19:49 PM.
The smell came first.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dScifetMY
Before sight. Before awareness. Before Voltase even realized he had fallen asleep.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN1LAQSz4G
A pungent, fishy stench a mixture of old blood, rotting flesh, and soil soaked with bodily fluids. seeped into his nostrils like toxic smoke.
It clung to the roof of his mouth. Settled at the back of his throat. Made his stomach churn despite being empty.
Here again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwLIhn11xo
The thought surfaced through the fog of his half-asleep consciousness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VTTKpd59P
I'm back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v6lC1yudY
To the same place.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0v39qSqxU
same dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnMYd0jzwL
But something was different this time. Something he couldn't immediately identify. Perhaps because this was the third time. Perhaps because his mind. although still constrained by the thick fog shrouding his memories was beginning to grow accustomed to this cycle.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOch1JM3qp
Accustomed to death, resurrection.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqXM9Plkwq
the same hell, over and over.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXYvxSXHl1
Voltase opened his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhBQllvtsG
And as usual, what he saw was a corpse's face above him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkYAlhaiW9
That face a man with grayish skin, eyes wide open with pupils frozen in eternal terror, and a gaping mouth as if trying to scream but never getting the chance, no longer surprised him.
He had seen it twice before. The same face. The same expression. Even the corpse's position atop his body was identical.
even if the maggots are still wriggling and roaming on the surface of the remains, it is said that the meat is.
With a rough shove no longer trembling like the first time, no longer panicking like the second Voltase pushed the corpse away.
The stiff body rolled sideways with a wet plop, just as before, and Voltase found himself lying among countless piles of flesh and bone.
The same hell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBIseq6RxQ
The same battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8SX4qicYT
The same dark, starless night sky. The same mud-soaked earth, saturated with blood. The same smell. same wind whispering through the corpses, like the murmurs of the dead he couldn't quite hear.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhQ1jIf2O0
Voltase sat up slowly. The body he inhabited a tall, sturdy man's body, with strong hands and a scar on his left arm moved with strange obedience. As if this body knew itself better than he knew it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscAqCryG85
He stared at his hands. Not the small, delicate hands of a child with rounded fingers, but large hands with calloused knuckles and prominent veins on the back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJPZxGEWi0
This isn't my body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKeSqjHjDL
But it feels like mine.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sdPU3xZtu
At least, for now.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD9ga65OOt
He moved his fingers one by one, making sure everything still worked. The memory of his first death the bullet in his chest, the blood flowing out, the darkness slowly swallowing him was still fresh.
So was the second the strong hands strangling his neck, the air slowly fading, and the despair of realizing that this time, he wouldn't survive.
But tonight was different.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQQMIb7r2Q
Tonight, Voltase had no intention of dying.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF1kpi7mQ1
Not again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnoj4TCVmY
He had died twice.
Twice was enough.
Twice was more than enough to make him understand that if he remained passive, if he kept letting this dream run its course, he would die over and over.
Perhaps forever.
And that more than anything was the most terrifying thing.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqghT19a8lr
Not the pain, the blood, even the corpses around him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNeojOPWGi
But the thought that he might be trapped here forever. That every night, he would return to this place, and every night, he would die in a different way. That there was no end, no escape, no hope.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuArmh6Zk6
No.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHSUaFLs1K
I won't let that happen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfIKSgDQR5
I will survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrI2QFL2VXf
I'll do whatever it takes to survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5d3K6BaDh
With newfound resolve resolve that felt foreign in his chest, like a small flame flickering in the darkness Voltase rose to his feet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y1JIKy6Wz
His legs the long, powerful legs of a grown man carried him through the piles of corpses. Each step produced a soft crunch of broken bones beneath his boots.
Each step brought him closer to the goal he had just set.
The blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmeVJKXeYK
The one who survived the last battle.
who died in front of me in the twiced dream.
Voltase didn't know why he was so certain that man was still alive. because in the two previous dreams, that man always survived until the final moments.
there was something about him something important, he couldn't let die.
Or perhaps because, deep in his heart, Voltase knew that the only way to survive was not to be alone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCwxwet329
He walked past countless piles of corpses. Some were still intact, their faces frozen in their final expressions.
Others were half rotted, with peeling skin and bones protruding through decayed flesh. Some bodies were completely destroyed burned, or shot multiple times, or crushed by something Voltase couldn't even imagine.
He tried not to look too closely.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9s8yzAPsW
tried not to think about who they had been before.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoYUHDa85N
They were just corpses. Just flesh and bone. Nothing more.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqx7iVd0N7
Don't think about their families, the dreams. how they died.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6HHPL4XMO
Focus on the goal.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEjLPIOLIe
Find that man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeFp0mwabH
Save him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG5L4TDjx9
And save yourself.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡay4h5DTnTI
In the distance, he saw a pile of corpses higher than the rest. Like a small hill made of flesh and bone. And behind that hill, he saw faint movement something moving, something still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwf6QRI14t
He's there.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUB6Ge3yM5O
Voltase quickened his pace, almost running through the scattered bodies. His boots stepped on a severed arm, and he heard the crisp crack of bone beneath his feet. He didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgyAPGOgxn
Must get there.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFufjdlnvh
Must save him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPAxvJ4mkR
This time, I won't let him die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrFt3YbIRu
When he finally reached that pile of corpses, he saw him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu404zHSeMD
The man was still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBwSVulW7Y
Voltase stopped, his breath quickening not from exhaustion, but from sudden relief.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiwiX5Bfsd
The man lay among the corpses, his body almost entirely buried under a mound of dead flesh. Only his head was visible—a pale face with tangled blond hair, filthy with blood and mud. His eyes were closed, but his chest still rose and fell with weak yet steady breaths.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8rM346imD
He's alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HKgGtp6D9
He survived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4arwEovmWV
Voltase knelt beside the man. His hands the large hands that no longer felt foreign grabbed the man's shoulders and shook him gently.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBILXQRVoG
"Hey."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS704WHjoOb
No response.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupo42pnhGw
"Hey, wake up."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01dyG4dKHo
He shook harder. The man's face creased slightly, like someone sleeping who didn't want to be disturbed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9LjO6VqKN
"Wake up, idiot. We don't have much time."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPoLXxMpJ2
Finally, the man's eyes opened.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01RM4pbkhf
Dark onyx eyes like two black gems reflecting the dim light of the night sky. stared at Voltase with a mixture of confusion and wariness.
For a few seconds, the man just stared without moving, like a wild animal just waking up and not yet deciding whether to fight or flee.
And then, his mouth opened to scream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbp6aNN4MZT
Voltase moved faster than his thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcfPkZZRiB
His palm covered the man's mouth before any sound could escape. He leaned close, only a few centimeters away and stared into those onyx eyes with an intensity he never possessed in the real world.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NECPLvrr4
"Listen to me."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XaFr95YFX
His voice was low, firm, and urgent.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJENuWfOwA
The man stopped moving. His eyes remained wary, but there was something in them perhaps curiosity, perhaps hope that kept him silent.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1e7mDMyIQ
"Cooperate with me if you want to live,"
Voltase continued, the words flowing smoothly like water in a stream. As if this was something he had rehearsed, something he had thought about.
He had planned since the first time he woke up in this hell.
"Because two are better than one."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPuVrrvpUD
He stared into those onyx eyes, searching for signs of understanding. Signs of agreement. Signs that this man whom he didn't know, who should be his enemy was willing to listen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8bGvrI42K
Silence hung between them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslqDNXWqZD
Voltase could feel the man's breath against his palm warm, uneven, filled with restrained fear.
He could feel the tension in the man's jaw beneath his touch. He could see the sweat on the man's forehead, mixed with blood and grime.
And then, slowly, the man nodded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF3wqnh0Oa
One small nod. Barely visible. But enough.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8I0TJv9CT
Voltase exhaled in relief. He released his hand from the man's mouth but kept close.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEQQxE3HCO
"Good."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjid3EPOSG
He straightened up, his eyes quickly scanning the logo on the man's uniform. Faded olive green the same as the corpses around them.
The same as the soldiers who came to check the dead in the two previous dreams.
He's from the same side as those who came to kill.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cg9uwqVkH
He's the enemy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtLKc1IJIb
Or at least, he should be.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3LhGMGM8c
Voltase pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter now. What mattered was survival. What mattered was getting out of here. What mattered was not dying again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8ru0CgA0e
"Who are you?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtyjGCvsvO
The man's voice finally came out hoarse, weak, but still laced with wariness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXENRXwTj28
Voltase looked at him. Those onyx eyes still stared back with uncomfortable intensity, as if trying to guess his intentions, his motives, the truth behind his words.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡequgdaUtvP
"Someone trying to survive," Voltase answered shortly. "Same as you."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOUluNNP0t
The man frowned. Doubt flickered in his eyes. Distrust. But there was also something else something akin to curiosity.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXwRAtjfr2
"You don't look like you're from our side."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ygfdMQ4eq
"I'm not from their side either."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSnd1PLg1O
Voltase pointed to the corpses around them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrcNeXNuEq
"I'm just... someone trapped here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuzyy8sdUi
The man fell silent. His eyes continued to scrutinize Voltase, searching for lies, for deception. But Voltase wasn't lying. Not entirely.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNQPBj8M1M
Because he was indeed trapped. Trapped in this dream, in this body, between endless death and resurrection.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsGGLq9mSu
And all he wanted was to escape.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNI2H9SNB5b
"We don't have much time," said Voltase, steering the man's attention away from unanswerable questions.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPQNM46JOk
"They're coming. Three men. With bayonets on their rifles. check these bodies, and if they find us alive..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWVwVVcWE8
He didn't need to finish. The man already understood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXWDWIttCH
"How do you know?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBQOCJexJs
"I've seen it happen."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnaOd2yYA4
Twice. But Voltase didn't say that.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tuASd3Lk0
"Trust me, or die here. The choice is yours."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYxXXlPMD7
The man stared at him for a long time. Too long. Voltase was almost losing patience.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ275ELw4mv
But finally, the man nodded again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLOzm5vj5D
"What do I need to do?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAs3FWWXeJ
Voltase explained his plan quickly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQogeB0utY
He retrieved two rifles from among the corpses—long rifles with bayonets attached, just like the ones the inspecting soldiers carried. tossed one to the man, who caught it with practiced ease that showed he was no amateur soldier.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzokjtq9PMJ
"Have you used one of these before?" asked Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGF8Nlfga1
The man nodded. His hands long fingered hands with calloused knuckles held the rifle comfortably, like an extension of his own body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IgTZvCH3X
"I've been fighting for years."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGNnLIXi8z
"Good. Because we'll need every skill we have."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuganFJsqQ
Voltase fixed the bayonet onto his rifle quickly. The blade long, sharp, with grooves along its sides to channel blood gleamed under the dim light of the night sky.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgW5RRwxDO2
"They'll come in three minutes," he said, recalling the timing from the two previous dreams.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjolG26B6P
"We'll play dead. Hide among the corpses. And when they're close enough..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GAiHfEJi9
He pressed the tip of the bayonet with his thumb, feeling its sharpness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoshs0kXAbs
"We strike."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbsBtRZ4RB
The man stared at him with wide eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7BNNhu3Em
"This is insane," he said. "You know that, right?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNmttPrmAO
"Maybe."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBcL7Qzshn
Voltase lay down on the ground, pulling two corpses over his body. The cold, stiff flesh pressed down on him with suffocating weight, and the stench nearly made him vomit.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtMjLpOkAr
"But it's the only way to survive."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGJbMw7PzK
He closed his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg7hPRplVS
"Play dead. And when I move, follow."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7o5DYAg0Xd
The man was silent. Then, Voltase heard movement beside him the man lying down, pulling corpses over himself.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrf7IcsRM0b
"I don't know who you are," said the man, his voice muffled by the dead flesh.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76BGDmIHhw
"But I hope you're right."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5sIuRTz3D
"Me too."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUIwAalZ3K
And then, they waited.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5UwTkcuUE
Silence returned to the battlefield. Only the wind whispering through the corpses, and the pounding of Voltase's heart in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMROTrUnQ0
One.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgNxebUGXt
Two.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieHRKcQvQP
Three.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebWerhN3br
He counted the seconds in his head, trying to measure time. In the two previous dreams, the soldiers always came about three minutes after he woke up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPs1d9AJadY
His breath caught. He could feel the weight of the corpses above him not just the ones on the surface, but the burden of all the deaths he had witnessed.
The burden of fear still settled in his chest. burden of hope beginning to grow, even though he knew it could destroy him.
And then, he heard it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGRz9GIbCI
Footsteps.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8404NTjhCK
Far in the distance, but growing closer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qhrlOQ4YV
The sound of boots stepping on muddy ground, followed by the crunch of broken bones beneath them.
And among those steps, other sounds voices speaking in a language he didn't understand, but with familiar tones.
They were coming.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5N7mQ07Pq
Voltase held his breath. His body the strong, adult body locked in invisible tension. Every muscle ready. Every sense alert.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEGXZEKvWN
The footsteps drew closer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVLz460E2W
He could hear them talking now. Words in a foreign language perhaps German, perhaps Russian, he couldn't be certain. But some words felt familiar. Words like "check," "clean," and "dead."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0nSVhB9zZ
They were checking the corpses. Making sure no one was still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURar62cNsA
Just like before.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2acx8y0DJh
Just like the two previous times.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYNbzUyQIl
The first thrust came seconds later.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xYbDh7LK3
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAacQHBaUaq
The sound of metal piercing flesh dull, wet, horrible. Voltase felt the vibration in the ground beside him, felt how the corpse nearby shuddered from the bayonet's thrust.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0P1P35HhtG
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVkllAM5v4
The second thrust. Closer this time. Voltase could hear the blade piercing bone, and he imagined how it would feel the dull pain, the sensation of cold metal tearing through flesh, and then darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9NHGFX3hk
Soon.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN12WA6WWOT
The next thrust will come toward me.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8mduXq2E5
He gripped his rifle tighter. His hands the large hands with calloused fingers didn't shake. Unlike his hands in the real world, which always trembled from nervousness or awkwardness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1SkXmpWw8
This isn't my body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a7RfyEPfC
But I know how to use it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKg9NVw2Ufz
Or at least, this body knows.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqikdb3rxS
Footsteps stopped right beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNbWxTtACi
Voltase could feel someone standing nearby could feel the weight of that body, could hear their heavy breathing, could smell the sweat and cigarette smoke clinging to their uniform.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrS6vTgNwX
Now.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkL1y7jiY7a
Time to move.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0hFwLVvLR
The bayonet thrust came from above, piercing the corpse on the surface.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qGEtTiOJA
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbRnGJ2DoD
The flesh tore open above him, and Voltase felt the cold metal tip stop just above his chest only centimeters from his skin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSYrEcDEv0
No.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2ezPZm80U
Not this time.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvU177JEZm
I won't die again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaZGMKYBHb
Before the bayonet could touch his body, Voltase opened his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEso6Tx4mS9
The world moved in an instant.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7HDZ7T6U5
Voltase pushed the corpses off him with strength he didn't know he possessed. The dead flesh flew aside like rag dolls, and in less than a second, he was in an attacking position.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1rGBTIwDb
The soldier above him a man with short black hair and dark eyes full of surprise had no time to react. His mouth opened to scream, but before any sound came out, the bayonet on Voltase's rifle had pierced his throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13dMrXoDjA
Crack.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFmE7rz8tS
The sound of crushed cartilage. The sound of tearing flesh. The sound of blood spraying out like a fountain.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczKtd29oPn
Voltase felt warm droplets on his face fresh blood, thick and sticky, with a sharp metallic smell.
He felt how the bayonet sliced through flesh, how the bones in the man's neck shattered under the pressure, how the body stiffened in the spasm of death.
And then, the man fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshFmIJ3OaV
Without a sound. Without a scream. Just the wet plop of his body hitting the ground.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB6k9ctcz9
Voltase stood over the corpse, breathing hard, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7vOT0NwdT
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GQW8ixHnF
He had just killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZaDj5arAW
For the first time in his life, he had taken another person's life.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSfd1NAEL8
But the feeling that came wasn't guilt. Not regret. Not even disgust.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ44173fJ4
What came was a coldness in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxZsu902s1
Emptiness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SPniip7W6
As if a part of him had died along with that man. if he had crossed a line from which there was no return, and now, there was no going back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzjLOTRF4j
This isn't me.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m4udAKQp1
It's this body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGMH1RBE3A
It's a dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESdhvdVnX1
Not real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bdEj8Rg6G
Not real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkB1yF7dow4
Not—
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6DjpizZNS
"Gunshot!"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8l4TB18Ie
A shout from the side shattered his thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLCdG7JKHP
Voltase turned quickly and saw a familiar sight the blond man standing among the corpses, his rifle raised toward the second soldier who had just realized what was happening.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRUyFgd6BN
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLrF7DnXU1
The gunshot echoed across the silent battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8U4Kp1Jqlm
The man a soldier with brown hair and blue eyes fell backward with a gaping hole in his head. Blood and small pieces of brain sprayed into the air before his body hit the ground with a dull thud.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatznj8fEK0
One left.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdWJ09oNAi
Voltase saw the third soldier a young man, probably no older than twenty standing among the corpses with an expression of frozen terror on his face.
His hands held a rifle, but he didn't move. Didn't shoot. Just stared at Voltase with eyes full of disbelief.
And then, Voltase raised his rifle.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWl1ZgLekUb
Trigger pull.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5w5Dbc88Ud
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeY3xgTdw5b
The bullet flew from the barrel, cut through the cold night air, and entered the young man's chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pT20V2fgK
The man's body staggered backward, his right hand still gripping the rifle flung to the side. His blue eyes light blue, like a summer sky widened in shock, as if he couldn't believe this was happening to him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM6ync1laT
He fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hzuUSxDW5
Slowly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPdw27YRQP
Like a felled tree.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYK1swWIdQ
And when his body hit the ground, Voltase heard another gunshot from the side the blond man had shot the young man in the back of the head.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXZrEVUavz
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdTu0A43jk
The young man's head jerked forward, and then, everything stopped.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg1YUgkjmr
Silence returned to the battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8Fg0oW4Ko
Three bodies lay on the ground. Three lives taken. Three deaths in a matter of seconds.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHD11EMWeG4
And Voltase a twelve year old boy who had never hurt anyone in his life stood among them with fresh blood on his face and a bloody bayonet in his hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNnPaz83KG
Voltase collapsed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKL9khsv9OX
His knees hit the ground hard, but he didn't feel the pain. All he felt was overwhelming exhaustion exhaustion that seeped into every bone, every muscle, every fiber of his being.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes3c35z2PK
The rifle in his hand fell with a clatter on the ground. His hands his large, strong hands began to shake. A tremor he couldn't control.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwkAtmT5k1
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePZzfNjb9R
Two people.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVa87aimnD
Two lives.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR96C06NXpp
Two human beings with families, dreams, hopes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMNwUyF0ma
And he killed them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVEFjJotaZ
The feeling the feeling that should have come earlier finally arrived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiJUDkjSUd
Not guilt.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8QpDhiNSN
Not regret.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaV269QE3Z
But a deep nausea, rising from his stomach to his throat, making him want to vomit but couldn't because his stomach was empty.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaPR3bF2yT
He looked down, seeing his hands his blood-soaked hands. Fresh blood, still warm, still flowing between his fingers.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgePnPb3mM
This is human blood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnd1kcSUDu
Blood I just spilled.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7bCPMyhCB
Blood can never take back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kjm5lB6oG
He closed his eyes, but the image didn't go away. The young man's face with blue eyes his expression of shock, his open mouth, his body falling slowly to the ground all etched behind his eyelids.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1aXIMXuDw
He was young.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3S5kooqSf
Maybe the same age as the blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLfn08LGzX
Maybe he just joined this war.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2KOGCHZe6
Maybe he didn't want to be here any more than I did.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx9RMR4jNx
But he killed him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9WyKkn1h7
Without hesitation, doubt and giving him a chance.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0YcN8tEzG
Why did I do it?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xqmbNhqHN
Why didn't I shoot to wound?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyk9j3AdLV
Why did I kill him outright?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYRNVdzAfJ
The answer came quickly and coldly.
Because if I hadn't, he would have killed me.
That was the logic of the battlefield and survival. logic that knew no mercy, no morality, nothing except one rule: Kill or be killed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafggvSQSJe
And Voltase, for the first time, understood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYTIPLrAc3
Understood why the soldiers in the previous dreams had been so cruel.
Why they checked the corpses with bayonets.
Why they gave no quarter.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1iUfBEKiU
Because here, in this hell, there was no room for mercy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrnUxjiJtG
Only death, and those who managed to avoid it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelgJPDccbC
Footsteps beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xH88oEwoq
Voltase looked up and saw the blond man standing nearby. His face was pale, his eyes dark, and in his hand, he held a pistol a small pistol he'd taken from one of the corpses.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutYNvAQsf7
He stared at Voltase with an unreadable expression a mixture of admiration, fear, and perhaps, respect.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDQqi3Glku
"Are you okay?" he asked.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZJIKxpTlL
Voltase wanted to say no. Wanted to scream that he wasn't okay, that he'd just killed two people, that he felt like he was going to die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdmrq7urM0
But what came out of his mouth was only
"I'm... fine."
The man nodded. He walked past Voltase, toward the body of the young man with blue eyes. With efficient movements movements that showed years of battlefield experience he rolled the body over and began searching its pockets.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtteXkucfm
"What are you doing?" asked Voltase, his voice still hoarse.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q0UmMB1s7
"Looking for anything useful," the man answered without turning. "Bullets, food, water, information. Everything is valuable here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqO7zQuxOU
Voltase watched him for a moment, trying to process that logic. Then, slowly, he stood up. His legs still felt weak, but he forced himself to stay upright.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAASKZdui5k
"Should I...?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMQZKTl98F
"If you want. But if I were you, I'd check the body closest to you. It's yours, you killed him."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrOLLCNNsv
Voltase stared at the corpse beside him the man with short black hair and dark eyes, still lying there with the bayonet in his throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9OKeprPdS
Mine.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEKvqG7Uxq
The word felt strange in his mind. As if the corpse were property, not a person.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBpT6m3yg6
But he understood what the man meant. Here, on this battlefield, death was the most valuable currency. And the dead no longer needed anything they carried.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBtobWK7gi
With stiff movements, Voltase knelt beside the corpse. His hands still tremblingbbegan searching the uniform's pockets.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6SQe0AsZy
He found a pack of cigarettes. A box of matches. And a kit bar emergency rations wrapped in brown plastic.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo75CzYHA3
The kit bar caught his attention.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhUayS3FXd
He hadn't eaten.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWne6nTHts
When was the last time he ate?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSySQ5JuG2
In the real world, he'd had lunch in the cafeteria with Marie. But here, in this dream... he couldn't remember the last time food touched his lips. the last time he didn't feel hungry.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahcl8dhIdj
His stomach growled loudly, and Voltase realized just how hungry he was.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgrQ5Eq2jh
But I can't eat here. Among the corpses. With the smell of blood and death all around.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwsaN7KiPL
I'll throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDcbIc2ix0
But his stomach kept complaining, and the hunger grew more unbearable.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXiMtagVGA
He stared at the kit bar in his hand brown plastic with faded lettering. This food might be months or even years old. But here, in this hell, food was still food.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtxjmI6tJq
You have to eat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWmU2HPxqf
Your body needs energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPfCWewEtA
If you don't, you won't survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTS0XYu13J
With still trembling hands, Voltase began to tear open the plastic wrapping.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YXoDmZnGJ
The rustle of plastic caught the blond man's attention.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC34E0hgFsZ
He turned, his eyes immediately landing on the kit bar in Voltase's hand. For a moment, there was a flash in his eyes a flash that looked like hunger he couldn't hide.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hMYzvJV5W
And then, his stomach growled.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7imhYfawOA
Loudly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNezhxojuT
Embarrassingly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIEG2ZgWrU
The man patted his stomach with an awkward expression, and Voltase almost smiled. Almost.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zQLxGaZFm
"Are you hungry?" asked Voltase, even though he already knew the answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbCMzCVAoj
The man nodded, no longer able to hide his hunger.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCS3wUaA35H
"It's been days," he said, his voice soft. "Since... since I got trapped here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0rhXKrlIs
Voltase stared at the kit bar in his hand. Only one package. Not enough for two people. But—
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XxQpS7tAh
He broke it in half.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxV9WscMle
Half for him. Half for the man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVhC9a008B
He held out the piece of kit bar.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziCtFuPTUn
"Here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnuzJ4GIRB
The man stared at him with wide eyes. Doubt flickered in his gaze mixed with curiosity.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszF5rojEwF
"For me?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGcOlNoMyS
"We're both hungry. We both need energy."
"Fair enough"
The man hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, he took the piece of kit bar from Voltase's hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiixCz4OMA
"Thank you," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj5Cm1bbj1
He ate the kit bar slowly, carefully, making sure no crumbs fell to the ground. Each bite seemed like treasure, and the expression on his face almost like happiness made Voltase feel slightly better.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIxfEknm7f
Voltase stared at the piece of kit bar in his own hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOf97OYeD7
Now my turn.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GY1YBxlUw
He brought the kit bar to his mouth, but before he could bite, the fishy stench of the battlefield invaded his nostrils.
The smell of blood, corpse, and death.
Nausea returned.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg7EehQlgE
He lowered the kit bar, trying to steady his breathing. His stomach growled, but his mind refused to eat in a place like this.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fnd6sv5gm
You have to eat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnGWVVuj5I
Your body needs energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnFFYjMgKH
If you don't, you won't survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNo7Qtj7AH
You'll die here.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MxT9sp5qG
And if you die here, maybe you'll die forever.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFMLtvDn3Q
With renewed resolve, Voltase shoved the entire piece of kit bar into his mouth.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vnNBCEjCy
It tasted terrible.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oMdh036tM
Stale hard bread, coated with cheap chocolate that tasted like wax. But beneath that taste, there was something worse the scent of the battlefield seeping into every bite, making him almost vomit.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVLXhPcE9l
He chewed painfully, fighting the nausea rising from his stomach. His hands still trembling covered his mouth, trying to hold back whatever wanted to come out.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6faS83RGK
Don't throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCzci8GvMS
Don't throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnUU8JNQqF
You need this food.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdHbF8p5rW
You need the energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NV9qtiGKW
He swallowed with difficulty, feeling the kit bar drop into his empty stomach like a stone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsPFynOvrs
And then, he almost cried.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVB4MGW9Dv
Because of the death he'd witnessed, death he'd caused, the hell he couldn't escape. Of the dream he couldn't wake from.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLos9qQam98
He wanted to go home. Wanted to return to his small, cold dormitory room. Wanted to hear Marie's cheerful voice. Wanted to feel safe.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4wox1iFXn
But he couldn't.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqgCzqBNZU
He was trapped here. Among the corpses. Among blood and death. Between two worlds that were never supposed to meet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG7ZufKET1
And he didn't know if he would ever escape.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VRHURkzPq
A bottle of water was held out in front of him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1s9EmdfylP
Voltase looked up and saw the blond man standing before him with a water bottle in his hand. His face pale and exhausted held an expression almost like concern.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwikk9e4lz
"Drink," he said. "You look like you're about to pass out."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjlemZNnm7
Voltase accepted the bottle with trembling hands. He unscrewed the cap and drank greedily so greedily that some water spilled down his chin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhF04r69yJd
The water was cold and refreshing, and for a moment, he felt a little better.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseur3x76Dv
"Pretty bad, isn't it?" said the man, sitting down beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP1qAI7hU2
Voltase stared at him. The man with his tangled blond hair, pale face, and dark onyx eyes looked younger than he remembered. Perhaps still in his early twenties. even younger.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wjk6bn5ie
"What?" asked Voltase, confused.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CPIwu73sk
"The food. Tastes like garbage, right?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4ANlNbxoG
The man smiled a faint smile barely visible, but enough to soften the lines on his face slightly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xHBfOlUFw
"I'm used to it. But every time, it still tastes the same."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPQ81XDkDj
Voltase didn't know what to say. So he just nodded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs9C8TVXCS
The man sighed. He stared at the dark night sky a sky without stars, without a moon, without anything except endless darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYI5D6znNL
"I don't know who you are," he said finally. "But I'm grateful. Because you saved me."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGQxHaQ75N
He turned to Voltase, and for the first time, his eyes those dark onyx eyes seemed a little warmer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5yRnNbsQU
"We haven't introduced ourselves."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRpYF25QX3
He extended his hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc3W0tJkEf
"Hello, my name is Kwan Won Shik. Call me Won."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1tMuFaZv0
Voltase stared at the outstretched hand. That hand with long fingers and calloused knuckles looked strong, but also weary. Like someone who had held on for too long.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4CET9wiEG
He took the hand, feeling a firm but not painful grip.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoLwJLQzMp
"Natt," he said, without thinking. "Call me Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hqM8H9mWb
Won raised an eyebrow.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWvIs8lpGt
"Natt?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBALtCcsXGp
"Yeah. Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoUffVP738
"Strange. But okay."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9mUBwH7b6
Won released his grip, and for a while, they just sat in silence among the corpses. The night wind rustled around them, carrying the scent of death they no longer noticed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rMX99trnn
"What happened to you?" Won finally asked. "How did you end up here?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fXpjSFzsn
Voltase fell silent. He didn't know how to answer that question.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmehrb4ezh
"I... don't know," he said finally. "I just... suddenly found myself here. Don't remember how or why."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlqdfuI4jO
Won nodded, as if understanding.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUeTVSSUn3
"Me too," he said. "I don't remember much. Just... battle. Blood. Death. And then, I was lying among these corpses."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFL6QeQbLX
He stared at his own hands also blood soaked.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHK5WsRwIRL
"I don't even remember how I got here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1QCWevBa3
They sat in silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lYREoPt9b
And then, Won stood up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKJkulV5Ah
"We have to go," he said. "It's not safe here. They might send more people to check."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVIr48PCvl
He extended his hand to Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FhK4ldDaz
"Come on."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnhWOfGpEr
Voltase took the hand, and Won pulled him to his feet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP15J7doWgj
"Where are we going?" asked Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9UXBL4L7C
"I don't know. Away from here. Wherever is safer."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HfhQCEoLk
Won began walking, and Voltase followed. They walked past piles of corpses, past puddles of blood starting to dry, past the remnants of a battle they had never witnessed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPCmr2OLq7
In the distance, fog began to descend thick fog that hid whatever lay ahead.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzxRIqw6cQ
"Have you been here before?" asked Won, without turning.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgn5TaXADA
"Yeah. No. I don't know."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiv5Zms26q9
Voltase shook his head, frustrated by the blurriness of his mind.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNail8075X
"I feel like I've seen this place before. But I can't remember when or how."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpah6vngu5R
Won stopped. He turned around, staring at Voltase with sharp eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oKCcF7Zwc
"Me too," he said. "I feel like I've seen you before."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLCKYn0WCG
Voltase stared back, and for a moment, something stirred in his chest something akin to recognition.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0C9r9jtEN
"Maybe we met in another life," he said, half-joking.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6MCutBmDU
But Won didn't laugh. He just stared at Voltase seriously.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUkI6WBpE0
"Maybe," he said. "Maybe we met in another life."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH82T6C1YUB
They walked for hours or perhaps just minutes. Voltase couldn't measure time here. Time felt different on this battlefield.
Slower. Heavier. As if every second was a burden he had to carry.
Won talked a lot during the journey. He told Voltase about his family about his mother who died when he was young, his father who became a soldier, and his younger sister still waiting for him at home.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwdc5GCaUJ
"I promised I'd come back," he said, his voice filled with longing. "I promised I'd finish this war and go home. But..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA398xlCDD5
He laughed softly a bitter laugh.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lhn6a4C58
"But it seems that promise will never come true."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Mw921i9Mc
Voltase listened without saying much. He didn't know what to say. No words could comfort someone trapped in a hell like this.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uxQyqeb2q
But he kept listening. Because it was the only thing he could do.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHynCOJzHAa
Finally, exhaustion began to overtake him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8xaWYcGr9
His eyes grew heavy. steps started to falter. The world around him began to spin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTfAkpeiMT
"Hey, Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFT79RO9DvM
Won's voice from a distance.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmltySOoYr9
"Are you okay?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RO3TkrtF0
Voltase wanted to answer, but the words wouldn't come.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9nrBaAITU
He fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqnr6aoAka
His knees hit the ground hard, and for a moment, he couldn't move. His body felt like lead heavy, stiff, refusing to cooperate.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxxe1RMfRq
"Natt!"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuvKXd84TS
Won knelt beside him, his hands grabbing Voltase's shoulders.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZZTXLtOjw
"Hey, hold on. Don't pass out."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn60nXPouZ
Voltase tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurry. Won's face pale with onyx eyes swam before him like a mirage.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxssXPCzcJ0
"I'm... tired," he whispered. "I'm just... tired."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYCsEDrezr
Won gripped his shoulders tighter.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79RlHbQRwF
"You can't pass out here, Natt. You have to hold on."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cFyX8SosH
"I'm... trying..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagOHltA8nB
And then, the world went dark.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ksossK6yB
03:15 AM.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTXCZgZhuC
Voltase woke with a jolt.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERAs8BHsJ5
His eyes snapped open, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and for a moment, he didn't know where he was.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpXTI5Vvc4
A white ceiling with hairline cracks.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBiPaoNOeR
Curtains drawn tightly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fpFvi8PaB
The dim glow of streetlights outside the window.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO98KggHC87
Dormitory room.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sCw1FBktp
The real world.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmsUWjcYgi
He was back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavnT5knTho
He sat up in bed, his hand reaching for his chest feeling his heart pounding fiercely beneath his unblemished skin. No wounds. No blood. No pain.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4CWCMVxU7
But there was something else.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwh3feAiFi
A strange feeling in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V8vIFLajU
Not pain. Not fear. But something deeper something he couldn't name.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2N5XgvB1a
He survived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9T3Dawqh2
For the first time, he survived that dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kSR8XH8w7
He didn't die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGAsodwH20
He closed his eyes, trying to remember the details of the dream. Faces. Voices. Feelings.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WTGhpAiqZ
But everything was beginning to fade.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTjGKuWaFm
Like fog slowly dissipating under the morning sun.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOFL1AejAE
He remembered the corpses. The blood, pungent, fishy stench.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsbKgU3AlU
The fight how he killed two people with his own hands.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPbzBveq7c
Terrible taste of the kit bar in his mouth.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdLvPNbnkw
He remembered...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP9TrotLSG
remembered...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡce6UR6lkYd
What was his name?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBafHjtzbc
Voltase frowned, trying to remember.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlJSltdfol
The blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV7sph1vIB
The man he saved.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSQfSt1bNH
The man who talked to him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhyN3ZGffs
The man who...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAfdD9P42K
But his memories were blurry. The harder he tried to remember, the faster they faded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FVHmx1Htl
He remembered there was someone, talking to someone, walking with someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXHRAMSJhs
But his face... his face was gone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPuAwqyWc2
Like a photograph fading in the sun.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVYmeAegmt
He only remembered his smile. Only the lower part of his face. Thin lips curving slightly upward. A firm jaw.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxKBrWnglw
But the upper part...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bH04CKFYb
Eyes. Hair. Eyebrows.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzLgbHpRFn
All gone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoS5AtVRu0
Swallowed by fog he couldn't penetrate.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERwols58p0
Voltase sighed in frustration. He clenched his fists his small, delicate fists, not the large hands with a scar on the left arm.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7UZXmt8e7
Why can't I remember him?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mwjHdzoB9
Why do I remember everything except his face?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2iLIwcow0
But even as he asked, he knew the answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZviAEeuyF
Because it was just a dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMosTND0uly
Just a dream that fades like all other dreams.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpQhCWOgXR
Nothing in it is real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1X98XH9wdg
Nothing matters.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLtOtaI0JC
But there was a part of him that knew that wasn't true. He was too tired to think about it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQCtxDGd53
He lay back in bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFD63qZ5IZ
His phone on the nightstand he checked the time on the cracked screen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFiBqBceWD
03:15 AM.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThFQq3LtD7
Still night.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTOYJnhN71
He could still sleep.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSEBH6HZpr
He closed his eyes, trying to rest his weary mind.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUGrY1kpvS
But even with his eyes closed, images from the dream kept appearing behind his eyelids.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDOxUIrHUg
Warm blood splattering across his face.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfYl1vQ8aP
Blue eyes frozen in shock.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiitf0hIeOE
Corpses scattered around him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG3KscMnr1
And the feeling the feeling he couldn't forget as his bayonet pierced the man's throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbzdNuiMQA
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY9TAtzdAS
Two people.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqzeVeKmIa
Two lives.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4gtkQnGex
Two human beings.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLZyJeeafZ
And he didn't feel guilty.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxHBxJ97vS
That was the most terrifying part.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Nr9nvYov8
But the fact that he felt nothing. The fact that he could kill without regret.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA0TTmqUa9
Who am I?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdoSMXcsaF
The question surfaced in his mind, but he had no answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2nRJGzpju
Who am I in that dream?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErGyxGCBjR
Who am I who can kill without guilt?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgNbzK1nDl
Who am I who feels cold and empty after taking another's life?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapF5LfHjzR
No answers.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRl92xvFlUb
Only darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzfXz0gh8W
He finally fell asleep again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIKkvDrIYB
No dreams this time. Only empty, peaceful darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGnlrLen05
But even in his sleep, there was a faint feeling that this wasn't over.
ns216.73.216.217da2 
and then Add to home screen.