The sky was orange. Not sunset, just smoke sitting in the air like it had nowhere else to go.
Kane lay on his back staring at it, not really thinking about anything in particular. The ringing in his ears hadn't stopped yet. It probably wouldn't.
He moved his hand slightly. It worked.
Still alive.
That was inconvenient.
There should've been pain. There usually was. Burns, shrapnel, something. Instead, there was just this dull weight in his body, like everything had already shut down before he caught up.
The smell hadn't changed. Burnt metal, flesh, chemicals. It stuck in his throat the same way it always did.
He didn't react to it.
He hadn't in a long time.
There was a point where he would've. The first time he saw someone die, he threw up. The first time he got shot at, he froze. After that, things just… stopped meaning anything. Not suddenly. It wore down over time until there wasn't much left to react with.
A memory came up for a second. His house. His mother in the kitchen, his father talking too loudly at the TV.
It didn't feel important.
Just something that used to exist.
Kane blinked, and it was gone.
No panic. No regret. Just a thought.
Then his head started hurting.
It wasn't like an injury. It felt wrong, like something was forcing its way in. Kane frowned slightly, trying to ignore it, but it only got worse.
Then the images came.
A clear sky.
Voices.
Steel clashing.
Not guns.
Swords.
Kane's breathing shifted slightly. "What…?"
It didn't stop. If anything, it got clearer.
A name followed.
Kain Ghislane.
Training grounds. Armor. A sword too large for a normal person, but used like it wasn't.
People laughing.
"Oi, Ghislane, try not to break it this time."
More laughter. Not friendly.
Kane felt it like it was his. The confusion, mostly. Kain didn't really understand why they were laughing. He just stood there and took it.
Then it shifted.
A tent. Voices, quieter.
"He's a commoner."
"He embarrassed them."
"Give him the 13th."
A pause.
"Kain Ghislane. You are to march to Gravefall and hold the line until reinforcements arrive."
Kane understood it immediately.
That wasn't a promotion. It was a suicide order.
More came after. A group of soldiers that barely looked like soldiers. No discipline. No structure. Just people waiting to be used up.
And Kain standing in front of them like he didn't fully get what he'd been handed.
Kane let out a slow breath.
"…seriously?"
The memories didn't sit right together. For a moment, everything blurred.
Then it went dark.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky was blue.
Clear. Empty.
He took a breath and immediately coughed. No smoke. No chemicals. It felt off.
He pushed himself up slowly. His body felt different. Lighter. Stronger. No constant pain dragging him down.
The memories didn't go anywhere though.
They stayed.
"Ghislane…" he said under his breath.
It wasn't his name.
But it worked.
Footsteps approached from behind him.
"Captain!"
He didn't turn right away. He already knew.
Orders. March. Gravefall.
A setup so obvious it didn't even try to hide itself.
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. The sword at his side felt natural enough.
By the time the soldiers reached him, slightly out of breath, he had already settled into it.
"Captain, orders just came in. We march at dawn. Straight into Gravefall."
Kain looked at them for a moment. They were watching him carefully, probably expecting the same reaction they were used to.
He didn't give them one.
Gravefall. A place no one comes back from. A broken legion sent in because it didn't matter if they made it out.
He understood the situation quickly.
Disposable unit. Disposable commander.
Convenient.
Kain adjusted his grip on the sword slightly.
"Alright," he said.
"We move."
That was enough for them. They nodded and left to pass the orders along.
Kain stayed where he was, looking up at the sky again.
Different world. Same system.
People at the top making decisions. People at the bottom getting buried because of them.
Nothing new.
He exhaled slowly.
If they wanted him dead, they should've made it harder.
Because this time, he wasn't stuck waiting for things to happen.
He had command.
Not much.
But enough.
Kain rested his hand on the sword at his side, thinking it through for a moment.
If the legion was meant to be thrown away, then there was no point treating it like a normal army.
He'd use it properly.
Cut what didn't work. Keep what did. Stop pretending survival mattered more than results.
Simple.
His gaze shifted toward the camp.
Most of them would die if things stayed the same.
That part didn't bother him.
What bothered him was how pointless it would be.
Kain turned and started walking back.
"Let's see how many of you are actually useful," he muttered.
The war hadn't changed.
Only his position had.