The Corruption of War

JUNE OF 2027- BEIJING

BOOM!

The building shook as it threatened to topple from the force of the explosion. Multiple soldiers instantly evaporated into a gory mist, their bodies gone in the heat.

"Keep moving, secure the roof!" A British commander yelled, continuing their ascent up the skyscraper.

Everyone's heart raced at the order, fearing they'll meet the same fate as their combrades who brutally died just moments ago. However one of these men was different, smiling at the thrill of war. He knew he could die any moment, and he enjoyed it.

This man is our protagonist, Alexander Cole.

His life wasn't that out of the ordinary a few years prior. He had a boring office job handling calls for hours on end, slaving for a company that barely knew he existed.He had cut his family off and had nobody to care for.

Life took a turn however when the tensions between the East and West boiled to a point of no return and begun the most bloody and horrific war in the history of humanity. China, Iran and Russia fought against America, England and NATO in a brutal conflict that raged on every possible theatre.

Alex was drafted and transferred to the front lines in China and witnessed many battles that seemed to slowly warp his mind in a way that could never be returned. As he would put it,"Once the frog is out of the well, it will struggle and claw when dragged back." Civilian life just wouldn't be enough for him anymore.

"GET DOWN!" The Sargent shouted as a group of Chinese soldiers waiting at the door to the roof pointed the guns onto the group ascending the staircase.

BANG,BANG,BANG!

The British Sargent and multiple other allied soldiers were gunned down as blood flowed down the stairs like a river.

"Shit." Alex muttered as he pulled the Sargent's body Infront of him like a shield and used it to absorb the incoming fire.'Heh,You think your the only ones who can fight back' Alex grinned as he pulled a grenade from his waist and pulled the pin with his free hand.

'1...2...3...4...," His countdown ended as he threw the grenade up the staircase.

The Chinese soldiers stopped their fire as their eyes widened,"GRENA-"

BOOM!

They were cut off as blood rained down on Alex.

"It seems it's just me now." Alex voiced as he looked around to find all of his fellow combrades corpses littered around him.

It didn't bother him However as his heart was racing like never before. He could never get this from civilian life.

Alex continued up the stairs as he opened the door to the roof. The entirety of Beijing was visible as battles raged across the entire city and coated it in a sea of fire.Towing high-rise buildings that once stood tall were now nothing but rubble and those still standing stood as locations for battle while soldiers fought towards their peak. This scene wasn't exclusive to china as New York was also facing the same onslaught by the Russians and Iran was besieged by the European powers. Nobody was spared.

Alex looked away from the city and towards the mission target, an anti air unit designed to bring down missiles. It was currently being operated by a Chinese man who didn't even notice Alex's presence, too focused on the battle that raged in the sky between the jets and bombers and the burning city below.

Looking around, Alex realised it was just the two of them left on the roof and swiftly pulled out an M1911 from his waist as he walked over to the man.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." The man spoke in broken English as he felt the cold metal of a pistol on the side of his head. He didn't fight back However as he continued to stare at the burning city that was once at the forefront of the world.

"It is...I hope in your next life you can see it once more my friend."

BANG!

The man's body fell to the floor, leaving only Alex.

"Sir the air defense has been terminated and the mission is a success, over." Alex spoke after pulling out his radio.

"Copy that soldier, your sacrifice will be remembered in history, over." The cold uncaring voice of Alex's superior came through, not even bothering to ask for his name.

After confirming the mission, Alex didn't bother chatting with a radio in his final moments and just looked at the setting sun on the horizon with a crazy smile.

Infact, this was actually a suicide mission. He was forced into it with some other men.

They were to take out the air defense in Beijing to give safe passage for a plane to drop a new prototype bomb-The antimatter bomb.

It was said that Antimatter weaponry was many times more destructive than a nuclear bomb and Alex had the honour of seeing it firsthand.

As he looked at the horizon, a jet passed overhead as a tiny black orb left behind, falling through the air towards the ground.

'Its a shame I wont see how this war ends."

No sound was made as the Antimatter Bomb collided with the ground, only the sight of the sorrounding city being blown away like a sandcaste would in heavy wind.

Alex was atomized in a split second as the entire Region vanished with him.

An unknown amount of time later...

In a completely black void a shimmering red soul floated aimlessly. It's body resembled that of a faceless human that was semi transparent.

"Why am I not dead?" Alex wondered as he felt an extreme discomfort in the absence of his real body. "I was definitely killed by the Antimatter bomb so...why?","Is this the afterlife?"

"Not quite young man." A calm voice echoed around him. It sounded ancient,old and unfathomably powerful in every respect.

"This is the world between worlds, and you are intruding on my domain."