[b][indent]December 1st Hub City[/indent][/b] Wilhelm groaned in agony as he slowly lowered himself into the chair, his wounds took longer and longer to heal the longer he lived, escaping from prison a second time was harder than anything he could have imagined, the pain he had felt from the vicious assault Lady Arcana had dealt him was enough to make it hard to move, nevermind fight the German army. He had done it somehow, and now he was on enough painkillers to poison a small horse, the delirium from the pain combined with the initial effects of the drugs had left him beginning to hallucinate slightly. Suddenly he heard the sound of a drill. The pounding pain in his face transferred up his head into his skull, and he grasped at his head in agony, grunting as the pain washed over him in waves, until finally he wasn't in Hub City anymore. [indent][b]1940 Stettin, Pommern, Germany.[/b][/indent] Wilhelm Silber smelled the fresh German air. He was home once more, though he was soon set to leave once again. He would have to enjoy the city while he was home, the scent of the air and the warm orange color of the fireplace radiating around his quaint estate on the outskirts of the city, purchased by his ancestors back when they held dominion over all of middle Europe. Things were different now, he had to take a new name to avoid the negative consequences of his nobility, but he was still so excited to go to war against the sub-human Slavs and the foolish French who thought themselves greater than the mighty Germany. But the thing he was most excited for, more than anything. Well, she stood right in front of him, a shocked expression plastered on her face. "Wilhelm?!" "Yes my love!" She covered her mouth with a hand before running over and leaping into his arms. He spun with her a time, enjoying the scent of her hair and the warmth of her body against his own. He kissed her and then buried his face into her shoulder, finally prompting her to push away. "Weren't you going to fight in France?" "No Anna my dear, I proved exceptional! I am allowed to come home for a week before I have to report back for..." Wilhelm caught himself as he almost disclosed too much. "...Further training." Anna giggled with glee as she took Wilhelm's hand in her own. "I'm so glad! And you look simply stunning in that uniform!" Wilhelm smiled smugly and offered her a heroic pose before breaking down into giggles alongside his beloved. He pushed his way into the door and walked through the manor. Just like he had remembered, everything was in its place, including... "How's my lovely little soldier?" he cooed as he rubbed his infant daughter's face with a finger. "She's doing very well, Wilhelm, she's a fighter, just like her father." Wilhelm was so happy. A man not yet twenty-one and he had a family so lovely as this. One thing, however, he did notice about his daughter, was that she was pale, and near-silent, only making soft noises that he equated to a man choking. Anna attributed it to her young age, and Wilhelm was assuaged. He was about to enter his study when his wife cried out and pulled him away. "My present for you is in there." "You have a present for me?" "I was saving it for when you got home, I suppose I'll show it to you tomorrow." "Seems early to get a coming-home present." "I like to plan ahead love, you know that." Wilhelm nodded in response, but he felt suspicious, a thought in the back of his mind telling him that his wife was lying to him. He ignored those feelings and went to bed happy and glad to be at home. He woke up the next morning to discover that his daughter had died in the night. What had taken her he did not know, but she was gone. He had never cried so loudly. He screamed to the heavens, begging for an explanation as to why they had done this to him, taken his happiness and turned it into sorrow-fueled agony, but he got none. They had the funeral fast to ensure that he was home to speak on his daughter's behalf, but the rushed mess only compounded Wilhelm's internal stress, and in the middle of his speech he broke, and screamed out in fury at the world for doing this to him, and in fury at his wife for not realizing his only child's illness. It eventually devolved into both parties screaming and crying, unable to deal with the horrid reality of their broken life. He had gone home and Anna had slammed the door to their room, not allowing him to enter as to hide her tears. Wilhelm sat in his chair near the fire, rocking back and forth in his best suit, watching the flames burn high, and then die down, then once again burn high, then once again die. He watched the flames for what felt like hours. The heights, and then the lows, one after the other. An ember flew from the flame, floating through the air before dying against the door to the study. Well, he supposed there was no reason not to go in, Anna would never know. He snuck in the room and looked around. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The room had nothing in it. Where was this gift she had told him about? He noticed an unsealed letter on the desk, so he walked over and opened it. [indent][i]Dear Anna I know I wasn't supposed to send letters to you but I wanted you to know about this as it happened. The Weinbergs across the street got taken away by soldiers, we were all so afraid, your cousins and I were barely able to hold back the tears, we were going to be next, I knew. So we hid, we're still hiding, in the attic, I sent this letter by pigeon because I didn't want the Nazis to know about it, and I especially didn't want them to connect it to you, at least you have your husband and your new name to protect you, I love you Anna, please write back. Yours, Claus Goldstein.[/i][/indent] She was Jewish. The whole time she was Jewish and he didn't even know. She had lied to his face over and over again about who she was and he had no clue the depths of her deception. The right thing to do was to turn her over to the SS, but he knew very well what happened to Jews who got turned over to them. He couldn't bear to see that happen to Anna. He would handle it himself, even if it killed him. Wilhelm woke up the next morning shaking. He didn't want to have to do this, but he knew there was no choice. He walked to the kitchen to see Anna slowly making herself breakfast. "Anna." "Wilhelm," she responded coldly. Wilhelm walked towards her and stopped a few feet away to collect his thoughts "I know... I..." Wilhelm suddenly felt Anna crash into his chest, burying herself deep in it. "I'm sorry, I..." "There's nothing that could have been done Anna, I'm still here for you." "Thank you Wilhelm." "I love you Anna, I always will." "And you as well." She turned away and gave a sad smile before continuing to make her meal. Wilhelm pulled the gun from his belt. He shook as he hoisted it upwards and pointed it directly at the back of her head. He shivered and agonized internally over it. She was so beautiful. She was innocent. She didn't deserve this. The bang rang out like a song, and echoed through his ears over, and over, and over, and over. [hr] Wilhelm watched as the flames consumed his home. He had burned his hands setting the flame, but he barely felt the stinging pain. All he felt was the stinging in his eyes as he screamed out in sorrow and pain. And the cold. The bitter, bitter cold.