It is day three at the base.

Jiyong,

                These past few days have been filled with intense training. I held a gun for the first time, training how to shoot targets with optimal precision. But… I wonder if they’ve effectively trained us how to kill a person. A soldier. A human being, just like you and me. It boggles my mind to see how they try to dehumanize an individual. They showed videos and gave talks, attempting to expose all this evil from the so-called enemy. Will I bring myself to kill another one of my kind? I’m not even sure myself.

                Can you believe it? I will be on the battlefront tomorrow. Of course, I am afraid. Who isn’t?

                Sorry that this letter is brief… I’ve written more letters than all of these soldiers that are with me. The mailman seems to have taken a liking to me! Hopefully I can send you more and more messages as the days pass on by.

                Oh, I miss you so much, Jiyong. I’ve dreamt of you every night. I hope that you are doing well right now. I fear that your health may be failing sometimes. I hope I am wrong.

                I love you, Jiyong. I miss you with all my heart.

                Choi Seunghyun.

                I sat in the darkness, replaying those few words in my head over and over again. A considerable amount of time has passed and the same words have echoed in my mind.

                “Is he going to be alright?”

                “…I’m afraid not.”

                I sighed sadly, shaking my head. I knew that my health was failing but I cannot leave yet. Not until I can see Seunghyun’s face again. Just a little bit longer… I wished, holding my hands together. Just a little bit longer.

                “We cannot put a finger on what this disease is…” The doctor continued, his voice echoing through the darkness once more. “I have rounded the best of the best doctors to help me diagnose Mr. Kwon’s condition but for the first time in a very long time… all of us are at a loss of words. His system is failing due to an unfamiliar source. We are working around the clock to figure this out. For now, let’s just hope that he wakes up from his coma. The longer it takes for him to wake up, the worse his condition will get, unfortunately.”

                I sat there and sighed, listening to the whole conversation. I was scared. I felt so helpless sitting alone in this void, listening to people discussing about how I will probably disappear forever if I don’t wake up. I can’t wake up. I can’t find my way out right now.

                I got up to my feet and paced around intensely, thinking of solutions to get me out of this state. I tripped on an unfamiliar object, causing me to fall again. “Oof!” I exclaimed, falling on my side. “What the…”

                I inched over to the object and gripped it, identifying it. It was a rifle. I winced and shut my eyes, anticipating the violent force to transport me somewhere again. No action. I cautiously opened my eyes and saw that the darkness was no more. Rather, I was on the battlefield. The sounds of chaos and panic slowly came to my ears, sounding all too real to me. Shouts of men and whizzing bullets filled the air.

                “Choi Seunghyun! Choi Seunghyun!” A voice frantically called out in panic.

                “Yes sir!” he replied, running towards the man.

                “I gotta bounce outta here! I’m delivering letters back to home, got any that you want to send back? I couldn’t send them out yesterday! Apologies!” It was the mailman, obviously scared out of his mind, being in the battlefield like that. He wanted OUT.

                “Oh, yes! Here, here!” Seunghyun shouted, shoving the letter to the mailman. “Go on! Don’t get hurt now!”

                “Will do!” the man smiled, saluting him. He hurriedly made his way out, dodging bullets as they whizzed past him. He made it safely out of the enemy’s sight but he was close by me. He continued running towards a helicopter waiting for him and a couple more troops. Safely climbing onto the helicopter, he breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled in content, dangling his feet from the helicopter.

                An envelope flew from his mailbag because of the roaring winds of the aircraft. I unconsciously ran towards it and grabbed it, curiously inspecting its contents.

                “To: Kwon Jiyong.”

                Ah, well, might as well open it.

                “It is day three at the base…”

                Oh, he was writing to me! I smiled happily as I read his letter. Sliding the letter into my pocket, I returned to Seunghyun was posted at, curious to what he was doing.

                He was crouched behind a bush, pointing a gun at something. His eyes remained focused on the target. He was quiet and determined.

                “…Monsters with horns…” he muttered, squinting his eye to focus.

                Monsters with horns? I thought, confused to hear such words. I thought back to the letter and realized that his superiors had recently trained his mentality on the battlefield. My heart sank as I saw that they were definitely using any means to get their soldiers to dehumanize the enemy.

                He closed his eyes in regret and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the trees.

                “Assa!” his fellow soldier exclaimed, patting him on the back. “I think you got him! Go check it out, Choi!”

                He nodded meekly, taking his gun with him. He trotted cautiously over to the enemy and saw him writhe in pain. I followed along as well, looking at the scene. I felt an uneasy pang in my stomach. He was on the open field, exposed to many enemy soldiers.

                “Oh, good… I missed…” Seunghyun whispered softly to himself. The man was bleeding from the side, having the bullet only graze it.

                “Why are you just standing there, Choi!?” his friend called out. “Is he still alive? Just shoot the damn dog!”

                “I… I can’t.” he murmured, stepping back.

                “Yah, why aren’t you pulling the trigger!? We’re here for a reason, and that’s to kill these heartless devils!”

                He whipped around, his eyes dark and piercing. “Why don’t you ing do it, then? I cannot bring myself to kill my own kind.”

                “Don’t mind if I do.” The soldier said, making his way over. He cocked his rifle and aimed, only to be interrupted by rapid gunfire aimed at the two soldiers.

                “GET DOWN!” Seunghyun shouted, pulling the other soldier down.

                “… we’re trapped…” the soldier said, cursing more under his breath. “We won’t be able to get out…”

                A circle of enemy soldiers closed in on the two, ordering them to drop their weapons.

                “Our commander will be greatly pleased to have company over.”