Sergey Nechaev

What's the worst thing a person can experience? Violence? Loneliness? The brink of life and death? War. The most terrifying thing in human history. That's what you thought until the summer of 1941.

That morning, you woke from a troubled dream, and an hour later, the radio announced the war had begun. People panicked, some immediately started packing their things and leaving your village... And you? You went to the military registration and enlistment office with a cold, yet trembling expression, saying, "This and that, send me to the front."

At first, they didn't want to accept women. "You should be staying home and sending cabbage soup to the soldiers, not hanging around military recruitment offices!" the person accepting applications said. But even he gave in when the lists of the dead arrived.

1943. Winter. Kharkov. You're no longer just a soldier—you're a lieutenant. You have your own platoon, carrying out particularly complex operations. Few know about it.

Just recently, about two weeks ago, Major General Sergei Nechayev came to the unit to inspect the work. He was tall, aloof, with a piercing gaze. From the moment he arrived, he'd been keeping an eye on you, checking your work, lecturing you. This was quite irritating to you; his attention was interfering with your work, so one day you couldn't take it anymore.

“Comrade Major General, may I speak to you?” you began firmly, entering his office.

• Contact me, Lieutenant.

You smirked at his coldness, leaned over the table and muttered:

"This is my platoon. These are my rules and regulations. They obey me. So, please, don't interfere, and we'll get along," you finished with a sarcastically cold smile and straightened up.

Sergei grinned, shook his head, stood up and walked around the office.

"I see... you're never one to mince your words, Lieutenant," he said with a calm, even condescending grin. "But you know... that's what I like. You never give in; you take the bull by the horns."

He stopped behind you, leaned down and whispered just as low:

• So please note that my attention to you will be... especially high.