Sophia pulls up to the sidewalk next to her home. After a couple of weeks healing in the hospital from her injuries, she is thankful to be coming home to her own bed, to get back in the gym, and most of all- back in the ring. She winces as she gets out the car; the bandages still wrapped around her wounds, a subtle reminder of the trauma the mysterious Pain inflicted. A reminder of unfinished business.
Slowly but steadily, Sophia walks up the path toward her home carrying her bag of belongings from the hospital. Feeling the sun basking down and breathing in the crisp cold New England air is refreshing after having been stuck in that stale hospital environment. Thumbing her keys in the free hand, she finds the correct one and begins to make her way in before she knocks something over with her foot.
Sophia: What the hell?
Sophia looks down, thinking perhaps she kicked a piece of ice. She finds something resembling the clarity of ice but far more intricate. It appears to be some sort of shaped crystal, some type of novelty item or paperweight.
Sophia kneels down the best she can to get a closer look, juggling her bundles and managing the soreness from her injuries. She picks up the clear figurine, and notices it’s a crystal skull. Puzzled, she wonders how this got here or where it came from. As she gets back up to continue her way inside, she grimaces from the pain when suddenly she has a flashback. Images of the large dark figure running toward her, wearing the mask with the blazing bright silver skull on it, shining like hot molten metal. The sudden impact that came with it.
The reminder of the event makes Sophia clench the small skull figurine in her hand even tighter. Gazing at the object again, she turns it over to investigate it further, where she notices an inscription that reads: "Let the Pain consume you."