(February 16th, 1984)
A cold breeze cuts through the air, biting against the face of a weary man. His breath is heavy, his arms trembling from exhaustion, yet he presses on—carrying Double on his back.
"Big brother! It's so cold... when can we find shelter again?" Double asks, shivering.
The man pauses. He forces a smile, though his hands shake violently.
"Double, that's the fifth time you've asked. We're nearly there, little guy. I promise there'll be good food to eat, okay?"
His voice wavers, but he keeps walking, his footsteps crunching against the frost-covered ground. Then—his tired eyes catch sight of a small, abandoned home in the distance.
Relief floods through him. He grips Double a little tighter, pressing forward.
"Wow! This is the biggest home I've seen! It's unbelievable. Double, stay here while I explore," he says, excitement slipping into his voice.
(I remember feeling uneasy, as if... I knew, even at six years old, that things were too good to be true.)
Double sits on the ground, his tiny body trembling from the cold—yet he smiles.
Then—
BOOOOM!
An explosion erupts from inside the house.
The man lunges in front of Double, shielding him from the blast.
(It would have been fine. Despite my brother's exhaustion, if he had even a little more energy… maybe he could have escaped. But there was one factor I didn't understand as a kid.)
A silhouetted figure emerges from the wreckage, his steps slow, deliberate.
"Instead of protecting yourself, you jumped in front of that child. You could have lost your life doing something so foolish."
The voice drips with amusement, a smirk evident in his tone.
Double's brother struggles to his feet, his breath ragged. He presses his palm to the ground, trying to channel Reiki to force himself up, but—
[Reiki Percentage: 10%]
[Emotional Quota: Fractured Fantasy Reached]
His body refuses to move properly.
Double tugs on his brother's jacket, eyes wide as he notices tears dripping onto the cold ground. His brother grips his sword weakly, hands trembling.
(Whatever my brother got hit with… it drained his Reiki. It drove him to insanity.)
The Breaking Point
The world around his brother twists and distorts. His breathing turns erratic. His grip on reality is slipping.
Then—he turns toward Double.
With vacant eyes, he grabs his sword.
And swings.
"Big Brother... what are you doing?"
The figure from the wreckage steps closer, arms crossed. His smirk deepens.
"Your brother isn't himself anymore. You'll die by his hands, and if he fails... he'll die by mine."
Terror seizes Double's chest. His brother keeps swinging—blindly, recklessly.
Double stumbles back, heart hammering. He dodges, evades—each strike coming closer.
"Run, Double… Run as far as you can while I have even the smallest amount of control left."
But Double doesn't understand. Not yet.
He stares at his brother, confused, desperate. Why?
"Why would my brother turn on me?"
Then—he turns. And runs.
(I still don't understand the truth. I still don't know what to think. So I keep killing—tirelessly—until I find the man who hypnotized him. Until I find the one who caused that explosion.)
(10 Years Later... Petersburg, Virginia, June 12th, 1994)
(My name is Dawn, but I've gone by Double for most of my life. I'm 16 now. The world disgusts me more and more every day. I keep moving forward, searching for the truth about the only family I had. But even now… it feels... pointless.)
A Fateful Encounter
"You're still out here? All by yourself?"
Dawn's eyes snap toward the voice. A man approaches him, his movements casual yet confident, his white hoodie pulled up.
"Who are you?" Dawn asks, his body tense.
[Dawn's Reiki Percentage: 80%]
[Emotional Quota: Sane]
"The name is Joki. Though... I'm shocked you've been wandering this city for so long without hearing about me."
Dawn scoffs. "I don't care about the names of guys I'll probably end up killing later. Sorry."
Joki lets out a short laugh. "Is that so? Well, I won't run my mouth too long."
His gaze sharpens.
"Here's the deal—I wanna know why you're out here. I've been watching you roam the streets for days. Over and over again. Seriously, kid, you're like a dog with no owner."
Dawn glares. "That's none of your business. And if you value your life, you should move away. I'm not in a good mood."
He turns his back to leave.
"Maybe we'll run into each other some other time. But for now? I'd rather not talk to a stranger."
Joki's voice follows him.
"Sorry, I can't let you do that."
Dawn stops.
"You've gone out of your way to kill ruthlessly. Some of those people did nothing to deserve it. You have a goal in mind, and I want to know what it is."
Joki's expression is unreadable.
[Joki's Reiki Percentage: 100%]
[Emotional Quota: Sane]
A burning sensation ignites in Dawn's chest. His muscles tense. Reiki surges through his veins.
"Then we'll fight!"
He lunges forward—a blur of motion.
Joki's eyes flicker with something unreadable. Then—
"If that's what you've decided… then I'll give you the time of day