Chapter 1:Misson Accepted

Vince POV

Headquarters pulsed with noise—boots striking pavement in perfect rhythm, commands slicing through the air, the sharp crack of gunfire echoing from the training grounds. Every soldier moved with purpose.

I was in the middle of a marching drill when my name cut through the chaos.

"Sergeant Vince—report to the captain. Now."

I broke formation without hesitation.

By the time I reached the main building, sweat clung to my skin, my uniform damp and heavy, dust coating my combat boots. I didn't bother changing. There wasn't time—and even if there was, it wouldn't matter. A soldier doesn't complain about discomfort. You learn early that survival doesn't care about appearances.

I paused outside the captain's office, steadying my breath before raising my hand.

Knock. Knock.

"Sergeant Vince reporting, Captain."

"Come in."

The door opened with a quiet creak. I stepped inside and snapped into a salute.

Captain Sofia sat behind her desk, composed as always. To the left, Kate and Dave lounged on the couch like they owned the place.

"At ease, Vince," she said.

"I'm just following protocol, Captain."

A faint smile touched her lips, though her eyes remained sharp—calculating, always thinking ten steps ahead.

Captain Sofia wasn't just any commanding officer. She was the youngest captain in the country's history—a battlefield prodigy, a strategist who had never once failed a mission.

And a princess.

She gestured toward the chair in front of her desk. "Sit."

I obeyed.

She slid a thin envelope across the table. The moment it touched my hands, something in my chest tightened—an instinct I couldn't explain.

Inside was a student profile. A photograph.

A girl.

"She's Mia Garcia," Captain Sofia began. "First-year student at BHNS. Officially, she's the daughter of a civilian couple."

She paused.

"Unofficially… she's the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mendiola."

Everything inside me went still.

The name hit harder than any bullet.

"They were part of our research division," she continued. "After the laboratory explosion, she was the only survivor. Severe trauma resulted in complete memory loss. The government constructed a new identity for her—new records, new family, a new life."

I stared at the photograph.

A normal girl. Soft expression. Unaware of the storm surrounding her.

The Mendiolas… had a daughter?

My grip tightened on the file.

They were the ones who took me in. Fed me. Trained me. Treated me like I was something more than a weapon.

And yet… they never mentioned her.

Why?

"To protect her," I muttered under my breath.

Captain Sofia's gaze flickered, as if she'd heard.

"Starting tomorrow, you will enroll at BHNS as her classmate," she said. "Sergeant Major Kate and Sergeant Dave will accompany you, posing as your guardians."

I glanced at them.

Dave gave me a lazy grin. Kate simply nodded—calm, but alert as ever.

"Your mission is simple," Sofia continued. "Protect her."

Simple.

Right.

"We've intercepted intel suggesting enemy interest in the girl. We don't yet know why—but whatever she carries, they want it badly."

Her voice lowered.

"And we cannot let them have it."

A brief silence filled the room.

Then—

"Your transport is waiting. Everything has been prepared. Move immediately."

We rose in unison.

"Yes, ma'am."

The aircraft hummed steadily as it cut through the sky.

Dave stretched his arms behind his head, completely at ease.

"Man… living under one roof with Kate?" he said, grinning. "This mission just got interesting. Don't worry, darling—I'll be the perfect husband."

Kate didn't even look at him.

"Say one more word and I'll throw you out of this plane."

Dave laughed. "Careful. You might miss me."

"In your dreams."

Their bickering filled the cabin, loud and relentless.

I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes.

Annoying… but familiar.

On the battlefield, they moved like one mind in two bodies—Dave, the flawless sniper; Kate, a ghost in close combat. Fifteen years of fighting side by side had turned them into something unbreakable.

Noise and all… they were reliable.

The kind of people you trusted with your life.

The apartment was already prepared when we arrived.

I stepped inside without waiting for the others, their argument fading behind me.

The place looked ordinary at first glance—modern furniture, clean lines, nothing suspicious.

But appearances lie.

I found my room quickly.

My name was printed neatly on the door.

Inside, the illusion shattered.

Weapons. Surveillance monitors. Tactical equipment.

A full security system, all focused on one location.

Mia.

I approached the window.

And there she was.

Standing on her balcony, laughing softly as she played with a small cat in her arms. The evening light wrapped around her, gentle and warm.

She looked… normal.

Too normal.

Like she didn't belong anywhere near this world of blood and secrets.

"Mia…" I murmured.

"What are you hiding?"

Something twisted in my chest.

A strange, unfamiliar ache.

The last time I felt anything like it…

…was when I first started remembering what it meant to feel human.

General Sofia POV

"I'm worried."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

I leaned forward, pressing my fingers against my temples as exhaustion crept in.

Lieutenant General Daniel stood quietly nearby. "Sergeant Vince is strong, ma'am. This mission will help him grow."

"That's not what I'm afraid of."

I lifted my head.

For a moment, I wasn't a general. Not a strategist. Not a princess.

Just… someone uncertain.

"I'm afraid of what this mission will awaken in him."

Silence settled heavily in the room.

Major General Henry placed a document on my desk. "We'll be monitoring them closely."

I glanced down.

Vince's school registration form.

A normal life—on paper.

"Make a donation to the school," I said quietly.

Henry blinked. "Ma'am?"

A faint smile crossed my lips.

"I have a feeling… our sergeant is about to experience something new."

Something dangerous.

"Understood."

He left the room.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.

Sometimes… I wonder what my life would have been like without this gift.

Would I have gone to school?

Made friends?

Lived… normally?

A soft exhale escaped me.

No.

This is the life I was given.

And because of it…

I found people worth protecting.

"Stay safe, Vince," I whispered.

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