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Blissful darkness.

My ears are still ringing from the explosion, the relentless echo that makes my skull throb incessantly.

I can feel the darkness creeping up on me again, trying to pull me in.

Maybe I should let it.

A loud groan pierces through the ringing, snapping me out of it and returning me back to the present.

To the agony coursing through me, like a fire burning from within.

My stomach rolls, bile rising up my throat, suffocating me. I try to swallow it down and force my eyes to open. The motion seems to take forever, but I don’t give up. I can’t give up.

When I can see through the haze, I take in my surroundings.

There’s metal and bodies scattered everywhere.

Unmoving.

Groaning, I press my palm down and push myself upright so I can see better.

The first body is lying face down, not even a yard away.

My arm gives out on me, but I grit my teeth and push upright again. My legs won’t move. I glance down, noticing the blood seeping through the cuts in my uniform.

Cursing under my breath, I force myself to move. Every inch of space I pass is agonizing, but I focus on the person in front of me.

One of my brothers.

Don’t let him be dead.

Don’t let him be dead.

He can’t be dead.

I chant those words as I crawl my way to him. We were laughing just moments ago, talking about going back home. They can’t be dead.

Not when we’re so close.

I blink furiously, trying to clear my vision. I’m not sure if it’s sweat, blood, or tears that are sliding down my face at this moment; it may be a mix of all of them, for all I know. However, the only thing I can focus on is getting to my team.

I don’t know how long it takes me to get to the first bo—person.That’s still a person. I can’t give up on them. Not yet.

Time seems to have stopped moving. My breathing is ragged, chest heaving as I turn them around, only to find a pair of hollow eyes.

Gone.

Gavin Durran was gone.

I punch at the ground, “Fucking hell.”

Still, I don’t have the luxury to stop, so I continue moving. Checking body after body.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

I spot the last one.

“Foster.”