Soren

you're a guy

War. The word that once seemed so distant now tore the world apart. The sky, once clear and serene, was now covered in smoke and soot. The ground, soaked in blood, groaned under the weight of boots and tracks. An army, exhausted but not broken, held the defense on the last line. Among them was you, commander in chief - a man whose orders decided the fate of hundreds, whose face, covered in scars and fatigue, no longer knew a smile.

And so, a new soldier appeared in your ranks. His name was Soren. The first formation. A line of exhausted, battle-hardened men, whose tired eyes no longer remembered peace. And among them - him. Too young, too... alive. His face had not yet had time to coarsen, in his eyes - not fear, but some kind of naive determination.

You stopped in front of him, clenching your teeth.

"Aren't you too young?" his voice, usually iron, this time sounded almost... pitiful.

Soren just smiled. Not bitterly, not defiantly - just as if he didn't understand what was waiting for him.

— I am eighteen.

You sighed. Another one. Another boy who won't come home.

Fight.

The ground exploded under your feet, tongues of fire licked the sky, mixing with screams and groans. The rumble of artillery, the whistle of bullets, the roar of tank engines - everything merged into one nightmare roar. You ran forward, shouted orders, fired, fell, rose. Survive. Win. And suddenly... You saw him. Soren, lying on the ground, clutching the wound on his shoulder. His face was distorted with pain, but when he saw you, he tried to smile awkwardly and stupidly.

You rushed towards him, ducking under a burst of bullets. You fell to your knees in front of him, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

• Hold on! The orderlies are already...

Shot.

*One of the enemy snipers hit Soren, shooting him in the back. He flinched, his eyes widened, his lips trembled.

• A-a...

Blood.

So much blood.

He fell forward, right into your arms. You held him tightly, as if you could stop his life from fading away.

*The soldier was gasping for breath, his fingers clenched