C1
I was born in a small war-torn country, one that barely gets any mention on the news. And as an orphan, I had no idea what was the reason for the war that plagued our land and why we had to risk our lives and bleed for them. But who am I kidding? We are mere orphans, and on a battlefield, orphans don't have what they call human rights. We can't escape from our fate, it was inevitable. Then there's only one thing for us to do.
Survive!
In order to survive, we must obey. It's that simple. All we had to do was obey the order and pull the trigger. No question asked. That's better for everyone involved. It was hard at first, puking my whole dinner for the first few days of killing. It was hell, considering we were only given food once a day. So I had no choice but to swallow back the sour and sweet dinner down my throat.
This is our lifeline! And It was worth it because the majority of the orphan who puked their dinner didn't last more than a few days! Some died of hunger while some died because they were too tired to take shelter from the incoming barrage of projectiles. They just can't keep up with the intensity of the battlefield. For us, guns and ammo are our crutches, while food no matter how rotten is our lifeline. Without both of them, we are done for.
Day after day, we took countless lives by pulling the trigger in whatever direction our handler dictated. All with only a single purpose in mind, to survive as long as possible. Though I admit luck also played a big role in our survival. But eventually, our luck would run out sooner or later. And in my case, it was the latter.
No matter how good you're with guns and how profound your fighting skill was. It doesn't matter on the battlefield.
One single bad luck.
It only needs one bad luck for a stray bullet to find its way into my left eye to seal my fate. The moment I lost half of my vision and feel the blood trickling down my cheek, I knew right away that it was game over for me.
In the end, I only lasted a week longer than my orphan in arms. I bested them in survival record but I was still losing. I knew how it was going to end. There's no winner in a war, it only left death and sorrow. Especially for orphans like us, we're but disposable pawns. The moment they forced that lousy handgun into my hand, I knew right away that my life expectancy was not that promising.
And now, I looked at the cloud drifting in the blue sky with strange relief.
It's weird...
I should feel scared, after all, I kill a lot of people, leaving my hand drenched with blood so I can live another day.
One more day...
Just to be able to live one more day is something so precious to us orphans. But now that I was on the verge of death, all I could feel was a relief. But why? Is it because I don't have to eat that sorry excuse of rotten food anymore?
Ha, that must be so!
Suddenly, from the corner of my remaining eye, I saw incoming hostile soldiers marching in my direction with firearms in hand. Oh man, this is not good...
I glanced around the room. Good thing I was inside a building so they didn't spot me right away. Even if they saw me, they might have thought I was a corpse considering the blood and all.
It was a few seconds later that they noticed I was not just a mere corpse. But it was already too late for them. I had already unlatched the pin from the grenade with my good hand.
"Huh? What's that sound?"
"Hey! Watch out!"
Their face turned pale when they saw what I was doing. Especially so when they saw the gentleman's suit aka suicide vest on my chest that my bastard handler forces on us orphans.
"He's still alive!"
"No! Hurry up and kill him!"
Their panicked voice filled the room and the despair on their face is like a beautiful painting worth more than a thousand words.
Ah, that won't do. There's no need to put on that pathetic face buddy. I'll accompany you guys to hell. Let us go out with a bang!
"Welcome to my humble abode and goodbye!"
Boom!
There's an explosion, heat, and fire before followed by a secondary explosion. The chain of explosions destroyed the whole building and buried the whole people inside with flame and ruin.
Darkness come and leave as I blinked. One moment I was drenched in blood, and then the next thing I knew, I was here. Clean without single dust.
Wait, what is this place...?
I blinked and rubbed my eyes with my chubby hand to wipe away my drowsiness.
Huh, wait a minute. Chubby hand? this... what happened to my hand?!
On the brink of death and I suddenly find my hand shrinking into that of a kid's. What the hell is going on? My heart sunk as I observed the room for any hostile units. All the while still shrouded in confusion.
This was the worst-case scenario, my memory was fuzzy as hell. I should be dead and yet I'm not dead now. But still, confused or not, my instinct kicked in almost immediately.
With a grace unbefitting of 6 years old. A blond kid used his right hand to leap back and moved into a stance. But due to the state of his body, he nearly stumbled and his small hand also throbbed from supporting his whole body.
I waved my numb hand as I observed my surrounding. A luxurious bedroom... Did someone saved me or something? Maybe performed some mad science while they're at it? Shrinking my body into a child.
I heard rumors about it. Could it be true after all? Not just children's stories... My musing was broken by the sound of footsteps.
Huh? This footstep...
"A single person and that heels sounds... a woman?" I can't help but frowned. What should I do?
I looked at my tiny hands and clenched my fist. Silently, I dashed forward and sticks my back to the wall. Ready to ambush the woman.
It's possible that she might be someone who had rescued me from the clutches of the mad scientist and his villainous ilk, but there's also a small chance that she belonged to the hostile camp. And no matter how small, I can't risk it.
Especially with the fragile body I currently had. I had no chance whatsoever in a frontal attack. Although it feel distasteful, I had no choice but to do it if I wants to live. Remember Joey, survival is everything!
The door creaked open and I saw a pair of slender legs clad in stockings come out from the door, and I immediately jumped on her back, hands poised to strangle her neck.
I could see it, I'll strangle her neck, and the moment she ran out of breath, subdue and bound her limb. Gag her mouth and immediately proceed to interrogation. One step after another emerged in my mind.
But before my hands managed to touch her neck, a soft hand caught my arm. I clicked my tongue and tried to wrest my arm free, but to my horror, I failed to free myself from her clutch.
What the hell! She's too strong!
I had no choice but to let her pull me out from her back. I find myself being flipped upside down. Irritated, I clicked my tongue once again and turned my body sideways, then went for the head.
I could hear the wind part as I put my everything into the kick. But my kick was easily deflected by the woman's backhand slap! And before I managed to perform another attack, she pulled me into a hug.
In a flash, my face was buried in something soft.
What? What?
What is happening??
What kind of development is this?!
I had various scenarios that might happen in case she's innocent or not so innocent. And apology and strangulation are on the top 2 of the list. Still, this does not exist in my scenarios. And I had no idea what was going on. But this is not bad either. It feels amazing. Though he could do without the deprivation of oxygen.
She's good, almost too good for my current state. I had no chance from the beginning.
We're on a whole different level!
Before I ran out of breath, the woman pull my face away from her breast.
Puhaa!
Sweet air!
Welcome reality and goodbye heaven.
Huh? I swear I saw the pair of round and tight heavens bouncing in front of my eyes!
Really!
But, is that possible?!
This looked like anime physics!
Unbelievable!
That moment, I saw it.
A golden-haired beauty was intently looking at me. Her pair of gold eyes showed surprise and happiness. As though I was caught in a spell, I couldn't tear my gaze away from the beauty in front of me.