𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝'𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.

Chapter 1.

The day was blackened by the soot and gunpowder from firing canons and rifles, echoes of booming ballistics resonating through the large seaside port of Crimea's Sevastopol. Screams and shouts of civilians and soldiers alike would hurl their way around the air, swirling around as the port got berated from the ocean, which pounded the shore, waves lapping around the keels of each allied ship.

Chaos was the only thing that circulated the empire's coast, dissension only brewing more after the Tsar's, considerably dense, decision to rival the Ottoman's and their control of the Holy Lands. This was the hole that Tsar Nicholas I had thrown his entire archaic empire into, a bottomless pit that they will proceed to plummet down - as if they were Alice falling to Wonderland. Except, this was certainly NOT Wonderland - this was vehement bloodshed, and one that was absolutely catastrophic for each person involved.

Canons would bombard the shores, people would scream and bawl- Russian anxieties would only swell at their looming impending defeat. And, through the midst of chaos, there would be the moment of relief - the brief intervals from the suffocation of explosive and the fragments of bullets that whizzed right by everyone's cheek, occasionally. Those short-lived instants were like the miniscule silver lining on a colossally gloomy storm cloud, that decided to allow his friends, being tornados, earthquakes, volcanoes, and any known painstaking nuisance to mankind's existence, to accompany him along the perilous journey to plague the innocent inhabitants of the Crimea.

Due to particular circumstances, mainly that the empire was so inverted with it's 'centralised powers to maintain control', there were not enough soldiers to protect Sevastopol - not enough soldiers coming along at a meteoric rate to fortify the grand port. 

In light of this fact, the young heroine - Kateryna Kovalenko - expressed definite certainty that it was her place to secure her home. But, not from the allies, mainly from the Russians - the absolute massacre they had painted upon their nation was excruciating to sit and bare witness to  any longer. So, she became a "man", and joined the army.

That's exactly how she wound up in the position she was currently in - a musket in hand, garrisoning the fort and trying to shoot at, presumably, the allies. The entire plot was hopeless; their technology was practically feudal in comparison, and all the soldiers were inexperienced farmers - even she could comprehend such scandal within her peripheral view, as it was such a elementary thing for even the people of the most simple of minds to realise.

Victory was as good as surrounded and captured by the enemies - speaking of which, it seemed as though they were surrounded. Shrieks and shrilled cries sounded about the entire fortress and echoes of canon fire drew closer. 

But, not from the allies. From the Russians - having scuttled their own ships. Kateryna's eyes gaze intently stared upon the pandemonium with utter disbelief. Even she knew how prideful the empire was with military, being very imperial. As she watched, she made the very speedy assumption that she really needed to get out of their. Now.

So, rushing from her perch upon the large bastion, practically falling down the steps as she ran for her existence's sake - this could be the end, if she didn't run like hell. Speeding up, she avoided the bodies burnt to cinder, and the rubble that sat as new piles of ashes. She just ran, long legs taking her as far as she possibly could.

All the while, people blared out and hollered in desperation and terror, gunpowder raining upon them like showers of smoke and ash, booms of echoing canons pounding in Kateryna's head as she stumbled and struggled to charge as hastily as her mind desired her to. 

Soon, her mind started to gain on her body, eyes of juniper shading darting around as canons and gunshots ricocheted into the ground surrounding her. It made her leap out of her skin, letting out a shrill cry of fright, her legs only seeming to pick up the hasty pace - eyes now open wide as she made sure to know exactly where her feet deliver her to.

Before she had the opportunity to process the unanticipated view in front, her legs continued to transport her, not stopping for anything. That was, however, until she saw the hunk of steel that landed right before her very feet. Before she knew what was going on, she'd toppled over the steel.

Everything appeared to be happening in slow motion as she tumbled over the steel, prepared to brace the ground, before feeling the sharpest pain in her leg, before it felt all liquid-y and oozingly warm. It stung so immensely, that she forgot she was hurtling towards the ground.

"говно!" Kateryna yelped out in pain, before she finally touched the floor - or, more so, her head cracked against stone like an egg on the ground, and she was immediately unconscious.

Everything was black.