Story: Echoes of Regret

In the militaristic nation of Nash Dom, there lived a young man named Cassius. Born into a humble family of farmers, Cassius was a dreamer who aspired for a peaceful life, filled with the joy of tending the fields under the golden sun and watching the harvest flourish.
When the time came for him to join the Legion, a duty that every young man of Nash Dom was bound to fulfill, Cassius entered the military world with a heavy heart. He was a pacifist thrust into an environment that thrived on discipline, dominance, and violence.
His early days in the Legion were brutal. He faltered in the face of rigorous training and the cruel hierarchy of the military. For every stumble, every hesitation, he received lashes, severe enough to scar his spirit more than his back. Yet, for every beating he took, something within Cassius hardened, transforming his dreams of a peaceful life into distant memories.
Years passed, and with each passing day, the reluctant recruit became a more dedicated legionnaire. The blood of fallen enemies, the cries of captured slaves, the victory cheers of his comrades - these became his life. Cassius rose through the ranks, his strategic mind and indomitable spirit earning him respect and recognition. He became a commander within the Legion, leading troops into slaving missions, commanding respect and fear in equal measure.
When Cassius returned from the field, he took on the role of a training commander, his gaze now icy, his heart hardened. He watched as young recruits stood where he once did, their reluctance mirroring his past. He ordered lashes and beatings for them, their pleas for mercy echoing his own from years past. Yet, he remained unmoved, his heart trapped within the unforgiving walls of the Legion's discipline.
As time wore on, the once young recruit became an old man. His life was a tapestry of battles fought, slaves captured, and young lives moulded into warriors. His hands, once soft with the touch of fertile soil, were now hardened and scarred, a testament to the lives he had led.
One day, as he watched his grandchildren play in the courtyard, a strange feeling welled up within him. He saw the young, innocent faces, their laughter ringing out clear and sweet, their lives ahead of them untouched by the harsh world of the Legion. A sense of regret crept into his heart, a realization of the life he had led, the lives he had ruined.
"I have led an evil life," he murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper. The burden of his past weighed heavy on his heart. His hardened exterior began to crumble as he watched his grandchildren, their future in Nash Dom casting a dark shadow over their innocent play.
Cassius summoned his grandchildren to his side. His voice, once loud and commanding, now soft and full of regret, he told them, "The world is bigger than this nation, bigger than the Legion. Seek that world. Seek a life of peace, of freedom. Flee Nash Dom."
As his grandchildren stared at him, their eyes wide and curious, Cassius felt a strange sense of peace. For the first time in his life, he felt he had made a difference, not as a legionnaire, not as a commander, but as a man who had seen the dark side of life and dared to warn others against it. He died soon after, his last wish a beacon of hope for his grandchildren, a plea for them to escape the clutches of Nash Dom and live a life he never could.