Heavenly Redemption

Wind-speed, 5km/h to the right.I put my eye at 5cm relief from the scope, leaning my cheek against the pad. My vision merged, forming cross hairs in the vision before me.I took a deep breath in, held it for 10 seconds, and breathed back out. A warm-up routine to calm my nerves as I awaited the coordinates they would provide me.A solemn minute passed. Nothing sounded aside from a brief rustle of the leaves above and the birds chirping as they flew away. The sunlight gleamed against the overhung tree above me, providing ample lighting as I lay prone before my rifle."4823 7591," my signal set sounded off. I turned to look at the map beside me for a second before instinctively turning to the location and adjusting my rifle muzzle accordingly. As I looked through the scope again, an enemy tank appeared in my crosshairs."Sierra one to Hotel Quebec. Message over""Message Send, over""One Iron Horse spotted on a hill. No signs of vulnerabilities yet. Over."A moment of silence passed as I continued to monitor the situation silently, as it did not seem to change."Hotel Quebac to Sierra one, that is the enemy's commanding officer. Take note that your area's men have been eliminated; proceed with caution. Over."I took my eyes off the scope to survey my surroundings briefly to ensure I was safe. Bushes covered my immediate vicinity as a quasi-fallen covered me from airborne surveillance. In front of me was a sparse bush of leaves, allowing me to sneak my rifle muzzle through without being noticed.I turned my attention back to the tank, a dull green and black camouflage net plastered over its cold, hard body. Beneath were obsidian black plates glinting in the afternoon sun. Surrounding the tank were several infantries holding their weapons at the ready. I cannot afford to waste shots to get this man definitively. Any wrong shots result in him being evacuated swiftly. I took yet another deep breath to steady my breathing.Remain Calm. You only need one moment for the commander to step out of the hatch atop the tank.I thought to myself as I emptied my mind, readying for this moment.RustleI immediately turned my head around. A soldier in the same enemy green and black pattern stood in the corner of my eyes.As he brought his rifle up, I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the shot. I dived towards him, shoving him to the ground with my body weight. As he brought his rifle up once more, I pinned his arm down with my knee as I threw a punch to his face. However, I was thrown off in the next instant; his core strength was impressive. I used my leg to knock his rifle out of his hands as he managed to land a punch into my liver.A dry thud sounded as the impact pushed me back, but the vest helped absorb the impact. He took this opportunity and made a mad dash to the sniper rifle. I leapt off and grabbed him, managing to wrap my arms around his torso, swinging my body to slam him into the ground beside me. It must be that the target is out. I can't waste any more time on him. I got up, grabbed my rifle, and knelt, looking through the scope once more to realise that the commanding officer had emerged from the hatch."Romeo Niner to – "The instance I heard his signal, I turned and shot him in the chest. A 7.62 mm bullet from a sniper rifle into the chest is no way a bulletproof vest stops this, not at this distance. I pulled the cache to reload the rifle as I instantly looked back to the target at hand. Taking in a final deep breath as the cross-hairs stabilised. Considering the distance, I aimed the second line beneath the crosshairs right at the head and pulled the trigger as the crosshairs hovered over the target.Everything played out as planned as the man collapsed to the ground, soaking in a puddle of his blood as his soldiers and peers swarmed his motionless body. However, before the echoes of my shot could subside, another one rang into the wind, and I found myself with a growing warmth near my chest and a sharp pain that grew stronger and stronger. My ears started to ring as I found my legs too weak even to handle my weight.Before I knew it, I collapsed into the leaves littered ground beneath me. As I glanced back, I saw the man's motionless body, his hand holding the same rifle I struggled to keep away from him."Hotel Quebec to Sierra One, kill confirmed. Tango Yankee, Over and out." The radio crackled through the mist of pain enveloping me, each word piercing through the haze as my vision dimmed. The warmth of my uniform contrasted sharply with the coldness spreading through my veins, every heartbeat a reminder of the agony consuming me.In those fleeting moments, memories surged with the intensity of a raging storm. I saw myself as a child the day I embarrassingly soiled my pants in school—an innocence tainted by shame. Then, the triumph of acceptance into university, where the world seemed full of promise and potential.Studying engineering, getting my hard-earned first-class honours. And then, Arlene—her smile illuminating my darkest days, her laughter a melody that echoed in my heart. Meeting her was like finding a missing piece of my soul; loving her was the greatest joy I had ever known.But then came the searing pain of loss, her absence like a wound that refused to heal. The agony of her departure was etched deep within my being; each day without her, I struggled to find purpose and solace. And yet, fate led me to the army to become a sniper—a path that offered no solace, only the numbness of duty and the echoes of gunfire."Why, God? Why did you have to take her from me?" My silent plea echoed in the recesses of my mind, a desperate prayer to reunite with the love of my life. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring the images of past joys and present suffering.My final thoughts resonated with a bittersweet clarity as my vision faded: "Thank you for this beautiful life, Arlene." As my vision faded to black, a blink brought it back to life. A lightning strike tore through the open landscape, revealing a fleeting moment of the battlefield.Countless soldiers on horseback are surging forward, their armour clanking and weapons glinting with every strike of lightning into amalgamations of humanoid animals. A wooden siege tower levelled the wall I was on, burning as the scent of ash and rotten flesh permeated through the battlefield, creating a suffocating atmosphere as the sounds of the crumbling wood echoed through the air. I looked around to realise I stood upon a tall wall overlooking the war beneath. A bow and empty quiver in hand covered with dark red blood. Looking around, I realised the corpses of my kin accompanied me. As a streak of light shone through the overcast sky, the seemingly incessant rain red-cast as they mirrored the dawning sun. Pouring onto their lifeless bodies. Expressions devoid of life stared into my eyes, a familiar sight from a previous life. Screams of pain, agony, and orders seem to be in a familiar language. Yet, nothing could distract me from the one window in front of me: Main Quest: Save this nationInformation:A soul tarnished by the blood of countless others cannot ascend to heaven. In your past life, you have taken many lives, and the weight of those actions has stained your soul. The heavens have decreed that a chance for redemption is possible through an act of ultimate sacrifice and heroism. This war-torn nation stands on the brink of collapse, besieged by relentless enemies and plagued by internal strife. The people cry for salvation, their hopes dwindling with each passing day. To redeem your soul, you must save this country and these people. Only then can you be pardoned for your past transgressions. Reward: A life in heaven with Arlene