Day and night, he journeyed through the scorching desert. Day and night, he wondered if he could survive or if he had already passed away. But even if he did, he kept pushing forward with his mysterious guardian beside him. Giving him some energy to continue walking. Was it some kind of divine punishment? A form of torment for some sort of sin he had committed. Was the Lightbringer an angel of judgement to determine what sort of man Ben was?

  He couldn’t handle it anymore. Even if the silent quest would not answer his questions or tell him anything, Ben stopped his walk and sat down, letting out a tired and defeated sigh. ‘Two days,’ Ben mumbled. ‘Two days, we travelled through the desert. No water, food, sleep, nothing.’

  Ben looked up at the Lightbringer and squinted before slumping his head down. ‘We are not going anywhere. I doubt we are being pursued anymore. It’s also clear you have something for me… or at least, want me to repent.’

  ‘I was never a good man,’ Ben painfully admitted. ‘There is no denying that I joined to spite my father’s wishes. Unlike most who came into the army, I was born into wealth. I could’ve easily lived in luxury, but I just wanted to prove that I was something more. Instead, I feel all I have achieved is the bare minimum of being a soldier.’

  Seeing what Benjamin might be saying, the spirit kneeled and frowned.

  ‘I don’t regret joining.’ He continued. ‘This war is wrong and a waste of time! Everyone knows it by this point. The war on terror is a sham, and thousands died for some stupid resources that fill the pockets of some fat cat in Washington. Yet, I still willingly joined and fought because I wanted to prove myself. Is it wrong to fight an immoral war? Yes, I will not lie about that fact or make any excuses for it. I did what I wanted to do, and I do not have any regrets for it.’

  ‘That is my sin. A selfish desire that got me killed. If the Lord Almighty wishes to cast my soul to hell, so be it.’ Ben gritted his teeth as he looked up at the spirit, or what he thought was a conjured figment of his delirium. ‘Is that what you wanted to hear? A confession of a dead man? If so, I am ready for whatever punishment you may have. I am responsible for my actions. I’ve killed people during my service, and I would do it again.’

  The spirit looked down and frowned at Ben. Upset that and confused that Ben would conclude that he was unworthy or worse than he was. It wanted to travel with him to understand the man a little bit more while giving a helping hand whenever it could. Even if that helping hand was magically giving Ben some artificial strength and stamina to endure the harsh environment.

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  ‘Sit with me,’ Ben sighed. Thinking about what he can talk about with the creature before him. ‘I’m sorry if I come off harsh and rude. Not like anyone else often knocks on the door of death. I don’t know your purpose, but I think I can understand that you have a role to play in this. Or perhaps you are just hallucinating, and my mind has already fallen apart during my time here. But if you are real and I am going to die, can I just ask for a simple favour?’

  Curious, the spirit sat down in front of Ben and listened. It wondered if the favour of a desperate man would be.

  Wiping the sweat from his brow, Ben spoke with a hasty voice. ‘I want to know if my squad is okay. I don’t believe you can interfere with my fate, and it is too big for me to ask for you to save them or prevent their deaths if they have already died. So, all I ask is to know if they made it out, to see if my sacrifice meant something.’

  Like that, the Lightbringer smiled. It saw a humbler favour which revealed his true intentions. While Ben was a flawed man and an active participant in an unjust war, his care for his team was his top priority. Even more so, the soldier had shown some sort of understanding that some things cannot change regardless of his own desire. He was content with the order of things, and with his dying wish, all he wanted was to know if they were okay.

  The Lightbringer stood up. It didn’t need to say anything to Benjamin or show him. Instead, the spirit decided to give the soldier another chance at life. It knew that Ben wanted to become a linguist teacher once his contract was up, and it was hoping Ben would survive long enough to become one. More importantly, it wanted to send Ben to his team to see for himself.

  With a wave of its hand, the spirit’s entire body shifted and morphed into a ball of blinding light. Ben shielded his eyes, grunting as he believed that was his final moment. However, once everything calmed. He opened his eyes once more, and Ben realised he was standing in front of an American base.

  His comrades noticed him, shocked that their sergeant, who had been gone for days and presumed dead, had returned in the desert.

  ‘A second chance…’ Ben said before collapsing to the ground, incapable of standing up for much longer as everyone rushed over to him to see if he was alright. While wondering how someone could’ve survived out in the desert, and how they were able to turn up without anyone noticing. In time, he would see his interaction with the Lightbringer as nothing more but a figment of his imagination. However, even if it was real or not. Ben would take the lesson to heart and use it to the best of his abilities.