The camera zoomed out of the bedroom, out the window and towards the sky.

  Gradually, the night sky turned morning. And unlike before, now, it's blanketed by a thick layer of cloud.

  The camera far in the horizon turned towards the ground. There, an outpost was seen.

  A makeshift outpost, hurriedly built. The only protection it has is the thin metal walls that are similar to three credit cards stacked ontop of each other.

  Four men can be seen staying guard.

  The camera zoomed in.

  The atmosphere was heavy, the restless nights dragged on. We don't even know how long we've been here, V---o-, my close friend. Hasn't slept for almost three days now.

  "I fear that madness has gotten into him, every word that came out of his mouth was nothing but grunts or an incoherent noise." I muttered, my shoulders hanging low.

  I'm sitting ontop of a food crate that was airdropped last week. Of course, it was empty. Can't even have anything good here.

  "An army marches on their stomach they said." I laughed bitterly, reflecting the predicament that we found ourself in.

  The days were hard, one minute you'll be playing card games with your buddies. The next? All that you could see was black, and the warm red liquid that stained your hand.

  "I couldn't even believe we made it this far, the people that I met have rarely lasted this long. And the only person I knew long enough was gone, exploded." My fingers drummed at the crate, trying to follow a folksong that I had remembered.

  The image of my partner being blown up by a landmine yesterday was still lingering inside my mind, poor bloke didn't had time to comprehend what happened, just like that.

  "Poof." I made an exploding gesture with my hands. My heart felt like it was stabbed whenever I remind myself of the fact that he's gone.

  ___

  The voice of another man spoke.

  ___

  "Things hasn't been really great for all of us, it was a great man that we lost back there. A lad that will be missed, and he'll be remembered alright. Sooner or later, hopefully and eventually, the conflict would come to an end. Hang in there." My voice was firm, but deep down I knew that even if the conflict ended, whether we lose or be victorious. We'll gain nothing but lose a part of ourselves.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The events I've witnessed beforehand was soul crushing, but as a leader. I must stand firm in my beliefs, and my soul, hard as iron.

  But even with that, I felt what everyone felt. A tightness in my chest, and a weight of a thousand bricks.

  There were nothing that we could do, I would help the local populace, but our own supplies were running out.

  Desserting wasn't an option either, I've seen my own men desserting, and to be grimly reunited a week later with their deceased body.

  Within my soul was a conscience one that cling to whatever's was left, a tightness in my chest and a thousand bricks I carried inside my conscience. Stoic, was an expression I needed to keep up.

  I couldn't blame them, even though command said I need to enforce discipline, I can't bring myself to harm my own men. Morale was already low, and for that to happen? Is a death sentence for the entire squad.

  My hands slipped into the pockets of my cargo pants. I was left wondering what I could've done differently. Plans, and assaults—all of that was impossible now. I wouldn't say it outright. But every one of us knew that we're trapped in this outpost.

  ...

  I don't even know the names of my own men, even the one I'm talking to. A soft exhale came out. I'll admit it, I was too lost inside my own thoughts.

  ?) "I haven't got your name, you're...?" I noticed that he's playing a familiar tune. A nagging tune that I couldn't remember.

  "M--h-el." A simple monotone response, devoid of any tone.

  ?) "Mi--a-- as in the archangel? That's interesting." It was a common name. But anything to struck up a conversation.

  "Yeah, that's right."

  ...

  "You know, I'm a bit curious, don't get me wrong. I don't want to end up in your bad side, but how'd you end up here? Heard you're from a well-off family." He said, curiousity got the better of him.

  For a moment, there was only silence. The rustle of the bushes seems to grow louder than usual, and the occasional twig snapping could heard from somewhere inside the woods.

  ?) "Alright, you're brave, I'll tell you that. But fine, I'll give you a bit of my backstory. Though, don't get personal with me." I raised an eyebrow at his question, but then again. At least it was something to talk about.

  "I won't. I've been here long enough to know that getting attached to someone is a bad idea." He muttered quietly.

  ?) "Smart, considering what happened to your buddy. It wasn't a surprise" I chuckled, trying to make a light of the situation.

  ?) "I won't keep you waiting, I'm B--a. It was a year ago or so. I used to be a teacher in -----m-, until everything turned for the worst. I teached about biology, math, and just about all of your nightmares. I had a steady job, yes, but of course, it all changed when the conflict started. At first, I wasn't minding much attention to it. I thought that it would be resolved diplomaticaly, how wrong I was to think of that. Just after I was finished teaching my class, I was approached by a recruiter, and as expected, drafted me. That's how I got here." I haven't realized that I was fidgeting a magazine, turning it over and over again. Inspecting it as if it was a lost treasure.

  M--h--- soaked in what I've just said, occasionally nodding.

  ?) "So, how'd you end up here?" Asked him back, getting to know each other was something I'm looking for. Even if it was temporary, I wish for a sense of humanity.

  "It was a long story, I would say that I tried to avoid the draft. But at the end? I still couldn't avoid it. I used to be a mechanic in my pa's shop, one day, I'll open up something like his shop." He softly exclaimed.

  "It might just be a dream, but it's not wrong to chase it. After this conflict ends, it's something I'm looking forward to do. Shells're flying left and right here. Can't really open up a shop here, could I?" He laughed.

  ?) "Ahh, good idea. There's still hope in you, yeah? That's nice. I would be lying if I said I'm not hoping to sit down infront of a TV, in a cold room, comparable to the antartic." Even I couldn't help it and laughed.

  "Who's not looking for that? I'd cut the cold room though. I would replace it with a heater instead, haven't you got your lesson here? Every night feels like the cold endless space." -ich-el replied, with a slight tug forming at the corners of his mouth.

  ?) "You've got a point there, -ic----. A nice hot glass of milk will hit just right. Don't tell anyone else here. But Personally, I'm growing tired of the MREs." My thoughts were going out unfiltered, I don't even care if they question my capabilities. It's nice to have someone to talk to.

  "Well, isn't that iro—" His sentence were cut short when the noise of branches crunching grew louder.

  The duo grabbed their rifle.

  M-chael jumped from where he was seated and was followed suit by B-ra, running to notify the other men stationed at the outpost.

  The noise grew louder and louder. The origin was somewhere beyond the treeline. Yet nothing could be seen. Until, that is, when an outline of a figure was spotted sprinting in the distance, trying to get by the outpost.

  Mich--- and B-ra pointed their rifle at it, tracing its movement. Whether this is a friend or a foe, they're not taking any chances.

  The familar noises of crack and pops ensues after an order issued by -era.

  ?) "FIRE AT WILL!" His voice echoing throughout the outpost.

  The camera soon unfollowed the duo. Shooting past the outpost, approaching the treeline at rapid speed.