Prologue: A Premonition or a Nightmare?

Drip.

Drip..

Drip...

Hmm? Are those water droplets that I hear? Why is it so dark? Where am I? The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my room. So I'm dreaming again, the same dream that I have been having. The same nightmare has been haunting me for 16 years of my life.

Slowly, the darkness that was supposedly my dream suddenly lifted itself to reveal the same old, dark rain clouds above where I would lay within my dreams. But in spite of my frustration with this recurring dream, no, I could not move my body like all the other times I was in this nightmare. My body refused to move; it felt weak and sluggish, almost as if I were paralyzed from head-to-toe. By the looks of it, it was once again going to be a stormy night. The cold winds hit my body, but oddly, I didn't feel cold. No… I felt warm, and with great effort, I realized my own condition again and realized that I was in a sea of blood that was surrounding my body. I moved my eyes to locate its source, and, to my surprise, it was none other than me. I was lying on a pool of my own blood, just like all the other times I have had this same dream.

I suddenly felt a great pain in my head, which disoriented me a little. It felt like someone had hit me. When I opened my eyes, I saw someone's foot stomping on my face again and again and again. Suddenly, the stranger struck me so hard on the head that my face landed on the blood-soaked ground. My vision was blurred; blood covered one of my eyes, but my vision was still clear enough to make out a large figure hovering above me. It was a man with a sadistic smile on his shadowed face as he continued to stomp on my head with his feet. He seemed to have spoken a few words to me, maybe parting words. I could never tell; even when I tried to read his lips, I could never hear or say anything each time this dream occurred. I could only watch as this man humiliated me and continued his seemingly never-ending assault.

I could feel all the hits, but what I felt wasn't pain. Instead, I felt a growing rage inside me every time this man hit me. I wanted to fight back, to defend myself, but my body wouldn't let me. I was completely at the mercy of this stranger, with no chance to escape or defend myself. My anger continued to grow like a burning fire, ready to explode, but the dream never reached that point. The dream always felt incomplete, but I couldn't see why. As the man continued to do whatever he wanted to my body, I heard more water droplets falling, and as always... It began to rain heavily, and my blood mixed with the rain, creating a horrible pool of mud around me. My vision began to blur, but I couldn't forget the smile on the man's face as he continued to kick me. I could feel my vision getting worse, and I felt like I was going to pass out again. Even though darkness had fallen over me, I had to ask myself why I was going through this. Who was he, and why did he want to kill me so badly? More importantly, would I ever get out of this nightmare and return to safety?

That's when I heard an almost angelic voice calling to me—a voice that seemed so familiar. Suddenly I saw light in the darkness that was my nightmare—perhaps a way out? I tried desperately to reach out to that light. I could feel its warm aura calling to me. I heard that voice again!

"Reiichi!"

"Reiichi, are you awake?" I heard the distant voice again.

I was almost there, I told myself. I can almost reach that light! That warm light and that voice were calling to me.

Even though darkness had fallen over me once again, I had to ask myself why I was going through this. Who was he, and why was he so hell-bent on taking my life? More importantly, would I ever get out of this nightmare and return to safety?