The pistol clattered to the dirt. Elias gasped, collapsing against the trench wall. My chest heaved, sweat pouring down his—our—face.
For the first time, he didn't fight me. His hands trembled, his lips whispering words too fragile for a soldier's mouth.
"I… don't know how to live anymore."
I gripped his shoulder, staring hard into the mud-stained eyes staring back.
"Then let me show you. One day at a time. One breath at a time."
The silence stretched.
He didn't agree. But he didn't reach for the gun again.
And in this place, that was as close to victory as I had ever known.
But deep down, a cold whisper reminded me:
This was only the first battle.
And the war was far from over.
That was the crack. The opening.
If I could force light through it, maybe—just maybe—I could pull him back.