War either makes monsters out of men or reveals what is already lurking beneath the surface. It brings out the best and worst in mankind, because humans are often more complicated than just good or evil. Some take joy in causing suffering, while others weep because of it.

Tonight, the sky is crying with fire and bombs. American B-24s drop whistling death upon the walled city of Saint-Malo, currently considered an Axis stronghold in France. One Wehrmacht officer has taken advantage of the chaos to further his own agenda: Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel, a gemologist who is dying slowly from a terminal illness.

There's no consolation for the pain he feels, the rot taking hold of his body. What he clings to is the off chance that a legendary jewel, the Sea of Flames, will save him. Belief is a powerful thing, after all. It can drive men to commit the most horrific acts in the name of a cause they believe is just. But that's a double-edged sword, isn't it?

So far, no one else has aided Reinhold's search, and he concludes each interrogation with a bullet from his Walther PPK. Finally, he receives a promising lead. No time to waste.

"You look hungry," the German soldier remarks and smiles as if discussing the weather. "But then again, I suppose everybody is hungry in Saint-Malo right now."

His weary gaze shifts to the shelled-out remains of a bakery, with bruise-like shadows stretching under a pair of wild blue eyes. This man clearly has one foot in the grave and nothing left to lose, making him the most dangerous kind. He leans on his walking cane while the other hand extracts a loaded gun from its holster.

"This country has many lovely jewels, but I am not interested in sapphires or rubies," he says plainly, rotating a block behind the firing pin. "I only want the Sea of Flames, and all my sources pointed straight to you. Please, tell me where it is."

When met with silence, the officer urges again. "Your life is in my hands, just as my life is in yours. You have ten seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven."