Chapter eleven

Kael turned back to Lily's family, regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," he said. "We just received word that some people are in danger, and we need to help them."

Lily's father nodded understandingly. "We'll be praying for you," he said. "Stay safe."

Kael offered a smile, grateful for their support. "We will," he said, before turning and jogging towards the rally point.

As he ran, Kael's thoughts drifted back to the beginning of the war. He remembered how scared he had been, how unsure of himself. But now, he felt a sense of confidence, a conviction that what he was doing was righ

When he arrived at the rally point, Alia was already there, her gear at the ready. The rest of the troops were starting to arrive, looking focused and determined.

Kael addressed them, his voice ringing out across the crowd. "We have a job to do," he said. "There are people in danger, and we need to protect them. We've come too far to turn back now. Are you with me?"

There was a moment of hesitation, as the soldiers looked at each other, weighing their options. But then, one by one, they began to nod, a sense of purpose filling them.

"We're with you, sir," one of them said.

Kael felt a sense of pride, knowing that he had earned their trust and loyalty. "All right then," he said. "Let's move out."

As they approached the village, Kael could see the smoke rising in the distance. He could hear the screams of the villagers, and he knew that they were running out of time.

He signaled for his troops to spread out, to move in quickly and quietly. They approached the village from all sides, converging on the rebels' position.

Kael moved with purpose, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see the rebels now, a group of rough-looking men with guns at the ready. They had already taken over the central square of the village, and were holding the villagers hostage. Kael could see some of the injured and dead bodies lying on the ground, and his heart ached at the sight.

He signaled to his troops, and they spread out, taking positions behind the nearby buildings. They were outnumbered, but Kael had a plan. He had studied the village terrain, and knew where to strike.

Alia moved closer to Kael and whispered, "What's the plan?"

"We need to take out their leader," Kael said. "If we can do that, the rest will be easier to handle."

Alia nodded. "I can send a signal to our sniper."

"Good," Kael said. "Let's move."

They crept closer to the central square, staying low and quiet. Kael could hear the rebels talking, their voices raised in anger and frustration. He recognized the leader's voice, and his heart raced even faster.

"We'll kill every last one of them," the leader snarled. "Nobody defies us and gets away with it."

Kael gritted his teeth. He needed to take that bastard down. Alia signaled the sniper, and Kael waited for the shot.

Suddenly, the situation changed.

One of the villagers, a young girl, broke free from the rebels' hold and started running towards Kael's position. The rebels spotted her and started firing randomly. Kael felt an instinctive need to protect her, and he moved towards her.

The sniper's shot missed the rebel leader, hitting a nearby wall instead. The rebels turned their attention towards Kael and his troops, aiming their guns at them.

Kael felt a moment of panic, but he quickly pulled himself together. He grabbed the young girl and shielded her with his body, dodging the bullets. Alia and the rest of the troops reacted quickly, firing at the rebels with precision.

A fierce battle broke out, with both sides exchanging fire. Kael could hear the villagers screaming in terror, trapped in the crossfire. He knew he needed to end this quickly.

"Push forward!" he shouted to his troops. "We need to take the square!"

They charged forward, dodging bullets and returning fire. Kael could see the leader of the rebels now, a tall, imposing figure with a scar on his face. He was holding a gun and firing wildly, and Kael knew he needed to get to him before he could cause more damage.

He moved quickly, weaving in and out of cover and taking out rebels as he went. Alia followed close behind him, covering his back.

They reached the square, and Kael could see the leader of the rebels clearly now. He was standing in the center of the square, firing his gun at anyone who came close.

Kael raised his own gun and took aim. He fired, but the bullet missed the leader by inches. The leader turned towards Kael, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You think you can stop us?" he shouted. "We have the power here!"

"I don't care about your power," Kael said, firing another shot. "All I care about is ending your reign of terror."

The leader moved quickly, dodging Kael's bullets and returning fire. Kael felt his heart racing, knowing that he was running out of time.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and the leader fell to the ground. Kael turned to see the sniper, who had taken the leader down with a well-placed bullet.

The rebels started to retreat, realizing that they were outnumbered and outmatched. Kael and his troops moved quickly to arrest the remaining rebels, taking them into custody.

The village was safe now, but Kael couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. This was a small battle, but he knew that there were bigger ones out there, waiting for him and his troops.

As they started to leave the village, Kael spotted the young girl he had saved. She was clutching a ragged stuffed toy, tears streaming down her face.

Kael walked over to her and knelt down. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

The young girl nodded, still crying.

Kael felt a lump in his throat. He had saved her life, but he knew that there were others out there, waiting to be saved. It was his duty to protect them, to lay down his life if necessary.