The brand
Slowly, he began to open his eyes. His face flat against the uncomfortable and filthy dirt. He felt the dirt and mud all over his muscular chest and shoulders as he inched up off the scorching earth. He looked up and met the sun's gaze then quickly looked at the ground only to notice the tattered remains of his off white coloured kimono. He felt a strange satisfaction after seeing the kimono ripped up in the dirt. Maybe now he would not be constantly reminded of his failure , however he knew that hope was stupid and that he would be haunted by his mother's tragic passing for the rest of his life.
He began walking out of the forest in the unbearable heat. His mind constantly drifted towards his mother, he remembered her gentle smile and the way she would stroke his spiky raven hair to help ease him through the day. From now on these tender moments in his mind would be all that's left of his mother. He came to another clearing in the forest just in front of the cabin.
"Dammit" he muttered under his breath as he rubbed his temples only to realise that he had become a mountain of sweat, dirt and dried up tears. The heat was unbearable, it scorched his fragile skin causing him to be uncomfortable. The heat almost felt like the wrath of god raining down upon him, he would never forgive himself however he would feel better once his oath to vengeance had been carried out he was going to start his journey. His mother made him promise that if anything were to happen to her that he would go to Tokyo and search for his grandfather, the most powerful man in the world, Heihachi Mishima.
As he entered his former home he felt a strong sense of loss and pain. He looked around the traditional Japanese home and proceeded to take down all of the pictures of his mother and put them in a corner. All but one, this picture was of his mother standing in the doorway in her favourite white dress and matching shoes and headband. She displayed a gracious , warm and inviting smile. He shed a single tear before taking the picture and placing it gently on a table in the living room before going to the bathroom to take a shower.
How could i be a Mishima ? How would i convince the infamous Heihachi Mishima that we are in any way related. Will the same fate that befell my father happen to me? Was i destined for evil? Such thoughts plagued his mind as he lazily proceeded scrub the dirt off his muscular body, he slowly worked the loofa from his inner chest down to his chiselled abdominals then the rest of his body. Looking face down in the shower he noticed the mud and filth washing off his body and flowing down in to the drain. After a few more minutes he stepped out and began to dry himself off, he stood in front of the mirror as if mesmerised by his own sad, drawn out , hazel brown orbs. He looked at his squeaky clean reflection his body was spotless yet inside he still felt dirty…..
After two more days of silence and mourning he strengthened his resolve to travel to Tokyo to find his grandfather, though something in his mind told him that finding the infamous Heihachi Mishima would be no easy task. As he was stepping out he realised the television was left on. The news channel was reporting on a string of disappearances of world known fighters and martial artists such as the professional wrestler king and Tae Kwan Do fighter Baek Do San , strangely enough he recalled them both competing in the last King of Iron Fist tournament his mother spoke of. He dismissed it and quickly turned off the television after all, why should it concern him?
He began the long journey to the highway, first he had to hike through the forests of Okinawa which would take a couple of days to hike through then he would hitchhike all the way to Tokyo. He took one last look at the cabin and felt a sharp sadness in his heart before turning around to head toward his bleak and uncertain future.
The first couple of days were uneventful, the only thing which changed was the scenery. Slowly but surely Jin made his way through the forest and was almost at the highway. The remainder of the journey was short however due to the encroaching darkness Jin thought it best to rest for the night before continuing in the morning. He carelessly tossed his bag and pulled out his sleeping bag. Within a few hours he had set up a campfire and sat beside the fire letting his thoughts drift away with him. After a few restless hours of shifting around in his sleeping bag he finally managed to shut his eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
He franticly awoke to a sudden sharp, excruciatingly painful impact upon his chest. He let out an excruciatingly painful howl as blood gushed from his mouth like a geyser. He stood up as quickly as his legs would allow him and began to look in every direction in a frenzied craze yet found nothing.
"Where are you ?" , he screamed. His insides ached from the initial blow as he proceeded to cough up even more blood. Part of him thought this was just what he deserved to be put out of his miserable existence by some unknown force or entity.
"aHAhaHAhaHA, you are the spitting image of your father!", the cold, terrifying and sadistic voice sent chills down his spine, it seemed to come from everywhere yet nowhere at the same time.
"Who are you ? , how do you know me or my father?", he exclaimed with his now trembling voice. Tears began to flow down his face and onto his soft features.
"aHAhaHAh, who are you , where are you, such a scared pathetic excuse for a mortal being , it's obvious you did not inherit your father's audacity !" cackled the mysterious entity. It's voice was filled with hate and malice.
Unable to calm himself Jin attempted feebly to get into his fighting stance, lacking any determination whatsoever he clenched his trembling fists. What the hell is going on? Could this be the corrupting power my mother spoke of? Could this be the demon?
Then he was suddenly jerked up into the air by an unseen force and felt his neck being strangled. He looked in front of him as he gagged for breath to see the face of his assailant. To his sheer horror all he could see was a pair of eyes as red as hell's flame within a deep purple mist that took the shape of a humanoid. Tears escaped his eyes as he felt his life drain away from him. Maybe this is for the best. Ill get to see you now mother.
A swift crash into the hard , unforgiving ground quickly put those thoughts to rest. It looked like he would have to suffer a little more before he would be allowed to rest.
" You know how ironic your name is don't you boy , it translates to precious in Korean, the whore you called mommy must have seen some value in your feeble little self ahahhaha, it is also my name as pronounced in the Arabic language." His remarks angered and repulsed Jin making him want to do something however he just as quickly realised he was well and truly helpless.
"I hate to end our fun on such short notice however I must be leaving, but before I do that, I will make your body my vessel, like father like son!", then just as that sentence was over the shape suddenly appeared over Jin and grabbed unto his left arm. " With this brand you surrender yourself as my vessel to do as I see fit, man you Mishimas are so delicious with your evil , vengeful hearts !"
Jin's cries and heart breaking screams echoed through the forest like a howl in the night waking animals from their slumber as it pierced through the air. Then just as quickly he looked up and saw the mist retreating in to the sky before vanishing. He clutched his arm, it was bleeding heavily and small puddle of blood began to form under his legs, he looked at his arm and saw a strange symbol there. It looked like two interlocking bolts of lightning coming to a point. His body was covered from head to toe in blood , dirt and tears. He was still trembling with fear as he fell to his knees clutching his shoulder. What does he mean im branded? Is this what killed my father? Was that the devil? Satan himself ? These thoughts plagued him for hours until sheer exhaustion finally convinced his body to fall asleep.
He opened his eyes , the sun's rays beat down upon him, he quickly sat up and examined his body, he found nothing. No bruises no cuts. Maybe it was all just a nightmare? This is great !
He couldn't help but smile at this beautiful relief. He decided to head to the lake to wash up before heading to the highway to go to Tokyo. As he took off his worn out clothes he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pain in his shoulder. He quickly dismissed it as a muscle cramp and headed off to the lake. As he approached the water he began to recall his nightmare and what the entity had told him specifically about his father. He quickly dismissed those thoughts and began walking into the lake but froze in sheer horror upon looking at his reflection in the water. Just under his left shoulder was the brand …..