Chapter 1: The Terminator-Shin

Gunfire was heard as both sides were in a ferocious battle. The gunpowder could be smelled over the whole field.

“Everyone, retreat, the canons are aimed our way!!!”

“Fire!!!”

A soldier who had been assigned as a sniper for today had been aiming for the rebel that was about to shoot the Canon. As his crossbow was set at the head of the rebel, with the faintest of pressures, the bullet was released.

The bullet pierced through the head of the rebel and this particular soldier – leaving the sniper behind for one of the other soldiers, started running down from the place he had been.

“The Terminator got him, Let’s take the cannon!” shouted the leader of the operation.

The soldier– the man known as the Terminator, ran with lightning speed, dispatching the rebels before him with his small handgun and a small dagger he had kept in his pocket.

Taking down six rebels, he hid behind a rock to reload his gun. Almost instantly, he was back on the field, again he took out six people and took a gun from one of the deceased rebels.

Some rebels had tried to take back the now uncompromised Canon, and he was heading there. Behind him, the soldiers were shooting down the rebels that were in his way, clearing the way for him.

The splashes of blood didn't faze him, as he ran with unstopping momentum. One of the rebels who was very near the Canon, panicked as he took out his gun and aimed at the terminator but he couldn't get a clear shot on him.

The terminator stopped in an instance and threw the dagger that was in his hand, precisely at the hand of the rebel, disarming him. With the gun he had taken before, he aimed for the head and took out the rebel.

He was back on the move and arrived at the Canon. It had one projectile and that was enough to make the rebels retreat.

“Everyone, retreat!!!” Shouted one of the leaders of the rebels.

The terminator pulled the string attached to the Canon aiming it at the retreating rebels.

A deafening sound was heard, followed by a blinding light.

Most of the rebels had been exterminated.

A shout of victory was heard as the soldiers had won this confrontation.

*******

The soldier's were back at camp celebrating their newest victory. Shin- other wise known as the terminator was sitting all alone. No one wanted to sit with or near him as they were afraid of him.

Shin didn’t feel anything, which was why he could kill a lot of people without even flinching, he was emotionless. Even in this three year long war, he had killed thousands upon thousands of rebels

This was due to an accident he had when he was a kid. While travelling with his parents, their car was hit by a truck driven by a drunk driver, killing his parents and giving Shin a big knock. This accompanied with the shock of losing his parents, made his feeling senses go away, rendering him as he was now.z

He may not have ended as he is now if he had at least made some friends but that was well impossible.

He was assigned in an orphanage soon after the accident, but because he had lost his feelings, the kids there made him an outcast. Kids picked on him because of that which resulted in fights between them, as a result he was feared and all the kids stayed away.

Several years later, he was working at the orphanage and had been there most of his life. The administrator, wanting to get rid of him, arranged a marriage where he couldn’t say no to.

In that marriage, he had two children with his wife and made a family, but they were more strangers than family to him. It had already been three years since he last saw them as this world hasn’t developed that much yet, but he didn’t think it was needed. Still, he felt responsibility for them.

Now, at the age of forty, he was working as a soldier for his country.

He was dining quietly as his colleagues had left him to drink and sing even if he was the main reason they had won. This was normal for him, even though, he wanted to remember the feeling that he had felt as a kid, even if he had already forgot all about it.

After finishing his meal, he went out to get some air.

He placed his hands on the porch railing as the wind rustled past, the cool breath sweeping up on his face mixed with the lingering smell of ash from the recent battle.

“Enjoying the air, huh, Shin?” came a voice behind him. It was the commander.

“I greet the commander” said Shin, bowing down to the commander, respectfully. The commander was the only one who talked to Shin casually.

“No need for that, we are comrades putting our lives on the line after all” he smiled to Shin. The commander was a man with a wrinkled face and white hair. He was around his sixties and had been on the battlefield as twice as much as Shin.

He went to his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, “Here you go. You have been here for three years and didn’t even take a leave. Go back to your family even for at least a week.” It was a permission for a leave of absence that Shin hadn’t even asked for.

“But sire, I didn’t ask for-” he was stopped mid-sentence.

“Just go, I want all my soldier’s to be in tip-top shape. I know a week isn’t much, but it was the best I could do as we are entering the final stages of the war.” he sighed. This war had been going on for over ten years and the commander had participated for all those year, even though he started as a normal soldier.

“Well, I don’t want to see you tomorrow” he waved his hands as he went back in.

Shin looked at the paper in his hand, Well, guess I have to go, He thought as he also went back in.

********

The next day, Shin boarded a bus back to Solat, the Capital city of the country, Etipa.

It was half a day's journey and he arrived around evening.

Shin walked through the bustling streets of Solat, looking down at the ground as he was thinking about his family. He remembered his wedding– where he hadn’t felt anything from his wife’s smile as if it wasn't necessary to return it.

He remembered the birth of his children, which he had only heard about from his wife as he wasn’t present for both.

The gloomy dark weather was a perfect fit for the lifeless look in his eyes.

No one would come near him as they were afraid of his big build and his position as he was still wearing his soldier’s attire.

He came to a halt as a TV news channel were ending the day’s news reports on a TV for sale in a shop.

“.........This were the news brought to you by XXX news for July 27,2024. Thank you for watching.”

It was particularly the date that had caught his attention. It reminded him once again that it had been three years since he last saw his family.

He went into a small shop and bought some things for his family, a toy sword for his son, a teddy bear for his daughter and a necklace for his wife.

He resumed walking until he arrived at the government issued house he was given. It was a kind of house that was given to soldiers who fought for the country.

He opened the door and was met by darkness and silence. The silence felt heavy and unsettling as he had become accustomed to loud noises in the war.

Maybe they're asleep, he thought, though he was uncertain. He checked the master bedroom first. It was a few steps from the door as the house was a very tight one, but it was enough for the three who had lived in it. It was empty.

He moved on to the kids bedroom, but it was vacant.

They must have gone out ,he reassured himself sitting himself down on the worn out couch that had been in the house since it had been given to him.

On the table in front of him, he saw a book that he liked to read. A fantasy novel.

He had bought it on a whim years ago, remembering that his father would read it to him. He thought it may awaken some kind of emotion in him and albeit faintly, he felt excited when he read it.

He opened the book, skimming the pages to pass by time. Minutes stretched into hours but no one returned.

It wasn't caring, or maybe it was? He didn't know but he took out a coat from the old wardrobe and went out to look for them.

As he got out of his house and was locking the door, a woman approached him.

“Hello sir. Are you perhaps the owner of this house?” She asked, reluctantly, her voice tinged with a hint of hesitation.

He nodded.

“Could you wait here for a moment, I have got something to give you.” she murmured before disappearing into her own house which was just a few meters away. She was his neighbor.

She returned with a piece of paper in her hand.

“Here you go” she said, handing him a letter, her hands shaking a little. The stamp on it was firmly attached, implying that it hadn't been opened before.

“Who gave you this?” He asked, opening the seal.

“Your wife,” she replied quietly. “She left it with me... about a year ago. Told me to give it to you whenever you came back.”

His hands stiffened as he u folded the letter. He read the letter through his mind, the words hitting him, a little more than he expected.

His neighbor left, leaving him alone, just as his wife did.

I can't do this anymore, the letter read, You weren't here– never for me or our kids. We've left and we are not coming back. We need a life without you.

He waited for something to hit, anything, but nothing came.

He returned back to the house, with the letter in tow.

He plopped on the couch thinking about something as he stared at the letter.

What do I do now?

He stared at the ceiling thinking what he would do now. He had become a soldier to provide for his family, but now that they were gone, he didn't need a reason to do it. He wouldn't have minded leaving in poverty, he had done that for half of his life already, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

The next six days past like this, he would find himself staring at the ceiling or the sky while walking, the question running through his mind.

He returned back to the war camp the next day, still thinking and he didn't stop. He would find himself spacing out in drills, his movements sluggish.

One day, the commander told all the soldiers some news: the rebels were mobilizing again. It was estimated that they had a week before they arrived here.

That night, as Shin was eating alone, another soldier approached him, all smiley.

“Hello, mind if i sit here” he said. Shin didn’t even have time to reply as the man had already sat himself down.

Must be new, thought Shin.

The man started talking, but Shin didn’t want to listen as he just kept on eating his food, until–

“You won't believe what happened to my friend….” He started and recited everything that had happened to Shin the past week. Every little thing was the same, it was as if this guy was there with him.

Shin, confused, sat up and got away from there.

The soldier, looked at Shin's back, a smirk playing on his lips. “Second chance?” He murmured but no one heard him.

********

That night, Shin, still was wondering in his thoughts. But then– a deafening sound was heard, accompanied with alarms, implying the start of another bout with the rebels– a surprise attack.

Shin, who had been on his bed, sprang up and took out the hand-gun he had put in his room for self-defense.

Getting out of his room, he ran towards the armory–blending in with the other soldiers– where all weapons and kits were left.

Everyone seemed composed for the situation, this was due to their last win and the ones before that as they were on a run of victories.

Shin chose two guns and headed out of the armory. When he arrived at the battle field, it was a massacre by the rebels, blood splashed everywhere, deceased bodies scattered around. All soldiers who had been on look out had already been killed. The rebels had come at them with full force.

He looked around, the rebels had two canons.

Another explosion was heard.

No– it wasn’t only two, they had four of them, two of them were just behind the base– where he couldn’t look, and where half the soldiers were.

The rebels fired the two canons in front once again, killing out a lot of people who had just gone down, not realizing the danger.

Shin run off a little after the canons were fired. This may have looked idiotic for everyone, but it was the right decision. This world, although having existed for a long time, didn’t have much technology to show for. Canons would have to at least cool off for 10 minutes before they could be fired off again as they build up a lot of heat when fired. This was the perfect opening for Shin, who had learned this on a side job to earn money before the military and he was confident in his ability to fend off the rebels in the ten minutes, although not fully but enough for his fellow soldier’s to have an opening.

As he run off, he killed almost ten people without thinking, as if it was normal for him to do so.But then, he caught sight of a shadowy figure, passing him in lightning speed. In front of him, the soldier who recited his tale of the past week was looking at him intently then he moved his lips, and asked slowly,

“Second chance?”

Shin fired a bullet at him but it didn’t do anything to him as it passed right through him before he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. This brief moment had allowed a rebel to sneak up on Shin and he fired off a bullet aimed at Shin. The bullet grazed his leg, but he quickly got back up, shooting the rebels head with his handy hand gun.

He scurried unevenly towards a nearby rock, wincing in pain from his injured leg, and took cover behind it as enemies approached him. It was a bad wound, blood surging out of it.

With no time to waste he tore off his arm wear, tying it to the wound. It wasn’t good enough, but it would have to do for now. As he was about to get up, he saw the soldier once again, staring him in the eye.

“So, you have lost a lot, don;t you really want another chance?” he asked. Shin tried to shoot the guy, but the bullet passed through him once again and instead, notified the rebels of his whereabouts.

He felt something swell up in his throat,as if he was fearing what would happen to him. It was new for him.

“Oh, fear is a good start. Build up on that and just let go, this might hurt a bit though” he said, disappearing once again.

As Shin stared at the now empty space in front of him, his eyes widened as a searing pain exploded across his back. His muscles tightened as he staggered forward, gasping for breath as the world around him blurred.

The rebels had found him at last. As he tried to turn around and hit back with a counter, he was shot once again, and fell on the ground by the impact.

This is the end ,He thought as weird memories passed through his head.

Him laughing at his wife on their wedding, him being there for his kid’s birth, him laughing warmly with his family. This wasn’t really his memories, it was something he could have had, but there was one memory that felt like he had experienced it before. His parents, or who he thought to be his parents, laughing at him and the warm feeling he had felt at that time. But, all that came down as he felt as if he was lying on cold water. Then something came. A flood of emotions but there was something that had clung on to his heart at that moment.

Fear.

Not just any kind of fear, it was the raw terror of dying. His body trembled and for the first time since he was a kid, he felt something. He didn’t want to die, especially after those memories he had, he wanted to experience them.

But, his vision blurred more as everything turned into darkness.

He was dead .

But, that wasn’t the end of it, he felt like his body was floating somewhere, somewhere that seemed like the embodiment of darkness.

Time lost all meaning as he felt relaxed where he was, but far in the distance, he saw something. Light .

Desperately, he reached for it, stretching his hands he couldn’t really feel, as if he was being pulled by some unseen force. He grabbed the light after travelling for what seemed like hours then– his eyes fluttered open and he could feel again and was no longer in the darkness.

Instead of the darkness, he could see a woman staring at him intently and smiling at him, and he felt an unknown but familiar emotion.