Mikael smiled while looking at her. "She's exactly my type, simple yet elegant."
"But I'm still surprised that someone commissioned me to draw her; I can't even get an idea of how to draw her. She's already perfect, in my opinion..." Mikael murmured while brushing lightly over the picture of her in the comic.
Mikael's daydreaming was interrupted by the sudden notification on his phone. This notification wasn't an ordinary notification; it was an emergency.
Mikael immediately put down the comic book and checked his phone. The notification was red, and it filled half of the screen of his phone.
[ !ALERT! ]
{ We have received an urgent request from Korea and Japan to help them in any matter and in any way necessary. Brave and loyal people of our nation! Prepare for departure in two days! }
Mikael widened his eyes and said, "Oh shit, I have to finish this commission fast."
...
- 2 Days later -
Inside the military aircraft that carries around 500 soldiers on their way to Korea to provide support and manpower, Mikael can be seen sitting with a nervous expression on his face, and his friend John is sitting beside him.
John was equally as handsome as a model; his parents were rich; they owned all 4-star and 5-star hotels in their city. He could have avoided military duty because of his parents' influence. But his personality... Well, let's just say he was a man of culture.
And because of his personality, his parents didn't have a choice and sent him to the military, hoping their son's behavior would change. John helped Mikael a lot when his parents died.
Seeing the nervous and restless look on Mikael, John nudged him and said, "What's wrong, Mike? Are you afraid? Don't worry, most people here are afraid too, including me. This is our first time going to the battlefield, after all."
Mikael sighed and looked toward John. "It's not just that."
"Then?" John asked again, this time with curiosity.
Mikael looked around and noticed that most of the soldiers near him were asleep before answering in a low voice, "I didn't finish that commission!"
"Which one?" John asked with a confused expression.
"The one you sent me," Mikael answered while massaging his forehead.
"No fucking way!" John exclaimed in a surprised tone. He was speechless and dumbfounded at the same time.
"I can't do it, dude, I just can't. There's no way for me to change her design; she's already perfect," Mikael said, ignoring John's mumbled curses.
"But dude, that commission was five thousand dollars for each image you created!" John suddenly said, beside his face.
After hearing that, Mikael looked at John with wide eyes and said in a low, angry tone, "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!"
"I forgot," John said while putting on an innocent face.
Mikael sighed and said, "Forget it. Like I said before, I can't do anything, nor do I have any imagination to make any changes to her. Besides, I don't have much time before we get deployed, right?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Who is she, anyway?" John said while leaning back.
Mikael leaned back as well and answered, "Death Of The Endless..."
John chuckled and said, "No wonder you're having a hard time; she's the worst character in DC. Man, that guy who makes the commission must have been one hell of a guy."
"Hmm? Even though she's a Goth, you don't like her?" Mikael asked him.
"Nope, she's too flat," John said nonchalantly.
"No wonder you never had a girlfriend," Mikael said while chuckling.
"As if you ever had a girlfriend, asshole," John retorted, and then they shared a small laugh.
Mikael sighed and said, "I think she's my favorite character, John."
"Weirdo."
"I don't care," Mikael said nonchalantly, and soon both of them drifted off to sleep, reserving their energy for whatever might come tomorrow.
...
- 1 Year Later -
War... War changes a man. It doesn't matter where they came from or what they did before war; once they experience war, they're bound to change. War doesn't spare anyone. Once you are on the battlefield, your wealth, fame, and influence become like dust floating in the air.
The same goes for Mikael; he is currently sitting at a long table with his squad and two other squads in the cafeteria provided by the Korean government for them, eating dinner at 1 a.m. after completing their mission.
But all of them were eating the food with lifeless eyes and expressions. This included Mikael and John, who were sitting in front of him, eating in the same manner as the others.
Some of them even eat with their shaking hands, spilling all the food that they're supposed to eat.
"Three months ago, we lost four squads. And now... we lost another two," one of his squadmates at the table suddenly said while looking at his food. Indeed, the reason for their behavior was that tonight they had just lost two squads during their mission.
The mission was brutal and gruesome; these two squads were sacrificed just for the mission to be successful. Now, all the remaining three squads that survived and came back safely felt a heavy guilt in their hearts.
The other squadmates at the table just ignored him and didn't say anything because they felt the same way he did. Sometimes, in situations where lives are lost, silence is the best answer.
Suddenly, the second lieutenant who commanded their platoon barged into the cafeteria and shouted, "Attention!"
The soldiers, including Mikael and John, immediately dropped their utensils and stood up in a straight posture.
The lieutenant then stood in the middle of the cafeteria and began speaking, "Well done on the mission today. We lost many good men and friends, but don't let their sacrifice be in vain! Understood?"
"Sir! Yes, Sir!"
The lieutenant nodded and continued, "Now, we have received an emergency mission from the higher-ups. They want us to provide manpower at the border between Russia and Norway. We'll leave tomorrow, understood?"
"Sir! Yes, Sir!"
"Dismissed!" The lieutenant then left the cafeteria; some of the soldiers continued eating while others just stood in their places like statues, and some went back to their rooms.
While Mikael and John just went back to their food and ate peacefully. But not long after, someone suddenly screamed in anger and threw utensils and plates around. His friend immediately held him to calm him down.
The soldier was screaming, and suddenly he slumped on the floor, crying, "My brother... my brother was in that squad."