The Broken Star!

War.

They'll tell you it's about justice, about protecting your home, your family, your people. They'll paint banners of honor and sing songs of glory, but in truth, war is nothing but ash and ruin, no matter which side you stand on.

I used to believe in it—this idea of a "right side." I thought there were lines drawn in blood and steel that separated heroes from monsters. But when the fires fade and the smoke clears, the only thing left standing is regret.

In war, there are no victors. Only survivors who carry the weight of what they've done. The flags you fought under, the ideals you bled for—they mean nothing when you're staring at the bodies of those you couldn't save. Your enemies, your allies, your loved ones... they all end up in the same grave.

I see that now. I see the faces of the people I failed to protect, the lives I destroyed trying to justify my revenge. I fought to bring justice to a world drowning in chaos, but all I ever did was add more fuel to the fire.

But war doesn't just make corpses. It makes heroes.

The world reveres them, casting them in bronze and gold, singing their names in eternal praise. But heroes are not born. There is no divine spark, no destiny etched into their souls. They are forged in silence, in moments no one else sees. They are shaped by failure, honed by the weight of choices too heavy for anyone else to carry.

A hero isn't fearless—they're terrified and still take the next step. A hero isn't unbreakable—they're shattered and still pick up the pieces. The world demands perfection, but perfection is a lie. The truth is messy, filled with stumbles, missteps, and the kind of pain no one wants to acknowledge.

If you're reading this, then you already know the weight of that burden. Maybe you've felt it crush down on you, making it hard to breathe, hard to move forward. Maybe you think it's impossible to rise again.

But I'll tell you this: being a hero isn't about never falling. It's about standing back up, no matter how many times you're knocked down.

The songs of glory won't mention the nights you spent crying in the dark. The statues won't show the scars etched into your soul. But none of that matters. What matters is the choice you make, here and now, to keep moving forward.

Because even in a broken world, even with the odds stacked against you...

Even you can be a hero.