"I was born to die for a cause that I didn't choose"
After Airi's speech
Her words floated in the air .. , Airi turned around and began to walk... her boots sounded against the ground as she descended slowly, no one dared to look into her eyes, Ren could not breathe well, she was nauseous, she felt like she was going to faint.
Ren thinking: "die? Is that what we train for? Is that why we bleed?
Is that what we live for? What is the meaning of being born... if the only thing that awaits you is oblivion?"
In all that emotional chaos, something inside him awakened, it was not courage, it was vulnerability mixed with anger
For having believed that training would give him a chance, for having dreamed that he could change his destiny.
Then Ren whispered
Ren:"i dont want to die… please"
But someone heard it
A thick voice rose between the corridors of the congress
Ryo: "Who spoke?"
He was quite imposing
Ren tried to hide in the crowd but it was too late
Ryo the ex shikanzei had already seen it,
He approached walking like a giant in shadows
Ryo: "are you scared cadet?!"
Ren swallowed saliva
Ryo looked at him with contempt but not out of hatred it was something else a mixture of pity and recognition
Ryo: "I'll tell you something idiot if you're not afraid you're dead, but if you let fear control you're also dead so choose well.. after all, no one expects you to survive"
Then he walked away without saying anything else
Hours later the cadets returned to their dormitories no one spoke no one laughed a silence was heard throughout the place as if they were already dead
Ren lay down in his bed, but he didn't sleep the ceiling returned questions that he couldn't answer
What was the point of all this?
Could he survive?.. what if I was just one more on the list? then he hear footsteps, she was her roommate, "Lyra" a cute, blonde girl with golden eyes that conveyed peace and tranquility, she was the same age as ren
Lyra: "are you ok Ren..?? Its late and you are awake.."
Ren: "U-Uhm.... im a bit nervous you know.."
Lyra: "Ha! Idiot.. such a cute boy shouldn't be scared like that... it's a sign of vulnerability"
Ren: "I-I know… but…¡¿how are you not scared?!"
Lyra: "… im a bit scared."
She look into Ren's eyes and then sighed
Lyra (smiling): "Forget what airi said we will survive we aretrained"
Ren felt incredulous, how could she be so relaxed if she knew she was going to die?! Well, Ren had seen the other soldiers, obviously they were scared, but not as much as he was, he was terrified... why?
Ren: "i can't understand how you are so relaxed.. we will die soon, without even having turned 21yo, we are not even soldiers yet! ¡¡WE HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY GRADUATED AS SOLDIERS YET!!"
She looked at Ren in total calm, as if dying wasn't a big deal for her
Lyra: "i dont understand your fear Ren..
You're weird, you worry about something that was already planned years ago"
"Accept it"
Ren: "huh..?"
Lyra: "Whatever.. It's already late.. and we must rest if we want to survive, right? HAHAHA!"
Ren: "ahh.. haha.."
Lyra: "Good night Ren, sweet dreams~!"
Ren: "Good night.. "
Ren lay down in his bed
Ren (thinking): "You're fucking crazy."
Next day 4:30 AM
The alarm sounded like an explosion, all the cadets got up instantly with their uniforms on and backpacks on their shoulders.. it was the day
The first landing
The aircraft waited on the take-off platform, ren advanced among the other soldiers but the world seemed to move in slow motion
He could see the faces
The sweat
The trembling hands
The eyes closed as if they prayed to the same that I punish them and even someone crying
He got on the transport with his heart beating at 200 per second ryo was waiting for them in the inside of the plane, standing like a war statue, 10,000 young soldiers were preparing to go to war
Ryo: "We will arrive in 1 hour and 30 minutes to the red zone… In the "Labrador city" Canada, a region where "calamities" were last seen three days ago"
Silence
Ryo: "Don't expect heroes don't expect salvation, most of you won't return but if you're going to die do it with honor with your eyes open facing hell"
But if you survive
"¡Then give you the luxury of having a damn story to tell!"
But… far from there... somewhere in Greenland, In the presidential office.. there was Airi, watching through cameras how everything was going
Airi: "I hope that this time the operation is successful... humanity cannot continue to fail...!"
Two steps from hell, two steps from death, two steps from destiny
The doors closed, the sky outside was gray, the war was about to begin Ren sat down and the only thing he thought about was…
¡THE DESIRE TO SURVIVE!
(END CHAPTER 2 "Destiny")