#ragna

Enkrid & Everyone (No regression!Enkrid)

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The world comes to an end on a random day in the midst of winter. On a random day where snow covered grass and where the sky is coloured grey.

It was neither loud nor flashy.

It simply happened.

At first, it was only one. Stumbling through the plains with a limp. From afar, it looked no different from any other person. A civilian, a lost traveller, an injured adventurer. 

They looked normal. Walked normal. Seemed like a regular citizen.

Thats what get the soldiers first, their guards lowered. They approached with caution but not fear.

When the first approached, it ravaged and tore through flesh. Consuming like it was starved, like the only thing on its mind was to eat. Teeth splitting skin and muscles until bones peeked through. Yet, its attacks didn’t kill. It brought back its victims to life, adding one more to its numbers.

It started with one. And one turned into two. Two into four. Four into eight.

Then soon eight became hundreds. Hundreds into thousands.

By the time people realised something was wrong, it was far too late.

Enkrid wasn't there when it began.

He had left earlier in the day, after completing morning training and all his regular routine. A mission that would have him gone for a few days to weeks, but an ordinary mission, nonetheless. He departed that day without ceremony.

No one had thought to stop him.

The infection spread.

Faster. More aggressive. Merciless to all. It didn’t discriminate between races or gender or species. It destroyed all who were infected, tore apart loved ones. It wore familiar faces and borrowed voices, luring the unprepared to the same fate.

Kingdoms and their people panicked, collapsing from within.

And Naurilia closed its gates.

Heavy iron slammed shut to defend themselves from the end of the world. Sealing in those who made it and abandoning those who didn’t.

The 444th squad lost their leader that day. He hadn’t died, neither in battle nor in honour.

Enkrid simply...didn’t come back.

And that was enough for the squad to realise that it was unlikely for him to return. 

They still waited. Wishfully so.

A day passed. Then a week. Then a month of being swallowed by uncertainty and brittle hope. They were sent out more to deal with the infected, and they didn’t argue.

Maybe because they hoped that they would see him amongst the sea of dead.

No one said it out loud, but they knew.

They knew Enkrid was gone.

Being dead, out there somewhere, was probably the more favourable outcome. Bitten and torn open but not brought back as an infected.

Maybe left in the snow and cold with his body preserved.

Or maybe Enkrid was infected, wandering the plans before meeting his finale by some random soldier.

The squad had no way of knowing.

Only that they lost him.

-----

The people had begun to fear the infected. Fear things that didn’t stay dead. They blamed and called out many possible sources.

Gods’ punishment.

Black magic.

Necromancy.

The world’s eradication.

The squad didn’t need answers, they didn’t fear them. People only turned when they were bitten, and squad 444th weren't planning on getting bitten any time soon.

They swung and killed and destroyed anything that even remotely resembled an infected. Enemies were killed all the same; without mercy.

Then they see him.

Standing there in the fields, before their eyes. He didn’t look dead, not even infected. He moved with memory, and when he caught their eyes, a subtle smile formed.

He looked like himself.

He stood there like nothing was wrong.

Like he wasn’t wrong.

"I'm back."

It was their captain.

------

Enkrid had returned to them. They had persuaded the gates to let him in, even going as far as to get checked. True to it, Enkrid had miraculously survived. Unscathed, unbitten, uninfected.

They didn’t know how, but Enkrid had lived.

For a moment, it almost felt like things were the same.

Almost.

The longer they lived with Enkrid, the more the sense of unease refuse to die down. Somehow, Enkrid had returned to them different. Not that he talked weird, or the way he walked, or his quirks and habits. Nothing was out of ordinary, but he still felt different.

They couldn't pinpoint what, just that something felt...wrong.

"Something is wrong with him." Rem chews at his nails, not out of nervousness, but simply frustration. "He's not telling us."

"Something must have happened to him out there." Ragna points out, his usual lazy self nowhere to be found.

"Brother Captain is fragile. He could be fatally wounded." Audin clasps his hands, solemn at the thought.

"Or he's infected." Jaxon frowns, his words fall flat, but they land.

"Are you crazy?" Krais hissed. "They checked him remember. Don't say something so scary."

After that conversation, they stayed hushed. The contents of their conversation silenced between them. They didn't try to dig. They didn't push. But the thought lingered, even for just a moment.

If, and if, there was a chance, they didn't want to risk it.

They didn't want to lose their captain a second time.

-----

It happens on the battlefield.

It's not the first time. Noticing strange things about Enkrid that don’t exactly line up.

Things they have learnt not to question.

The first was how the infected do not attack him. No matter the situation, no matter how close, they never turn their attention towards Enkrid. Whether they fail to recognise him as a human, or see something else, they didn’t attack, like he wasn’t a person.

It was wrong.

They noticed, had their suspicions, but they don’t speak of it.  

As long as they don't prove anything, find truth, they can ignore it.

Then something happens. An ambush from an enemy kingdom, even with the world ending. Greed, fear, desperation, none of them disappears, and that was more than enough of a reason. Swords clash against swords, soldier bitten in distraction, the already ruined world becomes something worse.

The squad doesn't see much of a reason to flee.

Until their captain falls.

"Captain!" Rem voice tears through the chaos, axe swinging recklessly force. His steps are heavy, and rushed, desperate as he closes the distance.

He only sees the blood and that his captain is on the ground. His neck slashed so deeply, Rem doesn't believe he'll make it.

No one could have an injury like that and live to see tomorrow. 

Jaxon is, as always, by the captain's side within seconds. Audin kneels next to the body. The rest circle them to protect.

Rem can feel his stomach drop the moment Audin's expression goes grim. He doesn’t even need to announce anything for Rem to know that they’ve lost their Captain again.

Jaxon hosts Enkrid on his back, and flees, the rest of squad follow to reach safety.

"What happened to him?!" Krais exclaims, his face twisted in despair and confusion.

Thats when it happens.

Jaxon lowers Enkrid's body on the bed, Enkrid jerks upwards. His eyes snap open, his chest rises quickly, gasping for air like he was drowning.

"You're awake." Ragna steps forward, relief breaking through him before anything else can.

It doesn’t concern anyone how Enkrid is alive. After all, as long as he’s alive, nothing else matters.

They don't question it.

They don't want to.

It doesn't matter because the truth still comes out later.

When the night had settled in comfortable quiet. Each member doing their nightly routine, ready to settle in bed, and then Enkrid speaks up.

"I'm infected." He confesses calmly as if what he said wouldn't get him killed.

The squad stills. The words lands too softly for them to even properly register.

"Cap'...what did you just say?" Rem stops where he stood, voice tight.

Enkrid opens his mouth, and Rem moves immediately, grabbing him, stopping him. “Don’t say it.”

Except Enkrid has that light in his eyes. The one with determination, the fire that is impossible to extinguish. They can't stop him from spilling everything, but they have to, somehow.

"I've already died.” The words came a bit quicker as he finally frees himself from Rem’s grip. “I've been bitten."

"Captain, stop." Jaxon mutters low, almost a warning. Not because he doesn’t want to know, but because once it was said, it could never be taken back.

"And then I woke up,” Enkrid continues, breath uneven, but determined. “I don’t even know how. I just did. And I realised that something was wrong.”

He exhales sharply, “I can’t die.”

Silence

"I have died over and over just trying to make it back here." He adds quieter. 

The squad look at each other, bewilderment in their eyes. Something unspoken passes between them.

"This never leaves the room." Ragna snarls sharply.

"Wasn't even thinking about it." Rem taunts.

Krais drags a hand through his hair, looking like he might collapse. "Captain…you can’t ever tell anyone about this."

"Yes, brother captain. This must never be spoken about again." Audin grinds his jaw, his hands already clasped, praying for his Lord's help and forgiveness.

Too distracted, too focused on each other, none of them notice the shadow that lingers just beyond the doors.

-------

Morning comes.

The sun rises slowly, light spilling across the room softly. For a brief moment, everything feels fine. Enkrid is already awake, like always.

Then Shinar marches in. Her posture is as straight as ever, controlled and discipline, but her expression is different.

Not serious. Not unreadable. It’s grim.

"Platoon Leader Enkrid." Her brows furrow, hand clenching into her own skin behind her back. "We have received reports about your confession regarding infection. You'll be taken under the kingdom's custody for further study."

There is chaos, weapons drawn, shouts, and Enkrid sits calmly. Stands and takes his step forward, even knowing what they may do to him in the name of humanity. Squad 444th try to stop him, they refuse to sit by and let this happen.

“You are not to follow me. You are not to come look for me.” Enkrid’s orders a firm, his eye contact unwavering, “This is my last order.”

Enkrid turns and walks away.

They lose him again.