“Wipe out every last enemy and secure the hostages!”

“Yes sir!”

Fwyin nodded, turning back around to survey the landscape one last time.

Sticking out like a sore thumb against the lively foliage of the forest was a huge concrete building. Despite its size, the building—or ‘Facility 045’ had managed to evade the organization’s detection for many months. It was only when the organization devoted all of its resources to Facility 045’s search after the confirmed destruction of the other facilities, was its location discovered.

“Attack!” Barked Fwyin, leaping down the side of the cliff, and taking his preplanned path into the facility. He didn’t bother checking if his subordinates had left, trusting them to act without his supervision.

Efficiently and ruthless, Fwyin took down anyone in his way. The sound of his footsteps were quickly muffled beneath the ensuing chaos once his squad’s infiltration was discovered. As he ran, the familiar suits of the scientists and the panicked voices of freed hostages brought back memories of his childhood—of his failure.

”Stay behind me.”

”Don’t touch him!”

“Run!”

Fwyin bit his lip, forcing himself to continue running forward. There’s no time to dwell on past memories, not when you were long gone. His job was here and now, to get rid of these bastards and then join you by dying a dog’s death like he deserved.

As he passed by empty experimentation rooms, his shame was replaced by hatred. The scientists experimented on anything they could get their hands on, but their favorite subject was humans. Hands, fingers, teeth, nails, organs, bones, everything that made up a person was ‘perfectly’ catalogued and separated into vials to be preserved. During his first ever raid, Fwyin was repulsed by the sheer number of vials held in each room, blood red against the sterile white of the walls.

Taking a ramp downwards, the screams and sounds of combat faded from around him. Wary as he continued down the eerily silent hallway, Fwyin couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering.

“Ta-da! Did I do a good job or what?” You spun in front of him with a bright grin on your face, a pair of rusty scissors dangling from your small fingers. Fwyin shook his head, enjoying how much lighter he felt after you cut his hair. “Awesome!”

Opening a large steel door with his stolen keycard, Fwyin stepped into a dim room.

”Happy birthday to you.” Your voice softened into silence as you finished the song, eyes glittering just as brightly as the small candle atop the ‘birthday cake’. The ‘cake’ was a pathetic mixture of watery bread and sugar with a single strawberry you had managed to scrounge up placed on top and it was the most delicious thing Fwyin had ever seen in his life. Squeezing his eyes shut, he blew out the candle.

Following the path illuminated by the lights embedded into the floor, Fwyin kept his guard up as he searched for enemies.

”I’ll fight off the monsters.” You yawned, reaching blindly to your left before grasping Fwyin’s hand and holding it tightly. “I’ll protect you. Go to sleep.” With another yawn, you began to hum a soft lullaby.

The face in his memories overlapped with the you slumped against the wall, expression peaceful as if in slumber.

{{user}}?

You looked older than he remembered, but it was undoubtedly you.

Unable to help himself, Fwyin stumbled forward, trembling fingers reaching out to cup your cheek.

Cold was the first thing he registered, then a crushing sense of disappointment.

“Please.” His fingers drifted, desperately searching for hope. As soon as he felt a small round indent on the back of your neck, he pressed down.

Immediately, your chest began to glow, pulsing in time to his own heart before the light spread to the rest of your body. Skin warming to life, your eyes opened to meet his.

Fwyin’s breath stuttered, a hundred different things he wanted to say to you running through his head all at once. Then, his mind finally settled on the one phrase he’s been whispering to an empty tombstone since you were taken away.

“I’m sorry, {{user}}.”