Chapter 1: The war between country's

The year was 1939 when Germany, led by the aggressive dictator Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland and launched increasingly expansionist military assaults across Europe. This marked the descent into the second iteration of the World War conflicts that had scarred global history just two decades prior.

Over the next 6 years until 1945, complex alliances brought the Allied and Axis powers into earth-shattering worldwide battles. The Allied forces included nations like Britain, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, and others locked in fierce warfare against Hitler's Germany along with Italy and Japan.

The rapidly evolving technologies made WWII a dangerously modern mechanized war defined by heavy artillery, bomber planes dropping explosives from the sky, massive tank battles across continents - and eventually, the debut of humanity's first and thus far only uses of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

But while much of history recalls WWII as clashes between generals and politicians governing Allied or Axis national interests - it was young citizen soldiers conscripted from farms and factories across many homelands that bore the brunt of the most devastating war to ever engulf the globe.

Over 60 million lives were lost in what seemed an unstoppable cycle of death machines and relentless chaos spanning from 1939 until the Axis surrender in 1945. Entire generations were sacrificed. But the courage under fire among individual foot soldiers

During the war in France

Location France

"Help, please help us" 

Screams

Boom Boom

France - 1944. Garrett was a 25-year-old sergeant leading his Allied infantry unit through bitterly fought towns in France near the end of WW2. His squad was pinned down by enemy fire when they encountered a church/basement where locals took shelter from bombardments.

Disregarding orders to bypass the area and rejoin the main push.

 Sgt. Garrett Ashford's squad took shelter along a crumbling building wall as enemy sniper fire pelted their position. His men were exhausted and low on ammo after days of battling a Nazi regiment.

"We gotta move soon, Sarge," Private Rivers said. "Before their armor rolls in."

Garrett peered around the broken wall and noticed a church across the street. Faint cries echoed from the basement. Civilians trapped.

"Sound off!" Garrett said. "Conserve shots. We'll leapfrog bounding pairs to that eastward street."

His men steeled themselves to sprint through the gauntlet. But as Garrett visualized the kill zone, he froze hearing a little girl's shriek from the church. He saw her face peeking from the stained glass window.

"Damn it all," Garrett muttered. "New plan - I'll skirt wide along the flanks. Draw their sights. You boys bolt straight to secure that road the moment fire shifts off our axis. No stopping!"

"Sarge no!" Private Davidson cried. "That sniper will shred you out there solo!"

"My decision," Garrett said, locking eyes with each soldier. Some are still teens. "I promised to get you all home alive. Now promise me you won't hesitate when that window comes!"

Garrett knew he could rely on Rivers to carry on the team, even in his absence. They exchanged a silent understanding, a language only soldiers comprehend, before Rivers took charge, ensuring the safety and well-being of their exhausted comrades. They reluctantly nodded as Garrett crept from behind the wall and broke into a headlong dash, firing back to bait all guns toward him. He felt shots on his bulletproof vest while some white-hot pangs ripped into his torso but charged onward to the cellar doors near the little girl's window.

With his last ounce of strength, Garrett pried open the doors and whispered to the huddled family inside, 

Dragging his punctured body forward by grit alone, Sgt. Garrett ushered the band of weeping civilians out from the bombed-out cellar. Bullets peppered the ground but he continued pushing the group of women and children ahead of him until they huddled tightly behind a crumbling wall. Safe, for now.

His energy depleted, Garrett slumped back against the brick barricade, blood oozing from myriad shrapnel wounds. Spotting Private Rivers and his remaining squads sheltering nearby, Garrett waved his sole remaining loyal squad member over.

He could not believe after all the talk and commands he gave them he had expected them to escape but they seemed adamant.

"You know Emily's due date, right?" Garrett spoke haltingly, digging a chain from his crimson-stained fatigues. "It's October 3rd. Boy or girl...make sure my kid knows I did my best."

 Despite his fading strength, he mustered the remaining energy to press the dog tag necklace, which had been engraved, into Rivers' hand. Rivers, understanding the significance behind this gesture, nodded quietly and held the metal token tightly against his chest.

 " Good...good... You get them away safe...before Kraut artillery…" 

His men stare heartbroken as Garrett weakly smiles. His skin pales further, pulse fluttering.

"We ain't leaving you, Sarge! Medic's coming!" PRIVATE DAVIDSON tried reassuring Gareth

As Garrett's injuries grew too severe for him to bear, Rivers tenderly embraced his lifeless body, cradling it in his arms. With utmost care, he gently closed Garrett's eyes, allowing the weight of the moment to sink in.

Somewhere in the void

In an endless expanse devoid of any tangible existence, a place exists, hidden from the perception of mortal beings.

"What a young lad, he seemed to have lived a short life how about we give him another shot at life" An entity without a face said into the void 

"You do know that is against the rules that have been set since eternity " another voice echoed through the void "We are not to alter, change or boycott the rules in any giving situation except on exceptions"

"I know that's why I have a proposal l want to use one out the chance I have to alter his faith," the faceless entity said

"Are you sure you do know that one out of the three chances we are given since we were created" A voice echoed through the void

"Yes I'm certain" the faceless entity echoed 

"If so, so shall it be," all judges said

A bright light suddenly flashed in the void, enveloping the two entities in its glow. As the light faded, an image came into view - a young boy lay motionless on the ground he was transparent. 

"There he is - the lad whose fate you want to alter," the other entities said. "we admit, his life does seem unfairly cut short."

The faceless entity drifted closer to the boy's body. "With one of my chances, I can reverse his fate and give him a new life. But there will be a price - he may not return as fully as human or his to his previous world."

The other entities nodded slowly. "The forces of fate and destiny are not to be trifled with lightly. Are you prepared for what he might become with your meddling?"

"I am," said the faceless one. "His new life may be difficult, caught between worlds, but any life is better than death claiming him now."

It extended an appendage over the boy's soul, otherworldly energy gathering above. "I the judge of entity, give you a new life! Live a new, caught between mortal and spirit, natural and unnatural. LIVE!"