The Battle Begins.

As the second week of training began, we woke up before the crack of dawn, groaning as we stretched our sore muscles. We quickly got dressed and headed to the mess hall for breakfast.

"Come on, guys, we gotta push through the pain if we want to succeed," I said, trying to motivate my squad mates as we started our morning run.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up and run," one of them grumbled, but we all chuckled, knowing that we were all feeling the same way.

As we ran, the chilly air bit at our faces and our breath came out in visible puffs. We could feel the rough ground beneath our feet, and the sound of our footsteps echoed in the empty streets.

After a quick breakfast, we would spend hours honing our physical abilities, pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion. But we didn't stop there. After lunch, we would head to the classroom where Krystallea, our squad leader, would be waiting for us.

"Alright, listen up," she said as we all filed in, taking our seats. "Today, we're gonna be talking about the importance of discipline and focus on battle."

We spent the afternoon listening to her lectures, taking notes, and discussing what we had learnt with our fellow squad-mates. We learned about the fundamentals of soldiering, the core army values, army traditions and ethics, and what it means to be a soldier.

As the week progressed, we all grew increasingly tired and stressed. We were all determined to pass the second exam, but it was clear that some of us were struggling more than others.

"Come on, guys, we can do this," Niamh said, trying to rally us as we studied together late into the night. We could smell the stale coffee and the musty pages of our books, and our eyes were strained from staring at the text for too long.

As the second week of training came to a close, we took the exam and when the results were announced, Eirlys and Niamh had gotten full marks, while the rest of us barely passed.

Krystallea looked at us with a mix of pride and disappointment.

"I'm impressed with Eirlys and Niamh, they truly understood the material and demonstrated their knowledge on the exam." she said before turning her attention to the rest of us,

"But the rest of you, barely passing is not good enough. I expect more from you, and I'll be watching you closely in the coming weeks. I expect you to step up your game."

We all hung our heads in shame, knowing that we had let her down. We knew that we had to do better, to work harder, to become the soldiers that we were meant to be.

Krystallea stood before us, her eyes scanning the room as she spoke, her voice growing increasingly serious.

"Listen closely, soldiers," she began, her tone commanding.

"The next two weeks will be the toughest of your lives. We will be focusing on self-discipline, teamwork, combat skills, night training, hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, basic rifle marksmanship, and physical fitness. You will be pushed to your limits, both physically and mentally. You will be running miles in the middle of the night, carrying heavy loads on your back, crawling through mud and barbed wire. You will be learning how to disarm an enemy in hand-to-hand combat, how to shoot accurately in the dark, and how to work as a team in the chaos of battle."

"Dammit," Vestera muttered under his breath.

"We knew it wouldn't be easy," Xavien said, trying to rally the group.

Krystallea continued, "If you've got balls of steel, if you've got the courage to dig deep and unearth that inner fortitude, then you will emerge as fighters. fighters who are unshaken, unrelenting, and unstoppable in their quest for our freedom and the freedom of our kin."

Eirlys nodded, his voice steady and strong. "We've got this. Let's show them what we're capable of."

"But remember this," she continued, her voice ringing with a steely determination, "When you emerge from the other side, you will not just be soldiers, you will be warriors. Warriors who will fearlessly defend our people, our land, and our freedom. Warriors who will not back down, no matter the odds. Warriors who will be the guardians of our future."

Her words were like a beacon of hope in the darkness, giving us the strength and courage to face the challenges ahead. We stood a little taller, our heads held high, ready to tackle the next two weeks with everything we had. We were warriors, and we would not back down.

"Are you ready, soldiers?" Krystallea asked, her eyes shining with determination.

"Yes, Ma'am!" we yelled in unison, our voices ringing out across the training grounds.

From that moment on, we were all in, fully committed to the gruelling training ahead. We were ready to do whatever it takes to become the best soldiers we could be, to fight for what we believed in, and to make a difference in the world.

The next day began early, as usual, with a loud blaring of the alarm clock. We groggily stumbled out of our beds, rubbing the sleep from our eyes. "Come on, guys, rise and shine!" Krystallea shouted, her voice filled with energy.

We quickly got dressed and headed to the mess hall for breakfast, where we joked about how our bodies were still recovering from the previous day's intense training.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck," Vestera grumbled, as he spooned some oatmeal into his mouth.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Xavien replied, with a chuckle. "I think my muscles have muscles."

After our breakfast, we began our training in earnest.

"Ugh, why are we doing this again?" Darian grumbled as we started our warm-up exercises.

"Because we want to be able to run away from the enemy faster," Niamh quipped, eliciting a few chuckles from the group.

"And because it's better than being chased by the drill sergeant," Vestera added with a grin, earning a few more laughs from the group.

As we set off on our run, Xavien playfully nudged Eirlys. "Last one to finish has to buy the drinks tonight," he challenged.

Eirlys rolled his eyes. "As if I'm gonna let you win that easily," he shot back with a smirk.

The group fell into a steady rhythm, their footsteps pounding against the pavement in unison. "Come on, Darian, don't fall behind now," Niamh teased, trying to keep the mood light.

Darian grumbled in response but pushed himself to keep up with the group.

As the run came to an end, the group collapsed on the ground, panting and sweating.

"Alright, alright, that's enough rest for now," Krystallea called out, clapping her hands to get our attention.

"Let's move on to the next exercise: hand-to-hand combat."

The group groaned in unison but quickly got to their feet, ready to tackle the next challenge.

"Alright, who's ready to learn how to take down an enemy with just their bare hands?" Krystallea shouted, a fierce determination in her voice.

"I am!" Eirlys exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"I'm just hoping to not get taken down myself," Vestera quipped, earning a few chuckles from the group.

As we began to practice the new exercise, Krystallea walked among us, offering pointers and encouragement.

"Remember, it's not about brute strength," she reminded us. "It's about technique and strategy."

The group nodded in understanding, focusing on perfecting their moves as they sparred with one another.

by the end of the day, we all headed out to the training grounds, where Krystallea had set up a series of obstacles for us to conquer.

"Alright, soldiers, tonight we'll be working on your endurance," she shouted, as we lined up at the starting point.

"You'll be pushing yourself to the limit, sprinting through the dark with the weight of our people on your back, fearlessly forging ahead through mud and barbed wire. And you're going to do it all with grit, determination, and a steely smile on your face!"

"I never thought I'd miss crawling on the ground as a kid," Eirlys said, his voice filled with sarcasm.

We groaned and laughed, but we knew she was right. We had to push ourselves to the brink if we wanted to become true soldiers. So, we set off, running through the dark, our heavy packs weighing us down.

"Come on, Vestera, you can do this!" Xavien shouted as he passed his squad mate. "Don't encourage him, he's slowing us down," I quipped, with a laugh.

As the night wore on, our muscles ached and our bodies were covered in mud and sweat, but we pushed through the pain. We knew that we were in this together, and we were determined to succeed.

When we finally reached the end of the course, Krystallea was there to greet us, a proud smile on her face. "Good work, soldiers," she said, as we collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Alright, alright, that's enough rest for now," Krystallea called out, clapping her hands to get our attention. "Let's head back to the classroom and learn how to shoot accurately in the dark, and how to work as a team in the chaos of battle."

As we trudged back to the classroom, Vestera couldn't help but remark, "I never thought I'd be happy to be back in a classroom, but anything's better than crawling through mud and barbed wire."

Eirlys, who had been leading the pack throughout the obstacle course, added with a grin, "Yeah, but admit it, it was kind of fun in a twisted way, wasn't it?"

Niamh, who had been quieter during the training, chimed in, "As long as we come out of this as true soldiers, I'll crawl through mud and barbed wire every day."

As we settled into our seats, Krystallea began the next lesson. "Alright, now that you've all had a taste of the obstacles you may face in battle, let's work on how to shoot accurately in the dark, and how to work as a team in the chaos of battle."

As we practised, we couldn't help but tease each other about our shooting skills. "Come on, Darian, you're shooting like my grandma," Eirlys joked.

Darian retorted, "Well, excuse me for not being a sharpshooter like you, Eirlys."

Despite the friendly teasing, we were all determined to master these new skills, knowing that they could mean the difference between life and death in battle.

As the day came to an end, Krystallea looked at us with a proud smile, "Good work, soldiers. You've all come a long way. Keep pushing yourselves, and I have no doubt you'll all come out of this as true soldiers."

Exhausted but satisfied, we headed back to our quarters, ready for another day of training. But even as our bodies ached and our minds were weary, we couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie and excitement for what was to come.

The next day, our squad set out for the training grounds under the cover of darkness, our hearts racing with excitement and bodies charged with energy, eager to test our limits. But suddenly, a screeching alarm pierced the air, jolting us awake and signalling something was dreadfully wrong. Gunfire and explosions echoed from the distance as the base erupted into chaos.

"What in the hell is happening?" Vestera yelled, his voice quivering with fear.

"I don't know, man," Darian replied, his face etched with worry. "But it sounds fucking terrible."

Krystallea's phone rang, and her expression went from worry to stone-cold seriousness. We strained to hear snippets of the conversation, but all we could make out were terse and panicked words.

The alarm blared on, and my heart thundered with fear and adrenaline. We had trained for this, but nothing could have braced us for the reality of combat.

The base was under attack, and it was up to us to defend it, to protect our fellow soldiers from harm. The air was thick with smoke and the sounds of chaos as we steeled ourselves for the fight of our lives.

"Heraklios, Xavien, Darian, Eirlys, Vestera, Niamh," our squad leader Krystallea called out, her voice unwavering and commanding. "We've got enemy fire raining down on us, and we need to fight back and protect our brothers and sisters in arms. We're gonna fight as a team and come out on top, you hear me?"

Her words lit a fire in my chest, and I was ready to do whatever it takes to safeguard my teammates and defend our base.

"Heraklios, you'll take point with me, spearheading the charge," Krystallea instructed. "Xavien, you'll be manning the heavy artillery. Eirlys, your sniping skills will secure the perimeter. Vestera and Niamh, you're our support, providing cover fire and tending to the wounded."

"Darian, you're our eyes and ears, keeping us connected and guiding Eirlys on the roof and the rest of the squad."

We all nodded; our expressions serious as we prepared for battle. I could see the fear and determination in my teammates' eyes as we armed ourselves and headed out to defend the base.

As we stepped out into the battlefield, the sound of gunfire and explosions rang in our ears, and the sight that greeted us was one of utter devastation. Bodies of our fallen comrades lay scattered on the ground, some lying motionless and others writhing in agony.

The smell of gunpowder and blood filled the air, and the screams of the wounded added to the chaos. I could feel the smoke stinging my eyes and the taste of blood in my mouth.

"Wow, Captain Marcus is killing it out there!" I radioed to Eirlys as I and Xavien took cover behind a crumbling wall. "I don't know how he's still standing, let alone leading the charge like that."

Xavien nodded in agreement; his eyes trained on his scope as he took out another enemy soldier. "Yeah, he's one tough son of a gun. But can you blame him? Look at this squad, we've got new recruits fighting like they've been with us for years."

"I know, right?" I replied, peeking over the wall to fire off a few shots. "And Eirlys, your shots are insane! You're taking out key targets like it's nothing."

"Thanks, man," Eirlys grinned, reloading his rifle. "But it's nothing compared to Xavien's heavy artillery. That guy is causing the enemy to scatter left and right."

"And don't forget about Vestera and ----"

"Hold on, hold on," Darian's voice cut through the radio. "Eirlys, I need you to take out that person on the left, he's got a heavy machine gun and he's pinning us down, he needs to be eliminated ASAP. And Heraklios, move to your left and take cover behind that tank. Xavien, adjust your aim to the right and take out that son of bitch sniper on the rooftop." he continued.

"Vestera and Niamh, keep up the cover fire and watch out for any incoming flanks. Let's move, people!"

"Got it, Darian," Eirlys responded, adjusting his aim.

"On it," I acknowledged, moving quickly to take cover.

"Roger that," Xavien confirmed, adjusting his aim.

"Krystallea, I need you to infiltrate the enemy's stronghold on the left flank, it's crucial that we take it out if we want to gain the upper hand in this battle," Darian's voice cut through the radio.

"Understood," Krystallea replied, her voice steady and determined. "I'll take out the stronghold and push back the enemy."

"Be careful," I added, feeling a twinge of worry for my squad leader.

"Don't worry about me," Krystallea said with a hint of a grin in her voice. "I've got this."

We both paused for a moment, taking in the chaos around us. Despite the overwhelming odds, we were holding our own and pushing forward. But the reality of the situation hit us harder with every step.

"Alright, let's do this!" Krystallea readied her weapon, her determination etched on her face. But even as we pushed forward, determined to defend our base and protect our fellow soldiers, the weight of the atrocities around us was crushing. The screams of the dying and the sight of my comrades falling before my eyes were almost too much to bear.

As the enemy began to retreat, cheers of victory echoed through the base. But even as I felt a sense of relief wash over me, the sound of jets filled the air. The enemy had called in air support, and bombs started raining down on us. The base was thrown into chaos as everyone started running for their lives.

I could see the fear and panic in the eyes of my fellow resistance members as they scrambled for cover. But as I started to run for safety, I saw the injured and the dead lying on the ground. I saw comrades crawling on their stomachs to escape the bombs, others who had given up on their lives, and still others crying out for help.

I couldn't just leave them there to die. I stopped running and began to carry those who couldn't get to safety myself. Bombs were exploding left and right, and I could feel the heat of the blasts on my skin. But I pushed through the fear and kept moving, determined to save as many of my comrades as I could.

As I ran back and forth, trying to save as many of my comrades as I could, I could feel the warmth of their blood running down my back. The weight of their bodies on my shoulders was almost too much to bear, but I pushed on, determined to save as many as I could.

Despite the chaos and destruction around me, all I could focus on was the feeling of their blood running down my skin and the sound of their cries for help.

It was a stark reminder of the sacrifices we were being forced to make in this war, and the guilt and grief weighed heavily on my heart.

But it was more than just the physical weight of their bodies that I felt. I could feel them taking their last breath on my back, and the feeling was unbearable.

I could feel their souls leaving their bodies, and it was as if a part of me was dying with them.

I couldn't help but cry as I carried them to safety, tears mixing with the blood on my face. It was a sobering and heart-wrenching experience that I would never forget. The guilt of not being able to save them all, the weight of their loss, and the memories of their last moments would forever haunt me.

Suddenly my radio crackled to life. "Heraklios, get the fuck out of there!", Darian shouted over the radio. "We've got to retreat, we're sitting ducks!"

But I couldn't leave anyone behind, not when they were counting on me. "I'm not leaving anyone behind!" I shouted back, my voice full of determination and a hint of anger.

"We're not going to save anyone if we're dead!" Darian retorted. "We need to retreat now, before it's too late!"

But I couldn't abandon my brothers and sisters in arms, not when they needed me most. "Cut the bullshit, Darian," I spat back, my anger flaring up. "Don't pretend like you give a damn about the lives of others. You're just trying to justify leaving our people behind to die."

"It's the fucking reality of war, Heraklios," Darian growled. "You better fucking get used to it or it's going to eat you alive. Sometimes, tough choices have to be made for the bigger fucking picture."

I wanted to argue with him, to tell him that we couldn't just abandon our comrades to their deaths. But before I could even open my mouth, he cut me off.

"You want to save everyone, right?" he spat, his voice seething with anger and frustration. "It's time to snap out of your goddamn fairy tale. We're part of a fucking resistance, trying to free this hellhole of a country and its people, and wage war against a tyrant. But you still don't want anyone to die?"

I felt a red-hot wave of anger surge within me, but before I could respond, Darian continued. "Your fucking naivety won't get you far," he growled, his voice heavy with disappointment. "A famous man once said, 'In war, blood will be spilled, and people will fucking die'."

His words stung like a motherfucker, and the crushing reality of the choices we were forced to make hit me like a ton of bricks.

As I sprinted back and forth, trying to haul as many of my brothers in arms to safety, I suddenly froze. I scoured the chaos and rubble, desperate to spot any survivors. My mind was torn between the urge to keep moving and the unbreakable obligation to save as many as fucking possible.

I yanked out my radio and Darian's voice filled my ears, trying to talk me out of it. "Heraklios, get your ass back here! It's too fucking dangerous, you need to retreat!" But I silenced the radio and refused to back down, resolute in doing the fucking right thing.

As I make my way back towards the area where I see people crying out for help, a bomb suddenly detonates nearby and I'm caught in the blast, thrown to the ground.

My teammates race to rescue me, but other members of the resistance hold them back, acknowledging that sacrifices must be made for the greater good.

Lying here, critically injured and unable to move, I can hear the sounds of my teammates' frantic calls and pleas to save me. The smoke's acrid scent and the coppery taste of blood saturate my senses, and I know that death is imminent.

In a moment of desperation, I whisper to myself, "I... I'll be there with you soon, mum."

I can see the fear and determination in my teammates' eyes as they fight to reach me. I feel a mix of sadness, anger, and regret. I don't want to die, but I understand the high price of freedom.

With my final thoughts, I think of my family and all the sacrifices they have made to support me and the resistance. I hope that my death won't be in vain and that it brings us closer to the freedom we have been fighting for.

As my vision begins to fade, I look up at the sky and whisper a prayer for my fallen comrades, my family, and my country. With my final breath, I let out a defiant cry, determined to go down fighting.

Even as the darkness consumes me, I know that my sacrifice won't be in vain. My teammates will carry on the fight and, one day, victory will be theirs. And I will be there in spirit, cheering them on.