I’m here again, in this endless void. My body drifts aimlessly in infinite darkness. This time, I’m prepared. All of my gear is secured inside my suit. I know now that some memory fragments will harm me, and I must be ready for whatever comes.

"The void seems peaceful. It’s been a while, and floating around here in complete darkness is slowly driving me insane."

I floated in silence. The darkness always makes me hallucinate that something, or someone, is out there. The time dilation in this void can drive anyone mad. My mind is playing tricks on me, but this is my only chance to meet Katharina.

It feels like time has passed. Every second here feels like years… Somehow, I feel… fine. There are whispers of Katharina’s voice, clear yet muddled, like every word is spoken in reverse. I continue floating in the cold void until a black door finally forms.

"A door? Finally… I need to enter it now."

My hand stretches out and grasps the cold metal handle, producing a clicking sound. I open the door, and a dilapidated bedroom greets me—cracked and moldy walls surround a single bed with neatly arranged black sheets. On it sits a lone girl, crying, her white hair covering her face as she sniffles.

"Mom, Dad… Why? I didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t you love me anymore?"

Her tears drip onto the sheets. I try to approach her and sit beside her in silence. Another girl with a traumatic past, I think. Her sobs continue to echo through the room. I reach out to pet her head.

"Hey, Katharina, are you alright?"

I ask as I try to pet her head, but my hand only passes through. It’s a memory fragment. The door outside suddenly bangs with a loud knock. Katharina freezes in fear. Three people enter, each wearing different armor, emblazoned with a logo of a cross and a snake intertwined.

"Hey there, young lady… Sorry for rudely entering. We know you’re scared, but we have no intention of harming you."

An old man speaks. He looks like a veteran soldier, his face scarred, yet his body is still full of life. Katharina looks at the old man, her voice trembling.

"Who… Who are you people? Where are Mom and Dad? What have you done to them?"

"Young lady… Your parents sold you to us. They said they didn’t want to feed a useless girl."

"Is that what they really think of me?"

Her sobs grow louder. The mercenaries stand in silence, looking at her. I sit beside her, my mind recalling a similar situation with Lily and Lilian.

"What are you going to do to me?"

Katharina covers herself with the blankets, terrified and fearing the worst. Her eyes are dead as she looks at the mercenaries. I pull out my MRS. I can’t just sit here, even if this is only a memory fragment. I have to try to do something, even if I can’t change anything.

"Young lady, we are not rapists. We are mercenaries. My name is Bracus, and I am the leader of the Knights of Kaldoon. We bought you because we need more fresh faces."

"What do you mean… by fresh faces?"

"We need new recruits. Dying is a constant cycle for a mercenary... I know you don’t understand, but if you want to earn your freedom back, you’ll need to work with us."

Katharina is silent as she processes the situation. A mercenary hands her a uniform and an MRS. She inspects the items. The uniform consists of a green camouflage jacket and pants, and the pistol is a standard issue. The old man smiles at her.

"Tomorrow is training day… Get some rest, and don’t die."

The mercenaries leave the room, and it’s just the two of us. Katharina continues to look at the uniform, her eyes filled with determination as she grips it.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"A child mercenary… How cruel… But at least you’re alive, Katharina. Be strong, as always."

I notice a black door beside me. I stand up and walk through it. The scenery changes to a war-torn village. Bullets and magic scatter across the landscape. I quickly run for cover in a house.

"Shit, where is Jorgina? Damn it, they said it was training day, fuckers!"

Several mercenaries huddle together, all of them looking young, their faces covered in dirt and mud. I then noticed Katharina and Adriana sitting in the corner.

"How many of us are left? Damn it, those assholes shipped us here with no proper gear or even a battle plan."

"Shut it, Renard. The veterans gave us a way in, so be grateful."

"Yeah, grateful my ass."

A young boy with black hair chimes in, his face furious. He looks at his comrades with disdain. Adriana limps towards the group, her legs made of prosthetics as she slowly walks.

"Look, Renard, we’re in a hellhole. The only way we’re getting out of here and killing our target is by crossing that river. We have to sneak—"

"Shut up, you damn cripple. We lost a lot of our friends because of your incompetence."

A heated argument ensues. Katharina silently watches the two of them scream at each other. Adriana then slaps Renard across the face.

"Shut up… Look, this is the only way. If you have any other ideas, then spill them."

Adriana goes back to the corner, her face furious. She sits beside Katharina, who stares blankly at her.

"What are you staring at, newbie? Sigh… Look, you don’t have to worry about it. Renard and I always have our differences… My name is Adriana. What’s your name, newbie?"

"Katharina…"

"Nice name… Well then, newbie, since those assholes won’t listen, you and I will have to do some convincing."

Adriana stands up and extends her hand to Katharina. Her face is muddy, but Adriana gives Katharina a smile. Katharina accepts her hand, and both of them walk toward Renard and his crew.

"Are you just gonna sit there and mope around? Let’s complete the mission so we can get out of here."

"Shut it, you. We’ll die out there. They have a machine gun position and a tank. It’s a suicide mission."

"And we’ll be bombed to hell if you don’t move, so stand the fuck up, or I’ll personally make sure you can’t stand anymore."

The two argue heatedly again. Katharina, though usually silent, is pissed at Renard for not moving.

"Both of you, enough! We will all die if we stay here. Let’s listen to Adriana’s plan, and then we’ll make our move."

"Quite a ballsy move, rookie, but are you ballsy enough to get out of there?"

Renard taunts Katharina. Adriana then pulls out a map of the village.

"Sigh… Shut up, both of you. See this map? We’re at the center of the warzone. We need to sneak out using the cover of the houses. We’ll head to the river north of here and prepare an ambush. The veterans are still at the front lines, so that gives us time to escape. The enemies are distracted, and this is our only chance."

"Fine, fine, we’ll listen. All of you, stand up! Don’t disappoint me, Adriana."

Renard and his crew ready their weapons. The rookies of the Knights of Kaldoon head out of the house, running with all their might. A machine gunner spots them and opens fire.

"Quickly, run to the other house, don’t get hit!"

Adriana screams. I follow them, but some of the rookies are hit, their bodies falling to the ground. Katharina quickly hides in the house, her breathing heavy.

"We lost some men, damn it. Adriana, how far is the river?"

"Just a few meters. There’s a forest nearby where we can hide and lose those fuckers."

Gunfire and magic whizz past. Adriana fires her lightning magic at the machine gun position. Renard and his crew fire everything they have at the oncoming enemies. Bodies fall one by one. They have now crossed the river. The rookies keep running until they reach the forest, where they set up ambushes for the enemy. Night falls, and the rookies are ready.

"Newbie, how are you holding up?"

"I’m good, Adriana… It’s just that I’m a bit shaken by this mission."

"We’re all shaken… We’ll get out of here, newbie. Just tough it out."

"All of you! Be ready!"

The rookies of the Knights of Kaldoon readied their weapons. The moonlight is their only light. Footsteps are heard, and the light of flashlights can be seen in the distance until the rookies open fire.

"Open fire."

Gunfire and magic ring out. Katharina fires her pistol, aiming at a soldier. She successfully hits him, but this is Katharina’s first kill. His body falls hard to the ground.

"Oh god… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I want to vomit."

I can hear her thoughts, her mind is in a scramble. Adriana notices and snaps Katharina out of her thoughts.

"Goddamn it, snap out of it, newbie! Shit, keep firing, don’t let them escape."

The fierce battle rages on. The enemies are losing troops fast. Katharina, regaining her composure, spots the enemy leader. She takes careful aim, her breath steady, and squeezes the trigger. The gunshot rings out, and an agonized scream follows.

"Fuck… The leader is dead… Fall back! Fall back!"

The enemy soldier's shout causes chaos among their ranks. The rookies seize the moment, using their magic to wipe out the remaining forces. After a long, grueling night, the battle is finally over. The forest is littered with the bodies and guts of fallen soldiers. Katharina sits against a tree, silent, her thoughts distant.

"Damn, that newbie has some good aim."

"Yeah, I’m a bit shocked. But she really held her weight. Still, we have to get out of here. We got damn lucky that their leader was with them."

Adriana and Renard look at their new recruit with a mixture of respect and hope. They didn’t lose any more men. The cold night feels a bit warmer now. I notice another black door at the side and quickly make my way toward it.