Chapter 37

Arriving at camp, Arthur gets off the bus with his suitcase. He looks at all the soldiers on the move, they were getting ready for something.

-Arthur, are you back? (Thomas)

-Yes. It's good to see you again. (Arthur)

-You speak as if months had passed. But... so, are you sure about that? You could stay by your father's side instead of coming back. (Thomas)

-So you heard. No, that's better. (Arthur)

-What do you know. Come on, I'll take you to our new dorm. (Thomas)

While Thomas took him, he explained the whole situation to him.

-So, as we lost our soldiers and team captain we were transferred to this unit. (Thomas)

-Why does everyone seem quite agitated? (Arthur)

-It's because of the mission the generals gave. We will make a full-scale attack and end this war once and for all. (Thomas)

Arthur realizes the seriousness of the situation and is silent, Thomas notices this and asks.

-Starting to regret it? (Thomas)

-No way. (Arthur)

Arthur enters his new cabin with Thomas, he was surrounded by people he had never seen in his life. The air he felt there was also different from the one he felt in his old home.

-Guys this is the last member. (Thomas)

-Nice, my name is Arthur. (Arthur)

Everyone just looks at the boy and continues doing their thing without saying anything else, only a boy with black hair who appeared to be the same age as he was staring at him. When Arthur looks back at him, the boy looks away and starts rummaging through his backpack.

-You can get dressed, we will only leave in the afternoon for the mission. (Thomas)

-Right. (Arthur)

Arthur leaves his things on his bed and goes outside the cabin so he can drink some water from the tap. When it's over he turns around and realizes that the boy who was staring at him was waiting for him leaning against the wall.

-Sorry, do you need something? (Arthur)

-Hmmmm. There are few idiots I can remember the face of. (?)

-You know me? (Arthur)

-We did primary together before I was transferred. (?)

He stretches his hand up to Arthur in length and Arthur has gone to return the gesture when the boy makes a fist and punches him in the stomach. Arthur withdraws and looks at the boy, but doesn't attack him back.

-You still have the same thoughts as when you were a child! Nothing has matured. (?)

-Who are you? (Arthur)

-My name, you know it very well. I'm Miguel, that guy you humiliated at school. (Miguel)

-Dude if that's why I'm sorry, I don't... (Arthur)

-Don't worry, I don't even care about it. Turns out there's one thing I can't let go of and that thing is your way of doing it. Come on, why don't you hit back the punch I gave you? (Miguel)

-I won't do that. (Arthur)

Miguel knee him in the stomach.

-That's what I'm talking about. You are not fit to be a soldier, as a soldier protects someone without wanting to fight the opponent? I heard, you didn't kill any enemies on your mission, in fact you even refused to carry the weapon. Not just me, but everyone else in the camp. We don't need a coward who can't pull the trigger. Why don't you grab your stuff and get the hell out of here? (Miguel)

Arthur looks on, not quite understanding what was happening to him at the time.

-May I know what's going on here? (Thomas)

Miguel looks back and realizes that his superior was staring at him.

-Nothing sir. (Miguel)

Leaving that place without saying anything else, Miguel disappears from their sight.

-Are you okay? (Thomas)

-Yes, it was nothing. (Arthur)

-Don't be mad at him, it's just that... (Thomas)

- Did something happen to him? (Arthur)

-Actually your family is military. Everyone is encouraged to join, I read his report and it looks like his two older brothers had joined the army too. But they weren't that lucky, so I think he took it out on you. (Thomas)

-I understand. (Arthur)

-Let's go now. We will leave. (Thomas)

-Wouldn't we leave in the afternoon? (Arthur)

-Some things have changed, we need to leave right now. (Thomas)

With the intense sun shining over the tarpaulins of the trucks that walked on the roads. Arthur walked towards his goal about the company of his new team inside the truck, it was a different feeling, with different people and he had accepted it very well, because that feeling that he will once feel and the people he once lived with would only be present now in your memory.