Chapter I: Died in War

"Platoon C, retreat! Get in to the trench!" shout a man with oval face, thick eyebrows, and sharp-nose in his 40, wear green war suit, calling his squad in vanguard mixed sound from gunshot and explosion near him. "Go go go! Come on"

"What it is Lieutenant?!" shout his moustache comrade from trench, Lt. Airlangga who already prepared Platoon D to move advance as continuous attack.

"It's a trap!" answer the man, "Tori side set their tank ready. Hit with bag of sand as their defence! All platoon A and B destroyed!"

"So, they run from previous fortress is a decoy?!"

"Yes! We need to get in touch with Captain and inform Command Center to send back up, air back up much better!"

"Private Ghofur come here!"

"Yes sir!" come Private Ghofur respond a call from Lt. Airlangga.

The Platoon C leader immediately write something on paper with his small pencil, "Here, send this to Captain Zulfikar and tell him, it's a trap!" he said with high sound, more like shouting, "Me and Lt. Airlangga will hold this position as long as we can!"

"Yes sir!"

"Go! Now!" order Lt. Airlangga

"Platoon C and D all of you, hold this trench with your life!" the man ordering his and Lt. Airlangga platoon with his rifle on the air.

"Don't let those b*stard take over this position!" Lt. Airlangga adding, "For the Kingdom!" try to pumping his platoon spirit.

"For the Kingdom!"

While they shout to uplifting fighting spirit, the enemy troop getting close with their heavy armored vehicles, especially their main battle tank. All the personnel from platoon C and D try to slow enemy movement down. They try to launch their limited anti-tank rocket while killing the troops who protect the tank.

Chaos situation inevitable. Army from Kingdom of Dipa, lead by Lt. Airlangga and his comrade, succeed kill five people from Republic of Ndugam, their enemy. Meanwhile Republic of Tori gun and tank finish of ten of Dipa people.

Last bullet from that man shot and hit one of tank escort troop. He gets down, take cover in the trench to reload his rifle and ready to shot again. The moment his head show up out of trench, one of Ndugam private hit his right ear, resulting big echo sound in his head.

"Lieutenant!" yell Lt. Airlangga, try to call him.

"No no no no. Don't die here, right now" the man said to himself, try to reach his rifle which fall far enough from his reach, fighting the echo sound in his head.

"Son of b*tch, I can't die right now. I need to see my boy; I want to hear his crying sound! I need to see his first smile!" he tries to let out the words, however what out from his mouth is his scream, "Woaaahhhhhh…."

His spirit and scream push he to reach his rifle and to kill more Ndugam army. Yet, the second moment he shows his head out, a bullet shot and penetrate his helmet. Make he pushed back into the trench again. This time he only has five second conscious time, "F**k this war" he said for last time.

***

"Felix! Felix!" some girl voice heard, close yet far way

"Felix! Wake up!" the voice heard again. But now with something shook his body, 'an earthquake?'

"Felix wake up now!" finally a hit in face make a man called Felix regained his consciousness. When he saw who hit his face, he finds a beautiful woman with dark hair, tied in back make it looks like ponytail. Wearing a white shirt with overalls with big bear face on pocket in chest.

Felix see the woman who put worry face while her hands hold Felix body, "Are you ok?" ask the woman, he estimate she is around 30-something years old.

"oh I'm... I'm ok. No problem" man called Felix answers, tried to get up and see that he sleeps under tree in some field, 'where is this?' he said that to himself

"Your eyes got red and watery. You're crying. Having a bad dream?"

"What? oh" he touch his eyes, to confirm what the woman said true.

"What happen? Mind to share it with me? Your wife?" she said while look Felix in his eyes with empathize look, try to smile to calm him down.

'My wife?' He holds the words within his mind. However confused face he shows, make his 'wife' more worried.

"I'm sorry. I just… just don't know…" he said haltingly.

Realize her husband have difficult time to explain, she refrain "It's ok honey, you can tell me when you ready. You can use your Three Days Right?" she tried to calm him down, "I'll wait until then," she said again with same smile like before, a beautiful smile while her eyes closed this time, a smile that make anybody who married her, bless with happiness.

'What is Three Days Right?' he asks himself

"Let's get back to home, I cooked you something you like, like one hour ago," she standing up and starts walk away.

"My favorite food? Fried rice?" now he asking her.

"No silly, its steam beef. Or you want to me to make fried rice?" she said while partially closing her eyelids.

"No, no problem, thanks. I'll come," he said while getting up. He not sure where he is, but I thing for sure, that his stomach start growling and steamed beef is the best thing you can get.

"By the way, you know? I'm try to pick you up in farm, but you not there. Then I thought you may in field, sleeping like a stupid people with their saliva flowing," she giggles. Look like she tries to imagine it

Felix face suddenly turn red heard her 'wife' say that, don't know what to say.

"But what I found is you sleeping with same spot but with watery eyes, like crying," she turned her body to Felix.

"I'm sorry,"

"No problem, you just make sure you tell me. About your dream, about your confused face," now she glared at him, "promise?"

"Yes, I will, I promise"

***

Three day after the incident, the man knows that his full name is Felix Ismawan, he has one big field that planted with rice and vegetable. He now lives in one floor cabin made by high quality wood, he thought, only with his wife, named Karine Ismawan, no children, no brother, no sister, no parents. He and Karine married two years ago.

In that day, in lunch time, he finally tells Karine, his wife, the 'dream' he has. "So, you dreaming, that you in war scene, where your squad being trapped and you get hit in ear and head, by what? Bullet? What is that?" Karine sum up Felix dream.

"Yes, and…"

"and what?" she curious, make her face closer to Felix.

"In that dream, Before I 'dead', I remember that I have a wife and new born child there. So…" he said that while scoop his food.

Felix, tries to look his 'wife', he guesses her wife getting mad because 'wife' in his dream have different face with Karine. However, when he tries to lift his head up, he saw Karine face turned red, blushed,

"Karine? What wrong?" Karine put her back on chair and put her hand down as her husband asking

The wife still in blushed state, but now face redder as Felix try to getting close.

"Actually, i… I have something to tell you, honey," she starts talking, but in low resolution voice, trying to get her nerve, "I am pregnant," she stares her husband.

Karine confession, make the man shock. He himself don't know what face should he make, face of happiness, face of shocked, or face of confused. But Felix decide that he should make a happy face.

"Are you sure?" he asks while getting up from chair, try to get close to Karine, and kneel beside her.

"Yes," she answers with shyly face.

See her reaction, Felix body response with hug, a very tight hug. "I'm so happy," he doesn't know why he said that, but the atmosphere make he say it.

"Yes, me to," Karine reply while return Felix tight hug with tight hug.

Happiness atmosphere flowing to every single corner of the house, the feel make time seem slow.

However, the precious moment not last long, a knock in front door, force them back to reality. The knock sound was so big, that could be heard in the kitchen, where they eat.

Felix and Karine looked at each other, then he decide to open the door and welcome the guest.

He look out of windows and see five knights with their full armor and sword hanging in their waists.

"Yes?" Felix open the door.

"Sir Felix Ismawan. Lady Karine. Let me introduce myself, my name is Urip Ganda Kusuma, i'm here to deliver the message from King Yudayana. His majesty call you to meet His Majesty right now," said one of the knights after he put his helmet off.

"Is there an emergency?" Karine asks the messanger.

"Yes. His Majesty Yudayana receive a Triangle Red Alert from Tarab Legion in the west,"

"Triangle Red Alert? A monster?" Karine ask the messenger to make sure what she just heard, "How can? Don't we just defeat The Long Nightmare two years ago?"

'A monster? The Long Nightmare? 'What is this? A novel fiction?' Felix asks. To himself.

"Unfortunately, it is. Tarab Legion inform His Majesty that they found and fight a new monster as we speak right now,"

"How about the army? Did King Yudayana send a reinforcement?" Felix finally joint the conversation.

"Yes. His Majesty already send a reinforcement," Kusuma eyes become sorrow, "However, His Majesty yet not receive any message form the reinforcement squad,"

"Could you remind me how far the Tarab region is?"

"Around five days by horse,"

"How long it has been?"

"Sir Juwanto Utama depart with the squad four days ago,"

"Four days?" said Karine shocked,

"Yes, His Majesty King Yudayana always ask for every troop he send to inform when they arrive in half way to destination," Kusuma inform, "So he wants every Hunter veteran to join another reinforcement,"

Felix and Karine look at each other.

"So I suggest that we depart to Benuma Palace now," Kusuma suggest, but more pushy to both Felix and Karine

"Yes, we'll come right now. Come on honey," Karine fast her step to their room, leave Felix who try to figure it what happen right now.

No take much time, Felix realize that he will think about it on the way to Palace and make a quick move to follow Karine to their room.

'I don't know what happen, but I know this isn't good,' he said to his mind.