Chapter 1: Little Girl

In her room, a little girl sat on a cozy twin bed against the wall, immersed in her own world of imagination. She plays joyfully with her adorable toys, creating a fantasy setting in her mind.

On the floor, art supplies sprawled everywhere—crayons, markers, and papers adorned with her delightful drawings scattered about.

As the creaking door of the child's room opens, the parents entered, greeted by the heartwarming sight of their little girl fully immersed in her imaginative play. Her eyes sparkled with wonder as she creates a fantastical world with her beloved toys.

The father's heart swelled with affection as he watched his daughter, her innocence and joy filling the room. Not wanting to disrupt her enchanting playtime, he quietly took in the scattered art supplies on the floor. With a tender smile, he started tidying up the colourful array of crayons, markers, and papers, knowing that his little one's creativity should be nurtured and cherished.

On the other hand, the mother couldn't help but noticed the disarray of toys and art supplies scattered about. Though she admired her daughter's imaginative spirit, she also believed in instilling a sense of responsibility and organization. Determined to gently guide her child toward good habits, she sat down beside her daughter, a soft and loving expression gracing her face.

In a voice as warm as a gentle breeze, the mother spoke to her little girl.

“Sweet Pea, haven’t I told you many times?”

“What should you do with your toys when you are done with them?” – said the mother.

“I must… place… them back into… the colourful bin…” the little girl answered, while still paying most of her attention on the toys she was playing with.

“And why is it that we must put them back in, Sweet Pea?”

The little girl set her toys down and answered her mother’s question with a thoughtful manner.

“So that I can find my toys easier the next time I want to play with them again.”

“That’s right! So, promise that you will keep your toys tidy next time, okay?”

The child nodded with a big motion, as if to show her mother that she understood and will definitely keep her words in mind for next time. The little girl turns to her father and hopped down from her bed.

 “Thank you, papa! I will tidy my toys next time, so you don’t have to.”

The little girl leaned toward her father, tiptoeing to reach his face. She gave him a sweet peck on the cheek, expressing her gratitude for his help.

The father affectionately patted her head, brimming with joy, and said, "You're such a good girl, my little princess!"

The father’s love for his little girl shone as bright as day, barely containing. With a warm smile, he suggested, "Shall we go have dinner now?"

“Mmm!” The girl answered as she nodded her head.

Part 2

Sunnyvale Park.

It was located near the 13th district of Maleron City, near the serene coast of South Willington, just outside the busy traffics of the city.

Throughout the day, people flocked to the park for leisure walks and exercise. Its paths connected the Northern and Southern parts of Willington, offering an alternative to travel through the park to reach their destination without the need to walk through the busy traffics in the city. However, at night, the park becomes peaceful and empty, with only the soft glow of the park lights and chirping of insects.

In the park, a girl lied among the lush bushes that border the pavement at night.

The girl – Tsui – looked to be in her early 20s, was lying motionless directly on the bushes.

Her disheveled appearance is an obvious hint that she was in a mess.

Her clothes were tattered and marked with the stains of dust and dirt.

With leaves and sticks stuck in her unkempt hair, mud smeared her cheeks, added to the overall disarray of her state.

At a glance, one can immediately discern the uncommon attire she donned.

It resembled a samurai’s armor, other than the dirt stains, the clothing appeared weathered and showed signs of wear and tear. Despite the damage, the armor looked well-made and durable, almost as if the girl was actually wearing an authentic armor of a samurai.

Tsui slowly awakened from her sleep.

A gentle smile forming on her lips,

“Oh, it was just a dream. That’s strange, dreaming about my childhood.” She chuckled, finding it amusing.

As her surroundings come into focus, she wondered aloud,

“Where am I, anyway?”

Curiosity piqued, she turned her head from side to side, trying to discern her current location.

“Is this…a park?”

As Tsui stands up, the armor she wore produced a clattering sound, catching her attention.

She glanced down at her attire, puzzled by what she sees.

“Wait…what? What am I wearing?”

She asked herself, scratching her head in confusion.

As Tsui became aware of something in her hand, she discovered a piece of folded paper. She unfolded it to reveal its content. Despite being crumpled from the grip, the paper remains intact, and she can read the information on it clearly.

Tsui realised that it was a pamphlet for a comic con event. The pamphlet displayed the venue and time of the event.

She flipped to the back of pamphlet, her eyes were drawn to an artwork featuring an array of fictional characters. Among them, one character stood out and caught her attention – the character’s attire was strikingly similar to the armor she was currently wearing.

“Ohhh, right…” Tsui called out as she remembered,

She clenched her right hand into a fist and smacked it slightly on her left hand with open palm to signify the gesture of her remembering what she was doing beforehand.

The character wearing the same outfit as hers was a fictional character from a very famous and classic comic called Emerald Blade. The character had an iconic violet hair, matched with her signature crimson samurai armor.

She had participated in the comic con event and cosplayed as the character.

“I must have passed out on my way home.”

Tsui muttered to herself.

She wasn’t wrong, participating in comic con event can be tiring, especially more when you had been wearing a costume all day in a large crowd.

Tsui folded the pamphlet and put it inside her pocket, and then she dusted off the dirt on her clothes and pants. She continued walking on the pavement, where the path would guide her to her home.

As she walks, Tsui can’t help but be fascinated with her attire.

“How much did I spend making this?”

Her hands touched whatever part of the armor she could reached with them.

She felt the texture of the armor by sliding her finger across it.

Is this metal –

– Or bamboo?

The armor felt like metal to the touch, yet it looked like is made out of bamboo.

“It can’t be metal, could it?”

If it was metal, she would have been worn down by simply the weight of it.

Glancing down at her arm, she noticed the armor gauntlet securely strapped to her wrist with leather bindings.

“Did I make this myself?”

The more she observed the costume, the more surreal it felt to her. She had no memories of how she came to be in possession of it.

However, thinking about all these would do her no good. With all the dirt and dust on her, she just wanted to go back home and have a bath.

“Is there a water fountain or washroom nearby?”

Tsui thought, as much as she wanted to back home and clean herself up. It would be embarrassing if she met anyone on her way back in this state. It would be nice if she could at least clean off the dirt on her face.

She started to keep an eye out for them as she makes her way back in a fast pace.

Finally, a washroom!

Tsui rushed into there and stood in front of the tap sink with a mirror above it. She quickly unstrapped her gauntlet.

Turning on the tap water, she washed her face with both hands, cleaning off most of the dirt on her face.

With the dirt washed away, her tender porcelain skin is revealed, pristine and delicate. Similar to her hair, her eyes captivate with their striking violet hue.

Reflected in the mirror stood a girl, with a confused look on her face. Her flawless face resembling a work of art. Her violet eyes had a captivating and unique color, resembling the vibrant hue of blooming violets. The deep purple tones create a mesmerizing gaze that stands out and draws attention.

To anyone familiar with the character she was cosplaying, witnessing her would be akin to witnessing the living embodiment of fiction itself. The resemblance was so striking that people would hardly believe their eyes, as if the character has been magically transported from the realms of imagination into reality.

While staring into the mirror, Tsui’s eyes fixated on two small holes that mar the surface of her armor. Delicate cracks radiate outward from these holes, reminiscent of bullet impacts at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the shape and size of the marks were too small to be caused by bullets. The edges surrounding the holes appeared cleaner, quite unlike the jagged irregularity typically seen in bullet impacts.

Tsui’s fingers gently grazed the hole, tracing a delicate circular motion around its edges.

She can’t help but wondered, while staring at her armor.

“This armor looks and feels authentic and all, but why is it so damaged?”

Did something happen when she was on her way back from the comic con event – some accident perhaps happened to her which is why she passed out and fell unconscious in a park so late at night?

In her most recent memory, she could only recall participating in the event and heading back home after. However, the details following that point remained hazy. As she found herself awakening amidst the bushes, with her costume all tattered up.

After tidying herself up, Tsui stepped out of the washroom and resumes her path. Along the way, she noticed signs directing her towards the park’s exit.

One particular sign reads [11th district], an area predominantly composed of residential buildings. It was the district she has called home ever since she first left from her parents’ house upon reaching adulthood.

As she walked, Tsui’s mind drifted back to memories of her past. Her life, like that of many others, had been rather ordinary. During her adolescence, Tsui's days were filled with the innocence of childhood play. She would spend countless hours with her cherished dolls, creating imaginative worlds and engaging in make-believe adventures. From tea parties to epic quests, each doll had a unique role in her imaginative universe, and Tsui's creativity knew no bounds.

As she grew older, the time came for Tsui to take her next step in life—graduating from high school. With the support and encouragement of her parents, she navigated the challenges of academics, forming close bonds with her classmates along the way. Graduation day was a proud moment for both Tsui and her family, as she donned her cap and gown, ready to embark on the journey ahead. It is also where she had started to lose contacts with her close friends due to her busy work schedule.

She reached her destination, a modest apartment that she called home. After midnight, most windows were dark, but a few still shone with light. Those lit windows belonged to either dedicated workers or late-night gamers. The apartment wasn’t a high-class residence, but it provided her with comfort and a sense of belonging. Ascending the stairs, she reached her unit and stood before the door – a familiar sight that signaled she was finally home.

[Unit 02-09]

“Oh, I wish I can just collapse onto my bed and just sleep…” she muttered to herself.

However, she knew there were still tasks to complete before she could rest.

“First, I need to change out of this costume and head for a bath.” Tsui sighed with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation for the comfort that awaits her.

She placed her finger on the fingerprint lock.

[Beep.Beep.Unrecognized Fingerprint.]

She placed her finger on the lock again.

[Beep.Beep.Unrecognized Fingerprint.]

“Wha…? Are you serious?”

Filled with frustration and confusion, Tsui struggled to understand why her fingerprint lock was failing to function properly. Determined to gain access to her apartment, she attempted every finger on both hands – from the thumb all the way down to the pinkie – but none of them seemed to work. It was as though her fingerprint had never been registered by the lock.

Exasperated, Tsui couldn’t contain her irritation. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Her frustrated yelling echoed through the long hallway of the apartment. This unfortunate situation unfolded on the day when she longed for a proper bath and some much-needed rest after her exhausting walk. The stains on her costume and hair had already put her in a sour mood, and now, the faulty lock seemed like a joke to make matters worse.

Feeling a mix of anger and disappointment, Tsui’s mind was raced with questions. Why was the lock malfunctioning? What could have caused this unexpected glitch? As her mind swirled with questions, she is pondering her head to find a solution to regain access to her home. But for now, her hopes for a restful night seemed to be slipping away with each passing moment.

The door swung open unexpectedly, revealing a mysterious figure that Tsui did not recognize. A wave of confusion and concern washed over her as she wondered who this person was and why they were inside her home. She lived alone and had never seen him before in her life, so his presence was deeply puzzling.

The man looked to be of middle-aged, still appearing half-asleep, rubbed his eyes as if he had been disturbed by the noise Tsui made when she was trying to unlock the door.

In a befuddled tone, he asked, “Who…are you?”

The question echoed the same confusion that Tsui felt, as both of them grappled with the peculiar situation that had unfolded before them.

Jacks

So what do you think of this chapter? Please let me know anything related to the story/writing you might be interested to know in the comment, thank you for reading!