The battlefield is a cruel mistress, unforgiving and relentless in her demands. Each day brings new challenges, new enemies to face, and new battles to fight. As I sit here in the quiet of my tent, surrounded by the sounds of men preparing for war, I can't help but reflect on all that has brought me to this point.
I was just a boy when my family was taken from me during the Kafallah War. The memory of their faces haunts me still, driving me forward with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. When General Shao freed me from captivity that fateful day, he saw something in me - a spark of defiance that refused to be extinguished.
Under his guidance, I honed my skills as a warrior. Day after day we trained together, pushing ourselves beyond our limits in pursuit of perfection. General Shao taught me more than just how to wield a sword or strategize on the battlefield; he taught me loyalty and honor above all else.
As his second-in-command now, I carry out his orders without question or hesitation. His word is law to me - an unwavering beacon guiding my every action in this chaotic world of bloodshed and turmoil.
Battles won are celebrated with pride and camaraderie amongst my fellow soldiers. The taste of victory is sweet on our tongues as we revel in our accomplishments together. But battles lost weigh heavily on my heart like a burden too heavy to bear alone.
The lives lost under my command haunt my dreams at night; their faces etched into memory forevermore as reminders of the cost of war. Each soul taken weighs upon mine own conscience like chains dragging behind an anchor adrift at sea.
But through it all - through triumphs and defeats alike - one thing remains constant: General Shao's unwavering faith in us as his soldiers. And so we march onwards into battle once more; shoulders squared back against adversity while hearts beat strong with determination. For we are warriors born from ash and fire; forged by hardship into weapons ready for whatever may come next.
In these moments before another storm descends upon us, I find solace only within these words written upon this page. A testament not just to who Reiko once was, but who he has become: a soldier true till death doth part him from duty's call."