Chapter one:
If anyone ever tells you that’s it’s an honor to be a soldier, fighting for your country then laugh in their face and call them out on their shit. Because what they’re saying is exactly that- bullshit. And do you know what I think about that damn saying ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’? I think that Horace can take it and shove it up his- (you get where I’m going with this.) *
I’m gone now- I wish I was still around to make things right with Jessica and him- but that’s not the point right now. I’m back because I have unfinished business. I need to tell someone my story so that I can move on peacefully, so I chose you. So just sit back, relax, grab yourselves some popcorn and let me tell you my story…but I must tell you...it’s not a happy story…my life was never truly happy…
Five years ago the whole world was at peace…well kind off. You still had little skirmishes and outbreaks here and there but they were always quickly resolved.
Four years ago, the eastern countries decided to unite as one and the western countries followed suit.
Three years ago, everyone in the world was finally happy. Even though the world was still divided, the people lived together in harmony. No wars, no diseases, no nothing. We were finally one. But every good thing never lasts long, now does it?
Two years ago, things began stirring, but it was on such a small scale that no one noticed. The westerners had elected a new president who, as soon as he came in power, kept declaring that he was going to wage war against us in the East for all of our wicked, twisted ways. Of course we all thought that he was just bluffing because we all believed that our supreme emperor was nothing more than a gentle giant…but he had us all fooled.
Last year was when it all started. But it was who started it was what shocked us here in the East. Our loving gentle giant emperor had single handedly massacred the president’s entire family when they visited Xīn zhōngguó (New China) and of course war broke out in our so called ‘perfect world’. I only wish my sister was alive to have to go through it…but then again it seems she took it better than I did.
After the war began, Emperor Aiguo announced that the first child of each family must be recruited into our army. No questions asked.
The training period was the worst time of my life. During that time, I realized how much I should’ve cared when everything was handed to me on a silver platter.
In training, they didn’t care for your gender. Every month we girls had to wallow in our own blood and filth because we were only allowed baths one a month…that’s if you were lucky. After training was over, they had a selection ceremony; people who they saw had more potential than other were to be taken to be trained for a higher role- a more important role. Important role my ass.
In the end myself, along with 3 other girls and 5 guys were selected. While everyone else celebrated their promotion from being a recruit, we were taken to a facility on Jeju Island. Let’s just say it wasn’t my ideal paradise.
For 6 months I suffered with their gruesome training. They were going to make us into their version of the Captain America super soldier. The only thing that kept me alive were the thoughts of my family.
One day in the middle of my 7th month at the facility one of the guys approached me. At the time, I didn’t know of the cruel intentions they had for us so I naturally didn’t believe him when he told me that they’re taking us one by one to genetically alter us. I told him to leave me alone and to stop filling my head with useless propaganda…but that night, he came into my quarters and pulled me out of bed. I had tried to fight him off me but he was naturally stronger than I was. He dragged through the whole building until we came to a service elevator. As we descended I began to wonder about what the hell he wanted to show me.
When we got to the basement, boy was I shocked. Coffin-like glass enclosures lined the walls of the small room and in each of them were one of the Chosen…but they didn’t look like the people I’ve grown accustomed to, they looked sinister, deadly and creepily doll-like. All of their faces were all the same, it was the length of their hair that gave away their gender. There were tubes attached to them all, feeding a purple liquid into their veins and extracting their blood…their faces all took on an eerie purple glow from the mystery liquid coursing through them.
The boy who brought me here grabbed my arm. I had completely forgotten he was there.
“Hurry we have to hide. I can hear footsteps coming this way.” He pulled on my arm and took me back to the upper levels.
He ushered me to my room, “Quick, grab everything you need. Guns, ammunition, food, water and clothes. I’m going to my quarters to get my stuff too.”
“Wait!” I called after him, “where are we going?”
“We’re getting far away from here.”
“Why?”
“Do you want to end up like all the others?” he yelled at me.
“W-well no,” I stuttered, “but who told you that I want to go anywhere with you? I don’t even know your name!”
“But I know yours, Lilly.”
“That doesn’t matter! Everyone here knows my name!” (I’m quite well known here because of my combat abilities.) “I’m not going anywhere with you unless you tell me your name. You can be a weirdo or something!”
“ So by knowing my name, you can tell if I’m a weirdo or not?” he said, cocking an eyebrow at me with a smirk plastered on his face that I’d like to slap right off.
“We-well no, but” I said, flustered.
He laughed, “That’s what I thought.”
“Just answer the damn question! What’s your name?”
“Kris. Kris Wu”
*Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori- it is pleasant and befitting to die for one’s country.
