That Journey of Mine

"Huh,"

"so this is how it all ends....?!"

"my Journey's climax.....(smiled)"

A land filled of dry bushes and broken branches and...

"Blood...."

"I am losing a lot of blood and ...i can't feel my left side.....ugh! "

The soldier, a broken figure, lay amidst the charred wreckage. His left side, a horrific wound, was a stark reminder of the battle's brutality. His eyes, once filled with pride and purpose, now dimmed, losing their light. His mind, once sharp and clear, was now clouded by pain, each thought a tormenting echo. 

Unable to move his body, he gave up on the thought of surviving. But....

"move you stupid body of mine....!"

He dragged his battered body along the ground, using only a single, bleeding hand for support. Finally, he leaned against a jagged boulder, its rough surface holding him upright.

"Aw... shit! My lucky toe is gone," he chuckled, 

a strange glimmer of humor lighting his weary eyes. The absurdity of it made him laugh, the sound raspy and defiant against the grim reality of his condition. 

Even in this moment, with death looming, he found a way to make himself chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all.

『BOOOOMMM!!』

A large crackling sound attracted his attention and returned his sanity for a bit.

"AHHHHH!"

"Help! Please!"

"Get down!"

"NO!"

He turned his sight towards the battlefield he was a part of.

The sight of his surrounding is now as clear as day to him. The sound of bullets and airstrikes which feels like raging thunderstorm is now audible to him. The body which was losing it's hot blood and was turning cold and pale senses the heat of destruction again.

「Uff.... just get done already you dumb comrades.」 He muttered and closes his eyes as if going to sleep. But focusing on his now sensitive ears.

The air crackled with explosions, punctuated by the haunting cries of pain and terror.

"Medic!"

"Run!"

"God, no!"

Each scream of falling soldier brings a desperate plea, echoing across the chaos of the battlefield.

The once echoing battleground suddenly fell into a haunting silence. In that stillness, a hurtful smile crept across his face, as if he were ready to open his eyes and embrace whatever fate awaited him. He savored these precious moments of peace.

But then, 

the silence shattered. 

**"Screeeeeeeeeeeeechhhhhhhhhhhh...!!!"**

The sound clawed at his brain, tearing through the quiet and piercing his heart. It was a familiar, agonizing wail—the metallic beast slicing through the air,

its presence a harbinger of doom. 

It ripped through the clouds, a monstrous shape defying gravity, carrying with it the weight of destruction. The roar echoed in his mind, a reminder of chaos lurking just beyond the horizon, ready to unleash its wrath upon the world below. In that moment, the calm was gone, replaced by the relentless specter of violence.

That sound, which stole his last flicker of hope for victory and survival, grew closer and closer. 

"Zapppp!" 

It passed overhead in the blink of an eye, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. Even on this bright sunny day, a flash erupted in the sky, an ominous beacon of destruction.

"A fu*k*ng airstrike?!" he gasped, disbelief washing over him. "Are you serious?!!" 

Panic surged through him as he realized the gravity of the situation, the impending doom looming larger than life. The weight of despair settled heavily on his chest, each breath a reminder of the chaos that was about to unfold.

「They say when you're about to die. The time kind of slows down . It gives you a quick flashback of your whole life. Some wonderful moments, some haunting experience, reminder of your mistakes and big achievements and ofcourse.... 」

"Guilt" [mutters but it echoes in his heart]

「We the first line of defence was supposed to guard a post which is the potential point of invasion for my country. A team composed of only veterans which is supposed to be unbeatable and ever victorious was guarding this yard」

「But..... we failed so miserably.」

"hey Motherland, my homeland, 

As I stand at the edge of death, 

I who failed in your defence and let the enemy in your pure lands.

As I march into your Embrace for eternal sleep I beg for your forgiveness,"

A single tear falls from his eye, a look of self-loathing etched across his face as he displays his loyalty to his motherland.

"I am still a sore loser huh..! "

「I don't want to die yet though」 - he wished in his heart.

『The airstrike, descending upon the already burning land, finally made contact with the ground. It seemed to slow in its descent, as if granting a son a final moment to bid farewell—or perhaps to instill even deeper fear and terror in those awaiting their end, souls already broken and resigned to their fate....』

"If it is my fate then...so be it" A broken figure swallowed by flames. Turns in dust**..

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"Oh my little lost knight. You're not the one to be bound by fate as you're the fate of my world.

Oh the hero of a peaceful world or should i call you **ll#%+n &**h*₹ wo€£$¿*. 

May you be the one who redeems your own guilt or be the reason of others misery and resentment.

As this is your own.... "That Journey of Mine""

"Welcome to the land of 'URVI'"