The Silver Seer

Chapter 1: Forever With You

I stand in front of the mirror within my office, fiddling with the last of the golden buttons that keep my navy uniform's overcoat together. With winter approaching, I find my office growing colder each night as autumn's colorful leaves give way to winter's pure white snow. So, to keep myself warm I bring out the overcoat to my uniform. I assume my officers will soon be doing the same as they continue their daily activities, like drills, training, and patrols.

I begin to turn away from the mirror, but find my feet rooted to the spot. And, instead of my reflection in the mirror, I see a group of soldiers– enough for a simple patrol– become lost in a plume of smoke. And though the scene does not last long enough for me to watch the smoke clear and determine the outcome of what I fear has just occurred, a small headache confirms my doubts.

Dammit... Where were they? I try to recall the details of the landscape from what I glimpsed in the mirror. A river, a bridge, falling leaves... Basel. A beautiful town, now presumably up in smoke for a reason I do not know, nor can even begin to consider.

Shaking my head to clear my mind of my assumed overreaction, I walk over to my desk against the back wall of the office and decide whether to put on my thin white gloves, which go with my white combat boots and overall uniform, or my thicker black, which will help keep my hands warm. My silent debate doesn't last long, as a knock on my office door spurs me to choose my white gloves, and I slip them on my hands before turning my attention to the visitor.

"Yes? Who is it?" I move my black gloves into one of my desk's top drawers.

"Huomenta, Komentaja!" A cheerful voice comes from the other side of the door, speaking a language I learned just so I could communicate with him: Finnish.

I smile to myself and walk over to the door, opening it and stepping to the side to allow the visitor to walk in. He immediately sits down in my desk chair, pushing off the floor with his foot, and spinning around as a smile lights up his face.

His blond hair gleams in the dim lighting of my office, and his vermillion uniform matches the color of his eyes. I can see the remains of bandages around his pale left wrist, from an injury that he claims he received by "protecting my reputation", whatever that means.

From behind him, I can see the map of New Europe, and focus my eyes on the border Switzerland shares with Russia. So far, Russia has remained far from our border, but if what I saw in the mirror wasn't some kind of horrible accident...

I can't always keep thinking of the worst possible option. But I can't seem to help it, being so young. I briefly close my eyes and bring myself back to the boy, who giggles as he continues spinning in my chair.

"Good morning, Reko. You're certainly earlier than usual." I glance up at the clock hanging above the mirror. 5:45 a.m.

I've been awake for 45 minutes now.

The time I spend alone in my office gives me time to prepare for the day ahead. Thankfully, though Reko's visit is a surprise, it's a pleasant one that doesn't disturb the otherwise calm day I have planned for my officers.

"I went to bed earlier than usual last night. Aren't you proud of me?" Reko's tone is akin to that of a child looking for praise, and I cannot help but continue to smile as I step around him, avoiding his feet as I move toward my desk again.

"Of course I'm proud of you. Why wouldn't I be?" I open another drawer of my desk and lift out a silver watch, wrapping it around my left wrist before closing the drawer and turning to stare at Reko as he slows the rapidly spinning chair until it comes to a halt.

He playfully shakes his head. "Because you've lectured me about getting enough sleep for the past two weeks. I don't need as much sleep as normal soldiers, you know." He stands up and wanders about the office, taking several moments to look at the nine medals hanging on the wall across from the mirror while I walk over to the door, setting my gloved fingers on its handle.