1 Chapter 1
It hadn't happened too long ago. That sickly green flame licked it's way into existence in the middle of nowhere. Since the first day that the army made its way inside, everlasting regret with each excursion. Over eighty thousand troops marched to their death in that unknown land. A world with no record having been given in the last ten years.
That is what waited beyond the Flame, as they had begun to call it.
Even with said regret, a countries greed knew no bounds. After running through many of their trained vets, the draft had begun to rise once more in this country. The complaints of many were outweighed by the voices of the few. Men and women were called to arms, to enter this world of destruction.
---
The young soldier leaned his head against the inside of the armored vehicle. His eyes had begun to drift closed due to his familiarity with this type of terrain. Each bump could do nothing more than to lull him closer into sleep.
Soft snickering came from his left. Even if he had fallen asleep, a defense mechanism in his brain kept him more alert than they realised. In that brief moment...
SNAP
His hand flicked out, catching the wrist of his assailant. The other young man's eyes were beginning to fill with fear, until he glared at the tired soldier.
"You really think I'm gonna let you get away with that you bastard?"
His voice was loud, and irritated his ears. The soldier just blinked once and laxed his grip on the other. Snatching his hand away, he smirked nastily.
"You know, I heard you volunteered. You that ready to off yourself in this world we're goin' to? Your family gonna miss you?"
He kept on yammering away as the soldier slipped his helmet from his head. Soft, dark eyes blinked once more as he stared at the loudmouth.
"No."
That soft answer caused the truck to go much quieter. Even the loud one stopped messing around, so the soldier just drifted off to sleep once more.
---
Some time had passed and the vehicle stopped. The soldiers hopped out of the truck one by one, what small amount of training they had had was nowhere to be seen. Many continued to fool around as the commander, also a younger soldier, came forward.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting the frame of his glasses slightly.
"I know none of you want to be here, but please... CUT OUT THE BULL!"
His voice pierced each and every one of them. All bouts of fun proceeded to halt, and the soldiers lined up in front of the commander. His expression brightened.
"So you do know how to behave."
His eyes showed more age than the rest of his body combined as he glared at each soldier, stopping here and there to ask them questions. His steps finally stopped before the tired soldier.
"So. You. Top scores in marksmanship, tactics and emotional stability. I hear you also came of your own volition. Why?"
He looked up. His eyes were practically lifeless, but a small glimmer could be seen in them.
"I made a mistake once. I'm choosing to fix it in the only way I can."
"Family?"
"None."
"Heh. I look forward to l
working with you, kid."
The tired soldier shrugged his shoulders and zoned out as the commander droned on about the Flame.
---
A few hours had passed and his first assignment was given. Due to past events, he and two others were patrolling the forest surrounding the Flame. The dull green light could be seen between the trees as they circled it.
His company included the loudmouth and one of his subordinates. A rather boorish man that laughed at anything he said.
"So didja hear about what came from the other side before? A giant spider! Apparently it killed twenty soldiers before it finally ran back inside the Flame."
"Really? They couldn't even kill it?"
As they chatted on, the tired soldier led the way. His rifle ready, and finger not too far off the trigger. Having been raised in wooded areas, he knew the other side wasn't the only thing to be feared in these trees. His once dead eyes gleamed with those of a hunter, yet the weight of the rifle still felt off to him. His senses angling off ahead of him, his trust in those behind him became a bad choice as...
WHAM!
He fell to his knees. Warm blood dripped down his head, sliding along his back, under his fatigues. His eyes were wide and shocked as he attempted to swivel his head around.
"Holy Hell! Ya see that?! He dropped so fast, it's scary that he's still moving! Come on, let's get him over there."
The two men began to drag him through the trees, the dull green growing brighter with each step.
"Kay, he can keep his shit. Just shove him through. You know our excuse right?"
"Yeah. He darted into the Flame without us realising it."
"Dumbass. I didn't ask what it was! Go grab the damn branch. Need to get rid of it too. His blood might be on it."
As the minion walked away, the soldier was slowly pushed through the Flame. He felt no heat, but it was wet and sticky as he slid through. From the other side the branch flew through and some words came through.
"H-hey! It's closing! We gotta go tell the comman-"
Sure enough, the green light vanished from in front of him as he began to sit up.
'Oh well. Guess I should find out where I am.'
