A man stood in awe as the first rays broke through the darkness, casting a radiant glow over the quiet world—a sense of hope stirred within him as the sky transformed into a vibrant, alive canvas.
The quiet morning lingered over the place until—
All of a sudden, the voice of another man cut through the quiet, relaxing moment. He slung an arm over his shoulder, and a wide smile spread across his face.
“Good morning, Sergeant Arthur. You’re up early again today,” he said, his tone brimming with excitement.
He looked at him and smiled a little.
“I would say that straight to you, too. Ray,” he replied as he looked at the sun setting up on the horizon, spreading the light throughout the whole place.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps drawing closer. They turned toward the sound and saw a woman approaching, dressed in a full military uniform, a report clutched in her hand.
She stopped and fixed Arthur with an intense stare, her eyes sharp and cold.
“Good morning, Sergeant Arthur. I’ve come to give you a report,” she said, her voice cold and intimidating, tightening the air around them.
Arthur straightened at once. “From the higher-ups?” he replied, his relaxed expression snapping into seriousness.
She nodded, then lowered her gaze to the report.
A few seconds passed in silence before she finished reading and looked back at them.
“For the past weeks, the higher-ups have been deciding whether to attack the capital of Exolus or not,” she said, pausing, her eyes briefly studying their reactions before continuing.
“But Exolus is a mysterious country with a powerful military. That’s why they’ve decided to send a scout, and they chose your squad.” She closed her eyes, drew a steady breath, then opened them again.
Arthur frowned, confusion tightening his expression.
Why us?
His squad wasn’t trained for intelligence gathering, and scouting one of the strongest countries in the world wasn’t a joke, especially Exolus, a nation known for having the highest level of security among all others.
He slipped a box of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a slow drag, smoke curling from his lips.
“With all due respect, gathering intel and searching for weaknesses in a country isn’t what we’ve been trained for. Please report to the higher-ups that I respectfully decline the mission,” he said.
Both Ray’s and the woman’s eyes widened in shock. They hadn’t expected him to reject the mission so outright.
She walked toward him, slow and deliberate. When she was close enough, she thrust the documents into Arthur’s hands and fixed him with a hard glare.
“You have no authority to decline orders given by the higher-ups,” she said, her brows narrowing.
The tension between them thickened, pressing heavily into the air.
Arthur caught her wrist lightly, but she resisted at once, yanking her hand free from his grasp. He let out a slow sigh.
“As I said, this type of mission isn’t our forte. Why would you send inexperienced men into a domain full of beasts?” His gaze pierced into hers.
“It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like you’re guiding us to our deaths,” he said.
He knew how dangerous the mission was and refused to send his men into what felt like a suicide mission. Neither of them was willing to back down.
Ray sighed and looked at Arthur. “Sergeant, I know why you want to decline, but it’s an order from the higher-ups. We have no power to refuse,” he said.
Arthur looked at him with intensity. “Then, are you prepared to give your life for this mission?” he asked, his words hanging heavily in the air.
Ray suddenly smiled, his eyes filled with resolve.
“From the moment I joined the military, I was prepared to give my life,” he said sincerely.
Arthur faltered when he caught Ray’s expression. The resolve he’d held onto wavered, and he let out a deep, weary sigh.
“Go gather everyone and tell them to prepare their things. We’ll depart at noon,” he said at last. He turned to the woman and took the documents from her hand.
“I can’t guarantee the mission will be a success,” he added, his glare hardening. “And I will prioritize the lives of my men above all else.”
The woman turned and walked away at an unhurried pace.
“I know you, Sergeant Arthur. You’ve been trained since you were a child to be the perfect weapon for the government. You know our military’s policy, your mission must be completed, no matter how heavy the casualties,” she said with a cold tone of voice.
Her figure gradually faded from his sight, leaving behind a bitter taste of the reality he had always known.
Evening fell as they arrived at Exolus’s train station. Despite the country’s high security, they had managed to slip inside without revealing their true identities to the guards.
Arthur and his five subordinates stood on the platform, exhaustion etched into their faces. Around them, the station buzzed with people, all moving in measured rhythm along the labyrinth of pathways.
“Out of all the spies in our military, with their expertise for this kind of job, why are we the ones assigned to do it?” a woman muttered, her voice low and threaded with exhaustion.
Ray gave her a gentle pat twice. “Don’t overreact, Sasha. We’ve made it this far, so complaining won’t get us anywhere,” he said, a faint smile flickering across his face.
The man standing beside him nodded, his agreement quiet but firm.
“He’s right. We may not be cut out for this line of work, but since the higher-ups appointed us, we have no choice but to proceed,” he said, his voice betraying a slight crack, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.
“Your words are admirable, but your body tells a different story, Albert,” Arthur said, his eyes narrowing as they flicked to Albert’s trembling hands.
Albert let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck.
Suddenly, a hand rested on Arthur’s shoulder. He turned to see two men approaching slowly.
“Sergeant, we’ll part ways for now. We’ll send you a report once we’ve finished investigating the areas you assigned us to,” one of them said.
Arthur nodded. “Avoid calling me Sergeant for now, Danny,” he replied with a sigh. “Good luck on your side. May God protect us and be with us all.”
