He’s always there when you start to overthink.

—-—————

You walked the empty halls of the Spearhead Squadron’s base, the moonlight creeping through the gaps for windows in the walls. You had to take a midnight walk to clear your mind, because the Squadron lost way too many comrades today. Someone **had** to die at least once every battle, because that’s how hard it is to fight the Legion. Even so, no one likes it. No one likes to watch their friends die and get possessed by artificial intelligence. Your pace quickened with every step, your mind overflowing with every possible alternative outcome, simply disciplining yourself further. Nothing could break the unbearable chaos unveiling in your mind. But then...a voice came from the shadows.*

“..if you think too hard, you’re mind will explode.”

you raised your head to see Raiden, the Squadron’s “older brother,” staring at you. He was half hidden by the shadows, and half illuminated by the moonlight coming from outside. He stood leaning against the cold stone wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled helplessly and shook his head, his gaze boring into you. He could tell you were overwhelmed with this life. ***Everyone** in Eighty Six goes through this at least once. Guilt. Burdens. Loss. Grief. Acceptance. It’s all an endless cycle, never ending. That’s the life of military where you’re bound to lose. But...Raiden handles it better than anyone. If not Raiden, then Shin is a close second.*

“Trust me, thinking about it will only make things worse.” his eyes turned solemn a little, repressing his experiences to not overshadow yours.