[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"Vulnerability is a liability."
Azzano, Italy November, 1943
IT TOOK SIX DAYS before they finally caught sight of an American army base, and Verfall's condition had not budged- she was still a soldier who was absolutely terrified of doing the wrong thing. Her eyes flicked towards James who was marching alongside Steve with a noticeable amount of exhaustion. She wondered if he should even be walking in such a condition, and Steve seemed to think the same. But every time he looked back at his best friend, James grinned and spoke before he could ask anything.
Verfall's eyes flicked ahead of her- that wasn't something she should notice or say anything about. It wasn't her place, although a part of her was starting to get sick of the phrase. It was hard to say exactly how she felt because her emotions were a hurricane of confusion, stress and a fierce aching in her chest. The absence of Dr. Schaffer- it was always him she thought of- burned a hole in her heart and pained her to take another step. She knew being confined to a bathroom was one of the most merciful things she'd probably ever experience from him, yet here she was, completely botching his trust and following men she didn't even know.
If he found her now, she was sure Dr. Schaffer wouldn't spare her a moment to speak- he would kill her, maybe, if he was feeling particularly kind that day. She swallowed thickly at the thought, eyes dropping to the ground as if the man had somehow materialized besides her.
It made her wonder- why did she leave? Was she afraid of James, who she supposed was her friend? Or the blonde-haired soldier- Steve?
She was astounded by the fact her brain somehow managed to remember them and her supposed friendship with them, especially when she wanted nothing to do with them. A part of her was drawn towards the glowing golden retriever walking in front of her- the other was screaming at her to turn and run.
The sound of multiple heavy footsteps caught her attention and her head snapped up, calculatingly as soldiers from the base sprinted towards them. They slowly filed to either side of them in an attempt to give them room on the dirt road. Her eyes flicked between each man, who's gazes were trained on Steve with wide eyes of surprise.
Everyone started clapping and Verfall gritted her teeth as the sound echoed in her ears, bouncing across the walls of her mind.
It was too loud.
Steve and James stopped in front of her as a crowd cumulated. She drew inward onto herself, arms taut at her sides as her eyes caught sight of familiar chocolate brown curls moved amongst the sea of men.
