A Hero In The Dark

Acknowledgements

A Hero In The Dark is my story. 
Yes, it is fanfiction. Yes, it isn't real. Only a story I followed to be a part of it. 
But if you look deep enough, 
You will find that there are truths behind the words. 
Let me explain. 

In the Summer of 2018, she was a girl struggling to find herself. Find herself without knowing that she needed to. 
She left home to help in a war much like I left home to live in a college dormitory to study into a career that didn't necessarily suit me. 
She thought she knew what she was doing. 
I thought I knew what I was doing. 
But in fact, we didn't.
We met new people. We went on a ride, sure it was true.
Maya, Sabrina, Aaron, Rachelle.
Hank, Pixie, Dave, Henry.
She met her first Mogadorian. And I felt my first real pain.
On the day of March 25 / 2018. At the time of 5:00 am EST.
She almost died that day. I was threatened to die.
Because you see,
The pain that I felt that day,
It was Depression.
It threatened to kill me. It said I was not good enough that I'll never be good enough. It said no one would miss me if I just disappeared.
It said die.
It was the first time I had thoughts of ending my life. 
My Father's birthday. 
How ironic, isn't it? 
She convinced herself that they needed her; John, Henri, the Loric. 
I convinced myself that they needed me; Mom, Dad, Brother. 
Then without realizing it, 
It got worse. 
Yes, the day Five took her to his Beloved Leader. 
The day she was tortured and beaten. Scarred and bruised. Traumatized. 
It got worse because that is the moment that Setrákus Ra played the role of my Father. 
Now, before you freak out and worry about physical abuse, 
Don't. 
She wasn't. 
I wasn't. 
But people underestimate how it is to be verbally abused; 
Verbally manipulated - I like that word better. It's less strong and doesn't send mixed signals. 
I tell you this now because this is what we do. 
We dissociate. 
I dissociate. 
Ever since that day of suicidal thoughts - "ending" thoughts - that's also a strong word and I hate to use it. 
I dissociate and then I process. 
And this is what that means. 
Understanding why it is that I wrote the words I wrote. 
No matter how fictional or real. 
As us humans like to say, according to Phiri Dun-Ra, everything happens for a reason. 
And the reason for this story, there are many. 
But the main one, was to give hope to that broken girl that lost in the early chapter (Chapter 29: Layers of Dread). 
Another reason, was to build an imaginary environment where I belonged. Because I didn't feel like I belonged in my reality. 
It is my home after all. 
While there are gaps and blanks and not everything fits together nicely in this narrative, 
It is my home. 
The world I return to when reality sucks. 
There is a lot I can say about this story; about this journey that you chose to come along with me on. I could talk about it all day. 
But I won't. 
The purpose of this section, is to simply provide the origin, so you know what kept this story going for over two years. 
Some of you will shout praise. 
Some of you will shout complaints. 
And either one is about expected. 
This is it. 
This is My Origin Story. 
We all have one. 
This is mine. 
But that time is over. 
Because every great story comes to an end. 
As Em once said, "Nothing lasts forever." 
No matter how much we hold on to them. 
Therefore, A Hero In The Dark must meet its end. 
It will not be added to, edited by, or changed in any way. 
The best moments will stay as they are. 
The errors will stay as they are. 
A journey starts, runs, and ends. 
And should not be fought against otherwise. 
Goodbye Emily. 
You have been a pleasure to know, to journey with, to fight with. To fight for. 
Until we meet again. 
Adieu. 

~

Thank You to James Frey, the original author of such a fantastic story. 
Thank You to Mom for always believing in me and supporting what I do. 
Thank You to Readers all around the world that enjoyed and helped me grow. 
Thank You to my friend, Fabian Gutierrez for helping me get through the hardest chapter in the whole fanfiction (Chapter 152: Monsters Never Die). 
Thank You to Maj and Stela who have been my main enthusiasts on this story and who have supported this story since the early beginning. 

Thank You.