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Beyond the Veil: Kiran's Supernatural Hunt

Chapter 3: My Name is Kiran Jones

I was born into a typical family in Arkansas, United States, on February 30, 1992. My parents always told me that this day was special because a cat decided to give birth to her kittens in our backyard. The seven little kittens were beautiful, each with its own peculiarities. My family was very superstitious, and they felt that these seven kittens were a sign that important things would happen to us in the future. Unfortunately, no one guessed that four years later, we would experience one tragedy after another.

In 1996, my father, Dominic Jones, died in a car accident. That's what my mother always wanted me to believe, but I knew my dad was a soldier, and it was very likely that he died on one of his missions for reasons everyone wanted to keep hidden. He was American, and my mother was Asian, hailing from South Korea. During the first few months, it was very difficult for my mother and me to live in a house full of memories.

Over time, my mother and I helped each other heal our wounds. As a child, I learned that she was all I had left, so I did everything possible to make her happy. I never asked for toys, as there wasn't much money for that, but every month, my mother would buy me a new toy without fail.

As the days passed, we managed to overcome our wounds, and our lives returned to normal. It was hard, but my mother taught me many new and unknown things at that time. I received all the love I needed to move forward, even though I had to be strong to cope with my father's absence. I would hear my mother cry alone in the kitchen every night, which was tough, but I decided to be strong enough to embrace and heal all the wounds in her.

Months turned into years, and soon I had to attend preschool. There, I discovered my favorite sport: baseball. I was fascinated, and I set out to become a great athlete in the future.

In kindergarten, other kids were picked up by their parents, always reminding me that my father would never come back. Sometimes, my friends would ask about him, but I would just say he was a soldier who was far away. Eventually, everyone stopped asking.

I never told my mother these things; she already had enough work to get by. I forced my immature mind to work to protect my mother and me from anyone who might harm us.

But everything changed when I graduated from preschool. Suddenly, my mother decided we would go back to her home country, South Korea. It was shocking news that greatly affected my dream of becoming a great athlete and having a protective shield against others.

In no time, our house was sold, and we had to say goodbye to our home. I forgot many good things about it and only remembered the bad ones.

The cultural shock was enormous, and as a child, it was challenging for me to learn. Even though my mother taught me the language, etiquette, and values a child should possess, our lives became unstable. I won't deny it; I didn't understand why I had to bow my head when greeting an elder, and I remember that was the first time I raised my voice to my mother.

I was confused; I didn't want and never accepted the idea of leaving my country, where I had my few friends and where my father rested in a grave we visited every month. South Korea was very different; the food and everything I had learned sincerely got lost.

Months later, I met my uncle, and after a family conversation, I learned the truth—a truth that was shocking—and that truth was that my mother had cancer, a very aggressive type detected a few weeks before we moved to South Korea.

I had no family in the United States, so my mother, not wanting to leave me alone, decided to return to her home country, leaving me in the care of my uncle, who lived alone. My mother had been taking care of me all this time, and I just yelled at her, got angry with her for leaving our home, and secretly blamed her for not being able to feel safe in an unknown place.

During my high school years, I received a baseball scholarship. During that time, I adapted quite well to the country's educational system, although it was exhausting. I excelled in both sports and my studies. My achievements and dedication made me the star of my high school, generating high expectations for my future.

However, everything changed when my uncle came to pick me up from school and took me to the hospital, where my mother was admitted. Seeing her on a stretcher with a broken smile on her face, I knew that cancer was consuming her body to a great extent. I cried so much that my eyes and throat were shattered. I couldn't do much; I just tried to give her the calmest moments before she left this world.

Despite my pain, I continued to study hard and get good grades while remaining an outstanding athlete. However, I received the devastating news that my mother had passed away. The funeral was sad and lonely, as there were no relatives apart from my uncle, and I didn't want to receive condolences from strangers.

Although time doesn't heal wounds, I learned to live with the pain. I cried at night and did my best to be a good athlete and stand out in the future. As a student in the Korean educational system, I can say that it focuses too much on memorization and theoretical learning, with long hours of study and rigorous exams. This can create tremendous pressure on students and negatively impact their emotional well-being, mental health, and childhood experiences that will never be recovered.

Additionally, the social pressure to succeed can lead to extreme competition among students, creating an uncollaborative and unhealthy environment in schools. Even teachers can be harsh with students who don't meet expected standards.

Fortunately, I didn't feel too pressured by these standards and managed to avoid being judged like other students who didn't meet society's expectations. However, I can't forget a girl who was somewhat special, as she repeated several years and was silently criticized by everyone. These overwhelming standards can create a toxic environment in schools that does not favor students' learning and development.

But as if my life weren't bad enough, something happened that shattered me into a thousand pieces, and I seriously questioned whether to continue living. In a major tournament, I injured my foot, which would prevent me from pursuing my career as an athlete in the future.

This completely closed all doors, and the world that was once vast had become too small. Losing a dream is always painful, but losing it due to an injury is a devastating experience. It's as if a piece of you fades away slowly, leaving only emptiness and frustration.

At that moment, as if it weren't enough, my scholarship was revoked, and the financial support that could get me through the month was insufficient. When I returned to school, all I wanted was to take a breath of fresh air on the school's rooftop, where, by the way, no student was allowed to enter.

That day was chaotic, but if I can take something good from all that, it is that I met the girl I fell in love with, and she has been my light from that day to the present. With a few words, I felt familiar with her, and after some events, we became best friends.

I didn't continue my studies; with the support of my uncle, I prepared to enter the military service at an early age. My plan was quite simple: to become a detective, which, by the way, was suggested by a very pleasant old man who would later become my boss, in his own words.

But going back to my mandatory military service, when I was barely 18 years old, I decided to join the South Korean armed forces. Initially, as a private, things were not easy, but gradually, I rose through the ranks and stood out among others in my unit.

My hard work and dedication led me to be selected to participate in elite training programs. For several years, I underwent rigorous physical and mental training, allowing me to acquire skills that led me to be assigned to high-risk missions.
Finally, after seven years of military service, I decided to leave the army and seek new challenges. That's when I decided to become a detective for violent crimes. The transition was not easy, as I had to undergo intense training to adapt to the new role.

However, my previous experience in the army allowed me to quickly excel in my new job. With skills like discipline, perseverance, and teamwork, I was able to solve difficult cases and stand out among my colleagues.

Throughout my career, I have learned that, both in the army and in the police, the key to success is hard work and determination. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my country, but if there's one thing I'm happy about, it's being able to take care of people who are just trying to live their lives as best they can.

And just a few months ago, in one of my cases where I was chasing a murderer, something happened that had never happened before. I still remember that day as if it were today—something that left a deep mark on my mind.

I entered the dark alley, following the clues of the killer, who had been tormenting my boss for months. As a detective for violent crimes, I had seen many horrible crimes throughout my career, but nothing had prepared me for what I would find that night.

Damn it, I can perfectly describe what I felt that night.

That night, suddenly, I felt a strange presence behind me. I turned around, with my gun ready, and saw something that left me speechless. The killer I had been looking for was not human. It was a kind of demonic creature, with bright red eyes and sharp claws. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But I didn't have time to react; the killer pounced on me, but I managed to defend myself and eventually kill it.

After that mysterious incident, I was offered a position as the captain of a special government group to combat these anomalies, actually called dark entities, which were appearing more and more frequently worldwide. I accepted the job and found myself on a new and dangerous mission.

I joined a group of experienced soldiers, each with different unique specialties, and we ventured to fight against these supernatural creatures. We trained together and learned everything we could about these anomalies to be better prepared for any eventuality.

As we progressed in our missions, we discovered more and more about the hidden world around us. We encountered things that would be considered legends. Each battle was more dangerous than the previous one, but we were always ready to face them.

My time as a soldier and as a detective had prepared me to face dangerous situations and fight for what is right, but I never thought I would be fighting against things that are not human. Now, as the captain of this special team, I am committed to protecting people from the anomalies that threaten their safety. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that no one has to go through what I went through in that dark alley.

So, even with countless deaths, we all took an oath to ensure protection even after death.

...

One year later,.

"Sir, we're all set."

Kiran looked at a tablet in his hand and nodded, glancing at all the soldiers dressed in black combat gear, and said in a cold and indifferent tone, "The anomaly has been identified; the area has been cleared, so we have the green light to act."

"Very well, move out."

"Yes, sir!"