1 Old life

"It was your typical kind of life. I graduated from high school and went straight into the military. Why? Cuz I wasn't good at anything else... and because of my bad grades in high school. So I was pretty much forced to live in the military. I mean, living in the military wasn't as bad as people say."

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The moon had hidden behind a thick blanket of ominous clouds, leaving the streets devoid of its comforting glow, and the darkness that shrouded the night was more intense than what one would typically expect.

Kayden sat by a window that had been shattered into a million pieces, shards of glass glinting in the moonlight. He let out a deep sigh as if trying to release the weight of the world from his shoulders. He found himself in an unfamiliar building, its walls crumbling and creaking with every gust of wind. Kayden was a part of the elite Red Wing unit, but he was only filling in for a teammate who had fallen ill. Despite his temporary role, Kayden took his duty seriously, even if he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered within him.

Red Wing stood atop the hierarchy of special forces units, a prized asset of the United States Military. The team consisted of a mere ten members, each of them honed to near-perfection in the arts of warfare and combat.

Kayden hailed from the land of Siveben, a nation whose wealth and power surpassed even its physical size. Despite being only the third largest nation among the five, Siveben's wealth made it the envy of its rivals, and its people lived a life of luxury that was unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Though the Empire had a major flaw, there were many rich people, but on the other side of the Empire, poor people filled the streets. The upper echelons of society turned a blind eye to the poor, content to revel in their wealth and privilege while the rest of the Empire languished in poverty.

Despite being a direct pawn of the Empire, Kayden had no hatred towards the rich. He carried out his duties with loyalty.

As of right now, Kayden is currently thinking about why he accepted to sub for the guy. He still had a few more weeks until he finished his training.

"Heyya, newbie, thanks for subbing in."

Andrew, also known as Red Bird, approached Kayden, his form casting a long shadow in the dimly lit hallway. His features were etched with the lines of experience, his eyes sharp and piercing as they met Kayden's.

"Uhhhh... the name is Kayden Lane, and no problem, sir!" Kayden saluted a greeting at Andrew and asked, "So um... I won't be the one that's actually fighting, right?"

"Huh? No, you'll just say in the back lines and just trust us. I guess this makes you nervous."

'Of course I nervous, mister! It's not like I want to be here! But, heck, I'm having second thoughts about doing this!' Kayden shouted inwardly.

"Haha... Yea." Kayden's response came as a hesitant whisper, his voice barely above a murmur.

"Yup, yup, you don't have to worry about a thing," Andrew said as he handed me a cigarette. "Want one?"

"I don't sm-"

"Enemy contact!" The sudden sound of metal scraping against leather filled the air as one of the members let out a strangled cry.

As Kayden whirled around, the sound of shattering glass filled his ears, followed by a sudden hail of bullets. The world exploded into chaos as he stumbled backward, his heart was pounding.

Through the broken windows, he could see groups of men, their faces obscured by scarves. They were firing their weapons without holding back, spraying bullets in every direction. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the sound of gunfire was deafening.

In a desperate scramble, the members of the Red Wings dove for cover behind the walls, their bodies pressed tight against stone walls. But Kayden was a split second too late, and before he could fully get behind cover, a searing pain sliced through his thigh. 

His muscles tensed and spasmed as he let out a strangled cry, his body collapsing to the ground in a heap. The world spun around him, a dizzying blur of sound and color, as he clutched at his wounded leg with trembling fingers. Blood oozed from the bullet hole, staining his pants and the ground beneath him now a dark red. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the pain as his breath came in short, ragged gasps. The chaos of the battle raged on around him, but Kayden was lost in a world of pain and confusion.

As the initial shock of the gunshot wound began to dwindle, Kayden's mind snapped into focus. Ignoring the chaos of the battle that raged around him, he fumbled with shaking fingers at the small shoulder pocket of his uniform, searching for the precious morphine syringe. His breath came in shallow gasps as he finally located it, and with a quick flick of his wrist, he jabbed the needle into his thigh, feeling the warm and soothing rush of the drug spread through his veins.

With a grim determination, he quickly tore at his uniform, pulling out the first-aid kit that he always carried with him. His hands moved with swift and practiced ease as he worked to staunch the flow of blood from the wound.

Andrew already recovered and fired back. "Everyone fire back!" Then, at once, everyone began to move a returned fire.

'Eh? I stay here and trust in you guys, right? Right? Yea, I'll just stay here.

"Oi, newbie, help us out!"Andrew shouts at me.

"EH? You said to stand in the back lines and trust in you guys..." Kayden retorted, not wanting to enter battle.

"Oi! Shut up and just help us out!" Andrew angrily shouted back.

"...Arugh." Kayden gritted his teeth as he grabbed his gun and started firing.

A sharp pain like a thousand needles pricked at the back of Kayden's head, and a sudden rush of dizziness overwhelmed him. His vision began to blur, and he staggered backwards, his back slamming against the cold stone wall. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Was he hit? Was he going to die? He could hear the chaos of the battle raging around him, but it seemed to be growing more distant, more muffled. As he slumped to the ground, Kayden fought to keep his eyes open.

For a second, he was like, "Huh?". Kayden couldn't tell what had happened. He wanted to move, but he couldn't.

'Ahhh...I suppose I let my guard down. Who was it? I'm pretty sure I was behind cover... a sniper? Ahhhh... I don't care anymore.' 

As Kayden lay there, his mind clouded by pain and confusion, he felt a strange sensation creeping over him. It was as if his body was slowly turning weightless, the heaviness of his limbs evaporating into nothingness. The pain in his thigh and head receded, replaced by a sense of warmth and comfort that seemed to suffuse his entire being. For a moment, he was suspended in a peaceful limbo, the chaos of battle a distant memory.

<<Mast-r's rest--...99%...100%!>>

'Hmmm? I heard mumbling inside my head... Wait! What are you talking about? I can't hear you too well. Ah, shit, I think this might be it. It doesn't hurt...but isn't this too comfy? Who knew dying could make you feel like this? Ah... Ah... I think I see the light... so bright, bright as hell...ha-ha...Jesus Christ, it's so bright...ha-ha.'

<<Restset is complete. Please make a wish. It can be anything you desire.>>

'Huh? A wish? I don't even know who talking... Alright, I'll make a wish. I wish... I wish, wish...'

The last thing Kayden felt was a sense of peaceful surrender as he slipped away into the realm of dreams, leaving behind the mortal plane and all its turmoil.

<<...! 404 Warning! Master's consciousnesses are fading! Please wake up! Error! Consciousnesses gone! A solution is being searched for...Finished. desires will be analyzed with the given data. total of wishes were found. Now calculating intensity each wish.>>

<<A significant difference can not be found...>>

<<All wishes will be granted.>>