Five chapters. One life. One war outside. One war inside. And somehow… I’m still here. Payback was the fire when the wound was fresh Anger in my lungs, revenge on my chest I wanted every scar to speak back loud Wanted every fake face lost in the crowd I was bleeding with a smile, turning pain into flame Writing every betrayal like a name on a blade They took kindness for weakness, silence for fear So I sharpened every word till the truth came clear I was rage with a reason, storm with a pulse Heart full of thunder, soul full of faults I won’t lie, I was lost in the attack But sometimes you need fire just to find your way back Every road I walked Every night I fought Every piece I lost Made me what I brought Thank you for the journey For the fire, for the rain For the nights that tried to break me But only taught me pain Thank you for the journey For the scars I had to earn Every ending was a lesson Every lesson made me burn I was lost, I was torn I was fighting, I was worn But I rose, I returned Now I stand here reborn Thank you for the journey I survived every turn Men don’t break, that’s what I was told Carry every mountain, never let it show Bills on the table, storms in the mind Smile for the world while you’re dying inside Be the wall, be the roof, be the hand, be the spine Be the one who says “I’m good” while you’re losing time No applause for the weight, no crown for the cost Just another long night counting everything lost But I learned strength ain’t silence, strength is truth Strength is standing even when pain follows you I was built under pressure, but I’m more than stone A man can be tired and still not be alone Thank you for the journey For the fire, for the rain For the nights that tried to break me But only taught me pain Thank you for the journey For the scars I had to earn Every ending was a lesson Every lesson made me burn I was lost, I was torn I was fighting, I was worn But I rose, I returned Now I stand here reborn Thank you for the journey I survived every turn Then came Me vs Me, no enemy near Just a broken mirror and a room full of fear Voices in my head trying to bury my name Every doubt had teeth, every thought had flame Overthink, overload, no escape from the mind Running from myself but I’m still inside Noise in the chest, pressure in the veins Trying to stay sane while I’m fighting my brain I fell, I fought back, I lost control Had to make peace with the war in my soul Found out demons are not always enemies Sometimes they’re wounded parts begging to be free I stopped swinging at shadows, started listening clear Told the man in the mirror, “I know why you’re here” No victory parade, no perfect release Just me and myself learning how to make peace I hated the war. But the war taught me. I hated the scars. But the scars wrote me. I hated the mirror. Until it showed me… I was still there. After the war, the silence felt strange Peace in the room but my hands still trained To hold, to fight, to scan every door Like calm was a trap I had seen before I learned happiness slow, like a language at night Learned not every shadow is hiding a knife Learned love can stay, learned home can breathe Learned sometimes the hardest thing is to receive Letters to my son, tears in the ink Coffee in the morning, time to think Quiet house, Sunday light on the floor Bad days still came, but I don’t live there anymore I started building, not just surviving Started trusting the peace arriving And every step on that road I walked Led me closer to the man I forgot Thank you for the journey For the fire, for the rain For the nights that tried to break me But only taught me pain Thank you for the journey For the scars I had to earn Every ending was a lesson Every lesson made me burn I was lost, I was torn I was fighting, I was worn But I rose, I returned Now I stand here reborn Thank you for the journey I survived every turn Now Reborn ain’t clean, it ain’t pretty, it’s real It’s walking with scars and still knowing how to heal It’s no more chains, no looking back It’s taking every broken piece and building from the cracks I survived the storm, watched kingdoms fall Heard the last enemy inside me call But I rose again through the ash and the smoke With a stronger heart and a wider scope Still me, same old me, no borrowed profile I don’t have a style, because I am the style From Payback rage to the peace I learned Every bridge I crossed, every bridge I burned Made the man you hear, made the name I wear Made the fire in my voice, made the truth in the air If this is the end, let the whole world know I didn’t disappear… I evolved. From the anger From the pressure From the mirror From the storm From the silence From the ashes From the scars I was reborn Thank you for the journey For the fire, for the rain For the nights that tried to break me But only taught me pain Thank you for the journey For the scars I had to earn Every ending was a lesson Every lesson made me burn I was lost, I was torn I was fighting, I was worn But I rose, I returned Now I stand here reborn Thank you for the journey I survived every turn Thank you for the journey Every wound, every war Every version that I buried Only opened one more door I was lost, I was torn I was fighting, I was worn But I rose, I returned Now I stand here reborn Thank you for the journey I became something more Payback gave me fire. Men Don’t Break gave me strength. Me vs Me gave me truth. After the War gave me peace. Reborn gave me myself. And after everything… I’m still me.
