"Here I am once more," I announced, as the two trembling soldiers led me. One of them even let out a shriek upon hearing my yawn. Once the door was firmly shut behind me, the soldiers dashed off.
'ha-ha….' The one source of amusement in this job is witnessing the fear etched on people's faces.
The space inside the vehicle resembled the last time I was here, though the previous day's drool and vomit stains had been meticulously cleaned up.
A week had elapsed since that harrowing ordeal, and I thankfully had not encountered the deranged woman since then. Even though the external wounds from the torment had fully healed, the lingering pain was akin to being on the verge of tears. That night, I allowed myself to shed numerous tears, until the point of exhaustion. However, the crazy woman's subsequent feast upon those tear-soaked napkins made everything weird.
Fortunately, I experienced a relatively tranquil week. My heart nearly skipped a beat when the elevator doors slid open, anticipating the arrival of that maniac. However, relief washed over me as it was merely a random soldier assigned to guide me to my chamber.
For the past week, my days consisted of mandatory exercise routines and engrossing myself in e-books. I had long since given up on paper books, finding them incompatible with my outsized hands, as I struggled to turn the delicate pages. One certainty was that each book I consumed was funded by the empire, as I did not receive a salary for risking my life. Thus, the provision of these books seemed the least they could offer me in return.
The abundance of available literature ensured that I would likely meet my demise before managing to exhaust them all. Acquiring comic magazines with ease, without the need to wait for the monthly delivery to my cottage from my mother, was yet another perk. To my surprise, I even discovered the iconic kangaroo book that my mother had gifted me just before my farewell, and observed that its sales figures were impressively high, which reveals much about the taste of the humans.
I harbored a desire to indulge in a pastime known as video games, but it seems that the Ulin Empire, hailing from across the sea and ushering in advancements in the realms of aviation, automobiles, and technological progress in general, somehow lacked the means to fashion a controller suited to my gargantuan hand size. Similarly, I coveted a smartphone, the Empire restricted such access, citing reluctance to enable communication with humans.
Despite certain restrictions, I was granted the privilege of watching television during my leisure hours, under the condition that such activities were conducted within the confines of my allotted free time, of course.
Alas, the confines of my room in the vehicle provided little in the way of entertainment. My only furnishings consisted of a table attached to the wall and a bed, as the very essence of riding in this colossal vehicle inherently denoted the imminent prospects of warfare rather than a relaxing escapade.
Two days prior, I received a directive to ready myself for an impending deployment to the third region, where a joint endeavor with the third division would unfold, aimed at rescuing refugees hailing from the tenth region, which had regrettably succumbed to Aloki's dominion.
The objective of this mission did not encompass the recovery of the Tenth region nor the elimination of Aloki's presence therein. The only goal was to extricate as many refugees as feasibly possible. Given the ongoing circumstances, it seemed that the Empire lacked the resources to squander manpower from the Eastern faction of its empire.
Months prior, in the battle during the Fifth region on the western border, a significant loss befell the empire -- the commander of the Tenth Division fell victim to the advanced Aloki. The misfortune befell the already sparse Tenth region, where few soldiers were present to defend it, as it was suddenly assailed by the Aloki forces, resulting in a swift defeat.
The voyage to reach the Tenth region is estimated to span approximately six hours, and the commencement of the mission shall not take place until two days henceforth, with the arrival of a diminutive team from the Sixth Division complementing the First Division, thereby ensuring the involvement of all four divisions in the mission.
In the absence of any entertainment within this room, there was little recourse but to surrender to sleep. My body succumbed to the bed, and I prepared to venture into the realm of dreams.
Suddenly, at the very instance I closed my eyes, a quiet yet discernable sound pierced the air — the rhythmic 'step, step, step' of someone cautiously approaching my room. It was evident that the individual was attempting to muffle the sound of their footsteps, as they moved stealthily, their presence barely perceptible.
I failed to identity the person solely from their footsteps, but there was a singular individual aboard this vehicle who dared to stride towards my room. Mere rumination over her personage caused my body to quiver and my heartbeat to escalate.
The sounds drew closer and closer, steadily approaching my door, only to cease once they reached it. I yearned for my solitude, fervently praying that her presence was merely a chance occurrence, a mere passage. Oh, please, Commander Bera, do not enter. I implore you to respect my wishes to remain unperturbed until our arrival in the Tenth region.
Several minutes elapsed, and no development occurred. My door remained firmly shut, but I could discern the sound of labored breaths emanating from behind it. It appeared that the Commander was grappling with her impulse to enter my sanctuary.
"Please" I silently implored, "conquer this perverse yearning and allow me reprieve."
In the aftermath, her sigh echoed with a substantial weight, before she ultimately resumed her journey.
The entire episode had filled me with trepidation, my joints quivering in fear of what the deranged Commander might have done, and now a sense of relief washed over me.
I dare not shut my eyes, remaining vigilant on my bed, acutely aware of the lurking danger. Her steps were slowly receding, only to halt briefly and then gradually approach my room again. My heart raced in response, faster than the first time.
Before long, her footsteps abruptly ceased, followed by a feeble noise – a sound like a slap echoing through the corridor.
As the corridor was devoid of any other presence besides her, it became evident that the Commander had resorted to self-inflicted slaps to restrain herself from engaging in imprudent actions.
Her voice echoed through the corridor, proclaiming, "I'll come check on you later," before her hurrying footsteps faded away.
Should I feel relieved that she's left, or unnerved by her statement of a future visit?
Is this my existence now?
With that thought sinking in, I reluctantly closed my weary eyes, fervently hoping that the Commander would not harass me even in the realm of dreams.
Initially, I surmised that my actions in the council chamber would warrant a harsh punishment, execution. Yet, it appears that the Emperor did not condemn me for my outburst, instead recognizing the justifiable cause behind my fury. Thus The only consequence inflicted was the blows I sustained from Commander Khato's assault.
However, enduring the company of this deranged woman surpasses any prior torment.
This is now my life, yet I silently plead, "Please, oh please, do not pursue me even in the realm of dreams, Commander."