Lost Brothers, Found Legacy

The sterile scent of antiseptic bit at Benjamin’s nostrils, a stark contrast to the smoke and cordite he’d grown accustomed to. His eyelids felt heavy, glued shut by an invisible force. When they finally fluttered open, the world swam into a blurry, unfamiliar landscape. White. Everything was a sterile, unforgiving white. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, a sound entirely alien to the gas lamps and flickering bulbs of his time. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, and his body felt a profound, unsettling stillness. He tried to move, a groan escaping his lips as pain lanced through his arm and leg.

“Easy there, Lieutenant.”

A voice, calm and professional, cut through the haze. Benjamin’s gaze, still unfocused, found a woman standing beside his bed. She wore a crisp, dark uniform, the insignia on her collar unfamiliar. Her expression was serious, her eyes sharp and assessing. Beside her stood a man in a plain suit, his demeanor equally composed, a notepad clutched in his hand.