Father

Taking one last glance at the system he closed it, followed shortly after by his laptop.

Letting out a sigh, Taka stood and proceeded to grab the items needed to lay the table ready for breakfast.

Although to him this was an old habit from his previous life, to his sister, Becky, Taka's behavior was strange.

Never before had he even offered to lay the table, yet today, there he was doing it, in an almost rehearsed way as if a normal thing he did every single day.

Finished laying the table and slipping back out of his own little world, Taka noticed his sister's odd look. Straight away he knew what he'd done.

Though he'd done nothing wrong, he realised that currently, he was physically only a 10-year-old child, even if mentally he was 30, people of this world would still see him as the same child he was in the past.

-

Understanding this he knew that any sudden changes in the 10-year-old him would make people suspect him or make them think there was something very wrong. He quickly decided to show a steady change as to not garner the suspicion of his parents or potential enemies. However, this was easier said than done.

-

Being an adult, yet acting like a child, seems easy enough on the surface but in reality, it's far harder than it looks. Children are innocent, they know not of the unpleasantness of the world due to the protection of their parents or guardians, well the lucky ones anyway. Yet as we grow we lose that innocence, and trying to pretend to be innocent, convincingly, is hard.

-

Taka had his work cut out for him.

Sitting down at the table, he tried to avoid his sister's penetrating stares.

Footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer to the kitchen.

Taka's heartbeat became louder and louder and stronger and stronger until it was the only thing he could hear.

-

In his previous life, there were two reasons why he'd become a criminal and joined the organization.

Reason one, all other doors were shut in his face, nobody had even given him a chance.

The second reason and the most important one to Taka, his parents. More specifically his father.

Money ruled all in the modern world.

As long as you had enough, anything was purchasable.

Food, weapons, organs even lives.

Taka found this out the hard way.

One night his father was kidnapped by human traffickers on his way home from work.

The reason for his kidnapping was simple. A very rich man needed an organ, namely, a new heart and Taka's father became the unwilling recipient of unwanted heart surgery.

-

His father died at the site of the surgery. When the authorities found his corpse he was already stone cold. There was nothing the paramedics could do. What makes matters worse is the fact that the authorities covered up both the kidnapping and the murder of his father.

-

The very rich man survived. The news reported that miraculously, the businessman had found a heart transplant just in time that matched his blood type perfectly.

As you could imagine, if it hadn't already this finally pushed Taka over the edge.

Using his abilities as a hacker he found the most powerful organisation he could, making a deal, that should they manage to dispose of all the responsible parties involved, he would join their organisation no questions asked.

-

The next day arrived.

A letter was pushed through the mailbox.

Inside pictures and a note.

The pictures were proof that all the people involved in his father's kidnapping and murder were dead. From the rich businessman to the human traffickers and the corrupt officials.

The note read.

-

The deal is complete.

You are now ours.

-

Following that a phone number he was told to call.

Taka knew he'd signed his soul to the devil but he held no regrets, at least this way he could help people similar to himself and protect their families.

-

Back to present day.

-

Taka could no longer take the strain of his overflowing emotions or the strain of his heart beating so hard. His consciousness fading. Falling into darkness the footsteps grew closer.

A warmth surrounded him. A warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.

His father's embrace.

Though unconscious tears fell from his eyes.

Not of sadness but of happiness.