19:49 PM.
The smell came first.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFoH13Tn1Q
Before sight. Before awareness. Before Voltase even realized he had fallen asleep.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjjOqdKosg
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxMBaVvX6w
The thought surfaced through the fog of his half-asleep consciousness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuJXwsKyi5
I'm back.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCFgAKTa4U
To the same place.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz394EZWM4N
same dream.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK0E3Mls5p
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH61jRnnNEC
Accustomed to death, resurrection.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztdhOOg35M
the same hell, over and over.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97oiVehz9t
Voltase opened his eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vgNTPymg6
And as usual, what he saw was a corpse's face above him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjMgGXpB0f
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9qulmNDUj
The same battlefield.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW7rPPISFj
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaF2P6S0WC
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkQcErPkDI
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6ALa9lGlM
This isn't my body.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14KPR3czeK
But it feels like mine.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHKddnLdNO
At least, for now.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFEPwYB5rh
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLJpuwsUKb
Tonight, Voltase had no intention of dying.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXiNsS5GOc
Not again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmQGCcvEGY
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuXyJt8wmB
Not the pain, the blood, even the corpses around him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFIPyafbHC
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwk0jDv0GT
No.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx9kmJayvr
I won't let that happen.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKKoyp5ZLl
I will survive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyn2DgVatev
I'll do whatever it takes to survive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghvkqhVh8n
With newfound resolve resolve that felt foreign in his chest, like a small flame flickering in the darkness Voltase rose to his feet.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MV4wEcXbx
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhxL5hUhfo
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVIxOWLrB9
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSQXKv6AsO
tried not to think about who they had been before.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CaVL870XL
They were just corpses. Just flesh and bone. Nothing more.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0L8kOIken
Don't think about their families, the dreams. how they died.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcICNGAZEPX
Focus on the goal.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47y4eJAX5p
Find that man.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdcoGPOIKw
Save him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoidYBNlZ4w
And save yourself.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOx4ejfkTb
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoGdYzF5S5
He's there.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewHxi9ZVpB
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAwVOb02qQ
Must get there.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNkWmUVgwG
Must save him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg6Cm9vHFA
This time, I won't let him die.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeNmldKZJy
When he finally reached that pile of corpses, he saw him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3atHl4XIQ5
The man was still alive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDg98xSb4gE
Voltase stopped, his breath quickening not from exhaustion, but from sudden relief.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtMcfOHfqo
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFu9XrH11v
He's alive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt7zKSlInZ
He survived.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5KKu9gz2x
Voltase knelt beside the man. His hands the large hands that no longer felt foreign grabbed the man's shoulders and shook him gently.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNmfOVSaX7
"Hey."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk6FzIbZr6
No response.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0bbiEGA7A
"Hey, wake up."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrCwYnofMQ
He shook harder. The man's face creased slightly, like someone sleeping who didn't want to be disturbed.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLl061iMIF
"Wake up, idiot. We don't have much time."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNCPuoC7ZU
Finally, the man's eyes opened.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0vyQWqhYD
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXd6yDJZby
Voltase moved faster than his thoughts.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGAfwi64FN
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UXgtOr9fS
"Listen to me."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PS4IE3JJn
His voice was low, firm, and urgent.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLWUWcZ396
The man stopped moving. His eyes remained wary, but there was something in them perhaps curiosity, perhaps hope that kept him silent.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8VkyuYgaD
"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."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09xJ4SpPwD
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkUeMMOIgk
Silence hung between them.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyEr3Og6qf
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtWJylO340
One small nod. Barely visible. But enough.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1PQLlMKTj
Voltase exhaled in relief. He released his hand from the man's mouth but kept close.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4bAMN3vDA
"Good."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw1gB5ufUX
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1cinCEWf1
He's the enemy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlea8fIIDf
Or at least, he should be.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8JrjNQHrb
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mRCqB0kth
"Who are you?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuB0RomE5H
The man's voice finally came out hoarse, weak, but still laced with wariness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgZ9ApUiyX
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCgdUK6NQU
"Someone trying to survive," Voltase answered shortly. "Same as you."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QrRSuFwtu
The man frowned. Doubt flickered in his eyes. Distrust. But there was also something else something akin to curiosity.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YDwSpRF6r
"You don't look like you're from our side."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iB6ny2Vb4
"I'm not from their side either."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduwf1zUoq2
Voltase pointed to the corpses around them.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls377NEru8
"I'm just... someone trapped here."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFi03NI0hCm
The man fell silent. His eyes continued to scrutinize Voltase, searching for lies, for deception. But Voltase wasn't lying. Not entirely.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9k3Y61WuhI
Because he was indeed trapped. Trapped in this dream, in this body, between endless death and resurrection.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKUshxU7hT
And all he wanted was to escape.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64hQvscM6S
"We don't have much time," said Voltase, steering the man's attention away from unanswerable questions.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpohqsBHIo
"They're coming. Three men. With bayonets on their rifles. check these bodies, and if they find us alive..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsaOCXcG2f
He didn't need to finish. The man already understood.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFv7vrquk67
"How do you know?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBJ01rD7u6
"I've seen it happen."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HFXx9159p
Twice. But Voltase didn't say that.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQawXvDlFI
"Trust me, or die here. The choice is yours."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XzATkrByH
The man stared at him for a long time. Too long. Voltase was almost losing patience.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTIC73dKcE
But finally, the man nodded again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxu8CpuXsO
"What do I need to do?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCenzevPBW
Voltase explained his plan quickly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRk2Fo3GVX
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Vsftd8LMn
"Have you used one of these before?" asked Voltase.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYSxxAqUds
The man nodded. His hands long fingered hands with calloused knuckles held the rifle comfortably, like an extension of his own body.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9WxcMDQSc
"I've been fighting for years."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCZkZISB6o
"Good. Because we'll need every skill we have."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInrEOZxMAG
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUz7GTUdQ0l
"They'll come in three minutes," he said, recalling the timing from the two previous dreams.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMPWVEf6X2
"We'll play dead. Hide among the corpses. And when they're close enough..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNIVy57NwE
He pressed the tip of the bayonet with his thumb, feeling its sharpness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYcmsgT5HJ
"We strike."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNRCXEI6LC
The man stared at him with wide eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBe5FLqHaf
"This is insane," he said. "You know that, right?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK03jNy3Gp
"Maybe."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qi8lLouwP
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQj1UKR09O
"But it's the only way to survive."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzMswH8tC9
He closed his eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1fYS8XCtm
"Play dead. And when I move, follow."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEZATD5Ttk
The man was silent. Then, Voltase heard movement beside him the man lying down, pulling corpses over himself.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsxfJqCRAw
"I don't know who you are," said the man, his voice muffled by the dead flesh.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZpX1SHmu9
"But I hope you're right."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qX4Gl2QsS
"Me too."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdNQZMI30U
And then, they waited.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq65YSxpWv
Silence returned to the battlefield. Only the wind whispering through the corpses, and the pounding of Voltase's heart in his chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqfGLWbMcu
One.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c3TnO1koH
Two.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExNDzZGgt2
Three.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aCAcQSb3j
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuychYo8SZY
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2MfaRpkzk
Footsteps.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24cCX314Ld
Far in the distance, but growing closer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoyMP4HwXc
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkCQSPV3bo
Voltase held his breath. His body the strong, adult body locked in invisible tension. Every muscle ready. Every sense alert.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GYlFDhEyz
The footsteps drew closer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcLvn8ivjM
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."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7Cbyd8BDp
They were checking the corpses. Making sure no one was still alive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbHRK65U8Y
Just like before.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpEtzKOHza
Just like the two previous times.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZl1POwX2sX
The first thrust came seconds later.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLZbyhNWkX
Thunk.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczIkm6qjIA
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sWrsyhnKS
Thunk.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsjHMd79Sz
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo3o84B9TN
Soon.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSHXtjl0ba
The next thrust will come toward me.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7sxPw0Tz2
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqWfbcHu1q
This isn't my body.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHjMM0eqiJ
But I know how to use it.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAozZPjw0WQ
Or at least, this body knows.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye8P1rI4vI
Footsteps stopped right beside him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nIcCN5Ft9
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHr99S2fmVb
Now.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEvK8epPz4
Time to move.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshf5M6XBWK
The bayonet thrust came from above, piercing the corpse on the surface.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka6DK23eMh
Thunk.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl6fWjwN37
The flesh tore open above him, and Voltase felt the cold metal tip stop just above his chest only centimeters from his skin.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pbwasaO07
No.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBOBM6goap
Not this time.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8xQ7u54Hn
I won't die again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxD2c48x38R
Before the bayonet could touch his body, Voltase opened his eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8nJlfnCnk
The world moved in an instant.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8Tr68KS4x
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDsOyD3cBu
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiPVunOOKU
Crack.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7yg62dwOx
The sound of crushed cartilage. The sound of tearing flesh. The sound of blood spraying out like a fountain.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOlbdWfhQP
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlinh899svM
Without a sound. Without a scream. Just the wet plop of his body hitting the ground.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf8yDFVqop
Voltase stood over the corpse, breathing hard, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCaw5Ts3hC
He killed someone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5KiwEp8nD
He had just killed someone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSwL20uYhl
For the first time in his life, he had taken another person's life.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF19zDIoNEe
But the feeling that came wasn't guilt. Not regret. Not even disgust.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwI29oyiYN
What came was a coldness in his chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWrGIezQxP
Emptiness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmj9VJpEdV
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrin1AHzezt
This isn't me.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5rZlWBmGd
It's this body.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CB57kmGK3
It's a dream.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlrKQz7vK0
Not real.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0fFjhojnT
Not real.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN3gAy87Dn
Not—
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRnxbvNpOf
"Gunshot!"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf2M5WAQTq
A shout from the side shattered his thoughts.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7CWA49G6J
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjWXMncxXw
Bang!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2DAuWks6Z
The gunshot echoed across the silent battlefield.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5O2dFhDWT
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij0qA2Nwew
One left.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtR2yEW4Yf
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1ZxdpX5g4
Trigger pull.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXzIMGkChK
Bang!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQE2NL3nJ5
The bullet flew from the barrel, cut through the cold night air, and entered the young man's chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCHrEFzgiD
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB01yTayd5r
He fell.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6oHIOGJLQ
Slowly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDmMjiRzkr
Like a felled tree.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA42qnZBOW
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKLIgL73pL
Bang!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFctyrY5i0V
The young man's head jerked forward, and then, everything stopped.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsVVrHB6Xd
Silence returned to the battlefield.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwqRzZoMF0
Three bodies lay on the ground. Three lives taken. Three deaths in a matter of seconds.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jHn3Ec7Us
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gtC7IV93j
Voltase collapsed.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd29Teo7UJm
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYERKokSAOH
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJTZHtwK8s
He killed someone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokXj9DBIwY
Two people.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0ltz3DeGV
Two lives.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sHdUoNCmo
Two human beings with families, dreams, hopes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBy4kNl4jI
And he killed them.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaXmueRRf7
The feeling the feeling that should have come earlier finally arrived.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhoCEp5oCW
Not guilt.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOK5IOoYQ7
Not regret.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmdjXERKId
But a deep nausea, rising from his stomach to his throat, making him want to vomit but couldn't because his stomach was empty.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPgQEjuQui
He looked down, seeing his hands his blood-soaked hands. Fresh blood, still warm, still flowing between his fingers.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHAukhEqzd
This is human blood.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISupHZPlZR
Blood I just spilled.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXisFRsdwFx
Blood can never take back.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNCIEcoaZq
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjGseE6em5
He was young.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI37cthZUk5
Maybe the same age as the blond man.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWttIMTKc4
Maybe he just joined this war.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzegDcDFG3d
Maybe he didn't want to be here any more than I did.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWXXFW3S27
But he killed him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Pu1UDhuKx
Without hesitation, doubt and giving him a chance.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdKWj69MVV
Why did I do it?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYJb1bXC4j
Why didn't I shoot to wound?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmUWPXOt9Q
Why did I kill him outright?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSTAVxnX58
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdRKqgs2Zx
And Voltase, for the first time, understood.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H9QisYkif
Understood why the soldiers in the previous dreams had been so cruel.
Why they checked the corpses with bayonets.
Why they gave no quarter.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrRCc99zSc
Because here, in this hell, there was no room for mercy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ85gvUwJS
Only death, and those who managed to avoid it.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUqaqzn0EF
Footsteps beside him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWDl3xvFc9
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ2YjVoobM
He stared at Voltase with an unreadable expression a mixture of admiration, fear, and perhaps, respect.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99aSpjBiUA
"Are you okay?" he asked.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcQ6HRiyTM
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRrI7THdqL
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VqQQzxdFR
"What are you doing?" asked Voltase, his voice still hoarse.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5DbLov8jE
"Looking for anything useful," the man answered without turning. "Bullets, food, water, information. Everything is valuable here."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHZdn75VC4
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9czpJUD2e
"Should I...?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ7Rb2BotS
"If you want. But if I were you, I'd check the body closest to you. It's yours, you killed him."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR3F2vPFu6
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4jN8m4VAo
Mine.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OcKIqWffW
The word felt strange in his mind. As if the corpse were property, not a person.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9pqHEMlOP
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9FMGK28tr
With stiff movements, Voltase knelt beside the corpse. His hands still tremblingbbegan searching the uniform's pockets.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe0VMt5iBP
He found a pack of cigarettes. A box of matches. And a kit bar emergency rations wrapped in brown plastic.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MrcrIVPUd
The kit bar caught his attention.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSr7ppOdk9
He hadn't eaten.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrs0imF5JI
When was the last time he ate?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGVy9HK9Za
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4o2nULVC8I
His stomach growled loudly, and Voltase realized just how hungry he was.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxvuEmEcHp
But I can't eat here. Among the corpses. With the smell of blood and death all around.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1Tf3UfrSY
I'll throw up.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ucc058vOp
But his stomach kept complaining, and the hunger grew more unbearable.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGBfqjmv5E
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB8FMdQVP1
You have to eat.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4T8Zs9GyPd
Your body needs energy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlylio0rzX
If you don't, you won't survive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmdtMrMSsD
With still trembling hands, Voltase began to tear open the plastic wrapping.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SYb6CUnAA
The rustle of plastic caught the blond man's attention.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0bI1Te1pW
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpQ2im5gSM
And then, his stomach growled.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfatv8FkRgI
Loudly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZodUJIhklc
Embarrassingly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO8nczicbY
The man patted his stomach with an awkward expression, and Voltase almost smiled. Almost.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RJfIwa7iw
"Are you hungry?" asked Voltase, even though he already knew the answer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fE1ego7yU
The man nodded, no longer able to hide his hunger.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlObL5MPdG
"It's been days," he said, his voice soft. "Since... since I got trapped here."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGwBYiwUdw
Voltase stared at the kit bar in his hand. Only one package. Not enough for two people. But—
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwv4LoVvC3
He broke it in half.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvdXvOUukB
Half for him. Half for the man.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFDujSDyo4
He held out the piece of kit bar.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIoqkleJ5S
"Here."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN54D5oxmEk
The man stared at him with wide eyes. Doubt flickered in his gaze mixed with curiosity.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvsabvdkqZ
"For me?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3YUIJ94yx
"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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EZbULkS8A
"Thank you," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FoexcHnm2
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2r3U3w3av
Voltase stared at the piece of kit bar in his own hand.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4syJi3IEk
Now my turn.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY7oHEbAaJ
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaHN0eNG3l
He lowered the kit bar, trying to steady his breathing. His stomach growled, but his mind refused to eat in a place like this.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G4Lg3NnTE
You have to eat.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTjQkT3z1k
Your body needs energy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu77eG6vb6
If you don't, you won't survive.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYyoMr3Vy3
You'll die here.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQv92bCuVF
And if you die here, maybe you'll die forever.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLryL7EIBUn
With renewed resolve, Voltase shoved the entire piece of kit bar into his mouth.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYAsLnygKa
It tasted terrible.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxULhGPkaaj
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FX2AcbgXL
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW4QwiGSQ2
Don't throw up.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk16fjwfQtX
Don't throw up.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhNKYIGnZx
You need this food.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IYlKglG04
You need the energy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnncUtttri8
He swallowed with difficulty, feeling the kit bar drop into his empty stomach like a stone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboCucdcnk4
And then, he almost cried.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw8Nv4zItw
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tFSGTe3ID
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVCE7apPKf
But he couldn't.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvCAdS9gOz
He was trapped here. Among the corpses. Among blood and death. Between two worlds that were never supposed to meet.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjCbn7uhAQ
And he didn't know if he would ever escape.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1jx5PhaMB
A bottle of water was held out in front of him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8RvzswKyN
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpfgbyHXwG
"Drink," he said. "You look like you're about to pass out."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0jjaMFKk9
Voltase accepted the bottle with trembling hands. He unscrewed the cap and drank greedily so greedily that some water spilled down his chin.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSUSw1AGdm
The water was cold and refreshing, and for a moment, he felt a little better.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8nLqJklNh
"Pretty bad, isn't it?" said the man, sitting down beside him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhcpsj1XBp
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WJyqEyoML
"What?" asked Voltase, confused.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG2wzOSjLI
"The food. Tastes like garbage, right?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6mKXhqFKJ
The man smiled a faint smile barely visible, but enough to soften the lines on his face slightly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFMEyCzhQK
"I'm used to it. But every time, it still tastes the same."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQEemtwmE4
Voltase didn't know what to say. So he just nodded.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKinfonCXKA
The man sighed. He stared at the dark night sky a sky without stars, without a moon, without anything except endless darkness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkX7rVYEhJq
"I don't know who you are," he said finally. "But I'm grateful. Because you saved me."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VnDXEygxT
He turned to Voltase, and for the first time, his eyes those dark onyx eyes seemed a little warmer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8RHezqgO0
"We haven't introduced ourselves."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcLSywwQoy
He extended his hand.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a310elzio
"Hello, my name is Kwan Won Shik. Call me Won."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQO0P4i1q9
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9NYMpEh6V
He took the hand, feeling a firm but not painful grip.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Uz4UfClzc
"Natt," he said, without thinking. "Call me Natt."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRRotiRJfi
Won raised an eyebrow.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ304MaeyTvv
"Natt?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AM3QoEYJN
"Yeah. Natt."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfQwvinMYo
"Strange. But okay."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVFe51LNr6
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm35H7581cj
"What happened to you?" Won finally asked. "How did you end up here?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzGOxiRggv
Voltase fell silent. He didn't know how to answer that question.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eNuwlqtyo
"I... don't know," he said finally. "I just... suddenly found myself here. Don't remember how or why."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWPIUI6B9a
Won nodded, as if understanding.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21Q6y9HLyj
"Me too," he said. "I don't remember much. Just... battle. Blood. Death. And then, I was lying among these corpses."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVmqaBO8oK
He stared at his own hands also blood soaked.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSS37QvMPnX
"I don't even remember how I got here."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjDvkXtEF3
They sat in silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2Z0GIaVjO
And then, Won stood up.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlsrFRbE8t
"We have to go," he said. "It's not safe here. They might send more people to check."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO7RKg0SYp
He extended his hand to Voltase.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUuPVYxhno
"Come on."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9YO9WvK7h
Voltase took the hand, and Won pulled him to his feet.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCeZZhvdIl
"Where are we going?" asked Voltase.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3P7Y0B8w6K
"I don't know. Away from here. Wherever is safer."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41s9Ou7JOU
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWskL7mRr9
In the distance, fog began to descend thick fog that hid whatever lay ahead.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWNCStFkHH
"Have you been here before?" asked Won, without turning.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqAR5hzFKQ
"Yeah. No. I don't know."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdTTJ2IXy9
Voltase shook his head, frustrated by the blurriness of his mind.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHfkfZBn6x
"I feel like I've seen this place before. But I can't remember when or how."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5n9M7J2gf
Won stopped. He turned around, staring at Voltase with sharp eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy4LSvYiXE
"Me too," he said. "I feel like I've seen you before."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBEMXVwCTZ
Voltase stared back, and for a moment, something stirred in his chest something akin to recognition.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkKNdwFUeH
"Maybe we met in another life," he said, half-joking.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJO2gqTdGH
But Won didn't laugh. He just stared at Voltase seriously.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZPsFd5amM
"Maybe," he said. "Maybe we met in another life."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSw9iss5ne4
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZscx0Z9yYW
"I promised I'd come back," he said, his voice filled with longing. "I promised I'd finish this war and go home. But..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifUnTXmYge
He laughed softly a bitter laugh.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlSphw1tsb
"But it seems that promise will never come true."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iPqvKxifM
Voltase listened without saying much. He didn't know what to say. No words could comfort someone trapped in a hell like this.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrPLfdj9J3
But he kept listening. Because it was the only thing he could do.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBSd3WKSj6
Finally, exhaustion began to overtake him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15trb9LITx
His eyes grew heavy. steps started to falter. The world around him began to spin.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RLSQhIWCD
"Hey, Natt."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcgvuhjgrl
Won's voice from a distance.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkTLwsFnaR
"Are you okay?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt87ac3FOWy
Voltase wanted to answer, but the words wouldn't come.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86wVzhJMv4
He fell.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiBoc5sjGe
His knees hit the ground hard, and for a moment, he couldn't move. His body felt like lead heavy, stiff, refusing to cooperate.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIuSzBJxam
"Natt!"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTn72F4raVV
Won knelt beside him, his hands grabbing Voltase's shoulders.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCmFlIaxhp
"Hey, hold on. Don't pass out."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW0CH2JewZ
Voltase tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurry. Won's face pale with onyx eyes swam before him like a mirage.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZynBYWQQW
"I'm... tired," he whispered. "I'm just... tired."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOfQNW4K9v
Won gripped his shoulders tighter.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEA2fDboaA
"You can't pass out here, Natt. You have to hold on."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHfVIRLGrO
"I'm... trying..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6qFY4a0v0
And then, the world went dark.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaJiULpgSx
03:15 AM.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjFG2AkJxj
Voltase woke with a jolt.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KkmrD0ZIG
His eyes snapped open, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and for a moment, he didn't know where he was.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq03Ti5swJB
A white ceiling with hairline cracks.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy21WUYwhxo
Curtains drawn tightly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ww2aIZ9uX
The dim glow of streetlights outside the window.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCykiQn9Eo
Dormitory room.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQc2hXWhE9h
The real world.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi6TMtF858
He was back.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB622zHEoa
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.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHvnpWDq1X
But there was something else.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rOMvxdq2r
A strange feeling in his chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43o8GL4djt
Not pain. Not fear. But something deeper something he couldn't name.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0V5blcQHCw
He survived.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WhdswivIw
For the first time, he survived that dream.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDmacid9s2
He didn't die.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuxhN6BPka
He closed his eyes, trying to remember the details of the dream. Faces. Voices. Feelings.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQQomJeHMv
But everything was beginning to fade.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHwbsyXkxf
Like fog slowly dissipating under the morning sun.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCPGWrRgp4
He remembered the corpses. The blood, pungent, fishy stench.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoEpZbtIIL
The fight how he killed two people with his own hands.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RZQ5OYlLS
Terrible taste of the kit bar in his mouth.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkUJ4HSxaA
He remembered...
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05mCOXGJKq
remembered...
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1hWCesGHS
What was his name?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx1Gubz78P
Voltase frowned, trying to remember.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPb5OQZ2vq
The blond man.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga9VFkh2Jw
The man he saved.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHfWF2DIOY
The man who talked to him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlAi4qaSrn
The man who...
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK29itWxF8Y
But his memories were blurry. The harder he tried to remember, the faster they faded.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAe7ln2Pz0
He remembered there was someone, talking to someone, walking with someone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtwEOl3agA
But his face... his face was gone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxrI9ktjVk
Like a photograph fading in the sun.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iPQaJ8TMM
He only remembered his smile. Only the lower part of his face. Thin lips curving slightly upward. A firm jaw.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjsp5YLGJS
But the upper part...
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hcsP3W53T
Eyes. Hair. Eyebrows.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDevQSY7Zb
All gone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSAevrj2jl
Swallowed by fog he couldn't penetrate.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r3PFEqK6W
Voltase sighed in frustration. He clenched his fists his small, delicate fists, not the large hands with a scar on the left arm.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI82GfGo0Vx
Why can't I remember him?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fjxqDmAmB
Why do I remember everything except his face?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgobivMIwVM
But even as he asked, he knew the answer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Oz6YaVDRN
Because it was just a dream.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI8mIxCZg3
Just a dream that fades like all other dreams.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbbzY7Ic7X
Nothing in it is real.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgGGwdIZbY
Nothing matters.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtvTfbc3oA
But there was a part of him that knew that wasn't true. He was too tired to think about it.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡichVp8uaOW
He lay back in bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ak4s3Yhqv
His phone on the nightstand he checked the time on the cracked screen.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJ6kHNAlxE
03:15 AM.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7H1CcvhMnG
Still night.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx7UUR6Nbr
He could still sleep.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiwBg29gYn
He closed his eyes, trying to rest his weary mind.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiR4qAmt8wu
But even with his eyes closed, images from the dream kept appearing behind his eyelids.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnPKIDFXNr
Warm blood splattering across his face.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ytJDMqfcm
Blue eyes frozen in shock.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab1JsCGGEV
Corpses scattered around him.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvNJXFChE2
And the feeling the feeling he couldn't forget as his bayonet pierced the man's throat.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xoer4M6cz
He killed someone.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡje87AO0IZZ
Two people.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEn1hf2iTs
Two lives.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYL9B9TFnZg
Two human beings.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlSFA2yNSN
And he didn't feel guilty.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb790Hcr5Zf
That was the most terrifying part.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXDlpIvE8X
But the fact that he felt nothing. The fact that he could kill without regret.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVvzvfOapw
Who am I?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7RGfrtFLl
The question surfaced in his mind, but he had no answer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSSNGmRqXP
Who am I in that dream?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNUeRDiW4U
Who am I who can kill without guilt?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvGbWGh86X
Who am I who feels cold and empty after taking another's life?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOk9OB0E0E
No answers.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnrqLLQEuS
Only darkness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLBZuBlvHy
He finally fell asleep again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcIrEOeL3s
No dreams this time. Only empty, peaceful darkness.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzv6KVdfhxd
But even in his sleep, there was a faint feeling that this wasn't over.
ns216.73.217.98da2 
and then Add to home screen.