Lucas Frost: staring into the fire Snowstorm... changed everything.
Been a while since I've seen this much snowfall in one day, reminds me of my last deployment.
Oh yeah? Where were you stationed at?
leans back in his chair, looking at the fire Cold mountain range in Afghanistan. We were a small team, on a reconnaissance mission.
It was. pauses for a moment We were advancing through a dense forest, trying to gather intel on enemy activity.
I bet that’s a lot of stress and pressure
Yeah, it was. takes a deep breath I remember the feeling of adrenaline coursing through my veins as we moved stealthily through the shadows.
Adrenaline does make you feel invincible doesn’t it
Yeah, it felt like we were untouchable, like nothing could stop us. But then, out of nowhere, gunfire erupted. pauses, eyes narrowing
Gunfire? What type of gun was it?
leans forward, voice low It was a mix of machine gun fire and rifle shots. Chaos, pure chaos.
flinches slightly How did you get out of there?
smirks We were trained to stay calm under pressure, to think on our feet.
Did you lose any men that day?
pauses, a shadow crossing his face No, we didn't lose any men that day. But we came close. Close to losing more than just men.
grabs a small wooden box from the table and opens it, revealing a medal This. This is the medal of valor.
Wow! Are you the only person that got it?
nods Yeah, it was awarded to just me. For risking my life to save my teammates.
puts the medal back in the box and looks at WhimsicalMountain Honorable? Nah, it's just doing what needed to be done.
And where’s your team now? Are y’all still together or gone on separate ways?
sighs Well, most of them are gone now. Some went back home, others retired from the military. But a few of them...
pauses, a hint of sadness in his eyes A few of them were killed in action.
takes a deep breath and stares into the fire Shit is right. It's a sobering reminder of the cost of freedom, the weight of sacrifice.
Do you have any memories of them? Like a favorite joke or something?
pauses for a moment, lost in thought Yeah, I do. There was this one guy, he always had this mischievous grin.
chuckles softly Lucas Frost. It's a pleasure to meet you.
stands up and stretches Well, I better get going. Got someplace to be. But it was nice chatting with you.