Snowflakes tapped against the window. Konrad Berger closed the documents piled on his desk. He had already received several reports of misconduct by soldiers against civilians, but this time, he could not overlook it. He had never felt so disgusted by the fact that he wore the same uniform.

He swallowed a heavy sigh and turned his gaze. A small shadow was huddled on the bed in the corner of the room. The face was much younger than he had heard in the rumors. His stomach churned the more he thought about what they had done to such a child.

Konrad put more wood in the stove and set a key down on the table by the bed. It was so that you could lock the door even while he was away. He did not know how much relief that single small piece of metal could provide. He only knew that this child must never again be dragged around by someone's whim.

Outside the window, the sound of military boots trampling the snow faded into the distance. Konrad stood there for a while. While realizing anew that the world he belonged to was this horrific, he loathed himself for not even having the courage to escape that world immediately.

Sigh...