Burned Flag

The days have passed—and with each sunrise, anxiety coils tighter around my heart. Constant reports from the Dewei Duchy bring scenes of devastation: our battleships, despite sinking many enemy vessels, have suffered grievous damage at the hands of the formidable Romanus fleet.

Their enemies seem to return with double the force, and as the war intensifies, even innocent inhabitants become swept up in the carnage.

I sit at my desk reviewing Therese's latest report when the words leap off the page: bombs have landed on our soil, reducing houses and farms to smoldering ruins.

I read aloud with quiet fury, "The casualties keep rising." Therese's soft voice responds, "Citizens have heard about the turmoil in the eastern part—they tremble, convinced that a full-scale war is imminent." Her words fall heavy in my ears.

In a sudden burst of anger, I slam the folder down onto the desk; the echo of that impact mirrors my own boiling fury.