Mecha War God's Return: My Daughter Lives in the Slums

My name is Aiden. I made it back alive.

The moment the transport ship docked, I stood on the gangway.

I saw the port packed with people—holding flowers, pulling banners, some crying and throwing themselves into the arms of their loved ones who had survived.

Unfortunately, no one was there for me.

My identity was top secret. My family probably didn't even know if I was alive, let alone that I was coming home.

I called Lisa several times. No answer.

I left the port and boarded a bus.

The woman in front covered her nose with a scarf. I knew it was because of my smell—oil and disinfectant.

A little boy stared at me curiously. His mother yanked his head back.

I arrived at the neighborhood I remembered.

That flower bed was Lisa's favorite spot.

She said she wanted to grow a little garden, so she bought a bunch of seeds, spent an entire afternoon on her knees planting them in the dirt.

Finally, I was back. Surely that beautiful life would return too.

I stood at the door and knocked twice.

A strange man answered—in his forties, wearing pajamas, looking at me with confusion.

"Who are you?"

"I'm looking for Lisa."

I stared at him, momentarily wondering if I had the wrong place. "The woman who lives here. I'm her husband."

He was silent for a moment, then said he'd bought the house two years ago from a couple—the woman was named Lisa, the man was named Malone.

A couple? Why would they be a couple?

Where was my daughter? Where was Lisa? Who was Malone? Why would she sell the house?

The massive upheaval made my already bad temper even worse.

My voice squeezed through clenched teeth: "Where is she?"

"I don't know." He shrugged, eyes evasive. "I just bought a house. Why all the questions?"

Later, a mailman told me my wife had taken up with another man. She'd sold the house years ago, and my parents moved with my daughter into the slums on the west side.

I took several more hours of buses, crossing half the city from the central district all the way west.

At the end of a small path was a shack.

I walked over and knocked.

An elderly voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

A familiar voice, only much older than I remembered.

The door opened. I saw an old woman holding a plastic basin with unwashed clothes inside. She looked up at me, her eyes went blank, then the basin fell from her hands.

She didn't speak. Tears suddenly poured out, running down her face. She didn't even raise her hand to wipe them.

I called out: "Mom."

"You're... Aiden..."

She held back her excitement and came over to hug me.

"Mom!"

She just shook her head, saying, "It's good you're back. It's good you're back."

Then she turned her head and called into the shack.

"Karina! Your father's home!"

Something in her voice made my heart skip a beat.

I'd never even seen that child.

Not even a photograph.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.