If I can remember it correctly… it must have been Feb 3rd, 2035, when I last saw the face of Hoa Lu.We had been stationed there since the 31st of Oct, 2034. The reason was that we had lost the stronghold in the North, Hanoi, to China. It happened after a week-long battle and it was a disaster for us.The Battle of Hanoi began at dawn on October 23rd and raged until Halloween night, marking one of the most intense and symbolic battles I’ve ever fought alongside others. It started with coordinated air and drone strikes across the outskirts of Gia Lâm and Cầu Giấy, followed by a relentless armored push through the Red River crossings. The opposition fought tooth and nail, but they were no match for the Real la Nu unit - 15 members, led by me. Over seven brutal days, we alone eliminated 567 combatants, earning us both fear and awe among allies and enemies alike. By the time the dust settled, only 7,000 Chinese soldiers had died. When the gunfire ceased, an estimated 36,000 lay dead -16,000 civilians, 11,000 from the army, and around 4,000 from NU defence forces. Even after all I had done, one mistake cost me everything. We accidentally blew up two buildings which we thought had chinese soldiers.We were not wrong there were 8 chinese soldiers but there were 37 soldiers and 12 civilians in them too. It was a total disaster. I was made to work like a humanitarian wing personnel or a surveyor, even though I was Resistance Wing and part of the first NU Golden Corps. I don’t want to talk about it, but I was kind of depressed. Well, that day started with me waking up from a nightmare I’d been having for as long as I could remember. When I got up, it was 6:37 AM (I just checked my brain log). My AI assistant - installed in my brain - had sensed I had a fever and said, “Your body temperature is 101°F. Do you want me to call the M..”

“No, thanks.”

The only medic present at our outpost at that time was someone I didn’t want to come face to face with. She was my ex, who broke up with me after Hanoi’s annexation... I felt a bit sick and my..(I lost track of that sentence. Happens a lot.) I skipped breakfast since I was late and honestly, it’s not like I enjoyed canned food. Took some meds. The water hadn’t come for a week, so most of us usually bathed by the river if we returned from duty before dusk. Many didn’t bathe at all. I took a protein bar and headed to our NU unit’s assigned commander-in-chief, Major General Chi, who commanded Vanguard Division (308th Division). He had a lot of power and was making me do things even a slave would curse. I had no choice. He wouldn’t let me leave Vietnam, no matter how many times I requested a transfer to NU’s Tokyo front for diplomatic work. But it was all in vain. He didn't even want me out of his sight. I entered his room. He said, “You’re late by 7 minutes. Can I know the fucking reason behind your ass being so late?”

His English was surprisingly good. She once told me he lived in Los Angeles in his twenties. “Sir, I wasn’t feeling well. I’m extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

“Toui, my niece, ran away last night. If you still have a bit of shame, get the fuck out of here and find wherever the fuck she is.”

Might sound insane, but I was dating the Major’s niece. And the thing is, our relationship wasn’t this bad in the beginning , but yeah, it got worse over the last three months, thanks to the mess. After a long stonewalling session, he told me my partner would be the new transfer from Nusantara. And of course, it had to be an American. I completed my paperwork before leaving. My hands were slower than usual , my fingers kept trembling. Left thumb was feeling stiff. Not that anyone noticed.

He was standing right outside the HQ. And only if I knew this idiot was going to be such a pain in my fucking ass, I would have killed him right then and there. About his description , lemme think. Maybe 5'7, blond hair, brown eyes. Missing his right pinky finger. Facial features don’t matter; no one in NU ever shows their real face. Just projections. We got inside our assigned car. It was a Jinmy, and I wasn’t allowed to drive since I was a the only Nu field officer and also, honestly, I’d been having issues with foot response lately. Not that I told anyone. The last info we had about Toui was a recording from last night — she ran away on a bike, given to her by a fellow soldier. That guy shut off the cameras and helped her plan the escape. Motives unclear. The bike had a tracker, but it’d been still for three hours. You might think it would be easy to track, but it wasn’t. She went behind the barracks and into the forest. Sam, the new guy, was pretty chill. Into stuff I liked. He didn’t treat me like an piece of shit. Maybe it was because I was still a highly ranked officer. He knew about the mistake, but didn’t blame me. He asked,

“I don’t know if it’s rude or not, but I heard you guys had been dating?”

“Yup. Four years, if I ain’t wrong.”

“Why did you guys break up then?”

Being honest — it was something that still haunts me.I hadn't killed 37.I had killed 38. One of them… with my own hands.He was trying to save someone.He was close. He was my best friend. He was on my team. I thought he was a chinese soldiers as I couldn't see him

Every time I wear this uniform, it reminds me of him. I said, “I shot her brother during the battle of Hanoi…”

What followed was silence.

The bike was near the Sông Chu River. We reached near the Núi Đọ Bridge at 12:29 PM. She had thrown the bike in the river. We went to the surveillance room as every bridge had one for military reasons. A truck had picked her up just minutes later, at 5:29 AM. We got an N-Link call,

“He confessed. She planned to flee via ferry to Vinh, then a flight.”

Only one port gave ferry service there, Nghi Sơn. Originally for exports, but now used for ferry runs since sea routes were blocked by China. I asked myself — was she running because of me? I know I don’t sound serious in the way I write, but I’m a sadist. I can’t explain it. I acted like a dead tree back then. We checked timings. There were four ferries a day. Thankfully, the 12:30 PM ferry was cancelled. Now we had to get to Thanh Hóa and try to find her. I thought I’d recognize her, but I forgot she could project a different face. We reached the city at 1:32 PM. I and Sam went to a government restaurant because they provide free food to soldiers. While eating, I noticed something. Same place where I saw Toui. Only if I knew it was all planned . I’m not a great human, but I do things to feel human. I wanted to feel warmth, so I went up to the donation counter. Waited in line. A woman was standing in front of me. Not suspicious at first. Then I noticed the ring. The same one I gave Toui. Same height. She was a born actress so she didn't act hesitant . I didn’t act up. The ring was common. I didn’t see her eyes — the only way to confirm a soldier as she was wearing a sunglass. She gave money and left. I went back to Sam and said, “I don’t know if it’s her, but we might have found her. We don’t have a single second to waste.”

“You sure?”

“My guts tells me it's her .”

“Okay. Then she won’t be far.”

We got back to the car. Felt like she wanted us to follow her. She got into a car and left. We chased her to the port. When she got out, three others were there. Felt like some movie shit going on. It was 2:59 PM. Next ferry was at 3:45. Forty-five minutes. She removed her sunglasses. It was her - KLA confirmed it with a facial scan. Military ID pinged. I told Sam to call port personnel while I kept eyes on her. I couldn’t open fire due to NU soldier rule no 17. Fever was coming back. My head felt like it was floating. Breathing was slower.Sam came back and said there were 10 personnel.When he saw my condition, he told me not to worry. I went to the washroom. I don’t remember the last time I vomited that hard. Washroom was filthy. My eyes were burning. My legs felt shaky.Hands… I couldn’t grip the faucet for a few seconds.Might’ve caught a cold. I washed my face. Then the door creaked. Didn’t think much. But then , cold steel pressed against my head. “Sorry that I had to trick you…”

She said .