" Januha 1, In the year of Sarila - 906
Hi! It's me, Cassidy! And today is my birthday. Not a very pleasant one. WE HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY SHELLED SINCE THE 29TH. War is back, we had a truce from 12-25 and it was one of the calmest I've ever felt in this war. But now it's back and I'm 17 now! Woohoo! Happy birthday to me…"
Day by day, month by month, Cassidy grew less interested in the journal, the military was collapsing from all sides and the Nameians were winning. But she kept writing, as she clenched onto hope.
--
" Mayhen 19, In the year of Sarila - 906.
Hello. It's Cassidy, we've finally been issued steel helmets. It is clunky and uncomfortable. But I feel more secure and calm with it, under the constant threat of artillery. The Nameians have also started a bombing campaign across the countries within the Pact of Saliware. I hope you're alright."
--
" Mayhen 29, In the year of Sarila - 906.
Hello, Cassidy here, I haven't showered in 7 days but, apparently, Leidenschaft's fleet and the Nameian fleet are clashing over the Serpent Sea. There might be another war happening."
--
One day, during another charge into the enemy trench, Cassidy dropped her journal once again for the second time. But it was never picked up by the enemy. There it lies, on the muddy ground, believing to itself that its story has come to an end. But that journal lies - not giving up hope.
The Battle of Heisen Valley has long ended with no victors, while other areas saw massive combat, Heisen Valley started sprouting grass. The journal, dirty and moldy, sits there, refusing for its story to end.
But that day finally came, Octobrin 13, 909. A platoon of soldiers marches on the grassy plains of Heisen Valley. When Cassidy sees the journal once again. She picked up the old and ragged journal, looking like an old hand-me-down. She weeps as she sees the precious thing she ditched and abandoned, the only thing that reminds her of Jane Ingrid, but now, she's a completely different person after witnessing everything.
"Octobrin 13, In the year of Sarila - 909
Hi Jane, it's me, Cassidy. I've stumbled upon this very journal again as if it was fated for me to have it. After years of fights, I've seen much worse things than you could imagine. But now I'm fighting with soldiers from another nation outside the Saliware Pact, Leidenschaft. The Babooj Cat State's air force has also been helping us.
I've heard that small revolutions are happening in Nameia, the Republicans have taken over 20% of Nameia.."
There, her passion grew and the doubt of her dying started to disappear. Days passed, and eventually months, she started writing in the journal again, but unfortunately, there were only 9 pages left when she found it. So she was limited.
--
" Decembri 16, In the year of Sarila - 909
Hi Jane, it's me, Cassidy! Today I will be making a journal entry again. There have been no advances from both sides since 5 weeks ago, just endless slaughter. Our supply is at an all-time low, we have to rely more on traditional medics rather than mages. As their mana is constantly exhausted to the point where they die."
There, her writing was interrupted, a man shouting in pure happiness alerts the entire squad, "MEN AND WOMEN, WE ARE RETURNING HOME!"
He throws a bucket of newspaper into the ground. For a moment, the soldiers were speechless, but after a few seconds of silence, they all started screaming in pure joy that they started fighting over the newspapers. Cassidy managed to snatch one away, The contents of the newspaper were sophisticated, but the one that gave all the attention was:
"THE HESSO TREATY HAS BEEN SIGNED. THE END OF THE WAR IS SOON.| After 4 years of hard attritional warfare, both sides have been exhausted of their resources, the Nameian revolutionaries have taken over 50% of Nameia, with the Imperial family all killed also. Trentodaito and Terreland in the Saliware Pact have also been discussing leaving the Pact due to the total collapse of the economy. Delegates from both sides signed the Hesso treaty brokered by the Kingdom of Avillar.
The Babooj Cat State and the Leidenschaft Republic are dissatisfied, but their populace has also been starting to rise up with the People's Magic Revolution happening in Leidenschaft. The armistice is to take place on Decembri 25th, 909. 9:09 IM (in morning) Festive Eve. In accordance with the World Code, both sides would start to trade prisoners of war and the wounded."
Her heart drops, this is the most exciting news of her life. 4 years of suffering, finally ending. A lucky woman she is, surviving the brutal nature of war, poison gas, artillery bombardment, and constant machine gun fire.
There on the day of the armistice, 6:00 IM, across the continent, soldiers waited patiently. Scared and sweaty, the men and women are nervous. Cassidy sits there, contemplating everything she's ever done, and how to greet Jane again after all these years, wondering how will she go back to her everyday life.
".. We.. we are finally coming back home.. right..?" - a fellow comrade, trembling with anxiety while staring at a picture of his own family.
"Yes we are, yes we are!" - one of his friends replied back.
Out of nowhere, a huge barrage of artillery could be seen traveling across the sky in no man's land. The soldiers panicked and started taking cover.
"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" the commander shouts
A man screams - "SERIOUSLY!?!?! WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING US NOW IN THIS VERY MOMENT??!"
Terrified screams could be heard across the trenches of Saliware, it is their last stand now. When the trenches became silent, as the artillery stopped, every soldier got into their defensive position, where they saw a beast they'd never seen. Massive columns of pure steel going to them, the commander shouts- "EVERYONE! DUCK! THESE ARE LANDSHIPS-"
Before he could finish his sentence, he was blasted.
"COMMANDER EZEIKA!" - a terrified female soldier screams.
Everyone started taking cover, behind those tanks were soldiers marching, prepared to fight to the last man in the final hours. Cassidy, terrified for her life, began to weep while kneeling down and covering her head.
"ANTI TANK MAGES! ASSEMBLE!" A lieutenant shouted.
Soldiers carrying magic-wielding guns started firing on the tanks, each shot used a life source on their body on what's called "mana". One by one the tanks kept firing barrages of shells onto the trench, but they were being wiped out by magic-charged guns and artillery. While Cassidy still weeps, a dead mage lies in front of her, with the magic-charged semi-automatic rifle. She grabbed it and started firing relentlessly on the enemy; it somewhat worked, as Cassidy does possess mana, but in small quantities, where she slowly started getting weaker.
The enemies charged and jumped into the trenches, the tanks rolling over still alive men and women, crushing their bones and organs, leaving them as puddles of blood. Cassidy ditched the gun and grabbed her rifle, with a rusty bayonet attached, she charged at a Nameian soldier, "DIE DIE DIE!!" she screamed at the soldier as she pinned him to the ground with her rifle, the Nameian, desperately fighting for his life, screams in the Lowland Tongue, -"YOU BLOODY ANIMAL, GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Cassidy, with no hesitation, stabs him consecutively with her rifle, which he dies instantly. There, she was shot 3 times in the arm, she turned onto her back, and with the face of a barbarian, she charged at five Nameian soldiers, screaming, "ALL OF YOU SHOULD GO TO HELL, NAMEIAN DOGS!" When she started to fight each one of them, she grabbed the first guy and smashed his head against the wall. He died there, helmetless. She shot the second one with no hesitation, there she bolted her rifle, no more ammo. The third and fourth guys charged at her when she managed to stab the third and fought the fourth, there on the ground, she stabbed the fourth relentlessly back and forth in the heart, he screamed in terrible agony, and spat blood onto her face. There he lies, Bloody and lifeless. The fifth was a fresh recruit, scared and immature, he pointed his gun at her with a terrified face.
He screamed in Nameian, "Don't get near me! Vile woman!"
Cassidy walked up to him and grabbed his rifle, scared and immature, he let go and raised his hands, he said in Nameian, "I- I surrender!".
Cassidy calmly asked him, "How old are you?" in Nameian.
He says, "14!"
Cassidy took pity on him, so she shot his leg. "You won your life."
She lays on the ground beside him, weak and lifeless. She started to cry in pain and sorrow, "What monster have I become?". She started remembering her life, where she was bullied, and where she lost her parents. There she remembers, in the darkest pits of her life, a shine of brightness is always in the middle, Jane Ingrid, was always there for her, the only girl to talk to her.
Cassidy laughed while tears fell on her eyes, she stared at the sky, with her lifeless eyes. She pulled out the journal from her breast pocket, she wrote-
" Decembri 25, In the year of Sarila - 909.
Jane.. This is the final page of my journal, how are you? I'm fine. I think. Thank you for everything, I have always loved you, Jane. Remember, I'll always be there for you."
She closes her journal, it has finally ended, there she closes her eyes for the last time, smiling. A beautiful white dragon flies across the sky roaring, signaling the war has ended.
--
912, Yappite Peninsula, Saliware Pact.
Jane Ingrid is now perfectly healthy and recently got accepted to a prestigious school, where she sits on a rocking chair outside her house, with a beautiful scene, the grassy plains, and farmers. She sees a man in a military uniform, his ragged and dirty blue-gray tunic, he addresses her as "Ms. Jane".
"Are you Ms. Jane?"
Jane got nervous, "What seems to be the problem, sir.?"
"I'm Arlan Enberg. Part of the 401st Platoon, Saliware Pact Armed Forces. And… I believe this belongs to your friend.."
"W-what's this? She says."
"You should go check it yourself, it's from a friend of mine. Best of wishes to you, Ms. Jane."
Jane Ingrid opened the journal, and read everything one by one, tears fell into her eyes and she started crying, "Cassidy? So that's where you went? I'm sorry... I never knew.."
She cried harder and harder, each page, moldy and dirty, covered in blood, Jane was not disgusted. She kept reading. Arlan felt this was too awkward for her, so he excused himself. As he walks away, Jane rushes to him and shouts "THANK YOU! KIND SOLDIER"
He smiles and walks away, in the calm countryside. She looked into the bright sky and said softly, "Jane, I won't give up on life... I thought you disappeared, I even got your letter from Festive Eve 905."
There, a white dragon appeared and swirled through the known sky, roaring. tears could be seen falling from the dragon's eyes, for some reason, Jane could sense the aura of Cassidy, she looked up, smiled, and said,
"To you, 2 years later, I love you."