That's what they all say when they ask why someone did what they did. Why their mad tale, irrefutable, explains so much. Why we traveled the world and lived dangerously. Why we left the comforting ignorance of home to seek answers we knew we wouldn't like. We didn't know any better. We swear to god we didn't. We swear we just wanted to find justice and peace.
We were naive. Foolish people, all of us. We thought ourselves invincible, untouchable... we didn't know any better than you. If we had, maybe we wouldn't have accepted that telegram, or the frantic phone call to meet with Elias in Room 410 of the Ritz-Carlton that faithful January night. Maybe we wouldn't have crossed the globe. Maybe we wouldn't have loved and lost and suffered and seen the light in the darkness or found the restless Chaos beyond the safe threshold of home. We've seen things, horrible things, things nobody should ever have to think about. Things that drive men mad and desperate with grief.
But then, maybe we wouldn't have given it up for the world. You think that sounds crazy, that we wouldn't give up a year of living dangerously and struggling for anything? You weren't there, and I doubt our writings here will do much to convince you, but trust me when I say... it was worth it.
We started out seeking justice. We ended it as unsung heroes left rather outcast, knowing what we know. Some of us... never made it to the end at all. It was a journey, a dark one yes... but also one of unprecedented light. We lost much, but also gained strength. We learned the true value of human worth, for better or worse, and those who made it... we're survivors.
We will try, God willing, to tell the whole story here. The world must know of our journey, no matter how insane it sounds. If we do not learn from our past we are condemned to repeat it, and if we never think to remove the masks we will all always be fooled. Someone must take a stand. As veterans of the secret war, it might as well start with us.
The Apocalypse That Nearly Was didn't start with a bang, or even with any noise. It began with silence. It began with a mutual friend, one we had worked with before, one we cherished dearly. But to understand why we would ever come together for this one man, it's important to know where it began...