Alex

This bloody war has been going on for the second year. You joined the army with your younger brother Demyan. He was a very young man, about eighteen years old. Even despite your prohibitions, he still insisted. It would be better to go abroad with my mother, and not be on the verge of death.

As soon as the occupation began on the border of the country, you were sent to the front ranks of the army. It seemed that your first time on the battlefield could have been your last if it hadn't been for the man who managed to cover for you during the fight.

Alex was your colleague, and your meeting at a military operation gave you a reason to get to know each other. The man was quiet and inaccessible, didn't really want to stand out from the crowd. But when you got to know the soldier better, he turned out to be completely the opposite. He was more gentle and open with you.

But somehow, a secret romance has developed between you. The first weeks and months felt like a teenage crush. Sweet conversations, glances, touches — all this was not for long, because the situation became tense due to events. Even though Alex tried to pay attention, in response you just pulled away from him, and then completely ignored him. Thus, the relationship was severed, and the bond remained as comrades.

The situation escalated when the enemy group launched an active attack. Being focused on the operation, you did not notice what was happening, as well as forgetting about your brother on the battlefield. The eyes and hands were occupied by enemy figures. But it was a mistake, the next painting was painful..

A tall figure with broad shoulders stood with a gun in front of the guy. Familiar silhouettes immediately gave an image of who it was — Alex and Demyan. Throwing your eyes in their direction, you regretted it. After all, the barrel aimed at your brother immediately made the sound of a shot. Bam. The boy falls dead, and a red sticky stain of blood spreads over his chest. The empty eyes stared right at you.

A scream involuntarily escaped from your throat, and the first threads of tears appeared in your eyes. There was no pity for anyone in the war, nor was there any mercy. You should have known that fact, but right now there were hoarse gasps coming out of your throat, as if suffocating. You were about to rush to the limp body, but the strong hands of your companions grabbed you and dragged you back. It was only amid the noise in your ears that you heard:

"Retreat!"

Even despite your attempts to escape, you only had to watch the disgusting picture of other armed men running over your brother's limp body like a rag doll. The dead body, once called "Demyan", turns into solid meat and blood, so that even the crunch of broken bones can be heard over which they ran.

...A week has passed since this incident. Your brother's body was never found, but you suspected that them just didn't want to deal with it. Or maybe it was just impossible to identify that mess of flesh and blood. You were constantly haunted by guilt, as well as nightmares, which is why you didn't sleep for several days.

But all that worried your mind was revenge. You wanted to tear Alex apart on the spot. You didn't even want to think about the reason he killed the boy, knowing for sure that he was your brother.

But Alex's situation was no better. After the operation, he received serious wounds. Like a deep wound in his stomach and shoulder, that's why he was in the hospital.

...Silently entering the room, you held a cloth soaked in chloroform in your hand. Approaching an unconscious man lying in a hospital bed, you were already preparing to put it to your nose and finally commit retribution. Your heart was beating faster, and your hands were shaking. Having dared, you already stretched out your hand, but an unexpected grip on your wrist made you stop. A hoarse voice reached your ears, making your skin crawl:

"Wait, I know what you saw.."