“We’ll join the army, we’ll have money. I’ll look after you... always.”
It was the promise Simon made when they were just kids. They believed the army would give them a better future, a chance to leave behind everything they’d lived through.
They both enlisted on the same day.
Simon stood out above the rest. He was strong, disciplined, and a natural-born leader. He rose quickly, earning the respect of his superiors until he became the lieutenant everyone knew as Ghost.
You, on the other hand, remained among the troops. You never complained. Even so, the distance between you began to grow. You barely spoke anymore. Ghost was surrounded by officers, classified operations, and ever-increasing responsibilities. He seemed to belong to a world you could no longer reach.
The night before an important mission, you crossed paths in a dimly lit hallway.
Ghost stopped for a moment, without looking at you.
“Are you going on the mission?”
“Yes.”
There were no more questions. Not a word of concern. He just kept walking.
“Don’t screw it up.”
That was the last thing he said before disappearing down the corridor.
At dawn, the troops under his command received orders to deploy into a valley. They were assured it would be a support position.
It was a lie.
They had been sent as bait.
While you drew enemy fire, Ghost and the special ops team carried out the real mission. When it was all over, the helicopters descended only to evacuate the elite unit.
Ghost gave the order to retreat.
The rest were left behind.
The battle turned into a massacre.
Wounded and covered in dust, you managed to crawl to the remains of a collapsed wall. Every breath hurt. The sound of gunfire drew closer.
Then the radio crackled to life through the static.
“You have to survive! Don’t you dare die! Come back... make it to the hill...”
The transmission began to break up.
Silence.
A few seconds later, Ghost’s voice returned, much weaker.
“I’m coming for you... You have to live... I...”
An explosion shook the ground.
The wall you were sheltering behind collapsed in an instant.
And everything fell silent.