CHAPTER FOUR: EPHIALTES

"Of all the things you choose in life, you don't get to choose what your nightmares are. You don't pick them; they pick you."

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The green grass that he stepped on was stained with crimson liquid. His hand covered the wound in his arm. The pain was simply minor to him. Two years ago, paradoxically, he once survived a bullet to the head. Not a blank. An actual bullet.

He found himself in a dark place. A place where children easily get lost and maybe even vanish. A forest that was very dark and murky. The absence of any light in the least didn't bother him, nonetheless. He was more afraid of himself than the sheer darkness around him. Not just himself but the monster that lived inside him. A monster only a mother could love.

Dark leaves fell from the near-dead trees as he walked. He could feel the wet grass between his bare toes as he walked. The white dandelions swayed among each other in the soft wind. The landscape was filled with a sea of thick fog, making the scenery more spine-chilling. Of course, he wasn't going to let this stop him. Nothing, but the devil inside him could scare him.

He ignored the frigid cold air that hid in the dark forest. Over the years, he grew used to bathing in the woods to care about the lack of warm temperature. He wasn't the type to let a minor thing like the cold bother him. A flash of vivid white came into his view, making him come to a stop. He could easily mistake it for light because of its brightness. It was bright enough to brighten up the forest and help those, including him, out of the darkness.

Instinctually, he moved towards the shine that stood out amongst the dark woodlands. A feeling of hope and relief washed over him, making him quicken the pace of his walk as the light grew closer and closer. He was finally going to be rid of this dreadful swamp forest as he had overstayed his welcome for too long.

Moving the tree branches aside to get a clear view of the shining light, he stayed where he stood to examine the source of the brightness. From what he was looking at, he was proven wrong. It wasn't a light at all. To his surprise, a girl was standing in the lake's clear water as it soaked her bare feet. The current of the wind swayed her salmon-pink hair slightly along with her white dress. She held two white sandals together in one hand while the other brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The mysterious girl finally turned around and he was faced with the rarest color of red eyes he'd seen in his years of existence. It could be the color of anything he described, but it'd be roses if he had to choose.

He stood where he was, unmoving as the young girl stared at him, her white dress flowing in the wind. Her feet moved ahead of one another, sauntering over to him. However, he made no move or reacted as the girl made her way over to him. However, she lost her footing on the way and out of instinct, he lurched forward to catch her in her arms before she could make contact with the hard ground.

The mysterious girl shifted in his arms to balance herself straight on her feet. Lifting her head, her ruby red eyes held his almond ones and out of the ordinary, her right hand emitted a profound red aura. He looked at her hand with wide eyes unnerved, but not frightened. These kinds of happenings were something he grew used to for nearly two years. He was more afraid of the monster inside him than a strange girl with a mysteriously glowing hand. A large piece of him desperately screamed to get away from her as soon as possible before the worst could end up happening. His hand would unintentionally shed her blood because he couldn't keep the devil inside him at bay.

When she reached up to his face with her right hand, he immediately inched away from it with distrust and agitation. But for some reason, he felt comfortable with her in his arms. Like he could put complete trust in her.

He jolted slightly with surprise as her emitted hand finally came in contact with the skin of his face. She felt warmth. Nothing but warmth.

Of course, he had expected a scalding hot sensation from the bright red misty aura, but he got the opposite.

Unconsciously, he leaned into her touch and pressed his gloved hand to hers to hold it there. Strangely for him, he found himself enjoying the warmth and comfort of her touch. After the betrayal of his grandfather and the awakening of the devil in him, he found it hard to allow himself to find peace finally. His intense hatred for the Mishima clan and the blood that flowed through his veins made it hard for him to do that. The devil that lived in him wouldn't even allow him to have a moment of peace. Not a single one. Peace was no longer an option for him and his devil gene was permanent proof of that.

While being occupied by the warmth of her touch, he barely noticed red mist forming around her body. Her index finger hovered at her lips.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone..."

A gasp hitched in his throat, and his eyes aggressively shot open. Jin's labored breathing is all he can hear besides his aggressive pulse. Slowly calming down, Jin noticed the pain that engulfed his left shoulder was gone. The devil within Jin is silent as if it wasn't even there. The internal power struggle that resided within Jin ceased.

"Was it that girl?..." Jin thought out loud. The scenery and the girl in it reminded him of the woman he loved dearly. His beloved mother. The center of his universe.

*Snap*

His thoughts broke when he heard a tree branch snap in the distance. Jin finally looked at his surroundings and all he could see was pure devastation. He is taken aback by this.

'Who did this? ...No I did this,' thought Jin as he looked at his hands. The very hands that destroyed the once beautiful forest were now a wasteland.

Both of his hands found their way to his head, trying to clear his mind. No mistake. He was the cause of the current state of the forest. All because he couldn't regain control of the devil gene. Much to his distress, he couldn't remember what happened before he was rendered unconscious. He could remember being ambushed by the Tekken Force soldiers, being imprisoned in Hon-Maru with his father and grandfather, and defeating them. The golden opportunity to end his grandfather's life as he intended was finally in his hands, but...just that one time, he allowed it to slip.

It was a decision he had made. A vision of his beloved mother made him choose to spare the life of the sinful elderly man. Jin started to think about who his father was but quickly dismissed the thought. Any byproduct of Heihachi will be as harmful or worse as the man. If fate ever gave him another chance to relive that very day, he would do everything he could to prevent the death that was brought to his mother. He would do practically anything to get her back. Hell, he would gladly trade the lives of both his wretched father and grandfather for hers. They both belong dead, not his mother. However, death would be overwhelmingly good for them.

All of the events that have transpired in his life left him emotionally scarred.

A paper fluttered onto his ankle by the soft current of the wind. It had the words "The Fifth King Of Iron Fist Tournament."

With his mind made up, Jin set out on the journey to end the devil gene that resides within him with only fate as his guide.

TO BE CONTINUED

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