My eyes shot open being greeted with the starry night sky, like a wide open canvas painted blue-indigo with stars glistening in the sky like diamonds while the moon stared down at me. I awoke in a forest clearing, surrounded with pine trees, the floor was damp and was covered in leaves and grass.

Was this heaven? I was pretty sure you would be greeted by an angel and I was half expecting my folks to be here, hell maybe even her.

"Ok, so this isn't heave, hell then?" I thought to myself.

No, it couldn't be hell, it didn't look the part. So that means I'm alive but where is everyone?

I moaned as I struggled to get up. There were no signs of the convoy, or any significant remains, except for a few debris.

"Hello!" I cupped my mouth yelling hoping to make contact with anyone for help.

After stumbling a few steps I found a gun metal coloured covered in dying leaves. I knelt down and dug through the leaves revealing a muddy wet M29 OICW. I easily recognised it as mine due to the scratches on the side and a stickers I had on the stock.

It read "Keep calm and return fire" and another that's had a picture of a pink unicorn and rainbow. It read "Mr Toots"

I checked the mags to see that that it was all full. I then looked down the scope to check if the fire control computer or the laser rangefinder had been damaged in the previous firefight.

"Everything looks good," I thought to myself.

I holstered the OICW and scavenged the site debris for food, ammo and electronics and stuffed them in my ruck, fitting it in every little piece of space I had left, before heading out into the wilderness.

I wandered for what seemed like hours. The night got darker as the tree's blotted out the sky, the only source of light was the crimson glow which came from my Heads up display.

I cautiously checked my sectors constantly and kept a watchful eye on my motion sensor.

I was about to drift to asleep until a sudden rusting that came from a nearby bush shook me awake.

"Who's there?" I called out.

No reply.

"Show yourself!" I yelled. I cocked my gun and trained my finger on the trigger, ready to pump whoever or whatever it was full of hot lead.

It rustled again and again. The anticipation was immense and I was already starting to sweat.

It rustled and then silence.

Until a squirrel jumped out of the bush, making me stagger backwards.

"That's it?" I thought to myself, "I got scared of a bloody squirrel?"

I knelt down watching as the squirrel feasted on an acorn.

"Meh, it could've been worse. At least it wasn't that predator lad from the movies," I thought.

It continued feasting upon its acorn until it stopped, it looked like it saw something move like it wasn't alone. It continued to stare at the darkness behind me for a bit before running off and climbing up a tree.

I cocked my gun checking my sectors.

I wasn't alone here, I could sense movement within the darkness.

I only got a glimpse of the figure, he was shrouded in black and his eyes glowed red, leaving a neon red trail behind him before disappearing again.

"Damnit," I muttered. I was already starting to get nervous again. I was relying on my motion sensor to track its movements, it sped across the before disappearing again.

Suddenly the black clad red eyed figure advanced towards me in an attempt to tackle me to the ground.

My soldiers instinct kicked in and I reacted quickly readying my weapon and hitting the black clad figure with the butt of the M29 sending him sprawling to the ground. I stepped over him pointing my gun at his head, at this range 5.56mm rounds should kill him.

"Errrkk… Captain?" the sprawled man said.

"Captain?" I mumbled, I recognised that voice, "Bait is that you?"

Bait gave a short nod before I lowered my gun and offered my hand to help him up.

"Bait? You're alive?" I asked wide eyed, "Goddamnit, mate, I nearly blew your brains out lad! Wait, are the others alive too? What about the convoy?"

"Hells to the yeah baby! The entire team is here, even Albert made it too, I can't say the same for the convoy, but we haven't found any bodies,"

Thank god, at least my team made it. Being alone in this forest wit bait will be enough to drive me to insanity, but other than that I'm glad he's not dead. Although he's an annoying 'lil shit at least he's some form of entertainment.

"C'mon sir, I'll lead the way," he said turning away and walking off with me closely tagging behind him.

"Bait leading the way? Haha that's a good joke. Hopefully we don't get lost," I thought.

He led me deeper through the woods, with our guns cocked ready to shoot anything that might jump on us in the darkness.

We reached a small clearing which was littered with crated and more debris, which I assumed were from the remains of the convoy. It was lit up with a campfire which emitted a warm faint orange glow and around it were four upturned logs with two black clad figures, by the looks of them they looked like Mack and Mike.

A grey silver robot, which was undoubtedly Albert, was operating a damaged radio, the radio were two boxes coloured olive drab and a black antenna which was erected on the side of one of the boxes alongside a messy assortment of different wires.

Ayaka was the black hooded sniper sitting atop of a pine tree branch cradling her rifle keeping over watch.

"Captain? We thought you were dead," Mike said adding another log to the fire.

"I could say the same to you to," I said taking a seat next to him to warm up by the fire, "Where the 'ell are we anyway?"

Ayaka called down from the tree readjusting her position to make herself more comfortable, "I have no fucking idea, but judging from the climate my best guess is somewhere near the Adriatic Sea, maybe?"

"Ok then, what's Albert doing?"

"He's trying to call for help, been doing it ever since we got here," Mack said as he sat by the fire with an MRE in his hands, "You want some cap'?" he opened the MRE and looked through its contents, "I got some chicken pesto pasta, some skittles and military grade bread,"

"No thanks, mate," I said waving him off, "I've lost my appetite, you don't see this shit everyday mate,"

"More for me then," Mack mumbled.

"Albert, I want you to stay up all night on that radio to get some help. Ayaka, since your already on it, I want you on night guard tonight, we'll shift rotations every few hours," I ordered.

"What will you be doing sir?" asked Albert peering from behind the radio.

"I'm going to sleep, mate, I've seen enough shit today," I said pulling a sleeping bag I've found inside a crate and setting it by fire.

I pulled my ballistic goggles over my helmet as I unbuckled the helmet and set it aside, leaving my balaclava on to keep the warmth in.

As I tucked into my sleeping bag I couldn't help but feel that something was off.

I've probably been watching too many late night movies or playing to many video games, but this world didn't feel quite right. Like a whole new world even. I died in Ukraine I was certain of it, this didn't seem feasible let alone logical.

The more I dwelled on these questions the more uneasy I felt. Why am I here? What happened back at Ukraine?

This entire situation felt like a good setting for a movie or novel, a ragtag group of soldier transported to another reality to survive in the wilderness and fight off a mysterious enemy more advanced than themselves.

I'd have hell of a thing to write about when we get out of this mess.

But I did my best to purge those thoughts from my mind. I've had a hell of a day and I needed to catch up on lost sleep and my turn for night guard maybe in a couple of hours.

This was probably some weird dream and I probably would wake up back in the barracks and going along with my normal schedule.

Well, at least I hope so…

Meanwhile a lone night witch was patrolling the night sky keeping those who were sleeping safe from the alien menace, known none other than the neuroi.

She was humming a song that her father had made for her a long time ago when she was only a little girl. Her voice was soft and angelic and belonged to a young girl no older than fifteen.

It was a clam, quiet, still night. The moonlight danced on the Adriatic Sea like a flame of mercury. The cool night breeze brushed through Sanya V. Litvyak's, the 501st's night patrol with, silver hair.

She had just finished her night patrol, as the dawn sun awoke to illuminate the horizon. She had emerald antenna's sticking out from either side of her head.

These were no ordinary antennae's however, this was her magic ability. Her magic ability, magic antenna, allowed her to listen and interact with radio waves.

She was on final approach to the 501st's airbase, just able to make out the outline of a castle on the horizon.

She flicking through the radio waves for any suspicious activity, suspicious being the neuroi, until she came across a strange radio frequency.

The signal seemed to be surrounded heavily with interference and static.

"Come… this is Brav… squad. We are… SOS… requesting…traction, I say again…"

The same message was repeated over and over again. Through the heavy interference Sanya managed to make out a man with a Brittanian accent like a butler who worked for a famous member of the Brittanian royal family.

"Commander Minna, this is Sanya, I've picked up a radio transmission with a very interesting message. Requesting-"Sanya was cut off mid-sentence by her commander, Minna Dietlinde Wilcke, who was in charge of the 501st joint fighter wing.

"Negative, Sanya, you are to report back to base immediately, were sending another sortie to locate the source of the transmission," the commanders voice cracked through the radio.

The radio frequency she was picking up must've been stronger than she initially thought. Being strong enough for the base to pick it up, despite the heavy interference.

She complied with the order and flew back to base.