Fuck! I think I saw a vigilante! The tree! I have to hurry!

As a trained soldier, I climb up the pines the faster my body allows me. I tried to contain any whining my body could let go, but before leaving the town, a loyal dog stabbed my left leg. However, I've already cleaned the wound, stopped the bleeding, and covered the wound with half of my sleeve. Doing all those things took 20 minutes... What a waste. 

The dogs bark, and the mumbles and slurs of a human and vigilante are getting closer. The weather is on my side in this operation. 

I tried convincing my friends to come with me, but they decided to stay on Sinny and wait to become one of the thousand luckless citizens that have been forcibly sent to the battle. I don't understand them, I never did. What's the difference between staying and leaving? We are going to die anyway. I had everything planned since Clerish declared Eunji war for Sinny. EVERYTHING.

-What it is?! -A vigilante screamed to a dog barking to my tree. The temperature is so fucking low that I feel my bones are freezing. Their "thermometer", as I call it, only shows things who have +35 °C; after all, they were made to hunt the demons, and the surrounding humans only hang off them and don't try to do anything helpfully. For now, I have to stay quiet and hope for that barking shit to be killed. -Human! Go!

-Yeah, yeah... -Fuck, he's going to climb the pine. 

I have to move, I have to ignore the pain... The pain is just an... hallucination... Hallucination? Where is it? There has to be something I can throw. Bingo. I grab the bag filled with rocks, I decide to take the bigger one and throw it as far as I can. The rock hits against a pine, and a couple of snow falls from the pine where it bumped.

-Go! Go! -The vigilante made signs for the soldier climbing the pine.

-God! Take a fucking decision!

It seems like they are leaving. It was worth thinking about everything, night and day. Mostly nights. 

I carefully start to get down the pine, trying not to make a sound. I successfully got down the pine and took back my running. 

Fuck... How much time has it been? I don't think I can keep going with only a coat... But I can't risk getting a temperature above 35 °C. I'm sure I am close to the border. Two vigilantes with dogs passed by 5 minutes ago. One thing's for sure, it has been more than 20 minutes. Which means the alert is already in the ears of the Kak's. If one of them sees me, I'll be sent to the first line. 

Agh! Fuck my leg! I'm fucking losing control of it, this is the 5th time I fall. I'm sure the wound is rotting... I don't know, I've never had such a big wound in my life. But... Once I arrive at the Koty encampment, I'll get it treated. Just a bit more, and I'll be free, again.

11 minutes have passed, I've been counting this whole time... I think the wound opened... But my fingers are too shaky to do a good cleaning or whatever the wound needs. I don't even think I'll be able to shoot the gun when the time comes. Yeah, no. I always dreamed of shooting an STP gun, doesn't matter if my fingers are all frozen, I am going to shoot this weapon.

North? South? East? West? I don't know. The compass stopped working 3 minutes ago, I feel stuck on a circle. 

The pines are getting scarce, which means I'm getting close to the border. Just a bit-

-7258! Stop right there! Drop the gun! -Is a human voice. Is a human voice... I have a chance. -7258, don't make me repeat myse... -I turn around and shoot at him in the head. 

I hear how the heavy steps of a vigilante is moving closer to my location. The pines! I have to run to the pines!

I got warmth, I fucked it up. I messed up my own plan. I'm just a fucking idiot! No wonder they decided not to come with me, because they knew I'll mess things up! Wait, Joseph was acting weird when I told them I was leaving, as if he wanted to say something. Were those idiots making they own plan?! No, did they just hand me over?! Why am I thinking about this now?!

-7258! 

-N...! -Something is biting me! There's more, they are getting through all my... A stun gun. 

My body falls to the snow, I hit my chest with a rock covered in snow. It smells like crap down here.

-7258, you're getting arrested for betraying your country, continent, and world! -Right, Sinny is one of the last cities that didn't fell over the technology nor is it full of demons, but it is doing it now. The other parts of the world are in ashes, there are no humans in the majority of the countries. But I've heard the machines take care of the humans. Fuck, why did I have to get born in such a place? 

-Get up! 

A vigilante grabs me by my hair, a second one covers my head with a bag. 

It has been 19 minutes, and we are in a big vehicle, because we are going slow as fuck. If I'm going to die, then I want to die as fast as possible. Once I get to the battle camp, I am going to shoot myself, not because I am a coward, but because I will not fight for people who don't care about me.

A cold hand removes the bag from my head and throws it again. I see how a vigilante offers me a cigarette. 

-You're the first one that gives such a big problem. Congratulations, you lasted more than average! 

-Fuck. -Fucking shit, so fucking fuck.

-Put a brilliant face on that smile, 7258.

-It is a "brilliant smile on that face". Dumbass. 7258, I'll give you a cake if I could, but I can't. -The vigilante that first greeted me said, with a melancholy tone. -You've been chosen for the Red Mission. Where only cripples go. 

-Ehem, if I could give my opinion, Eve, the Red Mission is so fucking stupid. I mean, we are just giving more power to the "Antichrist".

-I don't want to hear your conspiracy against boss Eunji, Fox. Oh, my! It looks like we have arrived. Get down 7258. 

The vigilantes point at me with their guns and pushes me to a look like a concentration camp. The gate opens, and a human decides to show himself.

-7258, get inside and get yourself ready for Red Operation 102. You have 30 minutes. Go!

I walk inside the camp, there's no lobby or anything like that. The first thing I find myself with is a couple of people, half of them have lost parts of their bodies, and the other half have bodies full of scars.

I walk to a empty locker and open it. The first code I can think of is "7258", and who could have guessed it? It opened. The armor seems heavy... It looks just like the exterior of a Kak's. Black, heavy, and fucking impenetrable. At the side, I see a sniper rifle with venom bullets. It is half of my size, and it has 5 different sights and 2 different types of shots. Good, because math is my specialty.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15... I can last 15 minutes with the armament on. 

-AHHH!!! NO!! I CAN'T LEAVE! I HAVE TO COME BACK WITH MY SIBLING! -A redhead screamed, he had a scar on his left eye that prevented him from seeing, his neck was full of wounds, looks like a glass exploded in front of him. 

I honestly was waiting for someone to calm him down, but no, everyone stayed silent and kept on their own stuff.

The gate opens, and the human in black, who had the face covered with bandages, I know it is a mask, appeared once again and screams: 15 minutes! I'm already ready. Those guys are taking their time, though some of them are not understandable...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Let's see if I counted them right. The gate opens again, and a black bus is on the road, it has windows with racks.

-Everyone, get in, the ones that aren't ready will be terminated.