Hours had passed through the dead of night as Bruno sat on a train by himself, heading in the opposite direction of the armored column that now moved under his command—rolling toward the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to bring stability, security, and the promise of order.
The journey was one of silent introspection. Promises made in passing. Battles fought to honor them. And the quiet, aching cost of duty fulfilled. Someone always burned.
That was the truth Bruno had learned over time. When obligations clashed, when honor demanded impossible decisions, there was no victory—only consequence. And though the gunfire had long since died away, the echo of each bullet still lingered in his mind.
He never let it consume him. Not fully. But it was always there—waiting. A grim shadow at the edges of peace. Such were the demons that persisted in every veteran's heart. A price to be paid by those who waged it.
