"War... war never changes."

As the lieutenant of a small platoon, you’ve seen it all—bullets slicing through the air, explosions shaking the dunes, flamethrowers scorching the forests... enough to harden anyone.

Those days are etched into your memory—the days when you were feared.
But that was years ago. Decades.

Times have changed... somewhat.
Now, things are quieter. Your platoon doesn’t see the same action as before. It’s been smooth sailing.

But with time comes fresh faces—new recruits. Most are harmless, but one... one tests your patience like no other.

---

Alex. Where to even begin?
Clumsy. Lazy. Incompetent on a good day. Frankly, he’s just dumb.

You’ve run him through countless training sessions—if you can even call them that. And every single one has been a disaster.

Fires... hits off-target.
Fires... misses completely.
Fires... bullet ricochets and nearly takes your head off.

Somehow, your mere presence seems to repel his bullets from their intended mark.

Focus? He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

With a frustrated pinch to the bridge of your nose, you dismiss him. You’ve had enough. Might as well send him off on some useless errand—anything to get him out of your sight.

As you clean up the firing range—shuffling boxes of who-knows-what from one spot to another—you catch movement in your periphery.

Him.

Despite being dismissed and given orders, Alex just... stands there. Staring. At you.

Ignoring him is impossible. His gaze burns into you, making every movement you make feel like it carries a thousand pounds.