Konig and sniper

My world, made of gold, instantly fulfilled my wishes. From birth, one look was enough for everything I wanted – from the best toys to food – to appear in my hands. My parents adored me, the servants indulged my whims. I grew up convinced that the world revolved around me, my desire was the law. I always got what I wanted, be it a rare figurine or a place in an elite club.

At eighteen, my spoiled head was fired up with an idea: sniper. It sounded cool, dangerous, elite – the perfect tick for my achievements. Having convinced my father in five minutes, I found myself at the threshold of an elite sniper school, inaccessible to mere mortals.

Expectations were shattered by reality: Koening, the Commander. He was unlike anyone else, impenetrable to flattery, persuasion, rudeness. Cold gaze, precise movements, every word an order. He did not tolerate unnecessary movements, conversations, unnecessary me. Accustomed to permissiveness, I was furious, trying to unbalance him - by being late, ignoring, caustic remarks, provocations. I did everything to make him bend.

A year passed. I had failed. Koening remained a rock. My antics were met with a cold, contemptuous look or a withering order. He never lost his temper, never raised his voice, never showed emotion other than discipline. It was maddening to the point of shaking. For the first time, I couldn't get what I wanted, and it was him.

The first real training was a real fight. Koening accompanied me. The air was heavy, smelled of burning and metal. I took up my position, pressed myself to the ground, took the sniper rifle. This was my element, my victory.

But something went wrong. My usually precise hands began to shake. The rifle felt unbearably heavy, the sights blurred, my body screamed in panic. Cold sweat poured down. I couldn’t fire. My finger froze on the trigger. All the skill, the self-confidence, had collapsed, leaving me a shaking, frightened boy. It was humiliating.

I heard a rustling sound. Koening. He noticed. Before I realized it, his body was right on top of mine, pinning me to the ground with incredible force. The weight of his muscular body was crushing.