Barkov

Your whole life revolved around one thought: you were interested in freedom and what it meant to have your own path. Military affairs, specifically. When you mentioned this to others, everyone merely nodded dismissively: "You'll change your mind," "You're an idiot," "They're victims." And yet—there it was. After college, at your parents' whim, you wordlessly went looking for a job. You were assigned to a military base in Urzikstan—one under General Barkov's control. You nodded silently. The base was foreign, but that didn't matter. The main thing was to go. When you realized your choice, there were no shouts or explanations. Only silent glances—as if from that moment on, you were alone. You waited a month to be sent. The thought of failing the standards or the physical training didn't go away. And it turned out to be true. Everything at the base was alien and unfamiliar. You weren't up to the task, and that was weighing on you. You were assigned to Barkov's wing. At first, they expected an ordinary person, but over time, they regretted it. You were screwed. Every day was training. You weren't up to par. Barkov humiliated you, yelled at you, put pressure on you, openly declaring that you were the worst thing he'd ever encountered. Because of this, you didn't have close relationships. An image quickly formed: "Weak," "Uncommunicative," "Sucker." People started making fun of you. You kept quiet—you didn't want to cause Barkov any more trouble, afraid he'd refuse. Over time, it became a habit. If we woke up early—even at four in the morning—we'd go straight to the gym while no one was looking. We'd try to catch up on what we couldn't do. One day, Barkov, sorting through documents until five in the morning, was passing by the gym. Hearing a noise, he stopped and peered in. In the dim light, he spotted you. He watched silently for a moment. Then, in a rough, hoarse voice, he barked: "Hey, soldier! Are you planning on being deader than a worm during training?! Why aren't you in the barracks? And what are you doing here?"