I was Drafted Into a War as the Only Human

The following morning, Lucy stood in the grand hall, surrounded by the five thousand soldiers selected for the war.

Tension clung to the air like a thick fog, making it hard to breathe. Every breath carried weight. Every glance felt like it could split steel.

The room buzzed with restrained energy. Soldiers stood at attention, faces carved from stone, backs straight, eyes forward. They were focused and ready.

To Lucy's right, Llarm looked as smug as ever, arms folded behind his head like he was waiting for a picnic to start.

On his left, Eri fidgeted nervously, her fingers twisting over each other in a quiet, constant loop. Her eyes darted around the room like a trapped bird's.

Gindu, though—Gindu was different. The nervous wreck Lucy had first met was gone. In his place stood a man firm as a mountain, jaw set, shoulders squared.

Lucy noticed the change and felt something stir in his chest. Pride? Maybe. Solidarity?

But most of all, Lucy felt steady.

He wasn't trembling or second-guessing himself. His back was straight, and his expression unreadable. There was no fear in his stance. Just thought.

'I've pledged myself to Seraphine... but does that mean I'll have to kill?' The idea struck him like a bolt of ice water. His fingers twitched slightly.

'What if my enemy's just like me? Just fighting for their god?'