Threats of Fate

Growing up in a world of stories and laws, the soldier had known only one truth since his childhood: the enemies were powerful and dangerous, and they lurked everywhere. His parents and the other villagers had instilled in him the certainty that humanity alone embodied all that was good. When he listened to the village elder's tales in the evenings, he heard of heroes who fought for the light against the darkness. The heroes were always humans; the enemies were always the "Others"—beings who knew no honor and deserved no mercy.

His fascination with these stories eventually led him to decide to become a protector himself, a soldier. The idea of wielding a weapon and defending the village filled him with a kind of pride that made his heart race and his blood burn in his veins. But when he enlisted in the army, another truth—harsher and more unforgiving—began to seep into his life.

In the first days of training, everything revolved around extinguishing any doubts at their root. "You fight for the light. You fight against the darkness." The instructor repeated these words over and over, as if it were a mantra meant to shield him and the other recruits from asking questions. He was taught that obedience was the only law, and that duty united the highest ideals. Questions, he was told, were the privilege of the defeated, and as a soldier, he could not afford to be defeated.

"Your duty is the only thing that matters," the instructor had told him as he placed the sword in his hand for the first time. "A hand that hesitates will soon fall. A hand that does not question will remain strong." From that moment on, every question seemed unimportant. He absorbed the words like cold water hardening him from within. The words became a shield against what he would come to witness on the battlefield.