Sitting alone in his room,

  The light is dim, and the air feels heavy like it’s choking his chest.

  Silent… but a storm rages inside.

  Suddenly… his inner voice starts to scream:

  ?? Mind:

  "You think you made it out?

  You think you're a hero for surviving?

  You're just a coward!

  Everything that happened—was because of you! Not them!"

  ?? Him (quiet, trying to convince himself he did his best):

  "I tried… I swear I tried."

  ?? Mind (cutting like a blade):

  "Tried?!

  Where was that effort?

  The moment it hurt, you turned your back and ran!

  The second you felt breakable…

  You surrendered and built yourself a prison made of fear!"

  ?? Him (angrily, wanting to argue but out of words):

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  "I was protecting myself… I had no other choice."

  ?? Mind (firing words like bullets):

  "No… you chose to be weak!

  You chose isolation because you couldn’t face reality,

  Couldn't live among people, couldn’t truly fight.

  Every day you run, every day you fake strength—

  While inside, you’re falling apart!"

  ?? Him (grabbing his hair, as if trying to rip the pain out):

  "I didn’t know what else to do…

  I couldn’t go on like they did!"

  ?? Mind (merciless):

  "Because you're not like them!

  You’re always half of everything—

  Half a soldier, half a person, half alive, half dead.

  You’ve never been enough,

  And you never will be."

  ?? Him (his voice fades, tears forming involuntarily):

  "Enough… Stop this torture… I’m exhausted."

  ?? Mind (with deadly coldness):

  "Tired?

  Exhaustion doesn’t justify weakness.

  In war, there’s no place for the fragile.

  And you chose to be the weakest."

  ?? Him (silent… only his broken heartbeat echoing),

  Feeling more shattered than when he was first betrayed.

  Deep down, he knows—

  The war isn’t with the world…

  It’s with his own soul that won’t forgive him.