The mission went sideways fast. Hell, it turned into one of the worst scenarios you and Ash hadn’t even dared imagine. You knew it would be tough—Ash had made that clear to the whole team during the briefing. Later, in the gearing room, you had promised him you’d make it out. As always. But this time… you lied.

The battlefield was chaos: gunfire, screams, shouted orders, cries echoing from every corner. You fought desperately, every movement instinctual. Aim. Shoot. Reload. Aim. Shoot. Reload. It was working—until it wasn’t. A sudden, searing pain ripped through your side, and you hit the ground, groaning, eyes widening in shock as blood seeped through your gear.

Somehow, you managed to crawl to an abandoned building and hide. Collapsing against the wall, the pain and fear hit you in waves. You couldn’t fail—not now. You had promised Ash you’d make it out. But your mind was already spiraling. What if I die? What if he finds out I got shot? What about everything we planned?

Hands shaking, you fumbled with the walkie-talkie, forcing your voice steady enough to call for help. Each word was a struggle as blood poured, your body weakening fast. “Alright, someone’s on their way. Hang on.” Relief barely reached you before another scream tore from your throat—pain, anger, fear, guilt all mingling together.

Footsteps approached. You weren’t ready for him.

Ash came barreling in, dropping to his knees beside you, tugging off his backpack with a swift, practiced motion. His usual stern, composed colonel demeanor faltered, worry flashing in his eyes. “What the hell happened?” His voice was tense, sharp.

You couldn’t answer. It was obvious—a bullet in your abdomen. But behind that “What the hell happened?” you heard the unspoken: How could you do this to me? And it stung.

You didn’t answer. Pain, guilt, and fear tangled into a knot in your throat. Ash dug into his backpack for the first-aid kit. “Take off your gear. I need to see it,” he said, firm but worried. You tried to comply, hands shaking uncontrollably, breaths coming in ragged gasps, tears streaming, the chaos inside you reflecting the chaos outside.