Chapter 2 - Foreboding (2 days before the events of the prologue chapter occurred)
It's currently 0400 and we're already at the courtyard, still looking sleepy and geared up for an emergency meet up. Lt. Schwarz summoned all four squads under his command by screaming orders through the Intercom for us to immediately report to the courtyard within 6 minutes back at the barracks when we were sleeping. Now, here we are, with everything prepared, wondering what's with the urgency of gathering here at this hour. I see Lt. Schwarz approaching us in a fast-paced walk. He stops and looks at all of us for a solid 4 seconds before speaking.
"Good morning everyone, Sorry for breaking your beauty sleep" Schwarz apologized, smiling a bit. I could literally feel the sarcasm dripping from that statement.
"There is an emergency assignment from Major Weber. One hour ago, night watch duty at the south gate reported seeing a strange red light glowing within the forest that lasted 4 minutes before disappearing from sight. The light seen is not typically the kind you commonly see at a distance, so this bizarre occurrence might be the work of those Siren bastards. This enigmatic light was described as 'oval' shaped, so our commander ordered me to form four reconnaissance parties" Schwarz says as he exhales deeply, as cold vapor came out.
"This might be some sort of misunderstanding… it might be just someone" one of the soldiers says from the back.
"Dumbass, you think we usually use red light as a source of light in the darkness? Especially this part of the world?" another soldier replies, his tone mocking.
"Aren't there soldiers on reconnaissance duty this early in the morning?" A soldier in front asked.
"There is but they're probably far away from here and they're encircling the area." The Soldier right beside him responded.
"Alright, enough yapping now! We're splitting into four groups. Eiswolf and Sturmklinge squad will take a different section of the forest close to the objective. Schwarzadler and Schattenjäger squad will go right to the Objective, stay sharp and report any unusual findings immediately. Each squad will have their own half-track, since our destination is a bit farther away from here. Now, LOS! LOS! LOS!" Lt. Schwarz shouted. We and the other squads quickly went to our half-track.
"Isn't this too much for just double-checking a very suspicious spot?" Ernst asked me, his brow furrowed in worry and his eyes darting around nervously.
I glanced at Ernst, seeing the apprehension etched on his face. "Orders are orders, Ernst. We just have to follow them," I said plainly as we ran to the half-track.
We were about to board our half-track, suddenly Lt. Schwarz suddenly called out Sergeant Wilhelm's last name
"Sergeant Koch!" Schwarz suddenly called out, Our Sergeant turned around.
"I'll be boarding with your squad" Schwarz said, his tone firm.
Wilhelm nodded, quickly gearing up and grabbing his weapon, blending in with the rest of us as we boarded the half-track. The Driver of our half-track turned the engine on, and four half-tracks departed through the open gate. The half-track rumbled through the snow-covered terrain, the biting cold seeping through our uniforms.
While on our way there, I looked around inside the half-track. Our lieutenant here is currently standing up holding his Gewehr 43, Klaus is currently on the vehicle's mounted machine gun since Klaus is a machine gunner in our squad, Paul is sitting in front of me while struggling to stay awake, Ernst is checking his MP40 mag, and Wilhelm seated beside me is looking at the wintry dark forest.
"Eiswolf Squad, advance to the right! Keep an eye on the surroundings and report any irregularities," Lt. Schwarz half-track on our right veered to the right side.
"Keep your eyes peeled, men," Sergeant Wilhelm shouted over the engine noise. "There might be something out here…"
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Klaus muttered, his eyes scanning the tree line as he manned the machine gun.
"Sturmklinge Squad, you go to the left! Same orders: Monitor the area and report any unusual activity. Sergeant Müller, take the lead!" Lt. Schwarz said after he turned to the other half-track at our left side
"Ja!" The leader of Sturmklinge squad responded firmly.
I checked my weapon's mag which is a Gewehr 43. I pulled the rifle closer, feeling the cold metal against my gloved hands. I ejected the magazine and held it up, inspecting it closely. I counted the gleaming brass rounds nestled inside the mag, ensuring it was fully loaded. I slid the mag back into the rifle with a solid click and then I pulled back the bolt to chamber a round and engaged the safety.
While everyone else was occupied in their own head in this ride, I looked at the dark wintry forest. You couldn't really see anything out there, and it would be scary for an unfortunate person to be out there alone. The air was crisp and biting, each breath forming a fleeting cloud of vapor that quickly vanished into the night. Shadows danced between the trunks, creating an eerie, shifting landscape that played tricks on the eyes. Every now and then, a distant howl echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down my spine. Despite the engine's hum and the half-track's steady movement, an uneasy feeling settled de—
"Everyone keep your eyes peeled!" Lt. Schwarz's voice cut through my thoughts. "We're nearing the reported area."
I gripped my weapon as I stare at the snowy road… for some reason the hairs on the back of my neck is standing up.
…
After about 10 minutes of trekking through the forest, we disembarked from our half-track with guns raised and flashlights on. We came across a clearing. What we saw sent a chill down my spine. Scattered across the ground were human bodies, motionless and eerily peaceful. The most unsettling part? There were no visible wounds on their bodies. No blood, no signs of struggle, nothing to indicate what caused their deaths.
"What the hell happened here?" Ernst whispered, breaking the heavy silence.
Klaus reacted to the disturbing sight, his usually steady hands shaking slightly as he gripped his weapon tighter. "This... this isn't right. They look like they just dropped dead where they stood."
"God…" Paul whispered, his voice trembling as he took in the scene. "Who could do something like this? And how?"
"What the hell happened here?" Ernst repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if saying it louder would make the horror more real.
There were men and women among the dead, and even a few children. The sight of the smaller bodies hit me the hardest, a knot tightening in my stomach.
"Check their vitals," Wilhelm ordered me, his tone firm but carrying a hint of unease.
I nodded my stomach churning as I moved toward the nearest body. I knelt down, pressing my fingers to the neck, feeling for any sign of life. Nothing… I moved to the next, and then the next, repeating the process. Cold, lifeless skin met my touch each time. I counted nine bodies in total, each one as lifeless as the last.
"Nothing," I reported my voice hollow.
"They're all dead. 11 bodies in total, and they look like they died just recently. If they had been dead for a while, the bodies would be frozen stiff," I said as I straightened up, glancing around the eerie clearing.
Lt. Schwarz's voice crackled over the radio, calling out to the other squads. "Eiswolf and Sturmklinge, status report. What's your situation?"
"Nothing here, sir. Just deer. No signs of anything unusual." The voice of the Eiswolf squad leader came through first.
"All clear here as well. No movement, just birds humming, other than that nothing." A moment later, the leader of Sturmklinge responded.
"Alright, keep your eyes open and stay alert. Something's not right here." Lt. Schwarz said as he frowned, his expression darkening.
I couldn't shake the unease I felt. The sheer mystery of it all was unsettling: bodies with no wounds, no signs of a struggle, just lifeless and abandoned in the snow. It was as if something had simply taken their lives away in an instant. The thought lingered in my mind as we rode through the dark forest.
"Stay focused and keep searching. There might be more bodies." Lt. Schwarz said as he stepped forward, his STG44 raised and his face grim.
We moved cautiously among the bodies, the sense of unease growing stronger with each step. The forest seemed to close in around us, the silence more oppressive than ever. Shadows danced in the corners of our vision, making us jump at every sound.
As we continued our search, the eerie silence of the forest weighed heavily on us. The once comforting presence of our comrades now felt like a fragile barrier between us and whatever malevolent force had caused this nightmare.
…
After surveying the area where the dead bodies were found, Lt. Schwarz ordered us to bury the 11 bodies. He radioed the fort commander back at our half-track while we and the Schwarzadler squad grabbed shovels from our half-tracks to dig two separate holes, 8 feet deep. We cleared the snow covering the soil and then began digging into the earth. After completing the grim task, we placed the bodies into the holes, covered them with soil, and then with snow. We marked the burial site just in case.
As I packed the last bit of snow over the makeshift grave, a somber thought weighed on my mind. Who were these people? Are these people from the towns or villages around these parts?
We stood in silence for a moment, paying our respects to the fallen. Lt. Schwarz's voice broke the stillness. "We'll return to the fort and report this to the commander," he ordered.
After Lt. Schwarz gave the command, he radioed the two other squads to go back to their half-tracks and return to the fort with us. We boarded our half-tracks and set off. After another ten minutes of trekking through the snowy road, we passed the gates and stopped at the courtyard. All four half-tracks parked, and we disembarked, feeling as though we had been through a long day, even though it was still just the beginning. We hadn't been here for half a week, and they were already dumping a lot of work on us. I suppose the fort still lacks manpower.
We went directly to the briefing room, located in the administrative sector of the fort, with Schwarz leading the way.
"Sturmklinge, Eiswolf, you lot go back to your barracks and unload gear then resume to your regular duties. As for Schwarzadler and Schattenjäger, follow me to the briefing room," Lt. Schwarz instructed.
While the two other squads went back to the barracks, we headed to the administrative sector, or sector 3, which is located in the middle of the fort, flanked by sectors 1 and 2. The fort's layout is a labyrinth of corridors and rooms with iron hatches on the walls that can be opened from inside each room. Even the mess hall has four hatches, and the entire structure is designed for both defense and functionality. As we reached sector 3 and passed through the heavy blast doors, Lt. Schwarz led us towards the briefing room.
When we finally arrived, Major Weber was already there, and we began the debriefing. We described everything we saw out there—the eleven dead bodies with no visible wounds, blood, or signs of struggle. I told Major Weber it was as if someone or something had simply plucked their lives away and left them there to the cold. The bodies weren't even stiff from the cold, indicating they had died very recently. Major Weber listened intently to every piece of Intel we provided, including the part where we made a makeshift grave for the dead bodies just in case we ever needed to revisit the site.
Major Weber informed us that a similar occurrence had happened fourteen days ago, but with fewer bodies. They had found seven bodies then, but no children. Like our discovery, there were no wounds, blood, or signs of struggle. The other soldiers didn't see any red light like the one the night watch had seen at the south gate recently. The bodies were found by a reconnaissance patrol on duty at that time, who immediately contacted the fort when they found it. Major Weber had also contacted the nearby towns and villages; they reported missing a few townsfolk. He had immediately sent soldiers to investigate and guard if something strange would happen that could explain the deaths of the missing townsfolk but the soldiers on that were sent there reported none so far. He is also sure that sirens did those things for some reason but the only thing he could think of is that the sirens did that mentally fuck our minds and the people that are living around these parts but whatever they might try, it won't stop us from doing what needs to be done.
After the debriefing, Major Weber dismissed us and ordered us to return to our regular duties as Ironblood soldiers in the fort. He also mentioned that he might call on us tomorrow regarding the incident, so I braced myself mentally for that potential fuck fest. We returned to our rooms at the barracks, unloading unnecessary gear. The hot shower was a godsend after the chilly morning; we took turns, enjoying the warmth that washed away some of the tension.
Changing into a fresh set of uniforms, we strapped on our ammunition pouches, bayonets, and gas mask canisters—just in case. My squadmates and I made our way to the mess hall, our stomachs growling in anticipation. We lined up and got our food. We got French toast with syrup, sausages, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, coffee, and milk—and found a table. We wolfed it all down like ravenous beasts.
Once breakfast was over, we headed back to the briefing room to receive our tasks for the day. As Lt. Schwarz handed out assignments, We got patrol duty at sector 2, medical training for me, supply run and inventory check, defensive drills, and Observation Post Duty.
As we left the briefing room, I couldn't shake the images of the lifeless bodies from my mind. Eleven people, dead without any visible cause. It was disturbing, to say the least, and the lack of any clear explanation gnawed at me. I still found myself surprise in those kinds of horrible events but I shouldn't due to the nature of this war. Maybe due to the fact that sirens aren't bound to world laws?
I shrugged the thought off of my mind, trying to refocus. After I eliminated my uncanny thoughts, we now arrived at sector 2; we went our separate ways to patrol each part of the sector 2… I am currently patrolling around the Training grounds. The Training grounds is an open area inside the fort… snow is literally pilling up here and the training rounds isn't that big compared to Point Alderhorst back at berlin, but in a fort like this? Every necessity we needed are here but they're smaller in comparison.
The cold air nipped at my face as I made my rounds. Snow crunched under my boots, and the distant sounds of drills and commands could be heard. The training grounds were a hive of activity, with soldiers running through exercises while some officer was busting their balls off, yelling at them to push harder, is faster, aim straighter.
I walked past the shooting range where a group of new recruits were practicing their marksmanship. Their faces were a mix of determination and nervousness, a stark reminder of the endless cycle of training and fighting. It was easy to forget, amidst the chaos, that every one of us had started out the same way—unsure and untested.
Watching them struggle brought back memories of my own early days. The relentless drills, the constant shouting, the never-ending pressure to perform. It was enough to drive anyone mad, but it was also what made us stronger. The harshness of the training was a necessary evil, a way to prepare us for the hellhole that war makes.
"Nein, nein, nein! Did they really polish you up back at the Fatherland?" an officer bellowed at the soldiers.
"Are you really let some cold air stop you from doing a headshot? You're an Embarrassment for the military! What I want is a headshot, is it really hard to understand such a simple task?!" The Officer continued.
The soldiers flinched at his words; some even cursed at their officer under their breath but obeyed anyways, their shots ringing out in quick succession. Some hit their marks, others didn't, but they were all giving it their best. It was both frustrating and inspiring to watch.
"The hell did I just say?! This isn't a game!" the officer continued, his voice cutting through the cold air like a knife for the soldiers.
I shook my head and moved on, knowing that they'd either learn fast or be left behind. There was no room for weakness here. Every soldier had to be at their best if we were going to survive this war.
I went out of the training grounds as I continued my patrol. I glanced at the iron hatches on the walls of the corridor. Each one was a potential lifeline, a way to move quickly and safely within the fort during an assault. This fort was designed to have as much defense as possible. The corridors were narrow and fortified, perfect for choke points in the event of a breach. The walls were thick, lined with reinforced concrete and steel, and every turn seemed to hide a defensive mechanism or a fallback position. It's almost like the urban warfare but on the inside.
Turning another corner, I saw Lt. Schwarz speaking with a group of engineers near the sector 2 armory. They are in a discussion, probably Schwarz asking about the fortifications and maintenance of this fort.
Turning another corner, I saw Lt. Schwarz speaking with a group of engineers near the sector 2 armory. They were deep in discussion, probably talking about the fortifications and maintenance of the fort. The engineers and Lt. Schwarz started moving in my direction. I side-stepped for the officer until he crosses while keeping a chin up, he went passed me keeping his sights ahead, Despite his rank, Schwarz wasn't the type to engage with his soldiers beyond strict military matters. He demanded efficiency and discipline but rarely showed any interest in the men under his command as individuals.
After that, I continued my patrol until I caught sight of Paul, one of my squadmates, just standing there with a slightly bewildered look on his face. Paul is one of the new guys from Point Alderhorst, along with Ernst, Johann, and Klaus. Paul is the youngest in our squad, just 18 years old. The four of them haven't experienced real combat yet and are still pretty naïve when it comes to both war and Sirens. Sometimes I could hear them say that Sirens aren't really a big deal, thinking we can just kill them like any human or animal. But after what we witnessed a few hours ago, I was curious to hear their thoughts on our enemy now.
"Paul!" I called his name.
He turned to me, confusion on his face. "Ossy, what's with these extra drills back at the training grounds? Are we expecting something like an event?" Paul questioned, his brows furrowing.
"No, it's just how things work here…" I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Is that so, then alright…" Paul said bleakly
"By the way, Paul, I never asked you this before but… why did you join the Ironblood military?" I asked, looking at him from the side, my curiosity piqued.
Paul hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me, his eyes earnest. "W-Well, the reason is because I wanted to voluntarily serve the Fatherland. Primarily the people," Paul said, grinning a bit, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
"…You didn't get drafted like me?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise. "Why would you join? You could've just pursued your dreams instead... make yourself a living in other ways."
Paul's expression turned serious. "I felt like I had a duty to protect our people. I couldn't just sit back and watch while others fought. I wanted to make a difference, to be a part of something bigger… but now I kind of regret it right now…"
Hearing Paul admit his regrets hit me harder than I expected. I remembered the scene from earlier this morning—the eleven bodies, lifeless and untouched by any visible wounds. It was a stark reminder of what we were really up against. Sirens weren't just a distant enemy; they were a brutal, terrifying reality. Paul, with his youthful idealism, was facing that reality for the first time, and it scared him. Hell, it scared me too.
I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "It's normal to feel that way, especially after what we saw today. The Sirens... they're not like any enemy we've faced before. They can probably kill you in many ways. Despite that, they can be killed too"
Paul looked down, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Yeah, it's just... seeing those bodies. It makes it all feel so real. I thought I knew what I was signing up for, but now... I don't know."
I placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some sort of comfort. "None of us knew what we were really getting into. Hell, even I didn't expect this… We were still fighting Azur Lane when I first became part of the army. Four months later these aliens came and started lighting fires everywhere by killing people, destroying civilian property and other messed up shit. Because of that, the Crimson Axis and Azur Lane joined together to counter the new alien threat. Some people find it hard to adjust due to their prejudices on the opposite side, but many understood the gravity of the situation we are in and left us with no other choice but to unite together and fight." I said as we watch other soldiers walking and conversing with one another.
Paul nodded slowly. "I understand, Ossy. Thanks for talking this about me. It helps to know I'm not the only one feeling this way."
I gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "We're all in this together, Paul. Don't forget that. Keep your chin up"
He nodded and I walked away from the area with my Gewehr 43 in hand, letting Paul process our conversation. The fort is a maze of activity, and as I continued my patrol, I felt the weight of our situation settling on my shoulders. We were fighting an enemy unlike any other, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead was a constant shadow.
…
It's now 2000 and Nothing really significant happened during this day except for the dead bodies early in the morning, it's just your usual another day at the office type day. We are currently here back in our room except for Sergeant Wilhelm because he said he's going to make a telephone call on his wife. While the other 4 are currently talking to each other, making jokes as they laugh. Meanwhile I'm reading a book about Interstellar space, trying to lose myself in the pages. But suddenly I remembered what our commander said earlier. He said that he's going to call us tomorrow, specifically our platoon regarding the incident and I wonder what kind of ball busting task he'll order us… I closed my book and put it on top of the bedside drawer.
"Hey!" I call to the 4 loud enough to overpower their voices.
They all stopped whatever conversation they're having and turned their heads to me.
"Just in case you guys forget, the commander or Major might call us tomorrow and it's probably early in the morning. So I suggest you lot prepare yourselves mentally and sleep this one out." I said, trying to sound authoritative but with a hint of camaraderie.
"You think it's going to be another rough day?" Ernst said as he raised an eyebrow
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "After what we saw this morning, I wouldn't be surprised, just be ready for anything."
"Yes sir, Ossy, Sir~" Klaus playfully said as he gave a mock salute.
"Alright, alright, we get all of that, early to bed, early to rise and all of that stuff." Johann chuckled as he shakes his head.
The room broke into chuckles, easing the tension slightly. Despite their chitter-chatter, there was an underlying seriousness to my words. I just decided to let it go and grabbed my book again. Something big might happen tomorrow, only time will tell…