"You're awake!" The person that came through the door said with a joyous tone.
The person in question was a young man who stood at nearly 190cm in height, putting on a military uniform.
He had short black hair on his oval face, with two marks on his right cheek.
His eyes were narrow with brown irises and black pupils.
"Is he the one who brought me here?
…
I don't know what the badges in the military mean.
But he looks to be pretty high up…well in both rank and height." Leo was now looking up at the man.
"...And he's royalty too" He thought as his eyes locked upon the marks on his cheeks.
The man gently shut the door.
Leo was alert, he was in an unfamiliar place and now saw an unfamiliar face.
Royals weren't particularly known for being good to commoners.
"May I know who you are?" Leo asked politely.
"Ah, where are my manners.
I'm-" As he attempted to speak a woman entered through the door and interrupted – It was Lana.
"Manners?
You lost them, just like your father did." She said.
Leo was a bit anxious now.
"Loosen up kid, we're not here to hurt you.
[She placed her hand on his shoulder]
I'm Commander Lana, and this one over here is my nephew Ren" She said in a comforting tone.
"Hey I'm a commander too…" Ren said.
She knocked him.
"Commander?!
Isn't that the highest rank?" Leo's face stiffened from shock.
Now aware of the ranks of the ones he stood before, he couldn't just stay standing.
"Leo greets commander Lana and Ren" He saluted like a soldier.
Lana's presence was one that was intimidating, he kept a straight face.
"So your name is Leo.
Your seem to be well learned for a kid of the 4th sector.
Did you ever attend the academy?" She asked of him.
"I appreciate the praise ma, but I'm self taught." Leo replied her with a straight face.
"Well, that's a shock.
I'll be heading out now, there has been a lot of work to do since that sector fell.
Do be kind to him, Ren." On saying this she left the room.
Ren let out a sigh.
"She's always so intimidating.
I'm Ren, its nice to meet you Leo." Ren reached out for a handshake.
Leo hesitated at first, but reached in.
"I'm Leo, nice to meet you Mr. Ren." Leo and Ren shook hands.
"Please, just call me Ren.
And ease up" Ren's tone was easygoing.
"O…kay" Leo eased up a little.
This followed with some seconds of awkward silence.
"This room is a little too stuffy, follow me outside" Ren requested.
Leo nodded, and they both departed from the room.
-
They had exited the large building, they now walked down a narrow paved road with tall thin trees at both sides.
No questions were asked between them
Leo had been holding it in for a while now, but he finally brought himself to ask the question;
"Was it you who brought me here?"
Ren stopped.
"Yes, I was the one.
I did it at my father's command." He answered.
"There was someone in my arms.
Where is he? I want to see him" Leo asked Ren, his look was that of fear.
Ren shook his head.
"I'm sorry, he didn't make it." He looked straight in Leo's eyes as he told him this.
"I…see" Leo's voice cracked.
His body was healed but he couldn't heal his emotional scars.
His eyes gleamed, he wanted to cry but held it in.
"I'm assuming he was a friend of yours?" Ren asked.
Leo nodded.
"Such cruelty…" Ren thought.
-
There was a bench at the end of the path, both of them sat there.
"Want to hear something crazy?" Ren asked Leo.
"What can surprise me anymore…" He thought, as he watched the withering leaves of the trees falling victim to gravity.
"Sure…" He replied for the sake of it.
"You were asleep for three weeks.
The doctor said you were in a coma and would never wake up." Ren stood up from the bench.
"Three?!" Leo held his mouth.
"Did that dream affect reality?" He thought, as he remembered his time in the forgotten void.
"Then what about those creatures, and the large beast?!" Leo wanted to know.
Ren harboured a faint frown.
"That day humanity fought the beasts and won." Ren said softly.
"We won?
Even the large beast too?" Leo was surprised once again.
"But why does he look so sad if we won?" he wondered.
"It came at the cost of nearly 80% of the army's total force.
Thousands of soldiers died for this, we owe our lives to them.
...
In those three weeks the world has changed a lot, and not for the better.
There is a food and resource shortage.
The average home can barely secure a meal per day." He turned to look at Leo's flabbergasted face.
"Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Ren asked.
Leo tried to piece it together but he had no idea, so he shook his head in denial.
"You have no place to go back to from the little research I've made.
So here's the thing, the army is in search of new recruits.
That is the only place that can house you now.
They get two meals per day, you should be able to feed comfortably.
And if it ever gets too though, I'll be there." Ren was being thoughtful to Leo.
"It's the second time since I had to make a choice, and both times I had no choice." Leo clenched his fists at the thought.
"I understand." He answered.
"Before that I have to something to show you, you can count this as the second shock.
The building seems to be covering it, follow me." He followed Ren's lead.
They went back the way it came.
They had now nearly passed the building.
"On the day the beast-, rather sprout was slain; it appeared.
Its very sight is a marble, don't let your jaws drop." Ren said with a smile on his face.
-
— 3 days later —
Leo and Ren stood outside the headquarters building.
He was putting on neat clothes courtesy of Ren.
"The wagon will soon be here, are you ready?" Ren asked.
Leo nodded in response.
The horses could be seen coming from the distance.
At the sight of them memories of his the frontline flashed through his head;
He had gotten a bit of a stigma.
-
The wagon had nine people at the back, they were of different ages, but were all recruits.
He joined in to make them ten.
It set off.
He was now on his way to join the army.