CHAPTER 11 - BUILDING BLOCKS

Ink dyed my page carving its path in a splurge of black liquid that would remain recorded in this journal until either it was destroyed or lost in time. My cigar remained lit throughout as I took short breaths of the smoke that eased my shaky hands from the black coffee I drank that now sat beside me.

I lethargically placed my quill back in the inkwell and go to open a compartment next to my desk. I began removing the things littering it and placing it on the floor until cleared and then reaching for the back of it and detaching the false back where a tungsten safe was situated behind. I entered the prolonged twelve-digit pin and open the safe door that made no squeaking noise. It had been well maintained all these years by me and its pin became muscle memory rather than something I needed a piece of paper for.

Inside the safe, there were many things. Jewellery, cash, gold, diamonds, as well as documents, a folder and a picture album. All were things that were deemed important enough to be sealed away and kept in confinement and restriction to me, the only person knowledgable of the pin for the safe. I placed my journal back steadily after closing it and locking it with the strap and as I withdrew my hand, I hovered over the picture album my finger tracing the hardcover of it before I pulled away and closed it.

All items were returned to their place after the false back had been implemented. I drowsily sighed and stretched my arms. I then turned my focus to my desk drawer which I open and pull out a smartphone from. I take out the old sim card and replace it with a new one from my back pocket, whilst simultaneously placing the old sim card in a plastic folder with a written document inside of it and placing it with the countless other sim cards accompanied by documents in plastic folders into a closet.

My fingers scurry over the screen as I dial in a number. The call is answered, but on the other side, only silence can be heard. I calmly raise my voice to speak up, "Black rose, set in a field of white." I utter with volition. I then disconnect from the call and dial in the same number for a second time.

Yet again, the call is answered though this time, a voice emerges from the speaker. "Good to speak to you again, Mr Kage." A formal voice begins to sound from the phone.

"Yes, indeed it is good to speak to you once more, Valnorant. Did you receive the money on the account details that have been passed onto you through my anonymous sender?" I reply, getting straight down to the reason I called him for.

Valnorant sounding pleased responds. "I have in fact received the details and access to this account and oh my word is that a large sum."

"Don't worry," I assure him, "I retrieved this account from someone who owed me a debt and some money. This account is a result of that."

Valnorant, still concerned, asks me a pointless question. "Will anyone be able to attach our names or locations to the card? Any connections, if I'm being honest?"

"As I have told you before, I sent you on holiday for a reason. As long as you complete the purchase in the current country you are in and return home the next day leaving it behind, all should be just fine. They would be able to track the card only to the location and the owner, remember that, and since the owner is dead, he can neither report us nor leak information. I thought of all you could think of."

"Do you still want me to purchase the same warehouse on the shores of Tokyo and the land along with it?" He confirmed.

"Well remembered. That's all you have to do. I will do the rest to remove any security cameras or anything that can capture my appearance so the place is ready."

"Roger that, Mr Kage." He says as I hung up. I then take the sim card out of the phone and place it in another one of those plastic bags and threw it in with the rest of them.

"I should go for a run." I mutter to myself, looking at the clothes I had laid out for myself to train in.

"Hoooo heughhh, hooo, heughh." My breath was the only noise I heard. The night sky had arrived and I was peacefully enjoying the tranquillity of the forest. People obviously walked out and about, this is Tokyo we are talking about, but everyone remained silent either walking at a comfortable pace or out exercising like me.

I soon emerged out of the depths of the forest in Tokyo's centre and I made a quick stop. I wiped the sweat that gradually fell from my forehead and pulled up the sleeve of my hoodie taking a peek at my watch. "Wow, I've been out for two hours now. I know I needed to move but I didn't expect my body to not be able to handle such not exciting school life. Maybe I should start spicing things up, raising my metabolism." I joked to myself whilst still evaluating my condition properly. It seems years of non-stop exercise and martial arts have made every normal day feel like I'm a cripple.

I scouted my surroundings, analysing if they were familiar to me. "Is that..." My words trailed off as my attention turned toward a police station. "This is where officer Moriya works, isn't it?"

I look to the left and notice an open bakery. I check for my wallet and run over there full sprint.

With a bag of piping hot, fresh batches of doughnuts, I walked into the police station. I quickly told the policewoman at the front I wanted to speak to officer Moriya and she kindly guided me to the whereabouts of his office. His room was small and his desk was fairly cramped seeing as he was hunched at his computer desperately struggling to type something in, or so I saw through his window before entering the room. His concentration didn't break to the noise of me coming in and he solely dedicated everything to focusing on his task that I almost felt bad for coming in. I pull out the chair opposing him and sit down. The scraping along the carpet finally garnered his attention as his eyes jumped on me.

"It's you Kioshi." He says as the corners of his mouth curl upwards.

I gently return the smile in kind. "Yes. It has been too long since we last saw each over." I then place the doughnuts that were sealed in the bag onto his desk. "I've brought something for the especially hard-working officer." Officer Moriya's eyes swelled with gratitude as his body seemed to be lifted up by the aroma swirling from the bag.

"Thank you, Kioshi. Now is it alright if I dig in?" He pre-emptively asked.

"Go ahead. I bought them here to share, not to tempt. Though my parents have been gone, the manners they taught me haven't been washed away by the devil's thoughts." I said jokingly, making exaggerated expressions.

"So Kioshi, what brings you here to visit me today of all days?"

"Oh, that? It's simply a coincidence. I was actually just out for a run and stumbled upon this place. So I thought I'd pop in and say hello, for old times sake you know?" My mouth droned on more than I had meant it to. It's like my presence is truly calm like I'm a child whilst with him. I wonder why that is?

"Would you like me to get you some coffee or some tea?" Officer Moriya asked standing up.

"No, it's alright. I won't be staying for long. It's getting late and I have to be up for school tomorrow."

Officer Moriya then looks at me surprised and said, "You're back at school now? After studying abroad in multiple countries?"

I nod my head. "It just like it was time to apply all that I learnt, you could say." My voice slowly got rougher as I finished my words.

Our small talk carried on for a while longer, but soon after I was out and already back at home. I decide to head to the back of my house where an extensive sports hall had been built a couple of years back. I open the doors with my key and turn on all the lights. With an all-dark décor inside, I step in and set aside my water bottle. I pace to the end of my gym where multiple wide exuberant metal concrete-filled poles stood in a row with perfectly measured gaps. I wrap my hands and ankles in tape and begin hammering the pole. With a signal hit, I swiftly dent the bar and crush the concrete inside.

"All is shaping out just like I wanted." I speak aloud to myself.