Rika Behind

***SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!***

If you haven't played Mystic Messenger completely, you might read something that will reveal to you the complete story of the game. So please pay attention!

***THE FOLLOWING PAGE CONTAINS MENTIONS OF PEDOPHILIA AND ABUSE!***

Read at your own discretion!

**Rika Behind** refers to a DLC (downloadable content) story that is obtainable after completing the Secret Ending. It costs a total of 480 hourglasses to obtain every episode, with each episode costing 60 hourglasses to unlock; for a total of eight episodes.

This story revolves around Rika's tortured childhood and what went into making her the way she is.

## Episode 1

As we enter the first episode of this DLC, a supposed ??? says a deeply metaphorical monologue about everlasting love, then we skip to a flashback to an adoption center where Rika was as a toddler. A new character is introduced to us and that is Mika. At that time, Mina (Rika's real name) was 3 years old while Mika was 6. Mika is seen as a very mature and caring character. She introduces herself to a couple that arrives to adopt a child and explains how she studies the bible and loves to help around. Mika and Mina step outside to promise each other that they won't be separated and that they consider each other as sisters. Then Mika proceeds to trim Mina's hair because it has grown too long. A few days later, the teacher calls Mika to announce that she is becoming too old to stay in the adoption center and that in a few months she would have to move to an orphanage. Mika expresses concern to Mina about the adoption and promises that she would protect her from bad parents who forsake their children.

## Episode 2

A few months after the first events, we get a flashback of the time Mina and Mika were still together. They envy each other for their hair and talk about the bad parents again. A new couple shows up to the adoption center looking for a child that's allegedly a "sign from God." The first kid to catch their attention was Mika, who once again mentions that she's religious and loves to study the bible. However after the couple leaves, Mika tells the teacher that she knows that these people are bad parents, much to the teacher's disapproval. Jumping to the recent past, Rika is seen in a therapy session, briefly mentioning Mika. The therapist says that Rika might have to be hospitalized.

Later in V's house, the couple discusses Rika's session for today. She begs him to take a picture of her. They lay in bed while V goes on about how he loves her weaknesses and darkness. Rika expresses how she's convinced that her fear and darkness would one day end up hurting him.

> ***"I guess human beings are bond to rot, if they taste love they don't deserve while they are incapable of believing there's love in them."***
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## Episode 3

At the beginning of the episode, we go back in time when Rika was in her teen years. Now adopted, and named "Serena", her foster mother was shown to be extremely abusive, constantly seen pushing down a narrative that "God doesn't want her and that she would be expelled to hell", every time she would so slightly misbehave. Desperate to confirm Serena is the one "sent by God". She resorted to the same pastor to make sure if she really is the sign sent by him because Serena is “too useless, ignorant, and naive to truly hear God”. Serena always protested against staying with the pastor alone. The reason was later revealed, as the pastor chose Mina over Mika at the adoption center only because he liked her more, and sexually harassed her every time he was left alone with her, under the excuse that “Satan” has eyes on her and that she needed to be cleansed. According to Rika, she couldn't reject the pastor because she was afraid of being forsaken, and came to believe that she completely lost the power to protect herself, which was when she realized that people will be abused and forsaken if they’re weak, that there's no such thing as a kind or helping God, only a merciless one who will expel her to hell if she doesn't obey.

We cut to a scene at school. Serena couldn't meet the school’s demands, and was constantly bullied as was only met by sneering and avoidance and rumors that she was “possessed by Satan”, and even after telling her mother, she was invalidated and told that “nobody would want to torment someone as stupid and dark as her”, Serena was told to smile when other children smiled, to follow them in playgrounds and offer them gifts first to befriend them, but nobody ever told her how to survive while voicing out her needs, the more she struggled to be loved, the more lonesome she grew. And as she couldn’t let her heart speak for years, the devil inside her only grew bigger.

Serena's foster father works as hospital director. And her mother wanted to visit her husband’s hospital and pray there to let God convert him, but the pastor told her that he should visit and pray there himself because there's a higher chance of conversion if he did I it himself, and insisted on taking Serena with him to “protect her”. At the hospital, Rika took off on her own to find her father, because she “would’ve rather died than to stay with that monster”. By coincidence, she passed by a ward, which was Mika’s ward, who was 18 years old at the time, and looked rather sickly and thin like a “corpse”. A nurse is seen announcing to Mika that she would be getting discharged tomorrow and that there's not anything they can do about her condition. Once the nurse leaves, Serena enters, astonished to find her childhood friend, It was stated that the two haven't met ever since Serena’s adoption. Serena missed her dearly and felt really happy to have finally seen her again. It was revealed that Mika was still at the orphanage and was envious of how Serena has a family and goes to a good school, but Serena didn't have the heart to tell her about how miserable she was because Mika seemed sick and she didn't want to add up to her troubles.

Finding Serena, the pastor interrupts their meeting asking Serena to come home with him, saying he's her guardian. Serena was seen clearly scared and uncomfortable, and refused to go with him, and expressed how much she hates him. Mika then tells the man off that Serena is her sister and that her ward is off-limits to everyone except family, so he wasn't welcomed. Mika then pleads with the nurse, since it was her last day, to take the man out since he isn't Serena's actual father. The pastor leaves, visibly angry. Then it was revealed that Mika was sent to the orphanage a year after Serena was adopted. Mika says that she's been doing community service as a hobby, and wants to become a nurse who helps others and encourages Serena to help others as well. Serena then informs Mika that the God Mika has been telling her about was nothing like a loving God, and He would forsake her for the smallest things. Mika then breaks into tears and Serena notices how skinny she's gotten. Eventually, Mika brushes it off and says it's because she probably has tough days ahead of her, telling Serena that she's happy Serena is getting a lot of love, even the love Mika should've had instead. Mika didn't know how to show her sorrows to someone else, as she was also afraid of being forsaken, Serena didn't ask any further questions to prevent triggering her. According to Rika, they were concerned about each other, yet they couldn't be completely honest with each other, they had to pretend to be okay because that was what the world taught them. And that if there really was a God, he wouldn't have let them meet again in a place like this.

***“She couldn't let go of my clothes. Perhaps that was the most desperate way for her to plead with me to save her”***

## Episode 4

Mika gave Serena an address and contact number for the orphanage she stayed at before letting Serena go back home with her father. Serena learned from her father that Mika had eye cancer, close to untreatable. And that she’ll probably meet an early demise if not treated. Serena implored her father to pay Mika’s hospital bills. However, while trying to find her after she was discharged, it turned out both the address and contact number were fake, so it was impossible to find and help her. That made Serena doubt if she did grow up in an orphanage, and made her question why Mika didn't ask for her help knowing she's the adopted daughter of a hospital director. Rika blamed herself for being powerless and not picking up Mika’s signal begging Serena to save her.

The scene shifts to the recent past, where V takes notice that Rika looks dejected and asks if her therapy is going well. She then explains that she needs to go back to her past for it, to which V offers to get a puppy like Sally, but she rejects. The reason why Rika kept the puppy with her was that she was abandoned, and expressed that she would like to save more people. Much more than what the RFA parties had to offer. V takes notice and they continue talking about Saeran's whereabouts. Rika tells him that Saeran switched boarding schools. As V asks her why he can't talk with him, she says because he isn't letting her talk with Saeyoung, she won't let him talk with Saeran.

The scene moves further back in time to when Mina was getting adopted after being chosen by the pastor, despite the foster mother wanting to adopt Mika. Mika is seen attempting to fix the situation by yelling at the teacher, explaining that these people are bad parents who will abandon Mina if they didn’t like her, and begged them to take her instead - to which she fails.

Ever since Serena reunited with Mika, convinced that she is already dead, and seeing how forsaken Mika was. Serena, who was 16 years old at the time, promises to never abandon anything in hopes of providing it with 'true love'. Serena rescues Sally, an abandoned puppy who was roaming around her house alone. Her mother is not very pleased with her decision to help the dog and kept on ordering Serena to send Sally away. Serena then tells her mother about how the pastor keeps sexually harassing her every time they're alone, even after she told him many times to stop. To which her mother brushes off as "a ritual to condemn Satan out of her", and that “there’s nothing holy about her body, so there's no need for him to touch her”. Serena refuses to abandon Sally and insists that if Sally is gone, she’s going too. Only for her mother to tell her to leave as “she’s no child of the lord”. Rika realized at that moment that her family wouldn't care if she was gone, that the real love Mika told her about is that real families will never forsake each other, no matter how much they hate each other. But Serena’s family was nothing but an empty case. And that there is no choice but to make a contract with the devil breathing within her.

Serena and Sally then run away to the local church, where the pastor is holding a sermon. Her foster mother chases after her, much to Serena's amusement, seeing how her mother couldn't even speak out loud, afraid she’ll catch the attention of their neighbors. According to Rika, once she decided that it doesn't matter if her family forsakes her, she became free. Once reaching the church, she expresses her disgust towards everyone and blames them all for Mika’s lonesome death, yelling that God who forsakes people is bad, parents who forsake their children just because they've done something wrong are bad. And accuses the pastor of being a criminal, telling him to never use God to do his horrible acts again. She was wondering if she and Sally will end up just like Mika when all she ever wanted was to love, love her family, and love her friends. Rika knew that neither her parent nor God will protect her. The only choice for her is to let the devil inside her protect her in order to love.

Serena was dragged back home, where Sally was forcefully kicked out, Serena did everything in her power to convince her mother to let her keep Sally, offering to be practically nonexistent, that she won't let the people from church see her again, she can transfer somewhere else, that she’ll do nothing in this house except sleep. When none of her beggings worked, she resorted to threatening her mother, that if she does expel Sally out of the house, something bad will happen at the church. That Satan is living inside of her and he’s telling her if she expels her, he will shut down her mother's path to heaven. Her mother trembled and believed every word Serena’s devil made up. Rika then realized that she can secure herself and make up for her weaknesses by stirring up fear.

> ***"You forsake children just because they've done something wrong. Or just because you don't like them. You call that love?"***
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## Episode 5

Serena dropped the name “Serena” and adopted a new name, Rika. Then started visiting a cathedral in a poor neighborhood away from her house for community service, trying her best to offer support and kindness to forsaken people, regardless of age. She saw how their eyes sought help and love, just like Mika’s eyes did. As she wanted to be a loving parent to them. However, she didn't know how a loving parent should behave, that she already signed a contract with her devil so she wouldn't dare become one. So she prayed, prayed for a sign that'll show her what a good parent is like.

Two years later, by the time she became 18. Her relations started to settle on a pattern. Due to her charisma and compassion, it took her less than a couple of days to win people’s hearts whom she can help and take care of. She was sympathetic towards the wounded and the traumatized, finding her a good friend to them. While keeping distance from people who didn't need her help, as she felt anxious around them, finding herself conscious of her every word and movement, afraid they would see her flaws and fears.

    Rika wanted to be light, to show everyone the dazzling light of love, and while she was captivated by such thought, her prayer from two years ago was finally answered. By pure chance, Rika got a ticket to a small photo exhibition and laid her eyes on a specific picture of the sun. Rika saw the picture and thought that is what a perfect parent is like. Bathing all lives in warm light, wishing nothing in return. Not leaving a form of life forsaken. Embracing everything and everyone on this earth, both the good and the bad. Rika doubted that she can ever be a loving parent like the sun, as they are different by origin. How from being forsaken at birth, getting adopted by abusive parents, and using Satan and her devil to protect herself. She cannot be light. She can't run away from the fact that her devotion to forsaken people is just an unhealthy attachment to Mika derived from darkness. She saw what she wanted, but she felt her heart sink. Knowing she’ll never have it, so she tried to forget the pictures she saw but couldn't. The more she tried, the more the image of ever-so-lasting love and light that the pictures would portray would stick to her. In the end, she would do personal research to find out that the picture was shot by V a photographer who just debuted. Falling for the light of love that shone through V’s works, she started admiring him, hunting down his exhibition.

By next year, Rika met a forsaken child, who was sneaking around the cathedral. The boy was thin and wary, he wore clothes faded and tattered, and looked old enough to be in middle school but was confused as to why he wasn't in school at this time of day. Rika approached the boy that turned out to be Saeyoung, who was 11 years old at the time. Saeyoung was wandering around the cathedral because he heard singing, he asked Rika what kind of place is a cathedral and started looking consciously around, seeing if there's anything that might harm or threaten him. Rika told him that a cathedral is a place where you can gather and earn God’s teachings and general knowledge. Saeyoung was particularly interested in the songs, as he wanted to sing for his little brother. Rika thought that maybe he wasn't skipping school, but perhaps being neglected at home. She thought that if she didn't look after him, he would end up just like Mika. So she started teaching him basic subjects, finding out he was very talented in math which surprised everyone at the cathedral. Saeyoung’s visits were irregular, and he didn't talk about his family. Whenever he was asked to bring his brother, he'd say that he can't. Saeyoung enjoyed his time at the cathedral, but he was always concerned about his brother. Rika started seeing herself and Mika in him, growing attached to him.

Due to her devotion to community service and to Saeyoung, who was attached to Rika wholeheartedly. Rika was highly regarded by the people there. And was called “Rika the Angel”. However, back at home, Rika’s foster mother would state that she would get rid of Rika’s room in two years and kick both her and Sally out. Because by then, they wouldn't have any legal responsibility for her, that they're the victims of having to raise her, and that they should’ve brought the angelic girl instead of her. Rika was disgusted because the angelic girl they're talking about ended up forsaken and dead at her father’s hospital. Rika found their behavior and their lack of knowledge on how to love properly pathetic and poor, and that whenever she's around bad people like them, her devil naturally comes out.

> ***"Bad parents will never hear what children have got to say, unless the children become devils."***
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## Episode 6

When Rika first met Yoosung she could picture him as forsythias in full bloom, as he grew up basking in his parents' love. Rika mentions that she only belonged with people who have crooks and holes in their lives and not with someone as bright as Yoosung. Yoosung proceeds to ask Rika why she was staring at him "like that." She replies that she thinks that he grew up with kind parents, jealous she couldn't do so. As they continue to talk, Yoosung states that when he grows up, he wants to be like Rika - someone who is passionate and sincere when it comes to helping others around her. However, in her eyes, Yoosung was overly bright for her. She was afraid of him getting too close, her darkness would ruin him and thus she tried to avoid him. As He didn't need to be saved by her.

Back at the cathedral, Rika asks Saeyoung if he would enjoy doing anything and mentions a movie theater downtown. She also mentions an exhibition, as she knew V's works were being shown that day. Saeyoung agrees, then gets caught in a science exhibition. Rika visited V’s exhibition and lost her heart in his works. Enchanted by his work, as if she found the loving parents she never had, and if only she can provide such love to Saeyoung. She was then approached by a man, Rika could realize upon first sight if the person in front of her is bright, completely different from her, or dark, just like her. But she couldn't tell for this man. He felt like an empty container, void of any type of characteristics. The man introduced himself as V, he decided to say hi since he saw her visiting the same photo yesterday. Rika admits that she's a huge fan of his works. She wondered why she can't feel anything from him. Just as V was about to leave, Rika stopped him, not wanting to leave her curiosity unanswered. Without realizing it, she started talking about her secret impressions. She explains that the sun is the mother of all, flowers can never bloom if it wasn't for the energy constantly provided by the sun. She can feel this constant light of love and warmth from all of V’s works. And when she looks into them, she feels like this fear inside of her is gone, though temporarily. She asks him if she will ever find herself in a world full of love and warmth, just like the one she finds in his works, if he believes that one day everyone can be the sun, and is that what he thinks of when taking pictures. V replies that he doesn't think of such grand vision when taking pictures, as he doesn't believe he's capable of such a great thing. But he does have a tiny hope of making people feel love through his works. Amazed by how Rika views his work, V offers to give her the picture as a gift. V tells her that if she can feel love upon seeing the picture, it means the picture belongs to her. She refuses as she hates getting something for free, something so priceless at that. V then offers that she buys him coffee after the exhibition is over in exchange for the picture. He states that the impression she told him was intriguing. And he'd like to hear what else she thinks of when gazing at his works, and he'd like to know what is life like in her eyes. Rika was caught off guard, she couldn't believe that he wanted to know about a walking ball of darkness like her. He asked for her name and questioned if “Rika” was her real name. So he told her his real name first; Jihyun Kim.

> ***“Regardless, I never told him my real name”***
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## Episode 7

After they agreed to this suggestion, V and Rika sat down at a coffee shop and started a discussion. V told her that he realized that he needed her as soon as his eyes held hers because he's never seen someone with such deep honest impressions like her. Rika was deliberating about the love embedded in his photos, asking him if she can bask in such love. Rika thought that he wouldn't hate her for saying something like that to him, that he wasn't judging her by any standard. V told rika that she deserves to be loved, and he'd like to help her believe that she does. Rika realized that they're fated. That maybe there really is a God who loves her enough to have sent him to her.

2 months after she started working with him, her foster mother kicked her out of the house, leaving her with a temporary home at the cathedral. Naturally, Sally went with her. It was as if no one could understand what she had been going through for her entire life. She couldn't stop admiring 'the light'. She would crave it and later bash herself for it. As if the three-year-old Mina was still in her, Mina wanted to be loved - there was still hope left in her. However, she knew if she asked V to love her, he would treat her as mad and forsake her as well. She wished to have never got to see his picture, to never have known V. As a result, she stopped visiting his studio.

The same week, when V noticed that Rika didn't visit his studio, he decided to visit her house. Asking her foster mother if she was home, she tells him that she left a long time ago, that she was a heathen who made God angry and they've been practically strangers. Meanwhile, at the cathedral, Rika and Saeyoung were discussing getting him a new teacher, a nun interrupts the two, telling Rika that there’s a man who is looking for her. Upon seeing V, she froze. She asked him how did her find her, with V saying that he can't let go of what once won his heart. Rika was confused so he asked her why she didn't come back. She said that she thought he'd be better off with another model, that she's not the bright, happy person his pictures portray, that she's a dark tragic person.

Expecting him to hate her after admitting to her nature, she was shocked when he asked her to show him how dark and tragic she is. She refused because once she does, he’ll hate her and stay away from her. V says that he thinks she's tired from thinking before she acts, to please stop thinking and just tells him. Rika started to think that he's looking right into her heart. Can she stop thinking and show him what she's like? She wished that he wouldn't forsake her once she does so. Rika gives in to his warmth. Tells him that she's tired because she's scared that she might be abandoned. That she always wanted to be loved, scared to ask people for love because she didn't want them to hate her. She's scared they might hate her and she’ll be all alone by the time she leaves the world. Scared she might end up like Mika. V asks her to please tell him what she wants, tell him her heart’s wishes with no thinking, to let him be her sun. She fell in his embrace, not believing her world. She wanted to trust him, to never leave his embrace. She begs him to never leave her, even if she does something that's out of human comprehension, even if she turns out to be a bunch of flaws, and throws a fitful tantrum. He promises her, so she doubted him and asked him how can he prove himself. V tells her that he'd marry her if she wants. And for the first time, Rika heard Mina laugh in her heart. Because she finally met someone just like her, very far from ordinary.

> "***Please don't leave me... even if I make a mistake... or do something that's out of human comprehension, even if i turn into a bunch of flaws..."***
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## Episode 8

Rika expresses how happy she is to have met V, and the two get engaged the year they meet. She wished for a happy ending, but as 'her devil' was too strong, she would ask to be alone. She stays in a separate apartment for a while, where Rika and V discuss the first RFA party. Soon, V leaves the apartment. Rika ponders about the state of her life, whether it is going in the right or wrong direction. Sure that V is gone, Rika tells someone to come out, and surprisingly, it's Mika. Though Mika was actually at V and Rika's engagement ceremony, but couldn't see well due to her eye cancer. Mika had no trust in V, believing he would leave Rika, thus making a plan for the two of them to survive in this world without being forsaken.

Part of Mika's plan involved using Saeran to gather information from the RFA, tricked to believe a hacker is after them. At first, Rika refuses, indicating she needs to save that boy. However, Mika continues manipulating her into thinking that she should make secrets and avoid telling V about their plan. Mika tells her that V was going to ruin Rika, since she was "weak." Mika once again thanks Rika for letting her stay in her apartment, and says she hopes to live long enough to see their kingdom - Mint Eye being perfected. Rika begins believing Mika, following what she said since Mina depended on her. Rika merely wished to be loved without being forsaken. They had to show people fear to do so.

Later, Rika is seen at a ceremony hall announcing their first RFA party. She thanks everyone who was able to attend, but specifically mentions V and how he is her sun. She says they got together because his pictures were extremely beautiful for her, and how V represented such a warm person. She wishes that everyone would stay away from calculating thoughts, and instead choose benevolence and love, so no person would end up being forsaken. Her speech finishes off, saying that we all deserve every right to transcend space and time and share the purest form of love. Because of this, the RFA was created.

> ***"Once the night falls, I'll once again feel space and time on my very skin. But, right now... I am something that has transcended relativity. I pray there is a sun within me."***
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