yourself to stand? Use your wheelchair for god’s sake.”

Ismene followed none of her commands and set off to warm up something to drink. It was a simple act of defiance that was rewarded generously with the sound of the old woman’s silent groan when she rested her aching legs on the chair. She was far too prideful to admit her weakness but age is one of the great equalizers.

After she was done, Ismene delivered the drink to the table and sat opposite to the old woman.

“You don’t really have much of a time, don’t you?” Ismene asked as she took a sip on her cup, “My senses have long been dulled but the taste of the wind is different right now. The faint scent of smoke and gun powder is in the air. It’s almost as if there’s a battle going on in the distance, right?”

“Yes. My men are doing their best holding off your partner but we came here expecting to retreat as soon as possible for we cannot spare anymore blood.”

“I’m listening,” Ismene replied, prepared for the words that would shatter her idealized world.

The old woman looked down before she spoke, “They have broken through our defenses. The major roads have been compromised and countless cities have been evacuated. Trading is almost nonexistent, our economy is in turmoil, and even the weapons production was greatly crippled. Food, medicine, weapons, technological growth, and even the chain of command itself are all in grave danger.

“It’s only a matter of time until we were completely surrounded. Morale is at its lowest and both civilians and soldiers are fleeing for their lives. Our civilization is tethering on its final string.”

She then lifted her head up to gaze at Ismene,

“But there is still hope.”

The old woman’s greying eyes reflected a sudden flicker of life.

“Before they could make a final advance, they would need to pass through a natural choke point filled with high mountains and surrounded by the sea. It is the single most vital strategic point where even our dwindling numbers and inferior technology can stand a chance, even for a little while. Every soldier that we sent there is fighting in hopes that they could delay the apocalypse enough for us to prepare a counter attack. And a counter attack we are preparing.

“At our current state, any amount of manpower we send shall amount as nothing more than cannon fodder so, with our remaining resources, we developed a new chemical that could boost the power of already existing gem users. The drawback was the fact that it cannot be mass produced and the only ones that could wear it are the people with the highest resistance.”

“People like me and Myra, I presume?” Ismene interrupted.

The old woman could only sigh in admittance as she stood up from her chair

“In a world that is bound to die, volunteers for the death row will never run short. But we need men of the highest caliber, not the common grunt. The two of you have your records among the ones with the highest resistance and your experiences in war are incalculable for the preservation of our world,” then she sighed, “This is our last hope and we need as much people as we could. That includes even the ones who have betrayed us.”

Ismene took her time before answering.

“We are deserters. Criminals with bounties on our heads. Suppose that we accept the new arms, what makes you think that we are not to just run away with them?”

“Such a concern is trivial now. If you wish to take advantage of our futile efforts, then so be it. But neither of you would like to spend your final days in guilt, correct?” she said in reply before turning back to face Ismene straight in the eye.

“Do not think that you will gain nothing,” the old woman’s words left a resounding ring, “From the very beginning, we kept your desertion classified for the sake of propaganda. Should you come with us, we shall remove all information that pertains to your actions and you shall be able to live as if nothing happened. And to top it all, we can get your body fixed.”

There was a bit of silence shared between the two of them.

“It is starting to hurt, isn’t it?” she asked, “We never released the information that gems decrease a person’s lifespan because they would have long been killed before they experienced the side effects of prolonged use anyway. But you can feel it, can you?

“The new gem that we developed nullifies the side effects and empowers everything that was lost. In other words, even someone like you who has already burned her circuits may find a chance to return back to the battle field. Just as what you have always wanted”

“Return to the battlefield, huh?”

Ismene’s stare drifted into her cup of tea as she pondered the question. The colors on her cup reminded her of the oil and blood and flames that once drowned her senses. It was a duty she never enjoyed but it was the only thing she knew she could do. Or at least that what she was led to believe.

As the silence began to creep in, the old woman turned her head to the landscape that stretched outside the window then she sighed in retirement upon realizing how much time had passed.

“It seems that I must take my leave now,” she said before turning towards the door, “You do not have to give your answer now but our gates shall remain open until the end.”

 

Myra

“Something is wrong,” I said to myself as I sprinted through the snowy forest.

Driven by my paranoia, I found my legs rushing back to our house. I left gust of snow as I traversed through the mountain’s mist. By the time I got there, my hands opened the door so fast I almost broke it down with my strength. To my relief, I came to see that nothing had changed.

Firmly seated on a sofa, she had a cup of tea. Her eyebrow raised in surprised at my most ungraceful entrance.

“Y-yo,” I greeted awkwardly as I tried to catch my breath.

After confirming my own stupidity, the realization of my own exhaustion came crashing down. My aching muscles began screaming as I slumped down and was only able to keep myself standing by holding my weight against the door. Ismene, though bound on the wheelchair, came to my rescue before I could actually collapse all the way down.

“You alright?” she asked worriedly as she rolled her wheels closer to me, her hands reached over for mine as she tried to guide me inside.

“Yeah,” I answered in between breaths before I enveloped her in my arms and held her in a tight embrace.

Already concerned, my unexpected action did not help, but she had no protest about it and just let me do my way of holding her as if she’s a pillow.

“Yes. I am alright and I am full of joy,” I repeated my words as I hugged her closer.

The two of us in this solitary world, there is nothing that I could wish for more.

How I wish we shared the same belief.

…

The rest of the day went by like any other. In quiet solace and idle chatter, we passed the time in the comfort of the balcony, watching the lazy river flow through the snow.  With a book in hand, we settled at the balcony, listening to the calm and soothing songs of the wind. It was another day of peace that quietly passed with the ticking of the clock. But I knew that there was something amiss in this warm home.

Perhaps it was just her being a poor liar, or me being too observant, but her actions showed signs of a troubled mind. The books that she adored to no end ruffled on her lap as she stared into the horizon, deep in thoughts. Her tongue that once craved for childish treats was dulled by the thoughts that troubled her senses. When I lighted a scented candle, she did not even notice it. She was not acting in her usual character and that thought was troubling me as well.

It was my greatest interest to cheer her up but there are cases when letting someone have their space is the best course of action. A respect for someone’s privacy is needed if one wishes to get along with each other. Thus, throughout the entire day, I patiently waited for her to open up to me, hoping that she would trust that I could be someone who could help her in her time of need. But that never came.

When the sun had finally set and the curtains of the night fell, Ismene still continued to stare off into the distance. Her eyes wandered across the darkened horizon, ever vigilant to whatever questions she was pondering to answer. It was not my wish to have a sleepless night, thus, as a matter of rational decision, I took it myself to give her a nudge

‘Hey,” I called her, “Are you not going to share your troubles to me yet?”

She turned, surprised at first, but smiled at her defeat.

“I’m really bad at hiding secrets, aren’t I?”

“Apparently so,” I said in reply as I sat down on the chair in front of her, “I don’t know if I could help but it would be a relief in your chest if you share it, you know.”

“Yeah, I guess I am being too mistrusting,” she sighed.

I thought that it would be a simple discussion but I end up raising my eye as she slowly stood up from her wheel chair. She then held out her hand for me and said, “Can you walk me around?”

I held her hand in response only to feel how cold she was. The sense of fear was tingling beneath her skin, as if she was afraid of whatever answer I may give but she braved her façade as we take our walk outside.

…

As we walked through the snow, she left no secret untold. Everything that happened while I am gone. The high-profile person who came knocking on our doors, the most unorthodox exchange of greeting, and the desperation happening at the front lines. Ismene told them all to me as if they were just a few stories spoken out of whim. It was a massive breach of security in my part but hearing her speak so calmly of it gave me a much more logical thought.

“She said that they were willing to fight to the end but I can see it that they are already on the verge of breaking,” Ismene said as she led the way, “Perhaps that will also be the last time I could ever see her.”

“I see,” I said casually, as if it was none of my concerns.

Perhaps it was madness or foolishness that made me lose my empathy but the depressing news fell only to my deafened ears.

When we reached the wooden dock, the clouds in the sky were dispersed by the wind, allowing the shine of the moon to cascade down our path and made the river glisten as it flowed. Midway, Ismene stopped as she asked me the question.

“What do you think, Myra?” she asked, smiling, “Do you want to fight the last battle?”

My answer need not be said but I still did.

“Final battle will be too generous to call,” I scoffed as I continued walking up the end of the dock, “I already betrayed humanity by running away. What else is waiting for me out there? Men who look at me with disdain and contempt? Perhaps they are so kind and it was all just a trap to lure us in.”

I stared at the moon that was looming low and bright against us.

“You yourself have just learned that our lifespan is already ticking close to its end. Instead of breathing my final moment among the soldiers who hate me, I believe that a quiet decay in a secluded mountain is the death that would fit me best.”

It took her a few moments to answer.

“I guess that’s wiser.”

Then the next words she left made me realize how different we were.

“But even so, I still wanted to join them.”

“What?”

In an instant, I turned to face her, my eyes opened wide at hearing her speak such words. My jaw trembled as her message banged inside my head. Refusing to accept it, I made her repeat her words.

The moment I turned, I saw that she was already standing still. Her eyes were strong in its will. From her lips, she turned my fear into a reality.

“I am going to fight alongside them.”

Her words failed to register and in denial, I began to speak in a loud and disordered manner.

“Are you insane?” I exploded in front of her, “Have you not forgotten how dangerous the battlefield is? Do you even know what they do to traitors like us who abandoned everyone in their times of need? Even if the siege was thwarted and extinction was averted, they will never forgive us for what we have don—”

“And what is wrong with that?” Ismene interrupted me with a firm tone, “Are we not soldiers who were meant to die for others?”

“Die for others?” I violently swayed my hand, rejecting her words with every fiber of my being. The shift in mood was unacceptable. “These people will show you no gratitude for servitude but would curse you for a failure. They adored heroes for they needed something to rely on but they refuse to walk the same path themselves. They deserve everything if not even more!”

After I hit the final syllable, I was immediately slapped with a force that made me take a step back. The pain itself was nothing but when I got a good look at Ismene, I saw nothing but the incarnation of grief.

Eyes reddened by tears and biting her lips to subdue her overflowing emotions, she cried, “The Myra I know would never say something like that.”

Then I was stunned at the realization of how much I have changed.

“We swore an oath to fight to the bitter end,” she said in tears, “You and I braved the battlefield because we knew that it was the right thing to do. We cared for not for accolades or recognition. We simply wanted to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Were those words all but a lie?”

As she cried her resentment, I placed my hand on the part where she slapped me.  It burned in touch but the pain of her words were cut me even deeper.

“Is it really a paradise when it only blinds us from the visions that we once fought for so long?” she asked, bitterly.

She then slowly stretched out her hands. The same hands that responded to my choice with a thundering strike was now outstretched and inviting me to come close to her bosom. Her tearful eyes reflected the same pristine affection that she unveils only to the ones she trusts her life into.

“Let’s go back,” she invited me, stretching her hands even wider.

She longed to be loved not by someone who wanted to make her happy, but by someone who was honest to their self. Thus, I answered her with the truth that I held.

“Yes, I too would like to see the battlefield again…” I replied.

I started walking closer to her then I passed through her side, completely ignoring her outreaching arms. Without looking, I left the words.

“…but I do not want to have you on my side.”

Stunned, she was unable to speak a word. I did not turn back to see her face that went pale in confusion. Instead, I spoke the words that carved deep in her heart.

“I gave everything I could for you, you know. And yet, you want to throw it all away just so you can play the role of the hero again. You sure are cruel.”

My words were starting to tremble as I give voice to my resentment but it was alright.

“We were just playing house all along, aren’t we?”

“No,” her response was swift, “I didn’t mean—“

“Let’s end this here,” I added before she could speak.

The few words that I said tore her heart. Then I turned to face her with an expression that was cold and lifeless; the same eyes that only my foes were meant to see. Her eyes that have seen the countless tales of sorrow and death are now seeing it for the first time. Her spirit wavered and she placed her hand on her chest, afraid that it would burst with the message that was tearing her reality apart.

“I’m taking that offer but in return, I don’t want to see you again,” I added further.

Her trembling legs were unable to support her anymore and she collapsed onto the cold wood. Once the thought of seeing her in such a state filled me with dread but in this cursed night, all I felt was indifference for the girl who had denied me of the one thing I wanted.

Before I could leave that scene, I heard her say, “I will bring it back.”

Her vigor was reduced to a tiny flicker but her will had not yet been extinguished. Forcing out to speak a few more words, her trembling voice spoke.

“Those days that we love. I will bring them back.”

They were nothing more than a voice that faded as I walked away into the distance.

 

…

The wind felt fierce and painful as my motorcycle blazed through the frozen roads. The deafening roar of its engines pierced through the silence of the land as if it’s a sharp blade that cut through all. The vehicle left a trail of ear-piercing growls as I drove through the abandoned city. A sound that echoed loud and clear through the vast emptiness of the concrete jungle.

For days I have traveled, never minding the current state of my health or the dangers that await my reckless acts. From the once secluded and pristine world of the mountain, I descended and drove from one ghost village to another, stopping only for fuel and tires. Most of the roads had been buried underneath the snow, rendering it impossible to traverse on wheels but I knew the land well and I could tell easily where I must go, with or without a flat surface to ride on.

The final city that I passed through had the exact image that I expected it to have. Skyscrapers after skyscrapers were damaged all over by bullets and explosives that tore its concrete structure down to its foundations. Electric towers and billboards leaned dangerously low after the shock and tremors shook their roots to an unstable state. The road itself was littered by giant shards of glass, boulders, and vehicles that were upturned and set to flames by whatever incendiary weapon landed on it.

It was not a recent battle but one that had been done a few months prior, proven by the lack of any bodies and the fact that much of the blockades were cleansed and arranged in a way wherein no vehicle can pass without being exposed to roof snipers. Surprisingly, it also had a lot of life in it. Alerted by the loudness of my vehicle, civilians and soldiers peeked out of the safety of their walls. Some were even right at the side of the road, warming each other beside the campfire. For I am a human, none of them showed their arms but I could sense that I never left the crosshairs of the hidden snipers.

Finally, at an intersection, I was met by a checkpoint guarded by a generous wall of barbwires, a light tank, a Humvee, and a small group of soldiers.

“Hold up,” the soldier raised his hands to stop me and so I did, “Only authorized personnel are allowed to enter beyond this point.”

After he said it, I took off my helmet. Him and his group turned pale upon realizing the authority of the person that they were talking to.

“W-w-welcome,” their most competent ally raised his feet to a salute, “Would you like to have an escort, ma’am?”

“Unnecessary,” I replied coldly, before putting my helmet back on, “But do alert the base about my arrival.”

My sudden arrival at the gates brought an immediate change of atmosphere. On my first step, I was immediately greeted by a mood of gloomy and dreary soldiers who had lost their confidence for the ones in command. Like cattle waiting for the slaughter, their eyes were filled not with a spirit with will to live, but one who had forgotten the meaning of it.

Those who had seen my first appearance were a mixture of reactions that played between denial and disbelief that was quickly followed by thrilling exhilaration. I did not stop to leave a single greeting but they were all content just to see me return after disappearing for so long. None of them raised any question, not one dared to touch the topic of my disappearance. All of them were so broken by the desperation for an illusion of hope that they could cling on that they would rather forget that I ever abandoned them in hopes of a much better future.

Without speaking a word, I made my way to the officers in charge who were all surprised to see my arrival, except for one old woman who stood on the other side of the hallway, looking at me with that sour frown of hers. Though old and weary, she was not only clothed in a uniform that suited her rank but was also ordained in various medals that she gained through the decades of service. Her unwelcoming voice spoke out, “You were not the one I invited to come.”

“Indeed,” I replied without any emotion, “But you are in no state to refuse either way.”

“Yes, I do,” she declared before pulling out a pistol and aimed it at me.

The mood suddenly changed from sour greetings and into one that was spiced with danger. The onlookers, both officers and passing soldiers, were disturbed by the action that she just did. But by their training, they responded at once by aiming their rifles and pistols at me in case I tried to harm the old woman.

I was at the epicenter of a shootout and I had no place to run nor hide to, but I just calmly tilted my head to the side, curious at her brave response. Her eyes were flaring with hate as she spoke.

“We maybe at a bad state right now but we are still not on the point that we would ask help from you.”

The soldiers exchanged a confused look between each other. For they had no idea where I had been, they were left to formulate a reason for this conflict of ours.

“Really?” I mocked her right in front of her own soldiers, “I know the place that you are all defending right now for I was the one who retook it before. I know that at this very moment, Area 72 is a very vital point that cannot fall to the enemy hands… or did it happen already?”

The armed men and officials all looked down, realizing how much I knew and how they could have changed the tide if only they knew about it sooner. The old woman however remained vigilant in her attempt to threaten me. Eyes locked, she couldn’t be calmed by anything but a bullet in my head. Fortunately, she was far too logical to fall for her emotions. Gritting her teeth and baring her fangs, she soon gave up by lifting her gun up and emptied it by blasting the ceiling with 7 loud gunshots.

The soldiers were stunned by her poor temperament but the veterans knew that this was just her way of admitting surrender. With another angry spat, she threw her emptied gun at me, which I caught—trophy to keep.

“Send her to the lab and prepare her for battle,” she commanded firmly as she turned her back at me, “I want her out of this place as soon as possible. Follow her commands and keep her out of my hair.”

“U-understood,” the officer saluted followed by everyone sighing in relief as the tension was elevated peacefully.

Though dismissed, they were all still reluctant to leave the formation while I was there and thus, I responded by turning my gaze at them all and saluted them in return.

“You have done a great job, men” I spoke with my usual authoritative demeanor, taking advantage of the old woman’s orders, “But there is work to do and invaders to kill. Please return back to your post.”

Their faces all lit up a bit before they left the scene.  I, on the other, proceeded to gather the reports that I need to read.

…

Back into authority and responsibility, I walked through the hallway with a portfolio of classified documents in hand. Letting my feet to work on its own, my eyes were focused on the text and numerals inscribed upon every pages of it. The coordinates of hostile and friendly units, the logistics that surrounded our current supplies and equipment, the grand strategy that they were trying to accomplish, and so many other vital information that we were striving to take control of. All it took were the words of that old woman and everything in the base was mine to control at once.

All key points were still secured but attempts at advancing costed them very dearly. It was a stalemate that they couldn’t break. A war of attrition was doable but the morale remained extremely low and every passing minute was a threat of getting overrun.

I flipped through the documents until I came across a paper that discussed the use of “gem enhancers” that could give long-term gem users a greater edge in fighting the invaders and even negate the health hazards caused by the gem. I came to see how much promise it held. The greatest one being the fact that it could allow the subject to gain access to the alien weaponry.

The enemy we fought knew the value of maintaining technological superiority and they designed their weapons to be something that couldn’t be used by any creature that didn’t share the same DNA structure. Being able to break their security meant great things.

However, the following reports made everyone take caution to further experiments.

The first user was from 2 years ago. He was introduced to a prototype sample and was under strict observation. His fighting prowess and mental alertness far exceeded his colleagues that he beat them all in a mock battle. He was also able to gain access to looted alien weaponry and had regular training for its use. No damage in physical and mental health was noticed for all the months of observation.

However, when he was dropped in a mission to retake a city, he was seen standing alone in the middle of the road before shooting himself in the head.

Believing it had something to do with unexpected effect on brain chemistry, the second batch was designed to have a much more controlled effect on the neurological pathways. The test subject proved almost no different from the first one, showing excellent results in every test she was asked to perform and not once did she show anything that could threaten her life. When airdropped to combat, she was given tight escort by other gem users who observed her performance from which they started to notice that she started talking to no one as she made her kills. The more enemies she faced, the stranger her behavior became, almost failing to recognize her own allies.

Just like the first subject, she soon lost composure and stared at the horizon. But before she could shoot herself, her allies rescued her. When she woke up, she told of a strange voice that felt very real and before she passed out, she saw her own figure laughing at her. She soon died of injuries and was unable to give further reports.

I could have read some more but I already reached the lab. I tucked all the papers back in place before scanning my ID and entering through the thick metal door.

The second layer of the lab was locked behind walls of steel, concrete, and fortified glass. There were no guards around but there were enough cameras on station to keep an eye out on everyone. Looking around the walls, I came to take notice of the wires and cables that strangely hangs around and leads to unknown boxes. Then, I realized that the place was fortified not for protection but containment. Should the worst come to happen, the guards on station were ready to pull the trigger that would cause the explosives inside the boxes to detonate.

To whatever experiments they were doing here, I’d rather not know.

Though there were some who still recognized me, the majority of the scientists that I passed through only looked at me in curiosity—and what a refreshing feeling it was. Being a key to the military force, the place was understandably huge but it was even bigger than I expected. An elevator on the far edge of the place led me down 8 more floors underground where the air felt heavy and smelled with traces of dangerous chemicals. Along with the solid walls of steel and explosive devices on the supporting beams was the scent of blood.

Unlike the other floor, this one was completely barren of any activity. All but dim lights and the deafening echo of my boots gave life to the cold walls. At the end of the way was a giant vault lock that barred me from access until I swiped my card and pressed the button. Soon, a female voice answered me.

“Oh, I was told of your coming. Please come in.”

Then the vault opened and a freezing cold fog escaped from the hatched door. Inside was the exact scene that I was expected from all the strong musk. The very creatures that we were fighting could now be seen inside giant vats of glass. Filled in liquid and kept in almost freezing temperature, their well-preserved bodies float inside like a grotesque aquarium. Their storages were so meticulously designed it’s almost as if they were all just asleep, waiting for the day that they would all break out of their incubation and do what they must. Or are they really dead?

The amount of security in the place says not.

“They are all dead. If that’s what you wanted to know,” a voice said.

At the end of the walkway was a control station surrounded by dozens of computer screens and a single scientist sitting on a chair. It was a woman with long black hair clipped by a flower hair clip. On her neck hung a small cross necklace.

“They are all dead. It’s impossible to capture them alive because they can commit suicide by exploding their acid sacs inside their body. These are the most preserved samples we have.”

“I see,” I said, dismissing it without any interest.

“How cold,” she commented, “Are you not yet going to ask what experiments we are doing here so deep underground?”

Silence.

“We were ordered to create a virus that can devoid a planet out of its life and can survive into the vastness of space. I remember the days when such an experiment was enough for the world to turn against you.”

I maintained my silence.

“The enhancer, isn’t it? Yes, I have it,” she said before pressing a button on her controls. Then, from her floor, a tile rose up and a small metal box appeared; a box that she handed over to me. There was no lock for it. Inside was a single shot encased in a jet injection.

“Your blood record passed our examinations and we know that you have enough resistance to control it. However, we would still need to observe its effects on you.  In this base, we do not have any more subjects with enough resistance,” she said, “Take the shot after you have taken your dinner then come sleep here. We need to record your brainwaves as you sleep.”

“Not necessary,” I responded immediately then tucked the box inside my pocket, “The old hag wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted me out of the base as soon as possible. I’m leaving this night for a mission behind enemy lines. I need the serum solely for emergency purposes.”

            “What?” she exploded jumping into her feet from complete shock, “Do you even know how dangerous that thing is when in the presence of the invaders?”

“I know,” I replied, then started walking away.

“We have lost so many people already. Are you really going to throw away your life just like them?” she yelled.

But my ears remained deaf and I climbed back to the surface.

…

Together with an entire platoon, we were called to a room to be briefed about our mission. There, in front of us was a topographical map that the officer marked with red dots and yellow circles as he spoke of the massive enemy groups and strange new units and where they were located and also the available places where we could retreat should the need call for it.

“Your mission is to rescue a small team that is currently being pursued by the enemy. In order to hide their location, they were unable to send any signal to us in the last 3 hours but we believe that they are still alive and hiding somewhere in this area.”

He made a blue circle on the map. A circle that equates to about 400 square meters of mountain slopes and now burned forests. A few soldiers began to show their discomfort at the lack of precision.

“That’s just too large,” one commented at once.

“Yeah. You said it earlier that that place is crawling with unknown variants. How can just a single platoon possibly find them in a short amount of time when not even the enemy was successful at it?”

This was followed by even more unrest in the room. They knew that they were going to be sent to die but a death in such a mission counts as nothing short of meaningless. The officer bit his lips in frustration before slamming his hand on the board, silencing everyone back.

“Listen, I understand that you are all scared but the people that you are going to save are vital to the war effort.”

My ear perked as he continued.

“About 5 miles from this area, the enemy has secured a large village and turned it into a forward base. We tried to launch both missiles and fighter jets but not a single one managed to penetrate their defenses. The area is almost completely barren of strategic importance and the landscape around it is just too unfavorable for long term occupation.

“But the amount of defenses they poured on it is just too high to ignore. Something valuable is definitely in there so we sent a team of commandos to infiltrate. It was a successful mission; they have confirmed the construction of a new weapon inside the university. At the moment, they have lots of intel around the place and it is of utmost importance that we get them back.”

This was classified information that he just gave us. Soldiers were not meant to ask questions and officers were not allowed to give any answer. But seeing how demoralized everyone had become, at least he could give them a mission that they could be proud of.

 “Cave,” I spoke loud behind them.

Then all eyes looked at me. I captured their attention and I elaborated my words.

“There is a small cave by the river. It is a little hole on the outside but inside is an underground cave with enough room to house a few men comfortably.”

The look of doubt and mistrust began to show. Thus, I confirmed it for them.

“My men once hunted foxes for food and their hunt for burrows led them to that underground cavern. I cannot guarantee that the people you are looking for would be there. But if they are currently being hunted, then I cannot tell any better place to hide.”

I walked forward, grabbed his pen, and drew a small cross near the river of the map. At first, it seemed like a random guess but as they stared at it, they realized how likely it is that they were really hiding there. The enemy base that they came from was a few miles north-west of the area. Instead of taking the fastest route towards the boats, they decided to lure the enemy away into the jungle, in hopes of getting them off their tail. However, they never realized that they would be encircled by enemy reinforcements almost immediately.

There was nowhere else to go. If they were still alive, then it was the only place where they could hide.

There was no response from the platoon but a few nodding heads and an interested look on the map. After confirming their agreement, I gave the pen back and simply moved back to the wall.

…

After the briefing was done, each one of us had been given some time to equip our armor and load up some weapons with some extra minutes to spare for prayers and goodbyes. Done with my suit, I decided to walk around and found a female soldier sitting on a bench. Just like me, she was fully wrapped in bulky armor and ready to be dropped but she carried no high-powered weapon on her. Instead, what she had was a great abundance of medical supplies and other necessities that might save some lives.

On her helmet was the mark of a large red cross, signifying that she is our medic. However, what caught my eye on her was not her role but the book that she held on her lap—a familiar cover that I saw before.

“Hey,” I greeted “What’s that book about?”

She looked up at me. Most of her hair was bundled inside her helm but I could recognize that she had brown hair and green eyes; eyes that opened wide when she saw who was talking to her.

“C-coman-err.”

“You seem quite calm to be reading at a time like this,” I said again, calming her a bit, “Can you tell me its summary?”

“Oh, it’s a good luck charm for me. It’s the story of people who lives under the veil of eternal darkness and the two people who defied the taboo of their land to bring light back to their home,” she said, confirming my instinct.

Then, she held her book close to her and spoke.

“It’s a really lovely book that helps me calm down and keeps my hope that someday, we can be free again.”

“Yeah,” I replied.

From the corner of my eye, I caught glimpse of an intimidating image that was walking closer at a hurried pace. In an instant, I felt my primal instinct taking in to defend but I knew who it was and just let it happen. In the next second, a braced fist launched itself on my cheeks that threw me off balance made me crash onto the floor. Our field medic then screamed in shock at what just happened.

Taking a better glimpse, I saw that it was a girl with long red hair. She was both armored and equipped with a lot of high-powered firearms and some explosives that were ready to be used. But the biggest concern was the fact that she was also a gem user. Should she go all out on her attack, things could get messy quite fast.

“You sure got some nerve coming in here,” the assailant threatened as she looked down.

I kept my silence and just stared back as how our field medic jumped to block her, keeping her away from me.

“Everyone here is celebrating the fact that you have returned. Everyone is saying that they we’re all wrong to believe that you abandoned us. They all say the same thing that you were doing something important and you were doing your best away from our sight but that’s anything but the truth, right?

“Because of you, my hometown was lost,” she scowled, “And then you think that you can just come back here as if nothing happened at all?”

“Do you want to kill me for that?” I asked bluntly without any emotions to reveal.

She was stunned by my words and was unable to respond. I took that time to slowly stand back up to my feet. Her strike still stings a bit but the pain was surprisingly pleasant.

When I realized that I was not going to get any answer, I spoke back to her.

“We all have things we wish to attain. If there was something you lost because of me, would my death make you happy in anyway?”

She bit her lips in anger but her reply came as calm and composed.

“You are not the hero that I was told you are. Your tone and answer are barren. Do you even understand what it means to have something to protect?”

The word rang a bell inside my head and I hung my head in silence for a few minutes before walking away.

“Something to protect, huh?” I spoke to myself as I slowly stepped away. Those were words that felt genuine to the ears but my heart felt nothing but a lifeless numbness.

…

Above the thick smoke and fog of the cloudy evening, our chopper flew across the nightscape. 3 choppers filled with soldiers on a rescue mission flew right above the thick fog—a cover so dense that it made visual completely impossible. Around me, everyone held their guns close, gripping it tightly as they prayed that there were no anti-air weapons being aimed at us from down below. Should we fall, all that awaited us were hectares of vast wilderness and enemies that would pounce on us like the beasts they were.

On the next second, the sound of a loud “ting” broke through the noise of the chopper. It was soon followed by even more tiny pieces of steel that landed hits after hits on the right angles but still not right enough to crash our aircraft.

“Sit tight, everyone. We are taking fire,” the pilot declared before retaliating with the gun turret and a couple hellfire missiles.

The fog maybe making it difficult to see anything but under thermal lenses, they are all luminous targets. For we are the spearhead, we cannot stop to fire at everyone but the ones behind us should get the message right. Thus, they sprayed lead and fire at the invaders below as we continued our flight. All while we continued our silent vigil.

A few more kilometers after being attacked, we finally reached the nearest possible place where we could land. One by one, we jumped out of the aircraft and secured our position. Until everyone made it out safely, that’s when we proceeded to our next step and that was to locate the hole that they were hiding in. The chopper ascended up, patrolling the woods as they waited for our return.

In teams of three, we split up and covered as much ground possible, keeping our connections clear by reporting our situation every now and then. My team was tasked to search the cave that I spoke of while the others had to stay with the original plan of searching the entire forest. Our thermal goggles made the thick fog nothing more than a light nuisance but we still cannot make haste on our movements due to the fact that the trees are thick enough to conceal an ambush. Knowing about the stories of their deadly traps did not help.

Finding the sound of the flowing water was easy enough and we quickly found the river. But right from the first sight, we came upon an enemy patrol that has set up a hidden check point in the bushes near the water’s edge as if knowing full well that humans will always search for a water source and they were just waiting for them to take the bait. We all fell into a crawl and hid before they could have noticed our arrival.

“This is Hummingbird. We have found the river but there are enemies on patrol; Requesting permission to engage,” I said over the radio.

Engagement with the enemy would cause a domino effect that would alert every single enemy on the ground that would probably even endanger our goal.

“Affirmative but take caution,” the reply came immediately, “Do not engage if you can sneak around.”

“Roger that,” I replied then turned to face my team to plan our attack.

We only had a limited amount of time but haste was for the foolish. There were 5 hostiles, armed with standard weapons and a radio device. Taking them head on without raising alarm could be hard. Thus, we began crawling closer, keeping our noise to a minimum. When we reached our limit, I threw my empty canteen onto the bushes away from us. They never saw the projectile but the noise of the empty can was loud enough to raise their guard at the wrong direction. In an instant, we leapt behind them and took our chance.

In a swift strike, I plunged my knife straight into his brain stem. There was no sound or scream for it pierced right through his voice box and I caught his body before it could fall. Unfortunately, my teammates were not so lucky and missed their one chance for a quiet kill. The still living pair turned to us.

I took a breath and felt my gem corrupt the blood flowing in me. As swift as the wind, I retrieved my knife and rushed right into the other target, slicing his throat before he could even shoot. The jets of blood sprayed and blinded the next target, paralyzing him for a second which I took advantage of to kick him in the head, launching him straight on the ground, crushing his skull with a sickening thud.

I looked back at my team who were still cradling the lifeless body of their targets. One was still twitching due to the badly aimed knife but the spine had been too severed to make him any more of a threat. My teammates looked at me wide eyed upon seeing what I just did and how bloodied I became. Relieved to see them unharmed, I just let a sigh before making a sitrep.

“This is Hummingbird. 5 hostiles have been neutralized. No alarm has been raised,” I announced, “Continuing our trail down the river.”

“Roger that.”

We dumped the bodies in the water, hiding it from sight before continuing our walk.

A few dozen meters upstream, we soon encountered a steep upslope peppered by growth of trees and shrubs. Down below it was a small burrow cleverly hidden by roots and bushes. A single man could fit inside easily but we are not going to risk it.

“Are there people here? We came to save you,” I said down the burrow

But there was no response. They might not be responding for we have heard of encounters where the invaders imitated our voices to lure people out of their hideout. I imagined that they had their guns aimed at the entrance and I would be shot should I try to jump inside.

And so I gave my second option of having their trust. I took my flashlight and aimed it inside, turning it on and off over and over. The invaders can see in the dark and have no purpose for carrying such a gadget. That’s when they finally answered.

“We have wounded men here. Can you guys help us out?”

My teammates brightened upon hearing their voices. It seemed that they were more delighted to see them alive more than them being rescued.

“Of course,” I replied, “How many are you?”

“5 men,” he replied, “I am the only one capable of fighting and one of us lost consciousness from the loss of blood. We stopped the bleeding but he needs to be sent to a hospital at once.”

“Roger that,” I said before ordering my teammates to get them out of the hole while I make another sitrep.

“This is Hummingbird. We have found them by the river. 5 survivors, 3 injured, one is in critical condition,” I reported, “We need medics and some reinforcements before we could proceed to rendezvous point.”

“Roger that. ETA in 5 minutes.”

Though we were still not ready for them, all of them were desperately eager to crawl out of their hole. They were all a bloody mess, covered in muddy bandages, dried blood, and they carried a foul stink with them as if they were all too afraid to get out and had to do it inside. What’s more was that they were so starved and dehydrated that they all crawled for our canteen.  I stood on guard as the rest of my team tended to them. Reinforcements came in on time.

From the woods, 6 new men came to us, crouching as low as possible in order to prevent any noise. Among them was the girl with red hair that punched me a while back and the medic with brown hair and green eyes. We made no greeting to each other but they did their job and tended to the wounded. They gave them water, some crackers to curb off the hunger, and a lot of anesthesia to keep them going for the walk ahead. The one who was still unconscious was laid on a stretcher and was carried by 2 men. Everyone knew that we were not yet home but the ones we rescued couldn’t help but cry a bit as they ate their first taste of meal after long days of fright. The rest of the squad felt the same.

When all are ready, I gave the sitrep.

“This is Hummingbird. We have secured the target. We are now proceeding back at rendezvous point.”

“Roger that.”

Having the chopper sent to our area sounded like a great idea but the forest was too thick for any safe retrieval and we were far too deep within enemy territory for the chopper to make it to us in one piece. We had no choice but to walk back to the landing field. But as we walked through the forest, we get the nagging feeling that we were being watched and followed.  The wind was still and there was not a single animal or cricket to disturb it. But no matter how quiet we were, we knew that we were hearing noises that we did not make.

A mixture of emotions could be seen within our circle. Some were afraid, others were ready to fight. But where were they? That was the question.

In order to coordinate our team, I walked beside the girl with red hair and, as quiet as possible, I talked to her.

“You hear it too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Do not look but they are creeping up on us at a distance of at least 50 meters away.”

“Should we engage?”

“No,” I sternly replied, “We have only a 3 gem users, 4 soldiers, a combat medic, and a lot of non-combatants. We cannot assert how many we are going to face but I know that we are completely surrounded.”

I could feel her shiver from the news, “Why are they not shooting?”

“I don’t know. It is possible that they wanted to follow us to see our meeting place and deal with us in a single powerful ambush.”

Now she knew about the responsibility that rested in our hands. If we went further, we were going to endanger our allies.  She couldn’t decide what to do but I was the commander and I knew what must be done.

“If we continue going this way, we are going to fall into a ditch. We’ll dig in there and request for air support. For now, act natural and tell everyone else as discreet as you can. I’ll guard our rear.”

As I commanded, she hastened her walk to pass on the news without causing as much ruckus. Go straight forward and hide on the ditch while waiting for air support; a simple command that could give us an edge but there was also a chance that the enemy had other surprises in stall.

I held my gun tighter as I listened to the rustles and bustles within the distant bushes. As much as 10 pairs of legs were after us but I knew it could get as far as 20 more units at the far rear, aiming at our heads. When the ditch finally came into view, all of us rushed towards it and slide down the hole for cover before rising up again with guns up, aiming at anything that moved. 8 heads armed with rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers; we spread out on all sides ready to return fire at any moment but there was nothing but silence.

Unsatisfied, I gave my order.

“Fire three rounds on any area that you find suspicious.”

And so, we disturbed the land for the first time with the quick burst of echoing gunshots; agreeting that was promptly answered by the animalistic war cry of the beasts that we just poked. With a blood curdling scream, they all sprung out of their cover, starved for battle and the taste of blood. In the blink of an eye, the horror that hid under the cloak of the night was awoken and we were on the mercy of its claws.

Deeply entrenched, we held a massive advantage but it would take only a single grenade from them to turn the tide against us and so we sprayed our bullets without remorse. Their armor was a compete nuisance but with the amount of lead that flew, their own technology was unable to hold them off for too long and we managed to draw first blood on the one who tried to rush our trench. The first wave was in our favor but we were completely outnumbered and outgunned.

I crouched down and yelled on our radio loud enough for them to hear me over the hail of bullets.

“This is Hummingbird! We are taking fire! I repeat, we are taking massive fire from over 10 hostiles! We’re pinned; requesting immediate air support!”

“Roger that. Sit tight, ETA in 2 minutes.”

 2 minutes

The words rang in my head, loud and clear.

“This does not look good,” I said before going back up to support my team.

Thanks to our thermal googles, we could see them all moving about in the darkness and our advantageous position had given us great resistance against their superior firepower. However, every shell from their firearms, even if it was a miss, still sent fragments of gravel that lacerated us badly.  Still, we held our position, firing relentlessly and preventing them from having any decent formation. That was until from the distance, I saw the lights of a heavy rifle being charged for a shot.

“Everyone duck!” I yelled at the top of my voice which was quickly followed by a huge shockwave that tore through our dirt defense and sent us all crumbling.

In that single shot, all of our defenses were halted and the enemy charged at us with a large grin. Everyone rushed to get back on our feet. Right at the very moment, one of them tried to jump inside our ditch, the girl with red hair thwarted him with a shotgun slug that tore his face off. It was a good shot but the moment she tried to shoot outside our dirt, she was immediately shot down by a smart bullet that tore a good chuck off her shoulder. The girl with red hair fell to the ground but she was still alive and the medic immediately came to her need, fixated to prevent us from having the first casualty.

Pinned on all angles, our hearts were beating fast. Everyone was shaking as they realized the futility of our resistance. But within this sea of bullets, I closed my eyes and searched for a sliver of peace and silence. I cherished every slow breath as I felt my gem heating up my blood hotter and hotter until it felt like searing out of my skin.

Then, I opened my eyes as I heeded the call of battle. Grabbing as much grenades as my hands could unpin, I threw them all out and waited before the combined flash, smoke, and flechette darts stunned the hostiles within reach. It was a one quick pause that I did not allow to pass and I leapt out of our hole to meet them all on the ground that they held.

Armed with a shotgun in hand and a rifle slung on my back, I tackled the nearest hostile head on and blasted his armor with 3 buckshot rounds straight to his chest before changing my aim. He was too heavy to be knocked over but he fell on his knees nonetheless, blood pouring out of his mouth. On the next second, I pounced on the next target, stunning his thick armor with my last buckshot round before hammering the empty gun on his face, dislocating his jaw in the process.

My ambush took them by surprise. Though I took down only two of them, having a closer look at the one who they just attacked triggered an immediate response. They knew who I was and seeing me right in front of them brought a quick reaction.

Behind me, my team rose back up and began firing again. This time, the enemy turned heels and scrambled for cover away from me. All of them fled into a different position except for the one in the distance who once fired his heavy shell on us. At a distance of at least 450 meters, I could see him locking a new shell at me but he was blown to a smoldering wreck when a hellfire missile came at him from nowhere.

Both hostiles and allies were sent aback when the sky lit up from the arrival of our rescue. Flying at a low altitude, 3 attack helicopters arrived soaring to our aid.

“This is Blackhawk, requesting permission to fire.”

“Permission granted,” I replied as I retreated right back to our ditch.

We all crouched for cover as the land was razed by the ferocious barrage of chain guns and rocket pods that were sprayed indiscriminately.  For every heat signal that they picked up, hundreds after hundreds of searing hot lead were sent flying, tearing them and the trees around them into unrecognizable pieces. They could have given a much worthier fight but the shock and awe had gotten the better of them and those who showed the least bit of resistance and organization were immediately blown to pieces by the rocket barrage. The grisly sight of flaming remains splattering on their own allies only worsened their psychological state. Their chaotic retreat did not help their increasing casualty.

But the grandest surprise was when more soldiers came down from the forests and swept the forest floor of the remaining survivors.

When they were finally convinced that the area was secured, that’s when their medics dropped down on our foxholes and tended to every survivor we have. The chopper also descended on a nearby flat ground to take us all in.

It was a decisive victory but it was not something we could celebrate for we know that we just kicked the hornet’s nest. In a few minutes, they were going to arrive again and this time, it won’t be just scouts but a combination of armored vehicles and flying units.

“Come on! come on!”

The commander of the newly arrived team shouted at the grunts that lifted our survivors up and placed them all inside the chopper. I kept my watch and was the last one to get inside the last chopper.

“Is everyone here?” I asked them.

After confirming it, I gave the signal for the chopper to ascend.

Then I jumped out.

On all fours I dropped on the grass and quickly recomposed myself. My radio was blaring loud with panicking commands.

“What are you doing? Get back on the chopper, you idiot!”

They shouted over and over but no response escaped from my lips. Instead, I took off my radio and let it fall on the ground. Then, with my rifle in hand, I rushed to the forest.

“This is fine.”

I never looked back as I let myself soar through the labyrinth where death crept behind every leaf. As I went, I came to witness the shadows that began to chase after me like beasts enticed by flesh but cautious of the danger that I posed. For such a whimsical and unreasonable act, their sense of curiosity allowed me to have my freedom to move deeper. But by the time I reached the calm lake, that’s when they finally refused.

The unmoving water reflected my cold image as the moon shone bright and haunting with the cursed evening. Surrounded, the shadows who once settled with just observing me had now raised their guns to deny me any further step. They restrained their desire for blood for they respected the opponent who stood before them.

Accordingly, I responded to their polite greeting by pulling out the steel box that contained the gem enhancer. Then, I injected it to the vein in my neck.

The moon was shrouded by the clouds and the haunting calmness of the forest screamed as the predators became the tormented prey.

…

At the military base, Ismene stood against the glass window overlooking the airfield and the choppers that came every now and then. Soldiers here and there were being loaded and new injured ones were being sent straight to the hospital. Her discomfort was visible but it was not for the sight that unravels before her.

“How long are you going to stare there?” scolded a voice behind her.

It was the old woman. She was engrossing herself within the mountains of paper and documents of the war. She never looked at Ismene but she felt the restlessness emanating from her and it was infecting her all the same.

“If you want to get your mind cleared, there are plenty of things at the shooting range that can keep your mind busy.”

Sour as she was, the old woman still knew the worth of responsibility and a troubled soldier is a burden to everyone. Unfortunately, Ismene did not respond to her, forcing her to pry deeper just for the sake of it. She took off her glasses and paused from what she was doing just to face the girl.

“You were never the type of person who cannot keep her calm no matter how dire. What is it that’s troubling you?”

Ismene finally replied to her, “You were never the type who concerns about the well-being of her subordinates either. Is it not too late to turn a new leaf after the years of experimenting on children and raising them as nothing more than weapons?”

Ismene did not try to hide her disgust towards the person responsible for her past. However, the old woman simply hung her head to reconcile with her cruelties.

“My decision to protect the world has made me take actions that no one else should. However, the more we get closer to defeat, the more I feel like wanting to do something different. My desire to live made me unconcerned about others but now that death is at the door, can you blame me for wanting to pretend someone that I am not?”

After saying that, she stood out of her chair, took a bottle of brandy and some glasses out of her desk. On the table, she set up the 2 glasses and nudged the girl to come beside her. With a voice that yearns for a comfortable chatter, she returned the question.

“I trust that you experienced something similar enough to make you question my orders and flee alongside the great hero?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Ismene sighed before sitting down on the other side of the table, facing the old woman. On her hand, she stared at the cold liquor and watched her own sad and ugly image.

“All my life, you led me to believe that battle is the only thing we are meant to do. Such was our cause and we thought we should not ask for more.”

She took a sip from the alcohol and let her past slip through her tongue.

“It was a mistake to assign me with people who lived through the peaceful times for they made me realize what it means to live. My partner always hated how I think that the worth of a person is judged by his usefulness. Likewise, I thought of her as the fool who believes that emotions can be any beneficial in the battlefield.

“But the more people I saved, the less I begun to see what she meant. To see everyone safe behind our backs fills me with more sense of fulfillment than any medal that I could ever wear.”

Ismene lifted her glass and let the liquor spin.

“The day I was forced to retire was the moment I felt more pain than the deepest wound. But even so, she thought of me as someone still useful and I believed in her. I believed in her with everything I could.”

She downed everything on her glass, a burning line cutting through her throat. Then she giggled as the alcohol began to intoxicate her.

“What a mistake it was.

“On that day, I came to witness the horror that a twisted love can bring. We learned to be selfish, we learned to be apathetic, and we learned how to abandon everything that we stood for. From paragons of heroism and valiance, we fell to the rank of cowards in the mud, hands sullied by the blood of the people who tried to forget. But we felt no shame about it.

“We were happy, we were content. We tried to be.”

Her grip on the glass tightened.

“We tried to rejoice the curse that we imposed on ourselves.”

“I always see it on her eyes; the guilt of the one who survives and the grief of the one who wishes to die. She tried to be happy for me, and I did the same. But I just can’t play the role of the fool anymore. Not at her expense. So, I made my decision and now I am reaping the rewards.

 “I thought that if we could just return back to the battlefield she would change back but instead, she got angry for I threw everything she worked so hard for.”

Ismene hung her head up and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“I am such a fool, aren’t I?”

The old woman smiled as she poured herself another glass of the brandy.

“A fool you are indeed.”

She lifted the glass close to her lips and beamed Ismene with a very amused smile.

“Do you really think that you are the only one who cannot bear the thought of seeing your partner suffer?”

Ismene looked back, wanting to hear more from her. But just then, the radio static buzzed loud and came in a voice.

“Commander. Come in, commander”

“I’m here,” the old woman replied.

“It’s Hummingbird. She jumped off the chopper to fight alone.”

At those words, Ismene jumped up to her legs and the glass crashed on the floor.

…

I soared through their formations as the fog that heralds death. A rifle in hand and a knife on the other, I commenced their slaughter with a flicker of my finger. In one blink and on to the next, they fell to the ground as I left my trail of bullets and blood. This mayhem was my playground where they came to witness the sight of their brethren joining the pathway paved in red. I had all the chances but I spared them the mercy of death. Instead let them crawl in pain as they bled out their last at the hands of their own medics who desperately tried to mend them in vain. An arm blown off, a leg torn, a neck cut open, these were all the marks I made while they painted the soil with their own colors.

My senses were overflowing beyond any human measure.  Every sway of a leaf was heard clear in my ears, resounding through the wind with a picture of hostiles who prowled behind tress. Each one of them armed heavy and on alert. Their armor coated with the technology that offered active camo.

Elite units, I spat. I know their scent. They come only to get rid of high valued targets one such as me.

For they were so used to soldiers who rely on vision, I caught them all off guard as I rushed their very formation and jumped right in with a speed next to none. In a single trigger, I blew a large hole on their commander’s shoulder, his blood splattering over his own squad, further revealing their hidden image. His scream rattled his soldiers even more than they already were but before they could recompose, I broke the hip of one and shot another elbow before unpinning a grenade and running away into the bushes. Even though I heard their screams after the explosion, I knew that they still remained alive but useless—a burden to everyone. An army riddled with injured cannot make chase. One without an officer in charge is even worse.

After my final magazine was exhausted and my knife dulled, I heightened their fright even further as I nonchalantly picked up a heavy cannon from their lost ally and fired. In that one single shot, I cut through another formation with a projectile that blazed through the surrounding air and blasted a boulder in a thundering crash. Their weapons were once something that could only be used by someone of their own but the blood that ran in me now was nothing one could call different.

Some of them began to flee. However, there were still a few who stood their ground. In response to the cannon fire, their formation changed from a being a coordinated group to one that scattered about, firing on my location with earth shattering rounds as they enclosed the gap. I countered it by dropping the cannon and pouncing on the nearest target.

In one single swipe, I broke his neck and I stole his gun before he could fall. In my hand, I relieved the moment of surprise once more with the sight of their own projectiles suddenly turning against them. Their armor that took an entire magazine to penetrate now shattered in just a few hits of their own.  After a short exchange, I advanced again, leaving only the grisly sight of hostiles with limbs hanging only a by a few tendons and a single one whom I kept unharmed so he may call for more.

It wasn’t long until I saw their forward base.

As I watched them from the distance, I saw how they were all bustling with activity, as if panicking over the report of a human that could do feats that they deemed as impossible. Rank after rank, they assembled new platoons to send for the goal of hunt and rescue. Among their rank were the goliath units who were double the size of the average soldier type and were loaded with heavy weapons that could wipe out entire fortifications.

The chaos that I brought on their chain of command was evident but despite the progress, I could already feel my mind starting to deteriorate.

“Hey,” a voice called from behind my head.

Before they could find me, I seized the opportunity and charged the tallest goliath. The wind screamed as my legs enclosed our gaps and right before the unfortunate one could turn to me, I blasted the gun right in front of his visor. The kinetic force caved his skull in and sent every part of his brain flying forth in a violent shower. The ones near him screamed in uncoordinated panic. They sent a major chunk of their forces on the forces to hunt me. They never expected me to arrive so quickly.

One of them raised his shield and in a split second, I saw my own reflection, bloodied and wounded but still mocking me with a devilish smile.

“Why aren’t you retreating?”

In my next shot, I blasted his ribs into pieces and his internal organs came spilling out. So long as I kept our gaps enclosed, they would always refrain from using high powered shots. However, that sense of order couldn’t stop one’s desire for self-preservation. After cutting another elite unit’s legs, I sensed something that made me take cover.  Right at the very center of the platoon that I injured, they sent a barrage of missiles so powerful it left no trace behind but a splash of raging white flames and the cries of betrayed souls.

On the windows of the houses, my reflection showed again, mocking me even further.

 “Do you really think that you could beat them?”

Before they could prepare the second barrage, I leapt out and took advantage of the cover of smoke and heat. This time, they were all waiting and fired a curtain of ionized shot that hit nothing but the shadows lost within the fire; a mistake that they paid dearly with my final napalm grenade thrown at them. With a flash, they were all sent running for their lives as the inextinguishable gel burned their armor right to the bone. In panic, they fled behind their backs and further increased the damage as they made physical contact with their allies. The psychological effect caused by such a sight was the worst part.

Their chain of command collapsed in utter disorganization.

The thick smoke enveloped me like a specter’s malicious embrace. Her fingers caressed my chin as once more, she whispered in my ear.

“Are you not afraid?”

Routed and demoralized, all of them, from simple scouts to the elites, even up to the officers and goliaths, they all turned their defenseless backs at me as they sprinted away—simple targets that I chased one after another. In the maze-like town, I cornered them behind walls, shot them from roofs, and collapsed houses upon them. They no longer cared about the injured and trampled heartlessly on their own allies who latched on their knees.

The numbers that managed to survive took their last remaining units at their central command. As what was discussed on the briefing, it was a large school that they fortified with countless turrets, trenches, and pillboxes. My ears also caught the echo of minefields buried deep beneath the surrounding soil. Light tanks and more goliaths guarded its entrance, keeping an eye out for me. They were cornered and they were going to fight me even more fiercely.

Keeping my distance away and cover low, I picked up the armaments of a fallen goliath. Its missile barrels were still packed full and ready to strike. It couldn’t penetrate the fort’s defenses but it was enough to get the job done. I set its turret on the ground and aimed it a few degrees up before fixing myself in front of it.

For a few seconds, I allowed myself the time to cherish the last silence that I would have. I took a deep and ragged breath. My muscles ached and blood continued to flow out of my wounds. My sight started to blur and my mind was breaking even further than it was.

The specter that was once all but a false voice that echoed within the fires now felt real and true. Her cold hands stretched out as it latched on me from behind, embracing me with a twisted façade of love. Once more, she whispered to my ears with a laughing voice.

“Do you not wish to live?”

“Yes,” I finally replied.

My deteriorated mind has lost itself and saw her as a creature meant to be spoken to. “My knees are shaking in fear and I just want to give up.

“But if I run, they would just call her back again.”

I crouched down as the missile turret behind me sounded its readiness. My blood long cursed into a vile toxin coursed through my veins, burning me with a searing heat. Every beat of my heart filled me with an agonizing pain. I’ve been a witness to countless deaths and I knew that I was now knocking on the same door.

“She always says that duty must come first and it is a sin to be selfish. But I saw it on her eyes, the fear of losing the joy she just gained.”

I placed what little I had left on one last gamble and waited for the dice to roll.

“We are all tired of this war. That’s why…”

The missiles then began firing. All at once, its barrels unleashed everything and set forth a grand trade of fire and brimstone as the fort defended itself with its own artillery fire. For the paranoia of defeat has kept them alert, they retaliated against me with all their might.

“…by my own hands…”

I soared through the scorching earth, ridiculing the ones who wrote my fate. All for my wish that couldn’t be denied, I parted the sea of fire and brimstone with my burning light. The defenses that they so desperately put up to keep me away, wasted in a mockery that crashed on them in a single blink of the eye.

Before my final sliver of sanity was lost, I called out my last words.

“…I shall end it all!”

In those words, I set forth the end of the grand crescendo. They saw nothing but the bloodied spectacle of their first line blasted into pieces as the red light descended on them. On my arrival, I heralded the wrathful end of for the play of the night. The goliaths that were supposed to fire their cannons at the first sign found themselves annihilated at once by a wind that tore through them in a gale of flame and steel. As they fell, the explosives that loaded their backs lost its aim and fired at the very allies that they thought they could protect.

Thus the night sung with the screams of the defeated and a victory that I can never celebrate.

…

I was still alive. I thought to myself as I fall on the ground on all fours. The loss of blood and injuries I sustained from the battle were threateningly high. Breathing alone was painful and feeling my heart beat against my chest was a labor in itself.  But despite it all, I still found my sense of calm in this blighted world.

I was the lone silhouette in a canvas painted in fire and scars of battle. No other sound could be heard but my struggle to breathe and the quiet crackle of fire as their burned out their last. I was the only one alive.

Or so I thought.

As if the true colors of the night just unfolded before me, the ground rumbled and trembled. The school that I thought was decimated by the endless barrage of missiles and high powered projectiles began to show the signs of life. From the crumbled fiery walls, a figure began to dig its way out of the rubbles. Though blanketed by the thick smog, one could still see its nightmarish image slowly rise up. A giant creature far from living but not a machine, it’s a monster built as a weapon.

I never waited for it to show its true figure. Right at once, I rose back up to my legs and began shooting. Though the impacts were all confirmed, no blood was shed and no steel was broken loose.

There was no warning. But on the next moment, the smog revealed its raging eyes and my resistance was answered by a weapon that I’ve never seen before. I tried to run and evade but the power of the next shot surpassed the magnitude of any ordnance I have ever seen before. The entire village that costed the lives of many was pulverized by the shockwave that it brought. Along with the boulders, I was sent flying for hundreds of meters until I crashed onto the ground.

Bloodied and broken, my remaining time alive was limited by the amount of blood that had yet to leak out. My eyes registered nothing but the red blood dripping from my head. Every breath I took made me feel like collapsing and none of my muscles dared to listen any longer to my demands.

But I couldn’t afford to stop.

“If I failed here…”

My voice quaked as I gave my last to pull out a pistol. It was the gun that the old woman gave and my desperation led me to its use. As useless as I have been reduced into, I aimed it and fired.  In the first shot, my own wrist felt like it was broken and was thrown out of aim. But I tried again and shoot. Then I shoot. Then I shoot. Then I shoot.

Tears rolled down as I began to admit the futility of my acts. My hands could no longer stay still and my own sight failed me.

As I aimed my final bullet, I cried out, “I must not fail… I must not fail… I must not fail,” over and over I repeated my words, desolated in sorrow.

Then, warm hands held me in my moment of weakness.

Physically broken and mentally ruined, I could no longer recognize my own heartbeat but I knew that the one that just came to my aid was not a false illusion. The girl to whom I gave my all came to console me in my final moments. Her voice felt clear and pristine.

“It’s alright,” she whispered to my ears as she held my dying body in her arms then snuggled close, “You do not have to bear it all.”

As dire as the situation was, all my fears vanished by those few little words. It was a warm voice that defied the grimness of our fates. Thus, in her solemn presence, I had found my peace and my tormented body was lulled into its rest. From a soul clouded by its own frights, I slowly slipped into a blissful dream.

…

“Hummingbird was secured,” Ismene announced over her radio as she held unconscious partner in her arms, “Prototype weapon was heavily damaged but it is aiming to fall back into their rear lines. We need an interceptor over.”

Her signal reached far into the horizon and was received by none other than the old woman herself. In a control station, she supervised all the oncoming signals throughout the battlefield.

When Ismene’s great news reached her ears, her immediate response was, “You have done great. Hold your position. We’ll send a lift. A lift and a miracle.”

When the line went dead, her proudest smile unveiled itself. A grin extending from ear to ear and vicious fangs were revealed. Her ferocity once lost now ignited in its most beautiful flare as she felt the trill coursing through her veins. She then leaned over to the mic and sent out the words that rattled everyone in her command with the truest songs of war.

“Men, we are now the final lines that divide the ones we love from the creatures of the damned. Today marks the greatest gamble for the survival of our world. A day that would unmask the ferocity of men backed in a corner. Pray strong and true, for we shall behold the greatest spectacle that will ever be written in our history.”

Then, the aircraft carrier that she stood on quaked with all the cheering of men that basked in the radiance of hope. That cheer extended further throughout the entire naval fleet that extended as far as the eye can see. Aircraft carries, destroyers, submarines, cruisers, frigates and many other armed boats lined the surface and depths of the great blue sea, all cheering loud and clear as the sun slowly ascended behind them.

As the sunlight began to chase the darkness of the night away, the planes and choppers soared to the sky in great magnitudes.

 

It was all just a piece of land—a single point in the map. But they held it for all the life that they cherished dear. For decades of victories and terrors that they brought, the report of an entire fortification and their experimental weapon outclassed by a single unit who could wield their own weapons sent reverberations throughout their armada. At first they shrugged it off, at first they thought they could recover what was lost, at first they thought they could go home.

On the grounds where murder is a currency, the humans dug deep and cunning. For just a few lost yards, they retaliated with all their might. Countless lives were lost but not a single one wasted. Their body, their life, and their very soul; they offered it all with smiles that haunted the ones who shed their blood. They thought that defeat had rendered their enemies mad until the day that they saw their own weapons turned against them.

The technological advantage that they held so long had fallen to the hands of their foes.

For the first time, they felt the taste of a real threat and responded to it with urgency. Their fighters and juggernauts soared fast to their call. Fast and heavy aircrafts designed to decimate from the skies and above. It was meant to remind them of their inevitable fall. But those colossal war structures and nimble aircrafts conveyed anything but, as they were all shot down by missiles and particle cannons crafted from their own technology.

It burned in the eyes, the weapons that once sent armies fleeing for their lives slowly descend to the unholy grounds that it once mocked. In flaming fragments, it shattered and scattered through the sky like the flowers of the lost spring. On its great fall, thousands of their units scrambled to their feet to deny humanity the chance of looting anything that they could find. Their hands that were once viewed as the claws of death were reduced into digging up the remains of the commanders who fell without a fight.

Revenge—their war cries called. They never mourn, they never yield. They were now the beast woken up by a bloody wound. Just like the feral demons that they were, they rushed through the lines again, slaughtering the first lines in magnitudes that they had never done before. The creatures that persisted for so long fell on their hands once more, shredded and gutted just as the punishment that they deserved. Then they too were struck down by the arrival of reinforcements who cascaded upon them with weapons even stronger than before.

Their strongest warriors, heaviest tanks, and finest aircrafts all wasted in efforts after efforts to extinguish mankind’s last flame.

When mankind finally took their first step forward, they took a step back. The hunters had become the hunted.

Too far away from home, no reinforcements could reach them but the humans that they once drove to annihilation still outnumbered them in vast quantities. Their vehicles and aircrafts were all shot down and plundered, their supplies depleted, and the majority of their leaders were assassinated. From logistics to chain of command, they knew that they were crumbling into irreparable states.

Thus, they gritted their teeth and retreated back to their motherships. For days, they called forth all the remaining outposts and summoned them back to their ship. All the while, they watched as how the creatures who they underestimated for so long took back and secured every territory that they fought for at a rate of a hundred miles a day.

It was a humiliation that made them ill to the core but all they could do now was to endure it by gnashing their teeth and clenching their fist.

From the 27 motherships that descended through all the decades of war, they were able to have enough crews for only 6. The ones that they couldn’t use were destroyed to prevent anymore plundering of their technology.

When their ships finally took ascent, they felt relief again and started to make merry. It was all just a tiny defeat from an empire that controlled many other systems. These creatures were already broken. They just needed more soldiers and better weapons. They were mocked and ridiculed but the fate of humanity was sealed. And on their return, they shall make them wish for death. This was their vow to keep and they all heartily shared ideas of the cruelties that would make slake once they landed for a second time.

Their howling joys were soon interrupted by a message coming from the planet that they just lost. From it came a video feed of the old woman whom they tried to eliminate in vain. In Earth’s language, a language they have learned to understand, she spoke.

“From Earth to the glorious land you came from: We wish you a safe return,” she spoke her messages of goodwill with a small smile—one that unnerved them all, “You tried and you failed. We know that you will return and we know that we will not be this lucky again. So we decided to stop you from doing so.”

All of a sudden, throughout their ships, few small flares were ignited. Small fire crackers lit up and released small red mists that dissipated quickly into nothing.

And they broke out into laughter.

A laughter that, out of nowhere, was twisted into blood curdling screams as they suddenly went berserk. By the dozens, their allies all screamed in rage as their bloodshot eyes turned red with blood, their veins bloated throughout their skin, and their bodies bulged out from the frenzy that sent their nerves aflame. Maddened by the instinct to kill, they rampaged through the enclosed vicinity, ripping to shreds anyone who did not share their scornful roar. All it took was just a few little seconds for their safe haven to turn into a frightening labyrinth painted by their own blood.

“This is our farewell gift for you all to keep. It’s a virus crafted from our greatest fears, engineered to kill our planet and everything in it should we lose our gamble. The border between life and death shall blur and every organic being shall be cursed by its noxious message. The living shall die and the dead will rise, starving. And that will be just the first stage of this pandemic that would soon arrive to your own home.

“If there’s anyone of you who can survive with their sanity intact, please tell your leaders these three little words:

“We are coming.”

GOOD END

 

1 YEAR LATER

            It was a lovely afternoon spring where the flowers bloomed in bright profusion, enveloping the mountains with their stunning colors. Lush green trees soared above the heights and swayed their branches as the soothing warm breeze blew. Perching along were the birds who sung their songs that were withheld from them for so long. As if it was all but just a bad dream, the blanket of snow vanished and life woke up with smiles on her face. The wounds of battle were yet to heal but peace had been attained and rebuilding can be done.

            Down the sparkling river, a boat coursed through its calm flow.  Two women who once participated in the theater of the greatest war now sat on a boat leisurely rowing downstream.

            “Soldiers once, mail carrier now,” the girl with a red hair sighed as she rowed their little boat. Through her thin spring clothes, one could find the great big scar on her shoulder—an injury that almost tore her arms apart.

            “It can’t be helped,” her passenger, a girl with brown hair and green eyes replied, “It is a message from the old woman herself and she does not want to take risk of getting her message intercepted by officials.”

            “I know but if it is that much of a priority message, won’t it make sense to give us at least a proper vehicle like a motorboat?” she replied as rowed down the stream.

            “Don’t do that,” the retired combat medic giggled, “This place is sacred for them and that would ruin the ambiance.”

            She then stretched out her limbs. Breathing the wonderful scent of pinecones and mountain flora as she happily sighed.

            “Such a lovely place. I hope we could get a place at the town inn so we could stay longer.”

            “Yeah,” the red head agreed, “It’s no wonder why those heroes would like to live here.”

Soon, their boat landed on the dock and near it was a house; a warm and cozy home that was meticulously made more charming with the violas, roses, and lilies blooming bright around its garden. From its windows wafted the alluring sweetness of warm delicacies and the welcome of hospitable hosts. On display were assortments of candies, sweets, and pastries finely crafted with love and affection. On the door hung a sign that said “Come In” in the most heartfelt design.

Upon opening, their entry was immediately greeted by the two war maidens who no longer had the need to fight. From bloodied armor and bandages, they now wore a lovely frilly uniform. From their lips that once chanted the cries of war, there came nothing more than the pleasant voices simultaneously greeted them with the cheerful words of “Welcome.”

GOOD END