To be frank, the mindset of the younger soldier was not uncommon within the empire. With the older generation gradually fading into history—taking their scars and memories with them—many of the youth no longer carried the weight of past invasions, nor the urgency to defend against new ones.
The two men fell silent. The gulf between them, of age and experience, felt too wide to bridge. They stared into the darkness ahead, their eyes blank, their thoughts drifting. The younger soldier's gaze seemed almost vacant, as if his mind had vanished into the void.
Then—without warning—the older soldier sprang forward.
Before the younger man could register what was happening, they had both tumbled to the ground in a clumsy heap. The younger soldier, clad in armor, hit the stone hard—his vision swimming from the impact. He opened his mouth to curse, but the words died on his lips.
