He cries, nights, alone.
The wind rushes around him, through him, tearing at his soul. His fervent prayers and hushed curses are carried to the sky, past the shadows of the nearby mountains, to oblivion. He fights the urge to scream until he could no longer, until he was numb enough to feel again.
Silently, he cries, staring at the mocking flag above him, freely waving as if to let him know how futile his struggle was.
He cries, until he is spent, broken, and stumbles back to reality, a bit more of the man he once was stolen away.