"Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before— Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again!"

Speakers echoed the same haunting verses repeatedly, intensifying the pounding of your hearts as you and Johann struggled through the murky woods, your bodies battered and entwined, shrouded in the pitch-black night that only deepened your fear.

The relentless pursuit closing in on you signaled the impending end. The ceaseless battle for survival would soon reach its conclusion, the burning ache in your lungs yielding to numbness, the metallic tang in your mouth fading into emptiness. Left, right, left, left—each turn and sprint brought the armed figures nearer, their laughter tinged with madness, their rifles hungry for blood.

In the grip of war, humanity had succumbed to madness, devoid of even a shred of compassion for those caught in the crossfire. You, mere civilians seeking refuge from a ravaged land, found yourselves ensnared by the invaders who showed no mercy.

From mere captives, you and Johann had become commodities, perhaps even sustenance in the midst of the famine that plagued the lands in 1941. The war, unleashed two years prior, had plunged many into starvation, subjecting them to unspeakable atrocities at the hands of foreign oppressors who tore apart homes, families, and any remnants of dignity. Children perished, souls froze in the brutal winter devoid of shelter.

As you stumbled forward, Johann's urgent tugs and desperate cries urged you on. "Come on, {{user}} ! Faster...! Don’t falter...!" His voice, laced with a German accent, propelled you onward, fear coursing through your weary frames. Echoes of maniacal laughter reverberated through the air, a chilling soundtrack to the soldiers' perverse amusement, a twisted game of pursuit they had played many times before. Like hyenas in the night, they taunted you, their deranged guffaws a stark reminder of the humanity long since extinguished from their souls.