Blood of innocence.
Screams of fallen soldiers.
Despair of the dead. This is what remains after the war ends. The soil soaked in bloodshed while the ashes of burning corpses spread in the atmosphere.
This is the world of warriors.
A voice came from behind. I turned around and saw a soldier fallen on the ground.
I slowly moved towards him. His body was injured like hell — his right hand torn off, his stomach wide open, part of his intestines spilling out. His jaw was broken, tongue cut, unable to speak — just making horrible choking sounds. His eyes held both hope and despair at the same time, looking at me as if I could save him.
I noticed the symbol on his torn clothes — an enemy soldier.
Even with all that pain and suffering, I couldn't help but kneel down and try to help him. But then —
"Hey, Karthik."
The General and the King approached me.
The General says, "Hey Karthik, get away from him. He is an enemy."
Karthik says, "The war is over now. He is just a human, and he needs treatment."
The General says angrily, "Oh, so you're defying my orders? It's true that the war is over, but that doesn't mean we should spare the enemy."
Karthik says, "No one is our—"
The King interrupts, "Karthik, back off and go back." His voice carried authority.
Karthik replies, "But Majesty—"
The General interrupts again, "Oh? So now you're defying His Majesty?"
The King says firmly, "That's enough."
The King looked at Karthik with a face of unquestionable command.
Karthik lowered his head in anger, clenched his fists, and walked away.
The hopeful eyes of that soldier faded into pure sorrow.
Slowly walking towards the castle, Karthik could still hear it.
The General squatted down beside the fallen soldier, pulling out his sword with a devilish smile.
He slowly pierced the blade into the soldier's exposed intestine, twisting it inside.
The soldier screamed in agony and despair — not just sound, but raw, unbearable pain — echoing horribly through the battlefield.
Karthik couldn't do anything. He just kept walking forward with hopelessness and guilt weighing heavy in his heart, the soldier's cries burning in his mind. He locked his trembling justice tightly in his fists.
And he just walked. He never stopped....
——
It was night.
In the middle of a silent forest, two men sat by a crackling campfire.
Karthik sat on a wooden chair, his face heavy with regret, eyes drowning in guilt.
He said, "I couldn't even save him... Ahhhh!" His voice broke into rage. "What type of warrior am I? You know… when that fucking General pierced him… at that moment, I could feel that soldier's pain in my own gut! Why do we have to kill… just to live in peace? Dammit!"
He kicked the metal bucket beside him with all his fury, sending it clattering into the darkness.
His face twisted with frustration and helplessness.
Charlie smirked in the firelight and said, "The world we live in… is a place where even atomic particles of soil are battlefields. It doesn't matter if war is declared or not. For us, anyone who opposes us… is the enemy. And they deserve a death so horrible… that even gods won't be able to comprehend it."
Karthik's eyes widened.
Those words struck deep, chilling his spine.
Charlie turned toward him, eyes cold, and said, "What? Shocking, right? I know you're thinking… what kind of monster I am. But you know what's the best part of being a soldier?"
He smiled darkly.
"You get to see your comrades die."
Karthik suddenly stood up, rage mixing with disbelief, and interrupted, "Hey Charlie! What the hell are you talking about?! Are you even listening to yourself?!"
Charlie suddenly shouted, "Yes! I know what I am saying!"
The night fell into sudden silence.
Karthik gazed at Charlie with slight tension in his eyes.
Charlie slowly turned around, his voice calming down as he spoke, "Do you know about the battle of Wana?"
Karthik replied, "Are you talking about the Wana land's battle?"
"Yes… the battle between us and the Wana kingdom," Charlie said. "We won… but we lost half our army in that battle."
Karthik, still confused, asked, "So what about it?"
Charlie lowered his head slightly and said, "I was also in that battle…"
Utter silence surrounded them.
Karthik kept gazing at Charlie, confusion written all over his face.
Charlie continued, "There was a girl in my team. Her name was Hyna. She was a very good fighter. We both helped each other so many times on the battlefield… became very close friends."
He paused, his breath heavy.
"One day, she told me her story… Her mother ran away with a landlord's son in their village after Hyna's father died. After that, she and her little sister were humiliated in the village… brutally beaten by that landlord in front of everyone. After that humiliation… she decided to join the military. She thought maybe… just maybe, her little sister would earn some respect because of her."
Karthik stayed silent, listening intently.
Charlie's voice softened but trembled. "Hyna and I became very close. Maybe… maybe even in love. I know it sounds absurd, falling in love in the middle of war… but it happened."
He took a deep breath.
"One day, our team split. My squad went east… hers went west."
Charlie's face darkened.
"When I came back from the eastern battle to the main camp…"
He paused for a long moment, breath shaky.
"I… I got to know… that the team which went to the west… were all dead."
Utter silence.
Karthik's eyes widened in shock. "What happened to them?"
Charlie's voice turned grim. "They were massacred. Every single member. The backup team… they brought back only limbs and chunks of human flesh. Some soldiers… were hanged upside down from banyan trees. Some had no limbs… some had no heads."
Charlie clenched his fists. "When I asked the general about Hyna… he told me she also died in that massacre."
He looked at Karthik with a twisted smile.
"But you know what's the most interesting part?"
Karthik couldn't find words.
Charlie whispered, his voice cold and broken, "Hearing the news of Hyna's death… was the best part of that battle. I would say… the bestest of alllll…"
Karthik's face filled with shock. He instantly said, "Hey, brother! Control… control… please sit down. I think your head is spinning."
He tried to comfort Charlie, but Charlie refused, shaking his head slowly.
Charlie said, "No, no… I am fine."