Dangerous Hope

Hermann’s breathing was heavy and uneven as he tossed and turned on the narrow cot.

His body was drenched in sweat, and every so often incoherent muttering and strained groans escaped his lips.

Muffled screams and collapsing buildings echoed through his mind until he once again found himself standing in the middle of the firestorm.

Sirens wailed. Aircraft engines roared endlessly overhead.

And everywhere...

Flames.

An ocean of fire so intense it seemed to melt the asphalt beneath his boots and warp the metal husks of abandoned cars.

Suddenly, a hand seized his arm.

“Hermann! Hermann, come on! We have to get out of here!” one of his comrades shouted at him.

He nodded weakly and followed.

As they ran through the streets, more bombs rained down on the buildings around them.

“They’re… they’re not targeting the factories. They’re going after residential districts on purpose!” Hermann gasped in horror.

Another explosion.

“Watch out!”

Burning debris came crashing down.

“AAAHHH!”

When Hermann opened his eyes again, the flames were gone.

Instead, he found himself standing on a dusty road somewhere in no man’s land.

A burned-out tank sat half-sunken in a ditch nearby, faint wisps of smoke still rising from its blackened hull.

Dark clouds billowed over a small village on the horizon.

“Where am I…?”

The sound of an engine made him spin around.

A car approached in a cloud of dust before stopping directly in front of him.

The engine cut out and a man stepped out.

Field-gray uniform. Peaked cap. Two gold pips on each shoulder board.

Hermann’s hand shot to his temple.

“Herr Major…”

The officer studied him coldly with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Are you unaware…” he finally began in a stern voice, “…that deserters are shot, Herr Oberfeldwebel?”

Hermann recoiled.

“Deserter? Me?”

He stared at his superior in disbelief.

“There must be some kind of misunderstanding. I always fulfilled my duty! I never…”

“Then why,” the officer interrupted sharply, “are you amusing yourself with young girls in some faraway place while your people suffer? While Germany suffers?”

The color drained from Hermann’s face.

At once, other images flashed before his eyes.

Magic. Monsters. The Grapevine.

Girls fighting desperately for survival.

“That was never my intention. The machine that brought me here is gone. How am I supposed to…”

Without waiting for him to finish, the officer drew the Luger from his holster and flicked off the safety.

Click.

“Did you even search for another way home, soldier?” he asked coldly. “Or perhaps… was it convenient for you… to abandon your people?”

“No!” Hermann burst out. “That’s not true! I… I…”

But the officer’s arm was already rising.

BANG!

...

Hermann shot upright with a gasp, drenched in sweat.

Pale light from the corridor filtered through the gap beneath the door, casting dim shadows across the room.

Footsteps and distant voices echoed outside while he struggled to steady his breathing.

“Another dream…” he muttered quietly while glancing around. 

With a weary sigh, he got dressed.

“It’s been days now. We’d better reach their damned capital soon…”

But while buttoning up his uniform, he paused for a moment.

But… what then?

***

Where the great barrier had once surrounded the upper plaza the wind now swept endlessly across bare stone.

Dark stains, burn marks, and long cracks still spread across the platform where magic and Manyleg attacks had collided.

Between the command center and the entrance leading into the lower decks, soldiers assembled in orderly rows.

Hermann leaned against a wall and observed the morning formation with folded arms, as he did every day now.

It’s kind of nice watching all this as an outsider for once.

As usual, Squad 77 came hurrying in among the last units to arrive.

“Morning, Hermann!” Tong called while jogging past.

He greeted her with a nod and returned Linly’s small wave.

Then he noticed Singe’s brief cold glance before she deliberately lifted her chin and looked away.

Hermann sighed.

So she’s still angry… and she didn’t even let me explain myself.

He shrugged slightly.

We’d only known each other for a few days. Why would she even care?

His thoughts were interrupted as the doors of the command center swung open and Commander Zirka stepped outside.

As every morning, she planted herself before her soldiers while the assembled ranks immediately snapped to attention.

But instead of beginning the usual roll call, she addressed something else entirely.

“Soldiers.“ 

The murmuring across the plaza ceased at once.

“Soon, we will enter Stratum airspace.”

As the wind swept through the ranks, tugging at coats and hats, Commander Zirka studied her soldiers for a moment.

“I am aware that there have been a lot of rumors since the last battle.”

Her voice remained calm and controlled.

“About a miracle. And a new weapon.”

A brief silence followed. Then her expression hardened.

“So let me keep this brief...”

She clasped her hands behind her back.

“What occurred during the attack is hereby classified as top military secrecy.”

Uneasy murmurs spread through the ranks.

“No discussion about the course of the battle. No speculation about what you believe you may have witnessed. And above all…”

Her gaze shifted toward Hermann.

“…not a single word about the man currently staying among us. Nor about the role he supposedly played.”

Several soldiers exchanged nervous glances.

“Rumors spread quickly. Fear spreads even faster. And uncontrolled information can cause more damage than any Manyleg assault.”

Her voice turned sharp.

“Anyone who violates this order endangers not only the security of this fortress, but the stability of the entire army.”

Silence.

“Violations will therefore be punished severely.”

With that, she turned away.

“That is all.”

The moment the assembly ended, hushed whispers immediately spread throughout the ranks.

Hermann slowly pushed himself away from the wall.

Is she really that afraid of the consequences the weapons might bring?

He had only taken a few steps across the plaza when hurried footsteps approached.

“You knew about this?”

Singe stopped directly in front of him, out of breath and visibly upset.

“That she wants to keep this a secret?!”

Tong and Linly hurried up behind her.

Hermann nodded slowly.

“I suspected it at least. Especially after they confiscated the weapons and all the plans after the battle.”

Singe immediately grabbed him by the collar.

“This is madness!” she hissed. “Does she even understand what this means?! With weapons like those, nobody would have to die anymore!”

Several nearby soldiers glanced nervously toward them.

“Singe…” Linly began carefully. “Maybe the commander has her reasons…”

“Of course she does!” Singe snapped. “Because if word gets out that we can kill Manylegs without magic, someone up in Stratum might start getting very nervous!”

Tong grimaced as more soldiers nearby slowed down to listen.

“Keep your voice down…”

But Singe ignored her.

“We all saw what those weapons can do!” Her voice trembled now. “Do you have any idea how many people we could save with them?!”

Then she suddenly stopped.

Her grip on Hermann’s uniform loosened slightly while he endured the outburst without reacting.

“We…” Her voice grew quieter. “…we could finally go down into the tunnels ourselves… search for the missing, instead of waiting to get accepted into the damned Recces…”

Hermann looked at her silently.

So that’s what this is really about. She wants to search for her missing squadmate…

Tong sighed softly.

“I get what you mean… but there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

Singe turned back toward Hermann.

“Without you, the plans are useless to them anyway. Can’t you go and talk to her like you did before? Can’t you do something for us?!”

For a moment, Hermann said nothing.

Do something for them? What exactly am I supposed to do?

He thought about the dreams tormenting him.

No. There is only one thing I need to do...

When he finally answered, his voice sounded cold and distant.

“My highest priority is returning to my homeland. I’ve already brought you the means to win your war. But I have no authority here. Whatever your leaders decide to do with it… I have no control over that.”

Singe stared at him uncertainly.

For several long seconds.

“But… I… I thought you…”

She stopped herself, her eyes drifting away.

“Forget it.”

Abruptly, she turned around.

“Just do whatever you want…”

Then she stormed off.

Tong watched her go and sighed quietly.

“Did you really have to put it quite that bluntly…?”

“Tong…” Linly murmured carefully.

But Tong only waved it off before following after Singe.

Linly remained behind for a moment longer.

“She always does this…” she said softly to Hermann. “She pins her hopes on things… where there really shouldn’t be any hope left.”

Before Hermann could answer, Linly gave him an uncertain smile, lowered her eyes, and hurried after the other two.

Hermann’s gaze drifted across the damaged plaza.

Hope…

Quietly, he exhaled.

“Dangerous thing.”