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[Flashback - Rei] Trigger Warning

After a while, my grandfather started to lose his way and started to obsess about the fact that I was the sole reason why his son, my father – died. 

My grandfather was out of his conscience to even be rational and had blamed me for both of my parents’ death. Because of the constant mental and emotional abuse, it led me believing that it was actually my fault.

It dawned on me that if I hadn’t pressed them about coming back before my soccer match, maybe both of them would still be alive right now. Maybe…

And not only did the old man made me think that their death was my doing, he even took the measure to torment me physically.

His punishment would suggest his warrior, including me, for a duel. If I lose, I was his somewhat punching bag except he would hit my back with a long thin bamboo stick, numerous times, until it was off raw flesh.

That didn’t include the part where he mutilated the skin on the top left shoulder of my back to which I had to be taken to the ER.

I was just minding my own business, practicing how to handle a Katana, when all of a sudden an order was issued "Grab her!" My grandfather's voice echoed throughout the compound. I know what the end of this would be, me, covered in blood, tears, and bruises again.

I did what people would usually do Run. I ran, from one hallway to the next, trying to find my exit, but I couldn’t. I heard my grandfather's men nearing me – next thing I know, I was hauled over one of the man's shoulder and I was brought to the dining hall.

My grandfather looked furious; I could say I don't know who this man before me was anymore. He was blinded by rage to a point he forgot that I was his granddaughter. He also forgot that I was the one who deserves to be angry, cry, and most of all comfort because it was my parents that died. He was supposed to be there and help me get through it, not hurt me even more.

I saw some more of my grandfather's men in the room and few women present. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I know that it was going to be bad when I saw the sharp looking bamboo stick and the Sumi ink beside it.

My grandfather took the bamboo stick, dipping the sharp end into the black ink. Amidst the process, his lips moved almost deliriously frightening, chanting something in old Japanese dialect about Raven being the cloak of the night. And that was all I could grasp until I felt the skin of my shoulder blade throbbing in the most excruciating pain I've ever felt.

I screamed for my grandfather to stop, I begged him for forgiveness even though I wasn't sure what I had done wrong...

“No! No! Ojichan, please,” I continued to scream.

The old man lets me go once the mantra he recited completes. “It’s all done,” What’s done? What did he do? What’s going to happen to me?

The helper of the house helped me walk back to my room. I was blood-stained, body painted with hues of black and blue, my conscious continues to fall in and out. I look like a monster – a monster my grandfather created.

My heart was beating wildly; it feels as if it was going to burst out of my chest anytime soon. As hard as I tried to stay awake, I keep falling unconscious, into that black hole of misery.

All of that happened a month after my parents’ death. My grandmother would be in and out of the country due to moving their base; they needed everything to be stabilized, thus leaving me in my grandfather’s care.

For a long period of time, my back was raw with fresh beating marks, some of them still bleeding. At times, the skin on my back felt as if it was being ripped off of me.

I was broken.

After what feels like hours, I finally woke up from my darkness with my grandmother sitting on the right side of my hospital bed. Her face didn’t seem as bright as they used to be whenever she sees me.

I didn’t remember how I even got admitted to the hospital, especially under an intensive emergency care (It was written on the clipboard my grandmother was holding.) I guess, maybe I really did pass out.

My nerves were all over the place – paranoid was number one on the list. I jumped even at the slightest sound, turns out it was only the nurse coming in

“Oh wow! Welcome back,” The nurse said with a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Thought you might’ve gone into coma or something,” She’s a chatterbox, and it’s annoying the crap ou