He couldn't help but run toward the deeper parts of the city, His fealty towards his country and to humanity may never falter, yet his mind cannot fathom this depression that is stretching his sanity like a garter.
As he ran aimlessly into the dark corners of the night, uncertainty spiraled within him, tightening his chest and quickening his pulse. He found himself standing in a secluded alleyway where shadows loomed large and grotesque against the walls, flickering light creating twisted shapes. For a moment, he could have sworn he felt eyes watching him, a sense of being preyed upon as if he was being hunted down like a wanted criminal surfaced in his mind. The air crackled with tension, thick enough to cut through with a knife, and just as he was about to close his eyes and thought he might fade into nothingness, the voices in his head all stopped, and a figure emerged from nothingness in front of him. Cloaked in the darkest of black, its piercing gaze hidden under the visor of its futuristic helmet locked onto him, a rush of both shock and confusion washed over him.
'Who's this guy? Is he from the special forces, cosplay, or perhaps alien? When did special effects become so good nowadays?' He rubbed his cloudy eyes trying to gain some semblance of clarity. Axel thought he had seen the figure multiple times but didn't remember a single shred of memory of the figure, not even in his childhood.
"You're not crazy, Axel," the figure declared, its voice indistinguishable, neither male nor female but its tone was full of passion, vigor, and the fighting spirit of humanity that he had lost. "Point your weapons not to a fellow man but to the sea of stars, where we will put the flag of humanity in every planet, every star, every galaxy, and even on this very existence itself. We might have fallen once but we have our arms and legs to help us rise again, this time with much more strength, this time with much more ingenuity, this time with much more unity than ever before! Let's surpass the glory of the past and make humanity great again!"
Axel couldn't help but shed tears, he knew the voice was right. What was the point of us fighting pointless wars with a fellow man? If only we could all band like what the figure in black said, he'd even imagine trading his pitiful existence for such a world. He was about to stand up, but the figure was already in front of him.
Before he could utter a word, the unknown figure released black dust-like particles that clung to his body, trying to envelop him whole. At first, he thought it was a biochemical attack, so he tried to dodge it, however, he felt something cold yet soothing at the same time within his skin. It surged through his veins, a torrent of strange sensations washing over him like a euphoric rush. He even couldn't help but let out a groan of comfort.
As the cold material seeped through his cells, blood, bones, and organs even to his consciousness, Axel felt every ache and pain dissipate, as if each particle meticulously tuned his body, reinforcing his resolve. The weariness vanished, replaced by an exhilarating current racing through him. Each heartbeat hammered with newfound energy; each breath filled his lungs with life instead of despair. The world around him felt alive in ways he had never noticed before, filled with colors so vivid they seemed to glow. He was surprised and felt happy at the same time.
His sensory organs were all simulated, an amazing feeling as if in the bed of clouds and the warmth given by the first sunrise in spring. Lost in his inability to tell the time, he found himself reminiscing about the moments he shared with the woman he loved. He recalled their innocent nights spent gazing at the stars, whispering sweet nothings to each other, completely free of worries and cares in the world.
After untangling himself from his revelry, he looked at the figure in black and asked while clenching and unclenching his fist.
"Thank you, that thing you gave me just now was amazing. Sir, I know that I've made an unsatisfactory performance on one of my missions but I'm ready to be a ghost operator if this is what the country and the people need me for."
The figure shook its head then told him, "I didn't hand you any paperwork or intelligence report just now, didn't I? Soldier, what if I told you that I would put the lives of humanity itself on your shoulders right now, would you believe me?"
Axel's eyes shook violently, his heart trembled like a boat in a violent storm at what he heard, and he scrambled to reply hastily. He was acutely aware that this could be the biggest operation he would ever be a part of and possibly his last because deep within him, he just wanted to be done with it all and sacrifice himself for the people, this was a lie he forced down his throat, but he knew himself that death might be the sweetest release on his despairing heart.
"Sir, I'm ready to proceed. I can go to the designated checkpoint of the briefing right away."
The figure walked past him and patted his shoulder, the pat almost made him lose his balance, but he stood still, the figure was a tad shorter than him, but he wondered where such strength came from.
"Rest is what you need, I've seen those dead eyes feigning bravery just waiting for their bodies to be sacrificed to the Grim Reaper so many times, I need a man who can strategize, command, and execute, not a cannon fodder who will just run towards his death."
Shame washed over Axel as he absorbed those words. He couldn't dispute them as deep inside him, he recognized that his mindset was still in complete disarray. He realized that the things that had enveloped him earlier were genuinely effective, as he felt his hidden injuries healing at an astonishing rate. When he touched his face, he was astonished to find that all the scars had vanished as well as all the sluggishness, tiredness, and stress. Realizing that the unknown particles helped him but still having thought of Elise from time to time, he knew this was now up to him to change his depressive mind.
Axel's eyes followed the visage of the figure as it walked under the light of the lamp on the empty alley they were at, and just as he was about to call out, the figure disintegrated into nothingness right in front of his eyes, it was like pages of a book that flew in the air bit by bit until nothing is left. He pondered what to do, as he knew the figure was right that he was not fit for service in his current state.
He walked back to his apartment door, then opened it with a click. He saw himself in front of a mirror looking very disheveled, his clothes in disarray, and his face unshaven for more than a year with a scraggy beard, he almost looked like a homeless person even though he wasn't really financially lacking, yet, the first thing he tried to do was smile. It was a forced smile that you can see in every person who was forced to join a photograph, yet for him, it was a smile that would give back the lost humanity inside him.
While he was feeling his supple-looking face, he decided to start the change right away. He grabbed a few bucks scattered on the floor and headed to the nearest grocery store. Once home, he prepared a simple meal of sautéed shrimp with garlic, butter, and pasta, a dish he had always cooked for Elise, never for himself. But now, he knew he needed to confront his memories and get rid of these distractions. Cooking this meal alone felt bittersweet, yet it was an essential step in his journey to move on from Elise and learn to enjoy his own company. He then had a shower, shaved his beard, and slept early yearning for the new day to come.
Unbeknownst to him in his sleep, a sudden notification rang on his mind.
[Analogue System: Initiating…]
[Sector: Milky Way Galaxy]
[Quadrant: A0000]
[ID Number: (Redacted)]
[Welcome Back! (***********) Axel Collins]