Borne felt as if his head was about to explode, the pain unbearable.
He groggily woke up from his sleep, his vision still blurry, but the pounding headache was like a hammer relentlessly striking his skull, making it nearly impossible to think.
Clenching his teeth, Borne forced himself to get up from the straw mat, stumbling out of the tent.
Once outside, without caring about his surroundings, he found a random corner, leaned against a tree, and bent over, starting to vomit violently.
The alcohol from the night before surged back up, making his stomach churn as if in turmoil.
The intoxication had fully worn off, but the resulting hangover left his head feeling like it was splitting apart.
Fragments of what happened last night floated in his mind; he vaguely remembered drinking a lot.
Then, Dilon and Victor seemed to have taken him to the river to sober up, but what happened afterward, he couldn't recall at all.
After he finished vomiting, Borne weakly leaned against the tree trunk, breathing heavily.
The pounding in his head lessened slightly, but his body still felt utterly exhausted.
He wiped his mouth and looked around, noticing that dawn had yet to break, and the camp was still shrouded in darkness.
The air was thick with the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of post-battle, laden with the scent of blood.
The camp was silent now, except for the occasional quiet breathing of the soldiers, making the place seem eerily calm.
Inside the tent, his comrades were still fast asleep.
Borne thought about returning to sleep, but as he glanced around, his eyes fell upon a figure not far away.
By the campfire, a lone figure sat, the flickering flames casting shadows behind him, stretching his silhouette.
Borne blinked and recognized the familiar shape.
It was their captain, Khazik.
Rubbing his still aching forehead, Borne gave up on returning to sleep and slowly walked toward the campfire.
His footsteps were light and slow, careful not to disturb the silence.
"Captain, you're still awake this late?"
Borne asked softly as he approached Khazik.
Khazik turned his head slightly upon hearing the voice, showing a trace of weariness in his expression.
His eyes remained calm, reflecting the flames from the campfire.
"Can't sleep."
Khazik's voice was low, devoid of much emotion.
He patted the spot next to him, signaling Borne to sit down.
Borne hesitated for a moment but eventually complied, sitting beside Khazik.
The firelight flickered across their faces, and Khazik's weathered, battle-hardened face seemed even more worn and exhausted under the glow.
Khazik glanced at Borne, catching the lingering scent of alcohol.
"If you can't handle alcohol, don't drink."
Khazik said this lightly.
Borne felt a bit embarrassed, knowing the captain was right, but he didn't offer an excuse. Instead, he simply smiled wryly and rubbed his forehead, saying nothing more.
Silence stretched between them again, with only the crackling of the fire breaking the stillness of the night.
Suddenly, Khazik turned his gaze back to the flickering flames and broke the silence.
"Bush and Gommern have been cremated?"
Borne nodded slightly, his voice low.
"Yeah."
Khazik stared into the fire, his expression momentarily distant, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Bush and Gommern's deaths had clearly dealt him a heavy blow.
"They were with me the longest."
Khazik sighed softly, his tone laced with a deep, suppressed sadness.
He paused, then, almost as if speaking to himself, asked quietly,
"Do you think I'll die here in the Celestoria Mountains?"
The sudden question caught Borne off guard, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
He opened his mouth but realized he had no answer.
Khazik didn't seem to mind Borne's silence, nor did he expect an answer.
His gaze remained on the campfire as he muttered softly.
"Once this operation is over, we should be able to go home, right?"
Borne still didn't answer. He looked at Khazik's profile, the once-strong and steady captain now seeming fragile.
Every victory on the battlefield came with sacrifices and pain, and they were merely a part of this relentless war.
The campfire flickered in the breeze, casting a warm glow over the two of them in their silence.
"Maybe," Borne finally said quietly, though he wasn't sure if the word carried any real meaning.
The silence returned between them for a long while, neither breaking it, until Khazik suddenly spoke again.
"Hungry? I'll get something to eat."
Khazik's voice was low but filled with care.
Borne was about to decline when his stomach betrayed him with a couple of growls, undermining his attempt to appear strong.
Khazik stood up, dusted off his pants, and headed toward his tent.
He soon returned with a piece of black bread and half a sausage, tossing them to Borne.
Borne, reacting quickly, caught the food, the weight in his hands reminding him how hungry he actually was.
He looked up at Khazik, concern in his voice.
"Captain, aren't you hungry?"
Khazik's eyes reflected his weariness as he responded calmly.
"You eat first."
Borne glanced down at the black bread and sausage in his hands, hesitating for a moment.
But the fatigue in his body reminded him how much he needed the sustenance.
He tore into the bread, taking a bite. The bread was dry and hard, but he didn't care at this point.
Khazik sat back down by the fire, his eyes fixed on the flames, saying nothing.
The hardships of battle and the pain of losing comrades weighed heavily on both of them, a silent burden they shared.
As Borne slowly ate, he found himself glancing at Khazik, seeing the deep lines of thought etched into his captain's face.
"Captain..." Borne started, but then stopped, unsure of what to say next.
He wanted to offer some comfort but didn't know how.
"Focus on eating," Khazik interrupted before Borne could continue, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Borne blinked, then bowed his head and took another bite of the dry bread.
The firelight danced on his face, casting soft shadows as he chewed in silence.
Once he finished, Borne stood up straight, gave Khazik a proper military salute, and said quietly,
"Thank you, Captain."
Khazik nodded, his expression softening slightly as he motioned for Borne to head back to rest.
Borne turned and slowly made his way back to the tent.