Kenji's Unknown Journey

Episode 1

Ayabe, Japan

16:03 HRS

On a rather rainy saturday afternoon begins this story of Kazahaya Kenji, a youngster in the ripe age of 21 yrs.

As the sudden rain pours, Kenji coming from grocery shopping, is forced to take shelter in a nearby bus stop. "Ugh another headache, I even my left my umbrella back home", Kenji remarked.

I wonder when my life will have a break", He continued. He thought that it was rather a pain that he faced something uneventful, considering that he was already facing difficulties at home.

Kenji was born in Japan but briefly lived in the US, until his father went away and never seemingly came back. He was young when his father left him, and now resides with his mother and younger sister.

However, his mother was not all heart-warming, at a young age he had to meet standards above of what he could actually do.

Throughout childhood he believed this was the effect of his father leaving the family.

Kenji felt that it was his sister he was closest to but even this could not ease him from the pressure of his mother.

After spacing-out Kenji thought it would be best to run to home amidst the rain.

Rather annoyed Kenji spoke,"Man it will be nightime before this rain stops, I gotta get home quick before that".

Arriving home, soaking wet with damaged goods, Kenji's mother was far from impressed and quickly gave him a scolding.

After the rough scolding given to him, all he wanted was to not think any further and go to his room and get some early sleep.

However try as he might he can't even get a wink , the loud train tracks beating and ear deafening horn prevents him from having any sort of constant peace.

For Kenji however this is he's daily life, he has known no life more comfortable or stressful,

Because unfortunately for Kenji he had not have the time nor effort to explore a world he currently has.

In the morning by his mother's wishes he departs to his University, Kenji Kaze was not an outstanding student but was able to scrape by.

He did not have an allure to him and people did not particularly disdain him. However this meant he was mostly alone, since entering the University he has made no friends.

Sure he might initiate chit-chat but never did he find someone he could hang with, not that it bothered him. For Kenji this was all normal, he would compare himself to a shadow.

Something that is there but rarely acknowledged.

For most of the day he is alone, however there is one time in his daily routine where he goes to release his stress.

After studies Kenji often visits the Dojo, comparable to a small temple. It was old and rather dilapidated, with such an appearance this made the place appear more authentic.

Despite the looks the Dojo is still up and running, with the only student being Kenji himself.

The one who take cares of the place is none other than Kenji's teacher, Master Kaetsu Daichi, a man who looks deep into his age, however don't be fooled.

As Master Kaetsu himself is a pronounced fighter, although his past is clouded by mystery. The sure thing is he is a good fighter, and as for Kenji this is his only hobby.

In this Dojo master Kaetsu is a practitioner of a style called " With the World".

A Kenjutsu style unlike any other and found nowhere else. As Kenji Ran up the hill, he saw his teacher waving. He waves back,

Kenji: (Shouts) "Hey! There Sorry im a bit late, just wait a bit im almost there"

Finally face to face with his master, Kenji grasping his knees and clearly tired.

Master Kaetsu: (Curiously) " It seems you are already tired son, what have you been doing?"

Lifting his head up while barely catching his breathe

Kenji: "Haa....ugh- oh its nothing really..just a lot work in the club lately, and we were dismissed late, and the damn trains were full!"

Master Kaetsu: [smirks] " Not the matter, worry not about it anymore, whats important is we get to your training"

"come now, I have something important to tell you"

Kenji: "huh important?" Visibly dumbfounded

(Maybe its something urgent this time, i've never heard him say anything like that before), Kenji thought

As kenji finished wearing his attire, he enters the room and sees his master siting as if he was mediating

Kenji: "Master im ready, you mentioned about something 'important' "

Kaetsu: "yes, you are correct boy, but before that we must continue with your lesson"

(Huh? boy?) Kenji thought while being mildly iritated

Kenji: "Oh okay then, lets start!"

"Have you been practicing your form?"

"Umm... about that..."

After an hour of sweaty training Kenji then pointed out what was that 'important thing' his master wanted to tell him.

Kenji: "Wow! this was seriously intense"

Kaetsu: (smiling) " well you better get use to it child, sonner or later you'll face even more draining things"

Kenji: " huh... what do you mean master? And weren't you supposed to tell me something after our training?, btw im already past my teens and im an adult now"

"could you stop calling me a child"

Kaetsu:(Sighs Deeply) " yes I have somethign prepared for you, come with me now i'll show you something child"

(He just ignored what I just said just now..didn't he)

Kenji: " fine, but ill change first"

Kaetsu: "No need you must go with me now"

Kenji: " wait- fine... okay lets go"

They then walked to the corridor, it was dim and shadowy. the only light was of the full moon and sprakling stars

Kenji could not have helped but just stare at the moonlit sky, his eyes were gravitated to it

with out noticing they had already stopped abruptly.

Kaetsu: "Here we are.."

Facing the door of an ominous room, master Kaetsu then unlocks the door with a unique looking key. It was white but not really, it was akin to gray but lighter.

Kenji thought it looked like it was made of marble. Its tip was that of an aztec pattern, it was clearly not your average key. Its bow was of an oblong shaped and had an Eye engraved on it.

As soon as Kenji saw that, his mind was briming of curiosity on what awaited him

The Door opened and at first glance he saw a Shrine, it was adorned with blue ornaments and unlike traiditional shrines it was metallic.

It was clearly something Kenji has never seen before, but other than that it was an empty room.

However he felt a very mysterious ambiance inside the room, that gave him a slight heistation to enter.

"Come..", His Master speaks

"It seems you are quite frigthened, but worry not there is nothing to be afraid of"

"Huh?..no im not scared im just abit surprised is all", Kenji spoke

" Come on then -we dont have much time"

"yea yea alright Im coming in"

He walks in as he made his excuses.

"Sit down and get yourself comfortable". Master kaetsu reaassures hims

"Im okay alright? don't worry about me" Kenji interjects

Master Kaetsu smirks while looking back and faces the shrine. He stands up and proceeds to talk in a language Kenji has never heard before.

Master Kaetsu then snaps his fingers at the end of the incantation, abruptly 7 small candles are lit up in the shrine. Kenji seeing all this at once is shocked to his core.

Kenji stands up in an instant and points to the Shrine

" What is that?! Kenji Shouted with a frigthened face

"Huh?...I just wanted to turn the light on" His Master responded calmly

"Wh-What? ..yea but you just said something weird now and everything lit up!"

"Oh that you mean? -I just recited a simple incantation is all"

"HUHHH?!...Incantations? What do you mean?" Kenji still in disbelief on what he saw

"Now those are questions I was looking forward to", His master said while Gleefully smiling

"Sit down son as we don't want to wake up the neighborhood"

Kenji then takes a deep breathe

*Huffs "okay.. but can't you turn on the lights normally instead?"

"This is Kinda creeping me out"

"Please bear with it, the light you see is essential for you to understand on what Im about to tell you", His master responds

After settling down and the candles in the shrine as the only light, the pupil and master face each other

"Im sure you are quite surprised to see such a thing, but thats only a small fraction what soon you will understand", The master spoke calmly

"what is it even? magic?...how did you do that so instantly?" Kenji interjected

"To first begin, imagine 2 different worlds that are linked to each other, they differ but are similar. Between the two there is a dominant world that influences everything around it.

On the otherhand the other is merely attached to it, it lives of the dominant one"

"Kinda like a parasite?" answered Kenji

"Not necessariliy, for the latter does not harm the former, instead they coexist. The dominant one carries energy that equals that of creation, thus this world has seeded life.

In turn like vines left uncheck, the energy of life is influenced also to the world attached to it."

"Okay...but I dont get whats the meaning of all this"

"Have you noticed that thousand of years ago our ancestors have depicted many mythical creatures, yet none of them exist today?

Just because we do not see such does not mean that we should hasten to the conclusion that it does not exist. For the world that harbors such beings are not of this but of another.

It is world where life originates and where life shall return, it is where the essence flows and blooms."

"Wait you mean the main world? That carries life, in that sense you mean to tell me that-"

"My son....the world that we are living now is the world that clings to the other"

"Wait!...no...I mean if the main world was the one that seeded life then were did we come from ?" Kenji stood up and said in a firm manner

"The world that we humans originate is none other than the dominant world,

we exist here today because once the two worlds connected it created a link so strong that it ripped the dimensional space that separated the worlds.

Thus that ripped became a bridge that allow being and people to cross over to this world, that is why we exist today"

"Would you like to see this bridge of worlds?"