Captain Ri in the City

Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok winced as he ran across the vast open field full of landmines and dead bodies.

I wanted to be in South Korea and protect Se Ri, he thought.

He knew he crossed the border early that night.

He knew the area so well he could not be mistaken.

He is, after all, the best at directions in their group, even at night.

So how?How did he find himself in the middle of a seemingly familiar place with weird looking creatures that suddenly attacked him?

He was walking down the path towards South Korea. He followed the stones he told Se Ri to follow to get home.

There was a brief blast of hot air which the captain noticed as different since it was in the middle of winter then.

MThen he heard gunshots and screams.

He followed the sounds and saw a one-sided battle that left the people into piles of broken arms, torsos and headless bodies.

Their blood, drenching the soil and making the air smell like copper.

His instincts kicked in and he shot the nearest creature attacking a human.

He shot it in the head and the creature went down.

Captain Ri helped the man stand up, making the mistake of taking his eyes off the creature.

The man he rescued warned him but it was too late.

Even with his fast reflexes, Captain Ri cannot fully dodge the creature's attack that left him with a deep gash in his arm.

Time is running out for the captain.

He gripped his left arm harder, trying to stop the blood from flowing, causing massive pain.

He nearly fainted but kept on running.

If he doesn't get there in time he might have to give up his whole arm, he remembered the man say.

A swarm of black, gooey creatures with very sharp and long, whip-like hands quickly caught up with him.

Boom!

It only needed one to cause every mine to explode and eradicate the creatures that were hunting him.

The captain barely made it to the safe ground when the last mine activated.

He did not stop and look at the gory mess the mines did to the predators.

He will not make that same mistake of underestimating them again.

Those creatures are deadly and stubborn.

Even if they are torn to pieces, with a single moving part they can kill you if not injure you.

It's like their main goal is to kill, no matter what happens to them.

They live to kill, another thing that the man he rescued told him.

He never thanked the captain. Time did not allow that.

Instead, he told him to follow the path and gave directions to the nearest human colony where he can get treated.

He also told him how to kill those wretched beings.

Something hit the captain that made him fall on his injured arm.

He should have been more careful. That tree trunk should not have been missed by his experienced eyes.

A second of distraction can cause him his life.

He was the best in their unit back in North Korea, eventhough all he wanted to do was be the best pianist.

A cool, handsome and kindhearted man with a very powerful family.

He gave up his dreams to exact revenge over the people that killed his brother and is now threatening Se Ri.

Se Ri.

He thought that the way they met was the most extraordinary event fate has to offer.

Not anymore, he thought.

He could have had a higher position in the military but opted to be assigned at the most dangerous places.

A scene like this is not new to the captain.

But those creatures are from another level. They have sharp, poisonous, whiplike hands and have lightning-fast speed and regeneration.

He shouted in pain.

He felt his bone cracked at the impact and a large amount of blackened blood oozed from his wound.

But he had to survive.

He has to protect Se Ri.

He willed himself to stand up, protect himself from whatever is chasing him.

But it was too late.

The creatures caught up with him and slashed a poison hand as the captain tried to stand.

It missed him, catching only his clothes.

He stumbled with the sudden movement and once again was on his back.

He hit his head hard on a rock because of the fall that made his vision blurry.

Is this the end?

Captain Ri, felt pain all over his body.

The black monsters just inches from him.

Should I give up?

No. Giving up is not an option.

He shot one of the creatures with his gun.

He was aiming for their weakest spot and the only way to kill them.

But he missed it, hitting the side of its neck.

The creature did not even flinch.

It did not slow down.

Shit.

He has one bullet left.

He placed his gone in his temple, getting ready to pull the trigger when he saw something passing by him.

It was a person, dressed in all black, braided black, long hair with a dagger in her hand.

She was little but very fast.

With one swipe of her dagger she killed one creature.

It was like she was jumping from one creature's neck to another like they were not deadly predators that can kill her.

She accurately killed them through putting the dagger in their weakest spots, the very center of their large necks that houses their brains.

Captain Ri was told by the man he saved that it was the only way to kill them. Hitting the wrong area, no matter how close it is, does nothing at all.

The captain was suddenly dragged up by a man dressed similarly as the woman. He is almost as big and toned as the captain.

A military man as welk, he thought.

He has blonde hair and green eyes. He smiled at the captain and told him everything is going to be alright.

Then he pinched his neck and made him sleep.

Jeong Hyeok oppa.

Captain Ri felt his face heat up as he heard Se Ri say that.

He smiled and reached out to Se Ri.

He tried raising his hands but no matter how hard he tried he cannot see his hands.

He looked down and saw that he did not have hands. His arms were cut off, black blood oozing out and continued flowing.

He looked at Se Ri.

She was not alone anymore.

She was with that bastard, Jo Cheol Kang. The one threatening Se Ri's life.

Jo Cheol Kang has a gun pointed at her head.

The captain tried reaching out once again but he cannot move.

He shouted Se Ri's name over and over again.

Pain shot through his body as he quickly sat up.

He shielded his eyes with his good arm and looked for his gun immediately.

"Looking for this?" He heard a feminine voice.

He looked at the owner of the voice, eyes still squinting from the bright lights.

She had on her hand his handgun.

She had braided, black hair as well but she was not the woman he saw attacking the creatures.

"Where am I?" He said.

"Ooh!!" The woman exclaimed while jumping up and down. "I can understand you!"

Captain Ri was baffled. Why is she so happy a about that?

She is clearly not a North Korean but she speaks our language so well.

"Ryle! Come over here quick!" She moved closer to the captain.

She reached out her hand and the captain's instincts turned on.

He retrieved the gun from her and neutralized her.

"Allie what is going…"

The woman she saw before appeared in the entryway. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the situation and quickly went to them.

"Don't move or I'll shoot." He said as he gripped the other woman's arms tightly.

But the woman kept on walking.

"I said don't move or I wi-"

The captain found himself handcuffed on the bed, without his gun or the woman he neutralized.

The two women are at the door, the one who came last scolding the one called Allie.

"I was just curious! And they said he looks hot. He is, by the way, so I wanted to see!"

"Now you saw him. Happy now?"

"I think Jon is hotter than him. Oh, the language serum works by the way, congratulations!"

"Allie that is still for testing."

"I know right! You're welcome. Now you know it's working."

The captain groaned as he felt pain once more.

"I apologize for that. We don't get to see new faces around very often. My friend was just excited."

Captain Ri tried to speak but his throat and mouth felt dry.

The woman immediately gave him water.

"Dont worry. That won't kill you. The only things we kill around here are those creatures that attacked you 4 days ago."

4 days? I have been sleeping for that long? He thought.

He took the glass of water and downed it in one go. She gave him another and waited for him to finish.

"My name is Ryle. Those creatures that attacked you are called the Tar. They are alien invaders that took over our planet 5 years ago. You have been poisoned but our doctors said that you were just in time to avoid decapitation."

"And I am Chris." A tall, white man entered the room. "I heard my wife caused trouble."

The woman called Ryle sighed and shook her head. She recounted what happened and the man laughed.

"Chris is the leader of the Alliance, the organization of the surviving humans resisting against the Tar." Another man, the man he last saw before he blacked out said as he entered the room with a steaming bowl of what looked like porridge.

"Can you eat or shall I feed you?" He asked the captain nonchallantly.

"I can feed myself. Just take these cuffs off."

He said more gruffly than he intended.

The food looked like vomit but it tasted good.

He even asked for a second and third serving.

"Where is this place?" He asked after finishing his food.

"Five years ago this was called South Korea. Specifically a place near the borders of the North and South."

"I have no time for shit, maam, so tell me the truth." He said impatiently.

"It's Ryle. I can show you a map of this area and you can tell me if I am telling the truth or not. We are in the North side now and I bet you know this place more than any of us here, Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok."

How does she know my name.k

Before he could ask, she tossed his bloodstained wallet on his lap.

"The clean clothes and water are over there. Go to the biggest tent in 10 minutes. All your questions will be answered there."

This is not real. This must still be a dream.

Or they drugged my food or water, the captain thought as he walked towards the largest tent in the camp.

He noticed people from different races eyed him curiously as he walked past them.

From men to women, old and young, no matter what skin color they had. They all had weapons in their hand, ready to fight at a moments notice.

He heard some talking in the language he grew up with.

They are surely not my comrades, or people from my country so how can they speak my language so well?, he thought.

He remembered what Allie said about the language serum.

Does that really exist?

Captain Ri doesn't know anymore. His whole body aches. His arm, the worst of the bunch.

"Our honored guest! Welcome!" The man named Chris ushered him in the tent with the people he met a while ago.

"We heard from Ryle that you are an expert on this place, is that right?" Chris asked showing him the map he was very familiar with.

They assured him that they have no reason to lie and convinced him that whatever is going on is the real deal.

They told him that a big colony of the Tar are situated somewhere near and they needed his knowledge about the area to aid their quest.

Captain Ri has many doubts. He has so many unanswered questions

But his instincts told him that this is real. And helping these people is the right thing to do.

If those creatures are really invading the planet, there are no more countries.

The country he swore loyalty to does not exist in this world.

He is not divulging secrets about the area because by now, nothing should be kept a secret anymore. His country will not benefit from that.

"We came as soon as we heard. Is he the one you are talking about?" A tall man came in with a beautiful girl with strawberry blonde hair and looking like a Westerner.

The newly arrived man bowed, the normal way of greeting for Koreans.

He returned the gesture and asked if they share the same country.

He said that he was from South Korea. His name is Kim Ju An but he is known as Jon here. The woman he came with was Eida, a Russian.

Halfway through his explanation, he felt that something was wrong.

They explained that the serum is losing effect on all of them and they cannot understand him anymore.

Ryle and Jon are the only ones who can understand him now and they are tasked in translating the information.

He is fluent in English, since he was mainly in abroad before he became a soldier but he did not have the patience and mood to speak in another language right now.

He watched the sun as it rose over the familiar mountains of his motherland.

The empty container of the wine made from snake sat beside him.

He will tell Sergeant Pyo to preserve that favorite wine of his because it gets better with age when they meet again.

When will they meet again?

He doesn't even know how he came into that place. The very same place that has a very different situation.

"Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi." Jon said as he sat down beside thr captain and handed him a mug with hot water."Chris wanted to tell you that the snake wine was really good. Apparently, it was really strong too he retired to his room after a few sips."

"Was it hard? Adjusting here?" He asked.

Jon gave breathed a heavy sigh and smiled.

"This is something you don't get used to. You can't adjust here no matter how long you stay. You just survive and hope this nightmare ends one day."

Captain Ri had his fair share of battles and encounters.

Countries against countries. Fellow humans against fellow humans.

But Earth facing invaders with stronger armies with advanced technology and massive war machines; realizing that what we only see in movies are coming true, it's not only a nightmare.

It is your living hell.

Experiencing a war like this makes past wars like a birthday party, the thought crossed Captain Ri's mind.

No. He shook himself mentally.

Wars will always be ugly whatever the situation is. Seeing people get killed or hurt will never be a good sight to see.

Every life is precious.

Realizing your enemies are stronger doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger.

Being afraid and nervous makes you smart.

Wanting to live is the best driving force to win battle after battle no matter how hard they are.

"In three days time, we will be attacking one of the biggest colonies of these shitty creatures. Winning this battle is just the first step. We have a thousand more. But let this be a stronghold, a foundation that builds our path to victory. Alliance!"

Everybody shouted "alliance" and raised their hands to their hearts.

"Chris gives long tearjerkers, doesn't he?" Allie said wiping the tears on her eyes.

"Stop now or I'll leave." Ryle said, getting Allie off of her.

"I know you'll never leave. Jon is here. He is your only reason for…" She stuffed Allie's mouth with the corn she was eating and called Captain Ri.

"Captain, a word?"

The captain obliged and she asked him if he was really willing to join the Alliance.

He confirmed it.

She also asked him to tell her in full detail how he came there and in turn she told him her story.

They had the same experience, although she doesn't remember her past life.

She also developed various inhuman skills overtime.

She may not be stronger than those creatures but she can put a lot down and save lots of people.

She is one of the people that has these extraordinary skills.

"I was just an ordinary person. I don't know how to fight, to strategize, or to wield weapons. I felt that, eventhough I don't have my memories. But situations really make you do impossible things. Fear is a greater driver than love. Hope, is a little place you go to sometimes just to keep your sanity."

She patted him in the shoulder and whispered that she might have an idea for him to go back from where he came from.

She tried every variable but it all failed.

The only thing that she haven't tried yet is a person who recently arrived.

For years since she had this thought, no one new arrived.

This was the moment, she thought.

But it was risky. The percentage of succeeding is low but they had to try.

The captain immediately said yes and talked about the plan.

Jon would follow the captain wherever goes. He will make awkward small talks and butt in conversations, especially when he is with Ryle.

Ryle is annoyed by Jon. She goes away when he gets near, delaying the process of their plan.

The attack is just two days from now.

They had to do it now.

The moment it went dark, they ventured into the forest leading to the place where the captain first arrived in.

The Alliance has reclaimed that part of the land but they always have to keep their guards up. Alliance Rule No. 1, as he learned from Allie.

"Where did you feel that hot blast of air? Are you sure about the time? We have to do this perfectly. We only have one shot."

She constantly checked every angle, every possible countermeasure if the first try fails.

She presented Plans A-Z to the captain who was partly amazed and annoyed. They did not have to discuss all the possible alternatives.

"Ok, captain. Here we are. Drink this and walk backwards towards your starting point. You have to time your last step to the first step you made when you first came here. You were-"

The captain, even with his experienced eyes and heightened reflexes was not able to comprehend why Ryle threw a dagger at him.

The dagger flew past him though then he heard a loud thud.

"Shit. The Tar are here. We must hurry."

Ryle covered the captain's back as he was doing the task.

He heard the awful noise the creatures were making. A half-annoyed, half laughing sound that was very high-pitched it hurts to hear it.

He felt cold.

It was very hot in this world, place, time. He still doesn't even know where 'here' is. He wanted to ask but also did not want to know every detail.

This is after all is not something he really believed to be true.

A shiver ran down his body as he felt another gush of cold air. His lack of thick clothes also did not help.

Goosebumps emerged on his bare arms as he continued his walk.

He closed his eyes remembering the pace. Drowning out the chaos that ensued around him.

A momentary silence and he found himself in the forest. He saw the guiding stones that lined the pathway towards South Korea.

Weird.

He did not remember taking off his winter clothes.

The cold wind brushed his bare arms as he ran towards the nearby tree where he kept some clothes and necessities.

The city was full of large buildings, bustling cars and busy people.

He scoured the area of Cheongdamdong in Gangnam which is the adress given to him by Se Ri.

For hours he roamed the entire place.

He felt an ache in his left arm. Must have been the cold, he thought. But it felt like he has injured that arm. Like it was cut or something.

There was no wound though.

Another hour passed. He thought back on the way he looked yesterday as he marched towards the border to South Korea.

He felt tired and sore. His left arm hurt the most but his whole body felt bruised as well. The moment he took off his clothes he realized that they were dirty and have holes on them.

What did he do? The thought of losing a memory nagged at him.

He was supposed to be in Seoul two days ago.  He can't remember what he did those past two days.

Then he saw her.

In a sea of people, Yoon Se Ri stood out.

Captain Ri forgot everything he was thinking of and walked towards Se Ri.

He smiled. Se Ri looked shocked, tears started forming in her eyes.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. You only said you lived around Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. You didn't tell me the exact adress."

"You know, I hate dreams like this. Even if you look at me like that, it doesn't make me happy at all. " Se Ri said.

"This isn't a dream." The captain said.

"Are you sure?" She asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sure." Yoon Se Ri closed the distance between them and hugged the captain so tightly.

He hugged her back. Finally feeling at ease for the first time since they parted.

Then he heard it.

A high-pitched, half annoyed, half laughing sound that hurt his ears.

Then black, big, gooey creatures that had whip-like hands started falling from the sky together with the white snowflakes that greatly contrasted fromt their skin.