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For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.
The noise of war that filled the world seemed distant. The tinnitus persisted for a while, unceasing.
His vision began to dizzy as he followed his unsteady movements. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, but he still couldn't come to his senses.
Beep...
The tinnitus gradually subsided, as if sinking beneath the surface of the water.
Heiner opened his eyes again and suddenly saw a distant view to the west. There, a vast horizon stretched out endlessly.
With 80 kilometers of power lines.
Both the Allies and the Axis were risking their lives in this Cheshire Field Battle. While countless soldiers were dying, the front lines remained stagnant for days.
What the heck.
What on earth are they going for?
"..."
What is all this happening for?
“...Your Excellency... Your Excellency...”
What on earth am I for...
"Your Excellency!"
Suddenly, the world became clearer. A soldier grabbed his shoulder. The soldier's words, previously only moving with his lips, became faint.
“Are you okay?”
Only then did the bombing noise that had filled the surroundings dull his mind. Heiner blinked a few times and nodded.
“...It’s okay. Let's go.”
His hastily packed luggage was loaded into the vehicle. Heiner then got into the car, lowered his gun, and took a deep breath. His heart pounded and pounded.
Soon, the military vehicle carrying the commander-in-chief began to lurch forward. The gray car sped across the center of the bomb zone.
The Allied Forces Operations Command was located near a small village not far from the front lines. At least this village had to be evacuated.
The dark red splashes of bombs were reflected on the dirty car window. In the distance, he could glimpse the rear reinforcements advancing toward the front line.
Heiner stared at the abyss, his breathing unsteady. One ear still felt muffled, as if submerged in water.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud noise accompanied the car's body shaking violently. The car, which had been rumbling forward for a few more meters, finally came to a complete stop.
The panicked driver stepped on the accelerator and tried to start the engine again. But once the car stopped, it refused to move.
The driver got out of the car and checked it urgently. His face was deadpan.
“Sorry... the wheel...”
The driver said something, but the surrounding noise made it difficult to hear. Heiner, guessing from the shape of his lips and a few words, asked.
“Can you fix it?”
The driver shook his head, saying it was impossible.
In that case, the only option was to get out of the car and evacuate on their own. In a situation like this, attaching multiple escort vehicles would have been more noticeable.
“I’ll abandon the car and go.”
Heiner opened the car door and jumped out, his rifle loaded. His gaze turned around, his luggage brushing against his shoulders.
For a moment, his gray eyes shook.
Inside the hastily brought personal bag were Annette's painting and the scarf she had given him. These were the things that kept him alive.
Heiner turned his head away from there with great effort.
And then he started running.
The rearguard, coming up from the east, continued to advance toward the front line. For something unknown, Heiner raised his eyes and looked at the end of the road he was running along.
A name like a branding came to mind along with the bombing.
Annette.
All my paths lead to you. I no longer care what comes my way. I don't mind having nothing. After all, the path I've walked has been a ruin, and everything I hold onto has been ruined.
So, Annette, what matters to me now is what goes to you.
I want you to live in a better world. I want you to walk toward a brighter future. And at the end of that path, I want you to smile again, like you did on the dazzling Glenford sea.
But if I have one last greed I am allowed,
[Dear Heiner]
I want to face the end of this road with only your letter in my arms.
[I'm staying in Sinsier for a while. I'm here to relax and occasionally help out at the refugee camp. (Just in case, don't be offended. I'm really just helping out here and there.)
How about you? How are you doing?
As I write this, all the newspapers are busy carrying the news of victory from Cheshire Field. But that doesn't give me any reassurance.
As you know, newspapers are notoriously unreliable. I just hope the article is true.]
Bombs dropped from fighter jets blew up the ground here and there. It seemed Balihen was intent on turning this place into a sea of fire. Heiner let out a ragged breath.
[Heiner, I've been thinking a lot since we parted ways. About the past we've walked and the future we're walking toward.
I believe you when you say our past together wasn't all lies. I believe you loved me as I loved you, and I believe I'm precious to you.
Heiner, do you know that?
I longed for the romanticism of giving everything to love, but I never believed it would happen to me. I had too many precious things in my past.
To throw them all away and choose one love? It's so romantic, yet so impossible. But surprisingly, since meeting you, I've sometimes found myself thinking this.
I don’t think I would mind giving up everything if I could be with you.]
Boom! The ground shook. Ash and dust swept up to where he stood. He saw the bones and flesh of the soldiers caught in the bombing shatter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening roar continued unabated. The tinnitus, which seemed to have subsided for a moment, filled his ears again. Along with the dizzying ringing, a violent headache pounded in his brainstem.
The driver on his left pointed toward the house and shouted something. But it was as if the sound had been silenced, and his left ear couldn't hear it very well.
Only then did Heiner realize something was wrong.
[But Heiner, after much thought, I've come to the conclusion that we can't move forward together.
I have less now than I did then, so I have nothing to lose. But this isn't about gaining or losing anything.
There are so many reasons why we can't be together: our past and future, political and social issues, and even the fundamental problems that lie between you and me.
We can't continue living as if nothing happened. We'll struggle to forget the past so we can be together, and just being together will remind us of each other's pain and wounds.
Nevertheless, Heiner.
If I had one last greed I was allowed to have.]
Heiner forced his trembling eyelids open.
[I want to see your face again."
And then we moved forward.
I want to hear the story of your life as you live it.
Even if we can't move forward together, we can check each other's steps and encourage each other... I want to live in the same world like that.]
He kept moving forward, moving forward. To bring victory to the one he held dear—the one at the end of these ruins.
[Thank you for loving me like this.
If I have any remaining happiness or luck, I'll give it all to you. Please win.
Make the world a better place.
I will be waiting for you in the world you will create.
Forever.
At the end of spring,
Annette Rosenberg ]
Before the real heat set in, Annette headed to Santa Molino.
Santa Molino, located on the westernmost coast of the southern cities, was even more beautiful than she'd expected. She walked along the stone walls, which formed a landscape of sparkling, jewel-like seas, and was constantly in awe.
She only previously shipped her luggage to the address, but this was her first time visiting it in person. Looking at the map, it seemed like the house was right on the oceanfront.
The sun was sinking toward the horizon. The ripples swimming across the sea's surface began to take on a crimson hue.
Annette climbed the gently sloping hill, her gaze fixed on the sea. As she gazed intently, she found herself approaching the location on the map.
Soon, a house with a sky-blue roof came into view. She checked the map repeatedly, wondering if it was really the house.
"...Oh."
And without realizing it, she let out an exclamation.
Her house was nestled against a steep cliff along the coastline, separated only by a road. Annette, not even thinking of entering the house, crossed the road as if in a trance.
Atop the cliff, a wide, flat expanse of rock stretched out like an open space. Annette gazed around absently. Families and couples sat on the cliff, waiting for the sunset.
The waves crashed against the cliff, crashing into pieces. White foam rose. White lines rippled across the waves, lapping at the rock, like a painting.
Annette checked the map she was holding again. Above the coordinates where the sea and the cliff met, the name of this place was written in small letters.
Sunset Cliff
Suddenly, a memory she had forgotten came to mind.
“Is there anywhere you want to go?”
"...Yes?"
“It’s a place you want to go.”
"No."
“Didn’t you want to go to the sea?”
The setting sun finally reached the horizon. As if drawing a circle, the sea and sky around the sun were bathed in a crimson glow. Waves, surging from afar, crashed against the cliffs once again.
"When the weather gets a little warmer, let's go to the beach next spring. There are many places better than Glenford. If you go a little further down..."
All those scenes were imprinted on her eyes like fingerprints.
“There is also Sunset Cliff, famous for its beautiful sunsets.”
Annette stared frozen, her eyes fixed on the sunset that was gradually engulfing the entire sky. The sound of waves crashing filled her ears. She remained motionless for a long moment.
As he said, the sunset here was beautiful.
Like a lie.
The noise of war that filled the world seemed distant. The tinnitus persisted for a while, unceasing.
His vision began to dizzy as he followed his unsteady movements. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, but he still couldn't come to his senses.
Beep...
The tinnitus gradually subsided, as if sinking beneath the surface of the water.
Heiner opened his eyes again and suddenly saw a distant view to the west. There, a vast horizon stretched out endlessly.
With 80 kilometers of power lines.
Both the Allies and the Axis were risking their lives in this Cheshire Field Battle. While countless soldiers were dying, the front lines remained stagnant for days.
What the heck.
What on earth are they going for?
"..."
What is all this happening for?
“...Your Excellency... Your Excellency...”
What on earth am I for...
"Your Excellency!"
Suddenly, the world became clearer. A soldier grabbed his shoulder. The soldier's words, previously only moving with his lips, became faint.
“Are you okay?”
Only then did the bombing noise that had filled the surroundings dull his mind. Heiner blinked a few times and nodded.
“...It’s okay. Let's go.”
His hastily packed luggage was loaded into the vehicle. Heiner then got into the car, lowered his gun, and took a deep breath. His heart pounded and pounded.
Soon, the military vehicle carrying the commander-in-chief began to lurch forward. The gray car sped across the center of the bomb zone.
The Allied Forces Operations Command was located near a small village not far from the front lines. At least this village had to be evacuated.
The dark red splashes of bombs were reflected on the dirty car window. In the distance, he could glimpse the rear reinforcements advancing toward the front line.
Heiner stared at the abyss, his breathing unsteady. One ear still felt muffled, as if submerged in water.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud noise accompanied the car's body shaking violently. The car, which had been rumbling forward for a few more meters, finally came to a complete stop.
The panicked driver stepped on the accelerator and tried to start the engine again. But once the car stopped, it refused to move.
The driver got out of the car and checked it urgently. His face was deadpan.
“Sorry... the wheel...”
The driver said something, but the surrounding noise made it difficult to hear. Heiner, guessing from the shape of his lips and a few words, asked.
“Can you fix it?”
The driver shook his head, saying it was impossible.
In that case, the only option was to get out of the car and evacuate on their own. In a situation like this, attaching multiple escort vehicles would have been more noticeable.
“I’ll abandon the car and go.”
Heiner opened the car door and jumped out, his rifle loaded. His gaze turned around, his luggage brushing against his shoulders.
For a moment, his gray eyes shook.
Inside the hastily brought personal bag were Annette's painting and the scarf she had given him. These were the things that kept him alive.
Heiner turned his head away from there with great effort.
And then he started running.
The rearguard, coming up from the east, continued to advance toward the front line. For something unknown, Heiner raised his eyes and looked at the end of the road he was running along.
A name like a branding came to mind along with the bombing.
Annette.
All my paths lead to you. I no longer care what comes my way. I don't mind having nothing. After all, the path I've walked has been a ruin, and everything I hold onto has been ruined.
So, Annette, what matters to me now is what goes to you.
I want you to live in a better world. I want you to walk toward a brighter future. And at the end of that path, I want you to smile again, like you did on the dazzling Glenford sea.
But if I have one last greed I am allowed,
[Dear Heiner]
I want to face the end of this road with only your letter in my arms.
[I'm staying in Sinsier for a while. I'm here to relax and occasionally help out at the refugee camp. (Just in case, don't be offended. I'm really just helping out here and there.)
How about you? How are you doing?
As I write this, all the newspapers are busy carrying the news of victory from Cheshire Field. But that doesn't give me any reassurance.
As you know, newspapers are notoriously unreliable. I just hope the article is true.]
Bombs dropped from fighter jets blew up the ground here and there. It seemed Balihen was intent on turning this place into a sea of fire. Heiner let out a ragged breath.
[Heiner, I've been thinking a lot since we parted ways. About the past we've walked and the future we're walking toward.
I believe you when you say our past together wasn't all lies. I believe you loved me as I loved you, and I believe I'm precious to you.
Heiner, do you know that?
I longed for the romanticism of giving everything to love, but I never believed it would happen to me. I had too many precious things in my past.
To throw them all away and choose one love? It's so romantic, yet so impossible. But surprisingly, since meeting you, I've sometimes found myself thinking this.
I don’t think I would mind giving up everything if I could be with you.]
Boom! The ground shook. Ash and dust swept up to where he stood. He saw the bones and flesh of the soldiers caught in the bombing shatter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening roar continued unabated. The tinnitus, which seemed to have subsided for a moment, filled his ears again. Along with the dizzying ringing, a violent headache pounded in his brainstem.
The driver on his left pointed toward the house and shouted something. But it was as if the sound had been silenced, and his left ear couldn't hear it very well.
Only then did Heiner realize something was wrong.
[But Heiner, after much thought, I've come to the conclusion that we can't move forward together.
I have less now than I did then, so I have nothing to lose. But this isn't about gaining or losing anything.
There are so many reasons why we can't be together: our past and future, political and social issues, and even the fundamental problems that lie between you and me.
We can't continue living as if nothing happened. We'll struggle to forget the past so we can be together, and just being together will remind us of each other's pain and wounds.
Nevertheless, Heiner.
If I had one last greed I was allowed to have.]
Heiner forced his trembling eyelids open.
[I want to see your face again."
And then we moved forward.
I want to hear the story of your life as you live it.
Even if we can't move forward together, we can check each other's steps and encourage each other... I want to live in the same world like that.]
He kept moving forward, moving forward. To bring victory to the one he held dear—the one at the end of these ruins.
[Thank you for loving me like this.
If I have any remaining happiness or luck, I'll give it all to you. Please win.
Make the world a better place.
I will be waiting for you in the world you will create.
Forever.
At the end of spring,
Annette Rosenberg ]
***
Before the real heat set in, Annette headed to Santa Molino.
Santa Molino, located on the westernmost coast of the southern cities, was even more beautiful than she'd expected. She walked along the stone walls, which formed a landscape of sparkling, jewel-like seas, and was constantly in awe.
She only previously shipped her luggage to the address, but this was her first time visiting it in person. Looking at the map, it seemed like the house was right on the oceanfront.
The sun was sinking toward the horizon. The ripples swimming across the sea's surface began to take on a crimson hue.
Annette climbed the gently sloping hill, her gaze fixed on the sea. As she gazed intently, she found herself approaching the location on the map.
Soon, a house with a sky-blue roof came into view. She checked the map repeatedly, wondering if it was really the house.
"...Oh."
And without realizing it, she let out an exclamation.
Her house was nestled against a steep cliff along the coastline, separated only by a road. Annette, not even thinking of entering the house, crossed the road as if in a trance.
Atop the cliff, a wide, flat expanse of rock stretched out like an open space. Annette gazed around absently. Families and couples sat on the cliff, waiting for the sunset.
The waves crashed against the cliff, crashing into pieces. White foam rose. White lines rippled across the waves, lapping at the rock, like a painting.
Annette checked the map she was holding again. Above the coordinates where the sea and the cliff met, the name of this place was written in small letters.
Sunset Cliff
Suddenly, a memory she had forgotten came to mind.
“Is there anywhere you want to go?”
"...Yes?"
“It’s a place you want to go.”
"No."
“Didn’t you want to go to the sea?”
The setting sun finally reached the horizon. As if drawing a circle, the sea and sky around the sun were bathed in a crimson glow. Waves, surging from afar, crashed against the cliffs once again.
"When the weather gets a little warmer, let's go to the beach next spring. There are many places better than Glenford. If you go a little further down..."
All those scenes were imprinted on her eyes like fingerprints.
“There is also Sunset Cliff, famous for its beautiful sunsets.”
Annette stared frozen, her eyes fixed on the sunset that was gradually engulfing the entire sky. The sound of waves crashing filled her ears. She remained motionless for a long moment.
As he said, the sunset here was beautiful.
Like a lie.
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