This is where her journey begins, at a train station in Osaka at 7:00 a.m, a journey back to where she began and a journey that will hopefully end in her coming back a changed woman; however, she's slightly nervous on the train. That much is apparent to even the air she breathes as she nervously taps her feet on the ground. She didn't pack much, just enough to last her for a few months, certain enough that she could at least provide for herself while living with her uncle.

After dealing with the attendee at the front gate she made her way to the front cart of the train and nervously darted her eyes around her before helping herself inside. Frozen for a moment, she bit her lip and looked behind her. She took it upon herself to gaze upon the life she'd built for herself, took in the bustling streets of Osaka and felt extremely guilty for having to leave it all behind but a shake of her head gave her the courage to turn back towards the cart and take her seat.

It pained her to make this trip but it had to happen. The train had already been in motion for at least twenty minutes so the time to turn away was gone. All she could do was hope that this wasn't a mistake, that it would somehow turn her into something better, and she hoped she could stop acting like a nervous wreck around all these people. She was certain a woman, before boarding the train, gave her one of the weirdest glares she'd ever seen but that could just be paranoia setting in. Her nerves were really getting to her but she had to keep moving forward. She was worried about meeting up with her uncle after being gone for such a long time. He hadn't seen her in over ten years and, even though he'd offered to let her stay, she couldn't help but be afraid of the situation. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd spent a summer with him and it made her feel somewhat guilty, having him accept her in his life after all this lost time but he's her only family. She has nobody else.

"I guess if it doesn't work out with Kage I'll shack up in some motel and binge on Ice cream and netflix."

Her thoughts drew her in to a small fit of laughter, one that drew the attention of a young boy sitting in front of her. His mother sat next to him, her head resting against the window; while his mother slept, he tugged on yuki's dress to get her attention.

"Hey lady," he asked as he stared in to Yuki's dark eyes. "What's so funny." He had a somewhat puzzled look on his face but that quickly was quickly replaced with an almost laughable smile.

Drawn away from her thoughts, Yuki jumped a bit at the boys sudden question but quickly composed herself as she looked down at him. He seemed so innocent and pure, eyes wide with wonder at the mere sound of someone laughing. Yuki smiled, remembering when was once like him, so full of wonder and hope, without a care in the world, and didn't have the stress of daily life piling down on her.

"Nothing really," she replied, smiling at the boy once more. "And what's your name?"

"My names Hirito, but my friends call me Hiro."

"Well, that's a lovely name. My name's Yuki." Yuki reached out her hand and patted Hiro on the head as a sign of friendship between the two. Shooting him a quick smile, she patted down the fabric of her skirt and began to rummage through her purse.

Yuki couldn't understand why but she'd always had a connection with children. During her years as intern she'd spent most of that time tending to sick children and, in that time, was able to bond with them in a way she could never bond with people her own age. Each child had their own story to tell and every story was always fascinating. They were always so carefree and simple minded and could easily let life slide off their shoulders like water. She used to be like that, once had that childlike joy in her heart just like any child but life got in the way and that joy grew farther and farther away.

Before the boy could ask her more questions, his mother awoke from her slumber and focused her attention on her son with a somewhat shamed look donning her face as she turned to look at Yuki.

"I hope Hiro isn't being a bother," she replied while running a hand through her sons hair. "He's very impetuous." Yuki shook her head.

"Not at all," Yuki replied, shaking away any fears that the mother may have had. "We're all young once," she continued, almost falling over her words as she watched Hiro cuddle in to his mother's side. The adorable act between Hiro and his mother warmed her heart. The bond between mother and child was something she valued and hoped to have one day. Seeing the display before her very eyes was quite a sight to behold.

"You two a quite the pair," she began while reaching in to her purse for her phone. "Do you mind if I take a picture?"

"May I ask why," asked the mother.

Yuki didn't want to come across as weird but this opportunity was too sweet to pass up. They looked so cute together and she knew, in her heart, that filling her thoughts with sweet moments like this one might help move her in the right direction.

"You might call it motivation."

"Motivation for what?"

"To keep my life positive."

Thankfully, the mother didn't ask any personal questions; after all, the train would be stopping soon so it didn't matter. Smiling, the mother pulled her son close to her face and gave Yuki the sweetest pose she could muster while holding her fidgety son. Even with Hiro's sloppy movement, Yuki managed to capture a cute photo of them and quickly placed her phone back in to her purse.

The train rode on for about thirty more minutes before reaching its destination and, by then, most of Yuki's nerves had subsided; she still however, had a long walk ahead of her seeing as her uncle's shrine was located a few miles away from the train station. After picking up her luggage, she slowly began to walk towards the road that led to her uncle's shrine; the first thing she noticed while walking down the familiar path that led to her uncles shrine was the scenery that always took her breath away. The cherry blossom trees surrounded her on all sides, the petals littering the grounds for as far as her eyes could see. To her left she felt a wave of nostalgia flow through her as her eyes gazed upon the shimmering lake she used to swim in as a child. She smiled as she remembered the first time she ever caught a fish there. She'd been there with her uncle for hours without a single bite and, before the sun drew to a close, she finally got one. Sure, it wasn't the biggest one she'd ever caught but a memory like that can't be forgotten.

Sadly, she'd almost forgotten every little detail about this place. It was like she was trying to change herself in to someone else, someone she knew she couldn't be. She wanted to be a different person and spread her wings out in the world beyond the small existence she had with her uncle but the sheltered life she had didn't prepare her for the world outside. She had her chance to shine and she ruined it with books and a job that may not even be waiting for her when she returns.

She sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days; however, before she could get lost in her morose thoughts, she heard the familiar and peaceful sounds of the waterfall near her grandfathers shrine. Letting out a soft smile, she turned towards the direction of the tranquil noise and witnessed the most breathtaking sight. The fading sunlight glistened over the waterfall in such a beautiful fashion, sparkling like diamonds in the sky. Quickly, she turned her direction towards the shrine and made a decision.

"He isn't expecting me for another hour," she voiced, her eyes motioning towards the waterfall once more. "I'm sure I have time to look at it."

With her mind made up, she walked towards the waterfall in a slow fashion and took in the beautiful scenery around her. For a small moment, her mind thought back to Miyako's words and smiled. Aside from her uncle and the guilt she had from leaving work she thought, for a second, that this might work after all.

Until she saw a sight that made her heart stand still. She almost thought her mind was playing a sick joke, even rubbed her eyes a few times to clear the image out of her head, but it didn't go away. There in the middle of the waterfall lay a man face down in the water with blood pooling around his body. She froze, fear gripping her chest as she witnessed the sight. It was too surreal for words, yet she still managed to let out a haggard cry. For a moment she was lost in a daze, still afraid that the fears and nerves were still getting to her but as she drew closer to the figure she noticed that the man was still there, and so was her fear for the worst.

A splash. There were ripples of waves around his body and Yuki, still terrified, let out a small yelp in fear as she noticed the man try to move, and that's when she decided to get her but in gear. This man, whoever he was, needed her help so she rushed to his side and began to pull him out of the water. She wasn't the strongest person around but, in times like these even the weakest humans can pull off unnatural feats of strength, and she'd just had one of those moments. Once she had him safely out of the water, she laid him on his back and proceeded to give him CPR. Her entire body was shaking in fear and she didn't want to fear the worst; however, after the fifth attempt at resuscitating him, he showed no signs of responding. She'd almost given up hope, was about to call for an ambulance, when she felt a strong hand grip her arm. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the man beneath her, his eyes bearing in to hers as he fought to keep himself awake.

"Thank god!" she screamed, her hands clasping over her mouth as a sob fought its way to her face. Noticing that his grip on her arm was wavering, she grabbed on to his hand and, with all the strength she had left, pulled his body to a nearby tree and sat him against it. Through all of it she could hear his mangled screams and it terrified her because she knew he had to be bleeding somewhere, that the wound had to be bad enough to cause such a reaction. She didn't have time to sit around and wait. Her uncle wasn't far, so she did what any sane person would do. She picked up her phone, dialed the number, and silently waited for him to pick up.

ring. ring. ring.

Please pick up

ring. ring. ring.

please pick up

ring. ring. ring.

"Kage speaking."

All that was heard on the other end of the line were yuki's endless sobs, her screaming for her uncle to hurry and find her. She was terrified, not for what might happen to her but to the man sitting next to her, a man fighting to stay alive.