1955.WakagashiraIzumi Shimano stands in his office at the Ayster-Minerva Demilitarized Zone. He looks up out the window as the snow slowly falls outside.
His office door bursts open. "Wakagashira!" the soldier shouts as he salutes.
"At ease comrade." Izumi says with a sigh while still looking out the window.
"We have received Intel. The Minervans are expected to push into the DMZ within the next 2 weeks" The soldier exclaims. Izumi turns to the soldier and takes a cigarette out of his pocket.
"I'll inform the Oyabun of this development. Thank you, Comrade". Izumi lights his cigarette and sits down, sinking into his chairs firm leather, thinking to himself: Where did it go wrong? Was he destined to have this life? A life so cruel that it has continuously ripped away any form of happiness he held in his heart. When did it go wrong? Determined to find the cause of it all, the cause of his misfortune. He sits up and opens a new page in his journal, which once was used to write theories and intel. He titles the page: "The Cruel Life of Izumi Shimano" and lets out a deep sigh.
1912. Izumi was 3 years old when there was a knock at the door. Himari, Izumi's mother, opens the door to find two Aysterian Military Officers in formal dress.
"Good afternoon, Mrs Miyato. I am Staff Sergeant Zheng, and this is Corporal Aiza."
Himari, surprised to see two officers at her house steps aside. They enter the house looking around at the décor filling the walls, the sound of their boots filling the air with each step. They enter the living room, examining the room around them, pictures of Himari and her husband fill the walls, an Aysterian flag sits in the corner of the room, swaying slowly with the breeze from the open window next to a desk where a photo of her Husband holding a young baby sits.
"Lovely home you have here" Aiza says as he sits down. "You are quite the patriot..."
Himari smiles looking over to the Aysterian flag "I love my country! It's a shame those disgusting Mountainians want to ruin it... I wish this retched war ends soon."
"Well... we have actually come here to discuss that."
The air falls coldly as the silence fills the room.
"We have news from the front line" Zheng says with an uncomfortable tone
Corporal Aiza looks at the room around him, the photos of a happy family sitting Infront of his eyes, he takes a deep breath and looks towards Himari, clenching his hat in his hand unsure of how to phrase what he must say.
"Kosuke... has..."
"Kosuke has lost his life in the war." Zheng finishes with a stern tone as if he had done this a hundred times before.
Himari's eyes open in shock, she tries to speak but the words can't leave her mouth. She just sits there, wide eyed. Yearning for an explanation.
"He fought well and led his battalion to greatness. Without his brave soul we would've struggled holding off against the Mountainians". Aiza chimes in.
Himari looks at the photo on the wall of them both then looks back at the Officers "How..." Himari asks as tears quickly fill her eyes. "Who was the son of a bitch who killed my Husband?!"
The Officers awkwardly glance at each other and one of them musters up enough courage to speak,
"Nobody did..."
"After we captured Queen Isabella. The remaining Mountainians retreated. Kosuke stepped up from the trench and stepped on one of our Landmines. Killing only him. He was the only Aysterian death..."
Himari looked up at Zheng with hollow eyes, trying to speak but unable to, she shakenly points towards the front door as tears start to build up.
"Get out" she says with a faint, shaky whisper. "Thank you for your news officers but, I think it's time for you to leave."
"One more thing Mrs. Miyato, before Kosuke died, he came up to Corporal Aiza and told him something?"
Corporal Aiza rubs his knees and scratches the stubble that neatly lined his face, taking a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.
"Kosuke told me to tell you to 'Go to The Grand Cabaret and ask for Diego' I don't know what that means. But I am assuming you might?"
Himari stares at the officers, still trying to process what she has just been told
"No." she faintly whispers, "I do not."
The officers exchange glances before standing up to make their way to the front door "If you need anything, here is my contact" Zheng says while passing her a business card. "We will be in touch soon."
Himari slowly stands up, staring down at the ground and makes her way towards the front door. Slowly opening the door letting the summers sun inside. "Sorry..." Aiza whispers to Himari as they leave the house.
She slams the door shut and lets out a blood curdling scream. A scream so loud, so painful, so full of despair. One couldn't even begin to imagine the horror of what has just unfolded.
"Mama?"
Himari looks up at the top of the stairs with tears rolling down her face, and sees her son, Izumi, stood at the top, hiding slightly behind the wall.
"Your eyes are wet" Izumi asks in a tone only a young child who knows nothing about the cruelty of life could hold as he slowly makes his way down the stairs to his mother.
Himari looks up at Izumi and smiles through the tears holding him tight. Izumi gently stands back and hands her the picture he drew to try and cheer her up. She glances at the picture and notices it is a drawing of Her, Izumi and Kosuke. "Look! Me you and Papa!" Izumi shouts before letting out an innocent giggle. Himari breaks down in muffled tears, thinking of ways to tell a 3-year-old child that his father is not returning home from the trenches, and his body in-fact has littered the Aysterian beaches of Industrialis.
The tears fall down her face as she looks into Izumi's eyes, glistening with innocence and hope. She gently ruffles his hair and gives him a kiss on the forehead.
"Izu, your father will be gone for a little longer than we expected." she whispers.
"Mama... when papa comes home..." he hiccups "Can we go to the big beach? And watch the sunset like we did before he went on his trip!"
Himari can feel the next wave of tears filling her eyes more as she holds Izumi close, trying to keep strong for him.