Mason was still alive.
Barely.
The impact had left him injured, blood running down the side of his head. For several seconds, his mind had gone completely blank. Then his senses slowly returned. The ringing in his ears faded. His vision began to clear. And what he saw made his blood run cold.
Five figures stood before the doorway. They were enormous. They simply watched him. Their glowing eyes remained fixed on him, and those twisted smiles never left their faces. Mason looked down at the ground.
His body was trembling. Not from fear alone. He knew what stood before him. He could already feel the difference in power. These five weren't ordinary enemies. He might not leave this island alive. He might not see tomorrow.
But he had been a soldier for too long to simply stand there and wait for death. Mason slowly pushed himself up. Pain shot through his body. He ignored it. Two small blades slid out from his suit and settled into his hands.
Kunai.
He raised them. His body said everything his mouth didn't.
I'm ready.
Perhaps this was the last moment of Mason's life. Perhaps tomorrow would come without him. Strangely, he didn't care. People often say that when death comes close, a person's entire life flashes before their eyes.
Perhaps there was some truth to it. Because suddenly, Mason remembered everything. The people he had loved. The places he had been. The battles he had fought. The moments he had almost forgotten. For the first time in a long time, life seemed precious.
Not because he was about to lose it. But because he finally understood how easily it could be taken away. And among all those memories, one refused to disappear.
One particular day. One particular man. One particular smile.
Mason didn't know why that memory had returned now. But perhaps…
some memories wait until the very end to reveal their meaning.
Five Years Earlier
It had been an international crisis. A small island nation had fallen into poverty despite possessing enormous natural resources. Nearly two million people lived there. They had once enjoyed a decent life. They had been peaceful.
Polite.
Trusting.
And the world had taken advantage of that. Foreign powers had entered their markets, exploited their resources, drained their wealth, and eventually left them with almost nothing. Their generosity had become their weakness. And their weakness had made them prey.
But there is a limit to how long a person can remain humble when there is no food on the table. Eventually, the people of that island stopped being polite.
They picked up weapons. They became rebels. That alone might not have been enough to concern the world. But terrorist organizations, extremists, and criminal groups quickly saw an opportunity.
They began supplying the rebels with weapons, money, food and encouragement.
The situation was turning into an international threat. So OPESTM was sent in. Mason was among them. Alongside Andrzej, Desmond, Jafor, and Nesar, he had been assigned to accompany several high-ranking OPESTM officials as negotiators.
Four Elite Super Soldiers on a diplomatic mission was unusual.
But the world considered the rebels dangerous enough to justify it. Their orders were simple. Talk to them. Understand their situation. Convince them to surrender their weapons. The world promised nothing substantial in return. No country wanted to give them grants. No government wanted to take responsibility for them. The negotiations were mostly a strategy.
Calm them down. Buy some time. Then deal with the rebellion when the opportunity came. That was how the world worked. Or at least, that was what Mason had believed. Until he arrived. The island looked nothing like the reports. There were no luxurious buildings. No thriving cities. No signs of wealth.
Only poverty.
Broken structures. Empty food containers. Children with tired eyes. People carrying weapons because they had nothing else left to carry.
Mason felt something inside him sink. He had seen war before. But this was different. These people hadn't started with hatred. They had started with nothing.
And somehow, humanity had managed to turn even that into a weapon. Still, Mason and the others remained professional. They were soldiers. They couldn't allow emotion to interfere with their mission. When they entered the rebel territory, they expected hostility.
Instead...
The people welcomed them. No guns were raised. o threats were made. No one attacked. A man who appeared to be one of their leaders approached the delegation.
He smiled.
-We greet you, as we always have. What brings you here?
Nesar had been expecting aggression. He had almost been looking forward to it. Instead, their generosity made him uncomfortable. The OPESTM officer stepped forward.
-We want to speak with your leader.
The man shook his head.
-We can't take you to him.
-I assure you, we were sent as negotiators. We have no intention of harming you or your people. If we wanted to attack, we would have already done so.
The man remained firm.
-Still, we can't allow you to meet our leader. If you have something to say, say it to me."
Before the officer could answer, an elderly voice came from behind them.
-I see we have guests.
Everyone turned. The man who had been speaking immediately stepped aside and saluted.
-Sir. You're here?
-Yes.
The old man looked toward the delegation.
-Why did they come?
-They want to speak with you.
The old man nodded.
-Bring them in.
The leaders' chamber was nothing more than a tent. Calling it a chamber was almost an insult. The entire place looked like a refugee camp. These people lived on their own land, yet they looked as though they had nowhere to go.
No food. No proper shelter. No security.
Weapons were almost the only things they possessed. The old man sat before them.
-So, he said, -what do you want to talk about?
The OPESTM officer stepped forward.
-Don't go to war with the world.
The old man's expression didn't change.
-Why would you care?
He looked directly at the officer.
-Until now, the world didn't even give us a damn.
The officer tried to remain calm.
-Can't you see what the terrorists, extremists, and criminal organizations are doing? They're using you and your people.
The old man remained silent for a moment. Then he smiled sadly.
-You know what the difference between you and us is?
Nobody answered.
-We see the sun rise every morning.
He looked toward the opening of the tent.
-And every night, we pray that it will rise again tomorrow.
He turned back toward them.
-Why?
His voice was quiet.
-Because we understand that if the sun stopped rising for even a week, no human being could survive.
The soldiers listened.
-We know they're using us, he continued. -We know exactly what they're doing.
He looked down at his hands.
-But tell me…
His voice became heavier.
-Is fighting for your rights better than dying of hunger?
Nobody answered.
-At least they give us food.
The officer tried to interrupt. The old man continued.
-Where were you?
His voice rose.
-Where were all of you?
He pointed toward the soldiers.
-Where were you when we were suffering?
Silence.
-Where was the world when we needed help?
His eyes became wet, but his voice remained firm.
-Look at our history. Once, we had everything. And what did you do?
He looked at the OPESTM soldiers.
-You and your predecessors came here, took what you wanted, drained us until there was nothing left, and then walked away.
His voice cracked.
-Now look at us.
He spread his hands.
-We don't even have enough food to eat.
He paused.
-All because we were foolish enough to remain humble until the end.
The OPESTM officer lowered his voice.
-We will provide you with everything.
The old man looked at him.
The old man took a gun in his hand.
-Please put down your weapons, the officer continued. -As a human being, I'm begging you.
For a moment, the almost all Elite Soldiers except Nesar lowered their heads. Guilt. They felt it. Every one of them. But they quickly pulled themselves together. They were soldiers. They had a mission. They couldn't let emotion control them. The old man noticed.
-Human…
He smiled.
-You say that word as though it means something.
The smile became mocking.
-Remember one thing.
He looked at every soldier in the room.
-Humans cannot digest three things.
He raised three fingers.
"Peace."
"Happiness."
"And freedom."
The soldiers remained silent.
-All you know is how to gain power.
He lowered his hand.
-And one day, that habit will destroy humanity.
His voice became almost prophetic.
-One day, you will stand exactly where we stand.
-You'll look around.
He slowly turned his head.
-And all you'll see is the mess you created.
He looked back at them.
-And then there will be nothing left.
"Except regret."
Nesar scoffed.
-Don't worry, old man.
The old man looked at him.
-You'll regret this soon.
The old man smiled.
-I already regret it.
His eyes moved toward the soldiers.
-People worship power.
His voice softened.
-And no one speaks for the weak.
Mason finally spoke.
-I object.
Everyone looked at him.
-People have sympathy.
The old man stared at him.
-Then speak for us.
Mason said nothing.
-Will you?
Silence.
-Will any of you?
The room became unbearably quiet. The soldiers knew. They knew they weren't on the right side. But what could one human being do against an entire world?
The old man continued.
-You can't.
He gave Mason a sad smile.
-Because you know that standing with us would put you in our place.
Nobody answered. The old man slowly leaned back.
-So you're rejecting us? The officer spoke again. -Look. We can give you everything you need. But if you continue this way, you're going to die.
The old man nodded.
-You're going to kill your own people.
The old man smiled.
-You can't kill someone who is already dead.
Everyone went silent.
-We're already dead.
He looked around the tent.
-What can a hungry man hope for?
His eyes hardened.
-Either way, we're going to be killed. By your hands…
He paused.
-Or by the hands of those who are feeding us right now.
There was nothing left to say. The delegation began to leave. Mason turned back before walking out.
-We were ordered to execute you if you rejected our offer.
The old man looked at him.
-But your generosity saved you today.
The old man smiled.
-I know.
Mason frowned.
-I saw your war suit.
He pointed toward Mason.
-Doesn't that explain enough?
Mason stared at him.
-You're sure you want to go against us, old man?
The old man didn't answer immediately. For several seconds, he simply looked at Mason. Then he spoke.
-The worst thing is dying while the world watches.
Mason remained still.
-They see you dying.
The old man's voice became quieter.
-They see you suffering. They see you becoming helpless. And nobody comes.
He shook his head.
-So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Stay strong. Because there was never anyone for us. No one to share our pain. No one to share our loneliness. No one to share our hunger."
His eyes hardened.
-It was always us.
"Just us."
He looked at the soldiers.
-That is what we learned.
The old man paused. Then continued.
-Let us become an example. An example of humanity's failure. One day, perhaps centuries from now, someone will look back and say…
His eyes moved toward the soldiers.
-We had power. But we wanted more. We became stronger by crushing the weaker. We had the opportunity to make peace…
His voice faded.
-But we chose war instead.
Nobody spoke. Every word he had said carried something they couldn't explain. Something they couldn't argue against. The soldiers turned their backs. They were about to leave when the old man spoke one last time.
-One day…
They stopped.
-I will stand alone.
The old man smiled.
-I will be the one who leaves a hundred companions behind and continues forward.
He looked at them.
-And there will be nothing to regret.
A pause.
-That is life.
The soldiers left. They returned to OPESTM. Their report was simple. The rebels needed more time. But a week later, the island erupted into open war.
The rebels attacked. They caused damage far beyond what the world had expected. But they didn't survive for long. One by one, they were killed.
Eventually, the old man was captured alongside a handful of his remaining soldiers. The court sentenced him to death. Before the execution, Mason went to see him one last time.
The old man said nothing. He simply smiled. That smile said more than words ever could. Mason remembered it clearly. The old man looked at his empty hands.
-No weapon.
He looked at Mason.
-Where is your sympathy?
Mason remained silent.
-Won't you stand for me?
The old man smiled.
-Yes, we shot at you. I won't deny that. But weren't you the ones who made us shoot?
He stepped closer.
-You say we brought destruction upon ourselves."
His eyes narrowed
-Look at what you're doing now. You're doing the same thing. You're simply too blind to see it.
He glanced at Mason's weapon.
-Today, I am the weaker one. And you are the stronger.
He smiled again.
-But one day…
His voice became almost a whisper.
-You will find yourself standing among the weak. And someone stronger will stand before you. You will leave hundreds…
He paused.
-Thousands… Maybe hundreds of thousands of people behind you. And you'll stand there alone.
Mason's eyes lowered.
-When that day comes…
The old man smiled.
-Remember me. Remember this smile. Don't do this to someone else. Because one day, you'll regret that you had a chance.
"A chance for peace."
"A chance for happiness."
"A chance to stop."
-And you wasted it…For power.
The old man looked at him one final time.
-The world needs peace.
The memory ended. Mason's eyes opened. He was back on Barmuda Triangle Island. Back among the bodies. Back in front of the Five Leaves. The old man's words echoed inside his head.
Today, I am the weaker one.
Mason looked around. Thousands of his comrades were dead. The world had watched. The world had prepared. The world had waited.
And now?
He was the weaker one. He looked toward the Five Leaves. Five beings who could probably kill him without even trying.
He understood.
The old man had been right. The lesson hadn't ended that day. It had simply taken five years to reach him. Mason looked at his blades. They began to charge with energy.
He took a deep breath. Then he looked toward the sky. A strange laugh escaped him.
Not fear. Not happiness.
Something between regret and acceptance.
-Oldie…
He smiled.
-Maybe I should have stood for you.
His grip tightened around the blades.
-I should have spoken for you.
He looked back at the Five Leaves.
-You won.
His expression hardened.
-And we…
He paused.
-…didn't.
Mason lowered his body.
Then...
he charged.
Straight toward the Five Leaves of Guardians.
To be continued…