Chapter 1: Acquaintance
A thousand years from now, the world had forgotten peace. For a decade, nations bled under the iron fist of perpetual war, their conflicts fueled by the insatiable hunger for resources and the toxic pride of global dominance. In this broken world, Sean, a young man forged in poverty, was on the cusp of graduating from the air force academy. His final test was not in the cockpit of a fighter jet, but on the ground, as a mentor leading a group of junior students on a field training exercise.
Their return home was a descent into chaos. An unexpected Meridian Federation offensive had swallowed the land, turning their path into a war zone. Now, they were rats in a maze of rubble, hiding in the shell of a shattered building in the Blue Lake district, the enemy's pursuit a constant, looming threat.
Ruby, a diplomat from the Meridian Federation, was also a prisoner of this sudden violence. Born to wealth and privilege, she was on her way home from a diplomatic mission aimed at forging fragile alliances. An armed, professional escort team was her shield, but in the maelstrom of the offensive, the shield had broken. Separated from her protectors, she stumbled into the same ruined building where Sean and his students were hiding.
The sight that greeted her was a tableau of fear and defiance: a young officer and a handful of cadets, their uniforms marking them as the enemy.
Outside, the shouts of her escort team echoed through the ruins, drawing closer. Sean heard them too. He was outmanned, outgunned, and trapped. He looked at the diplomat, his mind racing. He made a choice.
"You can turn me in," he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "But let them go. They're just kids, not soldiers yet."
Sean and Ruby locked eyes, a silent battle of wills raging in the space between them. He saw a flicker of something in her gaze – not hatred, but a weary sorrow. She, in turn, saw not a monster, but a young man prepared to sacrifice everything for the lives of others. The tension was a physical thing, a heavy weight in the dust-filled air.
As the footsteps of her team grew louder, just outside their hiding place, a sigh escaped Ruby's lips. "Tell your students to find another career," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "This meaningless war isn't worth the price of their lives."
She turned and walked away, melting back into the shadows from which she had emerged. A moment later, Sean heard her voice, clear and strong, calling out to her team, leading them away from the building.
In the silence that followed, Sean let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He didn't know her name, but he knew he owed her his life, and the lives of his students. In the depths of his heart, a silent "thank you" was offered to the enemy who had shown him mercy. With a newfound resolve, he gathered his students, and together, they navigated the treacherous path back to their own lines, the memory of the mysterious diplomat burned into his mind.
Scene from this Chapter:
Tell your students to find another career, this meaningless war isn't worth the price of their lives! sample vidoe