The ruins were eerily silent, interrupted only by the occasional faint moans, telling of the cruelty of war. Suddenly, a hand covered in dirt reached tremblingly out of the rubble, as if seeking one last thread of hope from the Reaper.
The hand clutched tightly to the edge of the debris, as if trying to pull itself from the abyss of death. A Laines soldier with a face full of dirt crawled out of the rubble with difficulty, his uniform tattered and revealing the scar-laden skin beneath. He collapsed weakly to the ground, raising his hands high, shouting with all his might: "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! We surrender!"
His voice was hoarse and trembling, full of fear of death, echoing in the air above the ruins like a wail of despair.
