The air was heavy, the kind of weight that clung to you like an invisible shroud. Ominous clouds loomed above Megacity 2 of the East Asia Grid, and though no drop had yet fallen, I could smell the rain in the air. It reminded me of the promises I had made promises whispered under the sheltering arms of comrades who had
become family.
I sat on the edge of the bunker, my weapon resting against my knee and looked out over the fractured skyline of the city we called home. The message had come early that morning: we had a lead on the traitor who had been feeding the Overlord’s army information about our movements. My name was on the list for the scouting mission, and we were leaving before sunset. It was an honor to be trusted with something so crucial, but I couldn’t shake the gnawing pit in my stomach.
I had a feeling I couldn’t explain a hollow certainty that I wouldn’t be coming back.
The sound of boots on metal broke my reverie, and I turned to see him approaching. Zakhar the older soldier, the one who had taught me to feel the rain like it was life itself, had a knowing look in his eyes. His face, weathered and scarred, bore a smile that seemed to defy the despair around us.
“Yevgeny” he said, his voice steady, as if he knew everything I was thinking. “It’s gonna rain soon. You can smell it, can’t you?”
I nodded, unable to find words.
“Good,” he said, sitting beside me. “Then you know what to do.”
I frowned, confused by the simplicity of his statement.
“You stand in it,” he continued, gesturing to the sky.
“You let it remind you why you’re fighting. Why we’re all fighting.”
He turned to me, and his voice softened.
“You promise me, like you’ve promised before, that you’ll be here
for the next one.”
I looked away, swallowing hard. “I don’t know if I can keep that
promise this time.”
He chuckled, a low sound that carried more wisdom than mirth.
“None of us know. That’s the point, isn’t it? But if you believe, even for a moment, that you’ll stand in the rain again, it might just be enough to get you through.”
The first drops began to fall, soft and tentative, like the sky testing its courage. He stood and held out his hand.
“Come on. Don’t let it start without you.”
Reluctantly, I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. Together, we climbed to the top of the bunker, where the others were
already gathering, faces turned skyward. The rain came harder now, washing over us like a baptism.
I felt it on my skin, cold and grounding, and I thought of the life I had lived before the war the laughter, the music, the freedom. It was all so distant, yet in that moment, the rain made it feel possible again.
He stood beside me, his arms open to the heavens. “Promise me Yevgeny” he said once more, his voice barely audible over the downpour.
I turned to him, my heart heavy but resolute. “I promise Zakhar.”
For the first time that day, the knot in my chest loosened. I didn’t know if I would make it back, but his words had planted a seed of hope. As the
rain poured down, I let myself believe in the possibility of another storm, another promise kept.
And as we stood there, warriors in the rain, I silently vowed to carry this moment with me, no matter where the mission led.
Innate Trigger : Promises in the rain Pt 3 A Silent Vow
Release date : 10 – 1 – 2025
Music by : Innate Trigger
