Early that morning, taking advantage of the time while Kuznetskozhyan special forces were busy preparing for the next battle, Ilaina and I quickly escaped from that hell. We soon realized we had been left far behind and were in enemy-occupied territory. It was too dangerous; the nearest Altirustzkan outpost was a two-day walk away. And who knew if we could even survive one day in this godforsaken place? We were surely going to die.
"Fantastic. I never thought history would repeat itself like this, huh?"
Ilaina put on her dust-covered uniform, following me with heavy, weary steps. Still, she didn't dare to let her guard down. We were in the heart of the enemy, and we could be killed at any moment.
"It's still quite a long way to the outpost. So just stick close to me, okay?"
Ilaina and I walked along a small river. I'd heard that the Altirustzkan army often stationed commandos at the river's sources to easily control enemy supplies, putting the Kuznetskozhyan side at a disadvantage. I hoped that the two of us would accidentally run into a group of our soldiers and ask them to take us back to the outpost. But it was unlikely anyone could have survived the terrifying bombardment the Kuznetskozhyan forces had dropped on this place. Because of the river's strategic position, they had unleashed thousands of tons of bombs and shells without hesitation.
And that was not to mention the fact that the Kuznetskozhyan army was using biological weapons here. When we passed the river, we found a large number of abandoned containers of highly toxic substances on the road, along with a significant number of old corpses. It was a thick, pale green liquid with a horrible smell. Ilaina and I took a few pictures, but it didn't seem that important, so I didn't pay much attention. It wouldn't be bad to keep some memories, though. It's actually wonderful.
We passed an old Kuznetskozhyan artillery position that had been recently bombed. The ground was covered in countless fragments of shells and gunpowder. The stench of metal was horrendous. There were also a few deformed corpses lying around the camp. Most of them were elderly, around 60 years old.
"Damn... from old people to children. Are the Kuznetskozhyan guys that short on men? That's terrifying..." Ilaina clicked her tongue, laughing sarcastically.
"No, I think they're doing that so they can keep their professional guys back for parades. Anyway, that country has a population problem, so throwing people they consider useless to their deaths is a pretty good idea, isn't it?"
"You've got a point."
With that, I used my foot to flip over a corpse not far away. It was almost completely decomposed, to the point that the skull was exposed, and the eye sockets were teeming with maggots. It seemed this place had been abandoned for a while, maybe a few weeks?
"Let's rest for a bit, Ilaina. We're safe; these guys died ages ago."
Putting down my backpack and rifle, I sighed with relief. I could finally rest after walking for several kilometers straight. Ilaina sat down next to me and took a can of water from her backpack, offering it to me.
I took the can and chugged it down in an instant. Ilaina smiled faintly and said softly:
"You should have told me you were thirsty. I still have a lot of water."
"Really? I'm too shy to ask a girl for things. I'd die of embarrassment."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? We're best friends! If you need anything, just say it. I brought plenty."
Looking at Ilaina's sincere eyes full of laughter, I just smiled and said nothing.
Best friends? ...not enough.
It was a strange thing that the people of Altirustzkan could still live under such constant bombardment. Here, we witnessed civilians walking through the middle of the battlefield many times, ignoring the gunfire from both sides. They were like soulless zombies, with no more attachment to this life. Part of it was probably because of their shattered spirits, and part was because they had no reason to live anymore.
Furthermore, the enemy's depraved and immoral acts, such as raping women and girls, were quite common. But the Altirustzkan government could do nothing but turn a blind eye. The Altirustzkan soldiers were no better than their Kuznetskozhyan counterparts. There was one case where a female Kuznetskozhyan prisoner was raped to death by nearly a dozen men. But this incident was suppressed, called counter-revolutionary propaganda. We had seen too much of this and had no way to stop it, so we just sighed and acted like we hadn't seen anything.
After chatting for a while, we continued moving toward a nearby village. We went to the village chief's house to ask for directions, but there was nothing left but rubble and the blood of civilians. It looked like this place had suffered a heavy artillery attack. The streets were silent, with not a single sound.
"This place looks like it's been annihilated..." Ilaina frowned.
"Yeah, it's possible. Yesterday, the Kuznetskozhyan guys just fired on the villages behind our front line. This used to be Altirustzkan territory, but it's different now."
Halfway there, we unintentionally ran into a squad of elite Spartarius soldiers from Kuznetskozhyan. My eyes constricted, and I quickly pulled Ilaina into the yard of a house and hid inside. A gunshot rang out, and a few more bullets flew in and pierced through the window. Shattered glass scattered everywhere with the light.
I hid behind a wall, raising my hand to wipe away a trail of blood that had just appeared from a glass cut. I couldn't help but curse.
"Motherfucker! They found us. We have to shoot!"
With lightning speed, I popped up and fired a burst of bullets forward. Ilaina then got up and threw a grenade at a previously marked position. The grenade boomed, the ground shook, and the sound of gunfire and the groans of the wounded echoed all around. In the thick white smoke, I turned back, quickly and nervously ejecting the old magazine. Both sides constantly exchanged fire in a fierce gun battle. But being outnumbered, we were pushed to the edge.
The fighting power of the Spartarius troops was truly formidable. We had a hard time holding out for so long. The enemy's return fire and grenade throws were extremely accurate, much more than what the books said. Ilaina and I rolled, crawled, and did everything we could to hide and avoid the Spartarius soldiers' gunfire. We couldn't do anything else. When you can't fight back, you have to hide.
Bombs rained down like a storm. Everything was terrible. Just one careless mistake, and your soul would leave your body instantly. Listening to the unending sound of bullets and the frantic footsteps closing in on us, sweat trickled down my face, but a chill ran down my spine, as if Death was right behind me. Life had never been so fragile. Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like hours.
Ilaina's face was pale and filled with terror. Her voice sounded lost.
"Klaus! Are we going to die here? No way, I don't want to die! We can't die like this!"
I gritted my teeth, frustrated that I couldn't do anything but try to reassure her with my empty words. Even though I knew it was useless, could it somehow reignite a flicker of life in a broken person like me? Yes. I had sworn to myself that I would protect Ilaina, even if it cost me my life.
"Calm down, Ilaina, you and I will be okay. I still have important things I want to tell you!"
Holding onto a small sliver of hope, I grabbed my rifle and fired wildly, successfully taking down two of the four men who were charging at us. A few seconds later, I was hit and fell to the ground. Luckily, the bullet only hit my armor, so I was mostly fine.
"Damn those Spartarius. Ilaina, do you have any more magazines?"
"I ran out of ammo a while ago."
At this point, I only had half a magazine left while the enemy was still in hot pursuit. The chance of survival was minimal. Just at that moment of life and death, an armed Apache helicopter flew over, pouring a rain of bullets and missiles down on the special Spartarius forces. The enemy didn't react in time and was quickly wiped out, leaving no survivors. The Apache also left immediately, paying no attention to Ilaina and me. Feeling a bit annoyed, I slid down the wall and sat there, breathing heavily. I complained and asked Ilaina:
"My God, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Nothing serious. What about you, Klaus? Did that shot hurt?"
"No, I have my body armor. That was a close call, huh?"
I stood up, brushed the dust off my clothes, and walked out of our hiding place. Looking around, I ran to the shredded corpses, picking up ammunition, medicine, and anything else I thought was useful. Ilaina also came out, sighing with relief and quipping:
"It looks like we're pretty lucky. Maybe we're God's long-lost children."
I smirked, going along with Ilaina's joke:
"Who knows. But we're close to the front line now. The chances of getting back to our comrades have increased significantly. We'll get out of here soon, hehe."
Ilaina sneered:
"That also means the chance of you and me going into a hole to play with worms has also increased. Surviving this long is a miracle already."
"Why don't we make a few more miracles, my soulmate?"
Suddenly, Ilaina accidentally dropped her bag on the ground. I quickly helped her pick up the things that fell out. As my eyes fell on a small object, my pupils widened, and my whole body froze instantly. A thousand thoughts raced through my head.
In my hand was a small, iron cross-shaped necklace that looked very old. I could even make out the faint, clumsy carving of the name "Artyom." I lowered my eyes, my heart filled with mixed feelings.
My birth name is Artyom Pelovski.
This necklace was made by me, Klaus, and given to Rita in the last moments we had to say goodbye. There could never be a second one like it in the world. I also have a cross necklace with "Rita" carved on it that she made.
But how did Ilaina have it?
I had the correct answer for myself now.
Countless images of the past and the present intertwined in my mind. The face of the little girl I had secretly longed for all these years gradually became clear. The eyes like a vast sea full of stars were the same then and now, and the corners of her mouth held the same mischievous smile as in the old days. Now as then, it made my heart skip a beat.
I stood still and started to speak, but I heard my voice filled with a choked and raspy emotion in my throat:
"Ilaina... this is..."
Ilaina stepped forward, took the necklace from my hand, and gently rubbed it. Her eyes were full of nostalgia mixed with emotions that seemed both happy and sad.
"This... it's a very important object to me..." Ilaina said, holding the necklace tightly in her hand and placing it on her left chest before looking up at the sky. "This necklace was a gift from a childhood friend. The name carved on it is his name. He was the person I secretly liked, liked for a very long time, liked so much... But in the end, we couldn't stay together for long... We were separated on a sad, rainy afternoon, and I hate rainy days so much..."
Ilaina was lost in her memories, telling me about our peaceful past. My eyes suddenly stung. It turned out that the two girls I loved were the same person. My heart seemed to only be able to be moved by that one girl. And thank God, the person I put in the very top of my heart also liked me a lot.
"I still remember he said he loved the sea, especially at night under the stars. I also think the sea is beautiful, but why did he love it most at night under the stars? The sea is also beautiful in the morning and at sunset... I really want to see him again."
"Ilaina... Do you still like Artyom now?" I asked Ilaina in what I thought was the gentlest voice I could manage.
Ilaina looked at me, then at the necklace in her hand, and a bitter smile suddenly bloomed on her lips:
"It's been eight years since that rainy day. There was no way for the two of us to contact each other anymore. If Artyom liked me, it would probably only be 'he used to' by now."
I stood facing Ilaina, and my hands unexpectedly covered hers. Our eyes met. I tried to hide the choked feeling in my throat and spoke with all the sincerity from the bottom of my heart:
"No. Artyom's heart only beats for one person, Rita Kilova. It will never change, even if the world turns upside down."
Ilaina's eyes widened, filling with a layer of moisture as she looked at me, her face full of shock. I continued:
"Rita, I am Artyom. I once said I loved the sea most at night under the stars because at that time, the blue sea reflected thousands of twinkling stars, heartbreakingly beautiful, just like your eyes."
Ilaina gently reached out and touched the side of my face as if slowly confirming it, her eyes a little hazy with disbelief.
"Klaus, are you really Artyom...?"
"Yes. Ilaina, let's never be separated again, okay?"
I wrapped my arms tightly around Ilaina, trying to give her a sense of security and fill the emptiness that had been in my heart for so long. The tip of my nose was filled with the scent of the peppermint candies Ilaina always loved, and a warm, satisfied feeling filled my entire heart. Ilaina also wrapped her arms around me. She raised her head and rested her chin on my shoulder, promising with a firm voice:
"Okay. From now on, we will never be separated again."
The whole world suddenly became so quiet that the only thing left in my ears was the sound of my own heartbeat. I felt like I was immersed in a sea of sweet, fragrant wine, intoxicated and clinging to the feeling, not wanting to wake up, letting the waves bury me in this dreamlike happiness.
Then I felt my shoulder get wet. I heard a few broken sobs. I let go of Ilaina and used my hand to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks, but Ilaina's tears didn't stop falling. As if controlled by instinct, I lowered myself to gently kiss the corner of her eyes, placing small, soothing kisses on the two eyes I loved the most. Ilaina finally stopped being emotional and looked at me silently, the redness around her eyes making her beauty even more radiant.
Gently stroking her soft platinum hair, my eyes never left Ilaina's face for a second. I slowly closed the distance and gently placed a kiss on her lips.
From the sky, two pairs of wings suddenly soared, wide and embracing the wind and warm sunlight, overcoming the coldness of the weather as if to bring freedom and life here. The dead wood in my heart had also bloomed into a single, radiant flower that would last forever.
"Ilaina, I love you."
"I love you too, Klaus."