Chapter One: "The Phoenix"

… Huh, this… Is strange, I hadn't felt like this for a long time... My mind is going a million miles an hour. What's going on? What's with the script? This isn't supposed to happen!

[M̷̙̦̓̿C̵̠̣̿]̸̝͖̙̕ ̸̫̀̚ȋ̴̥̒s̴̢̟̕͜ ̷͎͊͛t̷̪͖̩͂̇h̷̝̗͋͆͆a̷̦̼̬͛͋t̴͍̟̣̑͝ ̴̥͚̬̏̔ỹ̵͓͘͜o̴͇̼͌̌̓ụ̶͙͍͝?̸̧͈͍͋ ̷̧̭̀̉̍ͅ[̸͚̌̌͠M̵̞̑̏C̵͇̰͛̂]̶̛̺̱̒̏ ̵͚̼͇̚s̴͍̻̺̿p̴̨̛̦̀͝e̵̞͙̮̊ḁ̴̧͂͂k̷͚̆ ̵̡͔̈͊͒t̷̢̖͑̀ǫ̴̫̒͊ ̷͖̅̅͝m̷̻͎͛̈́͝ͅe̵͇̝͋.̶͈̘̂ ̸̣͗ͅP̴͕͆͐̄l̵̡̜̰̉̒͌ë̴̛̼ǎ̶̡̄ṡ̶̱̚e̷̤͔̾̈́?̶̺̀̆͝ ̶̥͈̌P̸̲̪͘l̸͔͐͘̚e̵̡̢̩̊á̵̻̀s̶̡̻̉̕e̶̳̿̾́!̸̘͑̊͝ ̸̟͇̝̌̇͝I̸͍͋͋͠'̸̹́ṁ̵͇͂̍ ̵̧͕̿̓͑n̸͍̎̀ė̷̺̠̄e̴͚̋d̷̫̐͒ ̶̨̅̈́̇ť̸͍́͜ơ̷̡͖̝͝ ̴̢̛̠͛͋k̶̢͆n̸̨͈̤̉̐͛ȯ̸͙̟̒̏w̷̤͊!̴̥͇̽̒͝ͅ ̶̱͠Ȋ̶̢ ̷̖͇̒̊͊c̶̝̲͊͊̔ͅä̸̟̲́n̸̪̜̿͜'̶̯͔̐͛͆t̴̯͔̀̊̀,̵̜̀̄ ̷̤̳͂Í̴̖̠̘̎ ̶̡͉̬͛k̸͚̦̥͘n̵̳̲͆̂ȏ̵̫̰̈́ẘ̸̧̧̤͝ ̸̖͔̈́w̵̼̗͙̚h̸̖͉̉̌a̸̖̐̾͝ṫ̷̛̛̠̞'̴̥̤͕̈́ṡ̸̨̰̳̆ ̶̰͖̘̑́g̶̙̙̏ȏ̶̢̍í̶̞n̵̖̭͐̅́g̶̹̀̓͐ ̵̳̽͊͑o̷̻͖̮̅͝ǹ̷͉͍̥ ̸̥͕̥͂̿b̷̪̝̦̅͠ǔ̵͇t̵̛͖̠͍ ̷͕̂͋̎Ḭ̷̫̹̏̃̚ ̶̦̣̬̑̌̈c̵̝̯͛̈̓á̶̖̯͆͠ͅṅ̵̺̂'̸̱͛̑̄t̶̛̤͎̒ ̴͕̫̐ê̷̥̣ṽ̴͔̘̏̓ẽ̸͉̤͚͛n̴̪͈̙̿̈ ̸̻̣̒͗͐c̸͕̝̖̐̑͛h̴̯̭̝̽a̴͕̯̓n̶͔͖̻̍ĝ̴̘̩́͝ę̵̛̛ ̶͗ͅẉ̵̹͖̔h̶̖̾͗a̶̪͈̽͝ͅț̶͗̊́'̴̰̙̽̀͂s̷͍͕̃ ̶̡̛h̴̗̝̾̕a̸̟͛͒̚p̴̭̣̙͛̋͗ṕ̵͎̀e̸̫̘̥̐n̴̤̂̌͗į̷̱̋̉̌n̶̨͖̭̏g̶̝̾͜!̷̢̳̝́ ̸̧̪͆̈I̷̲͔̅̿t̸̥̿'̶̣͂̉s̴̢͙̀͂̀…̵͉̄̓ ̴͉̉̈́̚S̶̰̥̲̈́̀c̵̬͈̜̑̀a̸̝͠r̷̘̔̀̒y̷̛͇͗̏ ̷͓̞͠å̶̖g̷̥̣̱͠ä̸̯͎̪ì̴̜̾̃n̷̙͂.̶̰̱̈́ͅ ̶̲͔̞̌̀͝Ť̷̝̩̜h̷͉͔̺͋͌ẽ̸̹̗ ̸̡̭̿̓̾n̸̨̠̘̄ụ̵͇́͆ͅm̵̈́̅͜b̸̧͚̻͠e̶͉̒͘͝r̴̛̜̔͝s̵̡̛͚…̷̛̣̝̣̊̉ ̷̞̀̿̚T̷̛̻̞́͝ĥ̸͐̈́ͅͅē̸̼͕̳y're ̴͓̾h̴̼͉̖̽e̸̼͋r̶̩̀͑ẹ̸̗͆.̵͙̏ ̶̳͑͑̉Í̷͓͓͋͝ ̷̹͍͛̄͊ć̸̭̹̮ā̸̮͔̲͝ṋ̵̥͍̐͗̓'̸̫̍͠t̵̩̾ ̶͚̞̤̈́͑͛c̶͈̯̞͒̈ȟ̷͉͔̖͐a̵̜̮͙͆͛̿n̴͕̑̉͠g̵̢̖̀́͠ẹ̴̣͒̎̎ͅ ̵͖͂̇i̷̖̝͎̓̀t̶͍̪̚.̵̲̊͗ ̸̘̂̅͘N̴̠̫͒̑͑o̴̠͙͑t̴̹̂ ̵̬̠̈́͑̿a̷̮̞͐̆n̴̩̺̑̅̐y̷̯̭̠̔̚m̵̯͌o̵̱̓͂ṟ̴̼̋ͅe̷̡̹͗͐̏.̵̠͈̌͘.̴̗̯̥̌͗.̸̰̮͑

The sounds of chaos quickly erupted, as many men. Who now, is shrouded in darkness and gloom of the forest. Many not expecting what happened:

"D̶͖̣͎̋̏̇͊̐͗͠Ó̶͉̝̥͈͔̮͓̄̀͝Ç̸͎̰̪̯͉̋͛!̸̪̪̓̔̽̀͑̕͝ ̸̳͇̌̓̿͝D̵̛͚̽̆̔Ò̵̡̟̤̲̬̫̏O̷̙̘̺̮̒̕͜C̴̠̮͈͚̺̽!̷̨̭͍̫̮̳̂̈́̋̈̈̚͜ ARE YOU AWAKE?! ̵̹͔͔̰̬͒͂D̷̲̘̬̠͕̋A̴̦̩͚̮̔͝M̷̳̲̭͉̰̈́̔N̶̡̬̆̾̎̚̕ ̶̬͉̟̥̖͙̰̃̓͌I̵̹̭͚̬̻͚͖͑̆T̵̨̠̭̻̒̈́̀͊̆,̷͔̹̭̭͑ ̶̭̋̈́̒͐͜G̴̭̭̦̬̋̉̀̏͑E̷̬̱͑͐̇̌́̆̑͜Ț̵̡̮̞̗̣̻̒̌͂̒̔͠ ̶̝͍̙̔͐̾͋͑͝H̴͚̏̒I̷̡̥̪͍͐̔͂̒̓̈́S̸̩̬̮̅̋͗̓̂̓ ̴̘̙͋̽I̷̢̤̭̪̼̣̣̋̎͆̄F̵̨͕̰͈̟̲̜̂͆Ȧ̸̪̬̒̈́ͅǨ̴̦̖͇̱̈́̒̅̀͂̚!̵͙̑̚ ̶̼͓̯́͊͛͒H̵̫̻̭̺͖͒̇͆Ę̴̩̝̬̬͕͋͋͋̋̚'̴̺̪̙͖̈̈͝ͅS̵̡͙͙̟̫̗͕̒́̈́̾̓͘ ̵̧̱̞̣̯̰͂͠B̴̙̩̫͊̑̾̆̔͑̊L̵̮̎͛̾̃͛́̕Ȩ̴͙̹͛̋̆̓̕̕͝E̸͇͓̝͍̋̈́͋̋̅͂Ḋ̶̛̟͖̘̼̑̎͂͗Ỉ̷̛̱̣͉̑̀̕͠͠ͅN̶̳̘͍̥̭̋͒͝G̶̡͚̀̌̐!̴͇̼͙̱͔̙͕̂͐͂̇͋͠"̶̻̟̝̪͎̀̒͐̀̔͌ ̸̛͔̫̖͂̐̔

The Man screams at the other's to get the Medics while another panics:

"̸͚͙͍̜̂̂͌̔̆N̷͍͍̘̣͕͊̽ô̸͚̞̰̣̣̄͑̚ ̴̞̓̈̌͠n̵̦̤̦̏̆̚o̸͓̪͐̂͠͝ ̸͍̭͈̝͔͇̅́́̾̈́͆͊n̶̞̉̂͊̀o̸̲̮̮̖͎̐͛̆̔́̃ͅ ̸̨̩̳̺̦̠̣͐̒͛̾̕͘͠n̸̯̄̓̈̍͠ő̴̘͈͈͔́͝͝!̷̝͖͖͑ ̵̭̞̎̒̍̌͐I̶̹͕̪͈͓̗̋̄́ ̷̛̟̤̰̏̄̍͋͝͝W̴̧͓̬̉̋͋̏̓̀͝Ȁ̸͉̳̜͙̞S̸͇͙̱̬̗̭̜͋ ̷̞̠͓͉̎̍͘S̸̞̟̰̱̘̑̃̏C̶̰̗̲͗͂͗͝Ā̷̘͕̯͇̼͓ͅR̶͓̦͕̖̮͇̻̄͒Ę̷͈͓̯̫̯̩͆̑D̷̡̛͙̳̮͙̀͌̓̉͜ͅ!̸͕̙̜̮̲͒͋̊͘͝ ̶̩̟̞͔̑̽İ̴̢̙̗͔̃ ̷̜̹̋̂͑̽̐̓S̶̨̬̔̾́Ā̸̢̛̹͍̫̜̌̌͘W̷͉̞̺̽̊̄̔́̈́͝ ̸͚͓̔̀̆̑͊̈́͘T̶̲̦̋̀̄̐͑͝H̸̨̐̿̊̀͂Ę̷̫̺͓̼͍͔̋̈̕͠ ̶͙̬͕̤̭͇̱̇̈T̸̜̜͓̺͍̭͈͑͘R̷̭͆͑Ę̸̝̰̻̰͙̈́̀̈́͒E̶͔̮̞͌̿͑͋̉̈́̉S̵̖͈̀ ̴̦̇A̶̙͎̋̾͝N̶̞̫̼̅̔̓̃̀Ḑ̶̤͎̪̙̌̋͆̕ ̶̱̝͗͛̆̅̽̐I̵̢͉̅̃̓̾̈͆͗ ̸̻̼̂̓͆́̿F̷̟͗́͛̋̒I̸͂̑̓̍̅̓ͅR̵̖̘̲̺͔̙̃͐̕͝É̷͉͔̥̬͈͈̠͗͑D̸̟̐̂!̷̝̎͑̓̂̏͋͝ ̸̡̪̗̯͈̬̋̐̈́͑̕͜I̶͚̣͉͖͚̥͒̐͛̈́̌̽͜͠T̶͇̘̻̠̟̃̐̾̍̐̕'̵̭̪̈́̋̏͐S̶̗̝̣̘͂̆̒̍̀͂ ̴̨̽͂́̈̌̕Ń̵̲͎̻̖̞͍́̓̓͠O̷̡̳̝̠̭̟̤͂̀T̴̬̞͔͉̽͑̄̊̚ ̸͓̾͂̎́̕͝M̵̳̑͗̚Y̵͍̊͂ ̴̢̰̜̰̠͍̘͗̄̾̀̌̚̕F̷̠̄̿̋̽́̾͘A̴̢̢̙̻̼̾̏̈́̏U̸͇͎̾̿̃̈̏͘L̸͍̘͍̦̩̏̒́̀̔́̕T̷̥̥͌̕͜!̸̜̝͇͖͙̂̓̃́͘̕̕ͅ"̵͙̃͊͂̕͠

Then, finally a Man takes charge as he rushed over. Bringing a sense of law and order:

̴͔̩͕͗"̶̰̪͍̩͕̆̃͐͋́̕D̵̛̻̳̠͊̋́̎͠͝ͅͅǑ̸̻̮̭̞̓́̾́̄C̴͚̤͓̄̄́̀̎͝ ̷̳̩̞͖̖̈́̎͆I̶̪̯̅̐̀̓̕S̸̡̥͇̘̝͔̒̈́ ̵̛̤̮̫͈̂̔̿͠͝G̴̪̅̓̈̀͝O̴̰͔̯͓͓̙̓̔̂̅͘ͅI̵͔͛͛͐N̸̢̤͚̖̱͈͎͑̀G̸̠̟̮̰͂ ̴̥̫͈̰̻̑̋T̸͉͎̰̉̕ͅǪ̸͕͖͛͘ ̴̧̰̩̭̦̲̾̂̔̇͜D̴̡͎͉̊̀̿̃̈̋͛Ḯ̸̪̲͔̫͓̆̔̐͝É̷̢̡̧̖̠͔̒̈́̈́͐ͅ!̵̛̻̩̟͍̫̺͑̔̃͗̏̔ͅ ̸̱̳̜̱̬͊͌G̶̥̪̿̅̾̂͑E̵̛͖̻̫͔̲͌̇̚T̶̡̧̧̧̜͍͓̏̀̿͛͝͝ ̶̟̠̱̋́͒̌́̂͘T̶͇͇̻͙̼̩͈̊̈́͘͘H̷͕̐͐̑̓͠Ě̷͖̪͗̓̾͛ ̷̜̳̀̾͐͝M̵͓͂̔̾̑̉̀͘Ĕ̷̡̫̳̯͇̙̞̍̕D̸͉̗̀I̶̢̪̘̜͓̅̾̑̈́̈́͂̄͜C̴̘̱͍̮͈͑Ŝ̸̛̛̳ͅ,̵̨͍̫̗̖͑̓͜ ̸̪̩̻̱̺͍̫͒I̵̙̣̪̺͑̿̓̂̋͜ͅ'̶̤͉̺̮͚̱̈̄L̷̖̳͛L̶͖͓͙̖͙̪͛͛ ̷̟̏̆̄̂̋Ḑ̵̦͉̠̭͗̔͒͒Ő̵͇̼̮͙̘̹͊͌̉̄̚͠ ̴̥̦̬̼̥͕̤́̽͑̾W̴̨̲̌͝Ḧ̵̰̺̱̥͇̻́͐A̴̯̗̬̳̹͆̈͒̂T̵̡̧̧̙̓̾͘ ̶͍̞̟̗̦͌̃̎̂͜͠I̵̡͉͋̀̎̌̕͠ ̶̱̹̫̣͕̠̂́̀̑C̸̨͇͚͖͈̰̮͌̏̉͝A̸͍̿N̴̖̅̎̒͌̾!̵͍̥̈́͊̓ ̸̘̈́̽T̸̨̬̺̰̜͉̊͐̒͘͜͠E̷̛̠̹̻̺̝̋͐L̵͙̻̒́́͛̄L̸̞̀̀ ̶̹̑T̵̻̤͕͎͍̝̆͐H̷̘͇̭̤̯̼̓̓͆̀̚͠E̸̼̻̤͔͗̏̒́̾̕M̶̡̖͍̎̊̒͑͑ ̷̲̜̭̫̰̮̅̅̊̌T̶͖̀̌́͝Ĥ̸̯̦͗͊̕E̶̤̦̻͂̀̐̈́̑̅́ͅḮ̴̩͒̿̉R̵̦̩̰̺̖̔̀ ̵̖̩͖̺̹̑̈́͗̌̽͂̓T̷̹͖̮͓̭̋̿R̸̘̩̗͒̓͛͝͠A̵̧̖̼̎ͅI̷̯͇̭̗͋̂̕͠Ņ̸̔͐̓E̷͕̪͚̱̞͛͐͆ͅÊ̶̜̦͇̳͔̹̻͗͑̔̉̃S̵̱͋͒̄̾̔̚͠ ̴͎̺͍̈́͌́̇͠͝͝G̸̞͚͈̀̓̌̈́́͜ͅỎ̵̧T̷̨̜͇͉̿́̂ ̸̡̢͈̱͉̰͊̊̊̆̔̈́͛͜S̴̹͖̫͇͐̀̃̓H̷̯̜͝O̸̤̒T̴̲̙̠̦͒!̶̫̜̰̲͕̟̂͋̍"̶̻̣̂̓

̴̹̮̖̔́̃͑̅

Another Man who came to his senses heard the request and runs off:

"̵̝̋̑̆̿̿͘̚À̷̟͍̺͉̎̐̋́͌̀Ĺ̸̢̻̪̟͑̂̂̓̎͘Ŗ̵̠͈̗͂́̂̀͜I̷̫͆̌̽̕G̷̫̹̊͗͑̏͊H̸̛̹̑T̷͎̦̘̦͂̓̀Ÿ̴̡̙͉̼̄͊̾͋̆!̶̤͓̉̀͋̇̔͑̚ ̸̹̬͙̏͐̀͝O̶̺̩̭̞̅̋̈́͒N̷̻̝̳̩̖̔͗̈͛͆̕͝ ̵̦̝̪͙̭̖̬̃̃͂̃̕Ḯ̶̧̙̟̱́Ṯ̴̡̢͚̘̙̱̅̌͐̌͝!̶̨͈̪͇̱̈́ͅ"̶̛̺̝̦̱͉̼͓͌͌̔͠

I would awake under my blankets, in the bed of the train cabin. Then I thought about things while I quietly got up from my bed:

Huh, I guess it was bump in the tracks that woke me up. Hmm… Since it's late in the Evening and still it's a long way to go, I guess I can count the clouds. Huh, maybe I could just hear me speak in my brain a bit. Yeah… Yeah, that's what I'm going to do.

Then I grab my Seabag from one of the storage compartment. Then I slowly opened it, making no sounds, for the other passenger above. Then finally I opened it enough to see the contents inside:

Ah… My gear, my sweet old gear. I wonder why security didn't stole it, then again… Like them, I'm also a Security Guard. It's just that I'm not active duty, I'm merely getting to my destination… Hm, why did I ever join security? Then again I was out of money, after that happened. Af-

I would cut my thoughts, as there was another bump. Then I would close the sea bag again, and return it. I would then get one of the chairs to sit next to the window.

Although… I don't want to dwell on what happened. What's done is done. I might as well accept what happened…

I would stare at the Night sky, the trees, plants and animals that would be quickly passed by the train. But despite my words, I couldn't resist to reminisce my… Past.

Summer. Summer is when I usually just do random stuff. My Mom used to want me to do plenty of things. I mean, at first Boy Scouts then lifeguarding... I did all those stuff but never ever really stayed. But, once I was 15, I got something that was more permanent in the sense. MACs. Or Military Adventure Camps. Ah… Agghh… God… How long was I was up for?

I would stop myself from speaking any longer, as I go to my bed. Then put my blanket on me and go to sleep.

I would walk outside of the Train, my Seabag slung to my bag while I walked. Then yet again I'm deep in thought again:

Welp, I guess I'm here. This old train station. Quaint… Quaint like my suburbs up in America. But, I'm here in some old Japanese Train station. Okay, I'm standing here now looking like an idiot with my uniform. Although I was in Japan, that security job mine gave me a typical white and black security uniform. Like the classics. No belt though, that's in my Seabag. I guess I got some time to kill here too, since my ride isn't here yet. I guess I could talk to the Ticket booth Man. Buut, I don't really want to talk right now, considering I have to explain my stuttering is a speech impediment.

Soo, I plop my stuff next to a bench and open it, revealing a purple heart.

Huh, I guess… I could stare at while I waited. I mean it's not the real purple heart. But considering what happened, I think it was well deserved…

Then the Ticket booth Man walks up to me.

Hm, I think he's going to question my Purple Heart. I guess I'm going to speak to him after all.. Alrighty:

"Hi! W-Why did you u-uhm... Walked over to m-me? Is there s-something wrong or?"

He hesitates, then finally talks:

"Thank you for your service."

"Ah, I got this M-Medal from getting shot in a M-Military Adventure Camp. I-I never got to be deployed. W-Well in a real battle field. But thanks, I appreciate it. I-I mean I got a coma from it so uh I guess i-its well deserved."

He struggles to speak English, but despite the accent he speaks back to me:

"Oh, but still thanks for your service."

I smile:

"That doesn't d-down play your service in y-your country. Oh welp I have to g-go now. Oh… Sorry for being so rude, what's your Name? Mine's Jimmy. Jimmy Atkins."

"Kenji, Kenji Jirō."

We both shake and part ways...