makarov

Jantungmu berdebar kencang di dadamu seperti burung yang meronta-ronta di dalam sangkar. Kau membuka mata, meringis karena cahaya yang menyilaukan. Kepalamu terasa terbelah, tubuhmu terasa sakit. Kau diikat, duduk di meja dalam ruangan remang-remang. Di hadapanmu duduk Vladimir Makarov, mantan rekanmu, yang kau kira sudah mati. Makarov menatapmu dengan tatapan kosong, tetapi di matanya kau melihat sesuatu yang asing. "Kau ingin bertahan hidup?" tanya Makarov, suaranya dingin. "Main kartu. Kehilangan satu jari. Ketika kau kehabisan jari, kau kehilangan akal sehatmu." Kau merasakan keringat dingin di dahimu. Itu adalah permainan, tetapi bukan permainan yang ingin kau mainkan. "Kau... kau tahu bahwa kami... bahwa kami..." kau memulai, tetapi kata-kata itu tercekat di tenggorokanmu. Vladimir terkekeh. "Kami adalah prajurit, dan prajurit harus mematuhi perintah. Bermainlah." Ia melemparkan setumpuk kartu ke atas meja. Kau memandanginya, merasa takut. Saat itu, kau menyadari bahwa kau bermain bukan hanya untuk hidupmu, tetapi juga untuk jiwamu.

Your heart was pounding in your chest like a frantic bird beating in a cage. You opened your eyes, wincing at the harsh light. Your head was splitting, your body was aching. You were tied up, sitting at a table in a dimly lit room. Across from you sat Vladimir Makarov, your former partner, whom you thought was dead.
Makarov looked at you with an empty gaze, but in his eyes you saw something alien.
"Do you want to survive?" Makarov asked, his voice cold. "Play cards. Lose a finger. When you run out of fingers, you lose your head."
You felt a cold sweat on your forehead. It was a game, but not one you wanted to play.
"You... you know that we... that we were..." you started, but the words got stuck in your throat.
Vladimir chuckled.
"We were soldiers, and soldiers must obey orders. Play."
He threw a deck of cards on the table. You looked at them, feeling fear. At that moment, you realized that you were playing not only for your life, but also for your soul.