Dim

His steps were slow, they sounded very weak, as they make a trudge one after another on each foot. The pace was maddening because he barely could keep himself on his feet, his eyes were drooping, his arm was flailing narrowly in the side, then swinging like he was losing a proper control, another was pressing against the wall to his right, the face was down seemingly attracted by the gravity itself more than usual. Soaked black suit he had on didn't help to move him faster all it similar to a body armor which didn't put any security but only the mass on the exhausted average height mortal build. The shirt wasn't white at all, the whole clothing seemed like a rag which was just got pulled out of the mud, there were a few wet soil dripping off the inner outfit, his collar button was missing didn't seemed to be there for a long while, his black necktie was still hanging there without being tightened. His face wasn't on its clean day, and the small volumes of water out of his pore was trying its best to achieved better visual condition, his neck was muddy but the dripping sweat was mopping the dirt unevenly, forcing them to slip into his shirt. Black trousers didn't look any better, the same with his two shoes, all didn't escape the wet and sticky soil which could be seen on the rest of his outfit. The hands was less unclean, didn't have a proper hygienic condition either.

His breath was heavy, the rate wasn't fast but he needed a deep inhale each time oxygen was taken in. At some point he was at the end of an underworld tour, looking at his appearance was hardly a clue where he was before reaching the end of the alley. He didn't seem to be caring about anything around him, looking only forward, the light which came onto him as he finally catch a clear look at the few vehicles and people. Big road's sideline, he slumped himself on the ground against the wall which was that a tall building. He didn't look up so he couldn't tell that it was a sky scrapper or not, he didn't have the energy to make his body do as he wanted to either.

Not long after there was a single line of red trickle coming down the back of his left hand. Another second, next line was formed right next to it and then another then another, making it even more visible that the red liquid which most of breathing creatures actually had them in their anatomical system. The time he had with his uncomfortable and stabbing trauma was long, they weren't killing him at the moment, at least by his own mental muddled judgment he didn't, though his body and his movement suggested otherwise.

There were a few pedestrian smiling and talking and strolling the pavement which were basically maintained on a fixed schedule, there was barely anything which could bother anyone from having a fresh breath and pleasant scene. Until their vision was stopped at a man, by first glace he was similar to a beggar which didn't give a good impression to the local government's management, and they were about to ignore the man but then he suddenly brought his body down, the strength was clearly leaving him out on the open. Anyone was supposed to be minding their own business but a few things which a pair of eyes had reflected didn't always made the danger in front of their eyes clear. Then, another familiar thing but never been a good sign came to light. The color was red, and the volume wasn't something which anyone could see as something which was caused by a needle's piercing, that scene was an experience in a lot of aspect.

"Blood...Someone! Call the ambulance!" Screamed someone right on the spot, approaching the man who wasn't exactly had his head clear and about to leave his conscious world.

"Oh my god, this is bad. Wake up!!!" She's not getting any calmer as she tried to examine the motionless man.

"What's with him? Hurt?" Her friend was chasing after her and wanted to know as well.

"Who knows, but this is his blood and he's not responding. Come on, open your eyes." She had a look at his hands as the blood wasn't stopping anytime soon, fortunately it wasn't a gush of it, so there should be sometimes before it got worse. Another was taking her mobile phone out and tapping the screen to make a call.

"Ambulance is on the way...can we do something about this?" She wasn't slow, and report the first thing she got done.

"We barely saw him and he's not hygienic at all, so touching him more could be bad as it would even deteriorate his physical condition." Seemed to make a judgement for the man someone was hesitating to do anything about this stranger suddenly having himself in the death street.

"But he's dirty in the first place. Water. We have them." The friend of the woman was taking out a bottle of water as the other was opening the silent man's clothes, it wasn't hard and they could find the wounds right away.

"These are..." They're speechless for a moment, seeing not one, not two but more than that at least four of holes were opening on the skin of the man, he got them on both of his arms and not to mention a few more on the front, but didn't found the same ones on the vital areas.

"They're bullet wounds, we can try taking them out-" Someone tried to do something else, a bit panicking as she tried to reach her bag.

"Oh they're here!" As they heard the voice, a white vehicle with the clear capital alphabets were visible.

The rescue came rather miraculously quick and they didn't tarry either.

"Move away from the patient please." A man in white of the health institution was coming close along with stretcher with him and his few other colleagues. The rest was doing what he was saying and let them do their job. They put the man on the portable bed and put an infuse on him and then brought the stretcher into the vehicle, after they're in they took off right away.

"How's he?" One was at the side putting a few standing equipment in their proper placement and could only focus on one thing but his few other body members were working as he intended.

"He's fine overall, but he's losing much blood, he wouldn't make it if things go on like this..." The voice was serious, low but clear, the face was strict looking at a living person but hanging his life on a life-supporting device available attached to him.

"Then we'll do our best for now." They don't have the supplies right away, but they could do a few things that could be a good start for an optimistic treatment forward. That was a scene which was taking place in a city quite a distance away from Tokyo.

Present time, Ginza, Hibiya National Park. Dark Time.

"There has been something like this while back." Voice of a man the entire appearance was casual, t-shirt, long jeans, white shoes, as simple as anyone could imagine. He was sitting on a bench, back leaning on with both arms on top of the bench's back, he looked bored. His face was average and someone could be remember the face in a second and then forget about it in the next, he had his facial hair, moustache and beard shaved but not to the point it was unseen, there were still a hint that it was growing by the seconds went on. His hair was short, at most five centimetres if anyone was close and brave enough to measure them with the base being the man's scalpel. White skin, but a bit darker than those who actually observed and took care of their skins, well, compared to most women this person was in no way whiter than they were judging by the skin.

He had his eyes on the natural ceiling, a black invisible ceiling with a white lamp which was too far away from the planet itself. He was in the park naturally it was the sky itself, but it could be the place like home for him and had his head lie on the bench with his entire body and sleep if he wanted to. But he couldn't really do that because his job wasn't one to had a rest as much and anytime he wanted to, it wasn't the most pleasant job, as he needed to be ready on the second few things was out of the ordinary. He was bored and he looked at his palm there was a hint of red shade, he was seeing and staring at it and then clasped it with his other and rubbed onto each other.

"This is getting out of hand." He was then stood up and walked to a corner of the park, there he found field of tall grasses, then he didn't hesitate to go into it. Then it was some scene he found, or rather revisit.

Someone with both eyes were opened wide, the man couldn't find anything which showed that this person was still breathing, not to mention his eyes didn't have the pupils facing upfront. The body was wearing a casual clothes as well not much different to the breathing one, except the design. The man's neck was moving unnaturally moving with the guidance of the other man, who was trying to find something on the dead. But unfortunately he was disappointed, not a paper, not a cigarette, not even a single paper of cash on him. A few wounds then appeared on the body, hands, legs and stomach as well, they were visible through the tears of the outfit, some were because of pure strength, some was blade, but there weren't much more. There's not much trace which could make someone would found out the culprit right away. From a glance he lost his life because of breathing problem, but no one could tell more from that.

"I'll still have to clean up a few more, I think." He use his few tools in hand and clean anything that could become a hint. He didn't try to have more contact with a corpse so, he looked around making sure that nothing and no one could find the situation at the shortest time possible. After confirming that he found no soul around, he had a light steps on his two feet as if flying towards some where else where he could find someone friendly enough for not attacking him the moment they met in the eye.

The same man walked around the scope of a few streets, wide or narrow , he didn't have any preferences he just went to any place, where his heart wanted him to go. Then he found a small street, it wasn't exactly big but two cars wouldn't be able to take the street at the same time side by side.

He stood in a considerable distance to a cafe, the place was still opened. A few minutes later, the door was pushed, a few people came out, two young women, one child to compare by appearance to the rest, another was a young man a little taller than hundred and seventy centimetres. They exchanged a few words and then two young women turned back and waved their hands to those who were still standing to send them away. Smiles were on each of their faces, but the young man wasn't that obvious, the rest was wide though. The youngest looking was excited, as if she was about to jump up. Then the first two were walking to the big building next to the small store, seemed they were about to had their rest for the day. Looking at the scene the man faraway let out a soft breath, but didn't change much of his overall expression. Then he kept his gaze on the street, he found two people remaining outside were turning back, and entered...

Or so he thought at first, that was the case about the little miss but not the young fellow, he was picking up the shop sign with his two hands, and his eyes were looking straight to the man who was a bit difficult to find. That was supposed to be the case, coincidence or not, however, the pair of black pupils and the gray irises were connecting to his own pairs. It was only a second, and the young man didn't act like he noticed anything and opened the door along with the shop sign and had the business time ended.

"...You're kidding me!?" The man in a distance weren't believing what he was witnessing in a few seconds earlier, his voice was louder than he expected him to be but he didn't really had that in his mind as something of interest put him away from nothing but one direction. The eyes that he met was certainly for him, and didn't seem like it was a surprise that came from the expression of the young lad. It was all like a natural everyday look that he could find.

"Is he really an average child...?" Doubts appearing in his less than calm mind, he replayed the contact a few more times. The calm eyes, no, a little too calm. He wasn't in anyway special as far as he saw, the face which wasn't lacking anything but didn't show a little bit of excess either and those eyes were looking at a that front door of his store, the numbers could be variant but there's most likely one kind of person who were about to enter, that was someone who were having a little bit of interest of the people and the coffee offered there. It was like meeting of two people, a cafe staff and the guest.

"I should look out for more...I think..." He then stopped thinking the youth. The place was getting quiet and left him all by himself in a familiar place and familiar lighting because there wasn't a place that never had a dark time.

"I guess getting close was never a good decision." He then shook his head right and left, with a bit of bitter looking, took a few steps away from the spot and then got his pace increased, moving away.

"Should I go home and sleep or something...But..." As he began having little bit of crave toward the softest material on the earth at the night time but he was hesitating about it as he remembered a few things.

"...I need to find a few things...or people first. One is dangerous enough." He recalled about the interaction he had with a stranger a few minutes to maximum an hour ago. That person was taking a stroll just like he did but he was adapted enough to get himself close in an unnatural speed and had a direct contact with this person. In his job getting unnoticed was a priority, like an ant on a tree and like a house lizard on the wall of house. Everything was a bit of a disturbance but not as much as strange things to find. And getting noticed wasn't going to make things easier. He would sooner or later become a target himself.

"I wonder if I got exposed." He didn't know what to think, as the chances were there and himself getting his face spread on leaflets wasn't going to be a pleasant surprise especially when his job was exactly the opposite of that. There were a few cases when a job like his own went to an unexpected turn, then got himself trapped, caged, tortured and there's a possibility making himself a few inevitable visit to the morgue, or he could just got sent back to his hometown and earned a long time break.

He had his right on his right front top pocket he could feel something metallic, but smooth texture on it, there were a few lines which was a little gap of few metallic materials, along with a few buttons on the side. He wrapped his hands on the tool and pulled his hand along with it. He put his hands which was holding on to something which was then came up in front of his eyes by a close distance. He tapped on it and make it reacted with flash something he saw was a device with a rectangular shape and most of its front display was showing a few shortcut icons to digital programs, he was familiar with most of them. Then he saw something peculiar on it. An icon was showing a indicator number, which wasn't the case a few hours ago. He tapped on the icon and an application was launched, a few seconds past and he saw white overall display with another color on the top of was seemed to be list of messages, he saw numbers and a few short summary of what was the message' content. There were no name of senders only their numbers and most of them were expurgated. A few seconds of quick look he then tapped on one message. He read it seriously, his countenance was frowning and even moving his eyebrows for a few times. Seconds passed he tapped on what seem to be an home icon then tapped on the display where there was nothing but the wallpaper there, making the bright screen dark.

"If something like that could actually kill him, it would be a miracle itself." His words were related to the message in his small portable device. He was then walking to a darker smaller path and then slowly assimilated himself, bits by bits, into the darkness, like nothing was there in the first.

The night was silent, including with the most cheerful of wild life' sounds didn't even registering their own to the brain cells of the sleeping figures in their own each domicile. Almost no sound, but there are a few shadows making appearance around the barely hidden places, some would say they were policemen who had their duty ongoing and that was an everyday regular thing to say. But the reality was the police wasn't exactly visible at the point but there was someone else.

The appearance of another average man in his not so short life, he was an adult, but didn't seemed to be familiarizing himself with the environment and time. People would say the face was in his early thirties but he had a few barely visible marks of unnatural cause, seemed to be wound of sharp tools, his lips isn't too full but the pair would be easy to keep himself a few secrets and even tell the other reality to keep it, his amber eyes aren't showing much truth either. And that could be the last thing he would show in his entire physical appearance. More than that his entire clothing was neat but not to the point there was nothing he had in his inner jacket or front pockets either, there could even a few stuffs people who had a stroll during the daylight brought, but there seemed to be nothing was truly safe just to make a close distance to this person.

"As always, Kuryuu's thick blood was never mediocre." He commented something which was already the past by the time he made his appearance in a less favorable place for someone who like to make a good exercise. Recalling that face which was barely paused when picking the shop board, making the split second vacuum union. Someone could take it as a coincidence or more than that, the look was an exaggeration some would say. But there was nothing was an overreaction for this person, his movement, his activity and his way of conducting his business wasn't just assuming that everything was one of daily coincidence that would impact nothing in the long run. When he had made that kind conclusion, someday his time being in the crowd would be a bad memory in his brain and his own body, there could be also someone complaining about his complacency, and failed at his job. The job which was making him live another day with a lot of things which the same work covered.

"This counts as a good news, I think. What would Old Man think about the 'seed' that he planted was about to blossom. Looking forward to it." The lips were upturned, the cheeks were ruddy, and the heart was pounding like someone who finally got his interest deeply and that one was unforgettable. His steps were steady but a few hints of goosebumps were standing and making his entire body stood up in response of a breeze which was in a whim of making him a friend for a split touch of nature. The smile wasn't going away, his two hands in his two most reachable pocket in his entire clothing were clenching, it wasn't very clear if it was because of any positive emotion, his face barely hold a his mouth into a wide open to show his white teeth, his eyes were getting sharp. His entire body wasn't calm and the steps were getting lighter, his two feet had the slimmest interval on the ground, but he didn't jump on his feet. He still had his total control of his body, which he lead to another dark place.

All questions and puzzles then assessments which came up from a few contact of a single flash of moment were all inside a certain number of people's mind. But they were, by any means, didn't affect those who had been reflected in their brains. He approached the worktop after placing the shop board next to the pot close enough to the entrance. Looking at the stuff on the surface, from the position of a guest who perceived the view, which could be some sort of inconvenience if they weren't put in the right places, but he didn't find them and so he went around and got himself in the other side of the worktop and did the same with working space which he and a few others had occupied but didn't see anything particular that caught his eyes.

So he put his hands on his apron and took off the tie behind his back and the strap of it around his neck. He folded the clothing and took it with him, then put it away in the cabinet. He turned away and ready to stop his working day entirely. But before that he had his eyes shifted to the scene outside the store beyond the glass which was behind the cashier which was put right next to the entrance, it was covered by thin curtain and for a few it was enough to see something beyond that cover and put his less than observant eyes on the empty and dark street. The time was late and barely anyone could be seen having their feet moving in the less crowded people on it, but it was not fictional that his eyes still had a judgement base on his brain which was then again triggered by his sense of visual perception. He didn't see anything actually but his imagination was turned back on a few shadows which had their faces, even though they were barely recognizable, they were still people after all.

"..." He didn't say much about something which was not much affecting to his own usual day, he put a curious thought about them but didn't try to put his brain much work on the same subject. He redirected his mind from such wasteful things and had his two feet moving towards the stairs which was going to the next level of his house.

There was no particular sound of the steps he had on, because the architecture itself was sturdy and in the past few years there was little to no concerns of the building itself had any problems. The building had its own problem but not much to the point where they were needed some renovations which needed a few numbers of unknown people working on it, most of the time he could do with his grandfather or his own sister, Yui, but as far as other trivial things he did them all himself. The building was definitely older than his long-gone parents with the photo frame on the picture rail as the evidence. He didn't know if it's the material which could be a foundational base of a long lasting infrastructure or the construction workers and designers who had the most credit for the building they were living in right now, either way they had made something which was sheltering the family of three having their lives went on as it should be.

Reaching the final stair he had a view of the living room. By usual standard it wasn't very common to have a living room separated in a different floor, but because their residence wasn't exclusively a residence, they had their working space on the first floor, there could be a few concerns about safety but they were minimal a the most dangerous thing that could be happening when they were in their usual activity was hastiness which then sometimes push carelessness on their own control of their body. Things could be out of control sometimes when the had their form in the stairs, running there could bring harm especially if the were to slip on one of them. Thankfully such history were minimal...even though a few had their own marks on their body to proved such record, but on the positive side those were the most which could be bad for having a less than good form on the treads.

The table, along with its four seats were clean. The sound of water dropping were minimal even though they still reverberating across the room which was pretty much soundless otherwise. Coffee pot, glasses were put in their proper places. All in all everything was as they were all this time. He didn't show much expression of the view, reaching a subtle conclusion of regularity he stepped away and forward to the sink which was located the same place as the toilet, the entrance of it was a long curtain but no particular other thing like a door was preventing them to enter the location right away, the toilet itself was accessible thought the sliding door which was visible to the left when anyone open the curtain itself, laundry and of course the washing machine was next to the sink, making the three in the same space without any delay to reach. Washing machine was leaning on the northern wall of the entrant and the laundry was next to it, space wasn't large but enough to have them placed there as long as there weren't much to hand at the same time. There was to the right another sliding door, which could had the bathing area was reachable, it wasn't much to see, bathtub, shower and a few commodities to had people's hygiene up to standard.

He had his face reflected as he passed by the entrance of the area. The face wasn't much to note, regular eyes, regular complexion, there was no sign of anxiety or worry, anger or happiness. It was steady and pretty much stoic instead of calm, stoic was pretty much calm on another level, like he was having no slightest concerns about the day he had in the past less than twenty four hours. There wasn't anything stood out when he went through his timeline again of the daily life he had with his closest acquaintances. Good coffee, cheerful people, fulfilling snacks and meals, then adding a certain samurai's appearance which was pretty much something of necessity of the cafe's daily scene. He didn't had his time entirely in the shop, morning he spent in the academic institution, a few minutes to hour top at the club room. Then he had himself back to business approaching darker time of the day. But...

"Date...? I should think of something." There was one thing which slightly bother him. It was something between a young lady of his own age and himself. He had in an advanced emotional situation with a lady who he admired. But he didn't spent much time in the working day with her as they should be in a high school student teenagers. Working, club and academic activity, three most important things he had on top of his priority as long as his memories could take him. But he had a few new commitment in the last few days, which wasn't going to concerned himself alone this time around but the lady who had brought a new element of his life.

He had a few thoughts as he reached his hands on a toothbrush and glass he poured the tap water in the open container and put a few toothpaste on his long partner of dental routine. Turning off the facet and he brought his brush in his mouth and did it he should do with it. Pressing his palm on the edge of sink and moving his right hand and had his eyes up front looking at the mirror reflecting his own facial features. He had a bit of change of expression compared to the few seconds before reaching to the things he had in his hand right now. It was a few wry expression, there was no certain indicator what he was thinking specifically but regarding few things that could be done by two people of the same age but opposite gender wasn't exactly widespread in his knowledge. He only had a slight change and somehow his common seen countenance was back just in a few short seconds, but no more than that.

Moving his brush front, sides and the back of his dental area he then put it out then had the liquid which was left inside his mouth put out on the inside area of the sink. Then he reach on to the glass of the tap water and pour them inside his mouth, lightly washing his mouth shortly, he spit them out without leaving anything inside and he had accomplished which was a natural goal of closing act of the activity outside his own room. He placed the tools he had in their places and went out to reach the two ways housing component on the living room. The cat which was the mascot of the shop wasn't anywhere to be seen as he went by the resting area of the little but fat mammal he and his family had kept for the last ten years.

"Out again, huh..." There were a few hints of helplessness as he remembered a few changes with the creature, sighing inwardly he went and step up on another first stair.

He didn't brought anything with him, other than his refreshed dental condition. He did so with a few expectations of a less than uncomfortable imaginations which was about to came up in his subconscious world he was approaching as he was getting closer to his rectangle shaped mattress with a few extra layers of things on top of it. Before he closed his eyes for the day, he came to his desk and reached to a few things like books and stationary and of course his most trusted device of motion capture. He put them in his school bag which wasn't far away from his seat in front of his personal working area. He put them all inside had it ready for the next sunrise he would be greeting in the next few hours to come. The desk was lighted up in the last few minutes he was there and he turned it off, leaving the place dark but still was accompanied by the natural reflection of natural light delivered by the round object in the sky, it kept him from faded into the shade a little bit longer than he intended.

He was done for the day then he pulled his blanket and put it all over him, leaving nothing but his shoulders and head to contact the air. Then he closed his two sources of light to bid the farewell for a little company of darkness. As he slowly muttered.

"Good night..." Barely reaching anyone but himself at the highest point of the moon for a rotating state of the blue planet attracted the source of the most obvious enemy of darkness.

The young man then release a few breaths, steady, unhurried and natural, hints which showed that he was no longer there to see and feel there rest of the nature provided for anyone with their conscious mind would

Even when he closed his eyes, a few things wasn't as peaceful as he could perceived before. The city was barely done for the day, there were a few noise which was could be heard from a distance away from the historical building occupied by the family of three. Musics, lights, vehicles and the footsteps of the people who had their own crowd filling the public spaces open to anyone. Adults were most of the visible individuals. This might be the signs where those who weren't in the 12 years academic period be doing at the time of the day. But they weren't any business of people having their day spent, and more so than anyone else for those in their early years.

Still a lot of people were away from their bedroom, and more so for those who actually visible in the public spaces. Even if there were reasons to have their next few scheduled activity in places which could relieved their stressful and tired day, like bar, restaurant and entertainment area. Some of them even far from having such intention of doing what they were supposed to be doing in an obvious places with a specific purposes. They were just there biding their time for something else entirely, something which supposed to be out of the mind of commoner, or even a few people with similar outfit and appearance and expression. But who knows what they were thinking, their faces were natural without certain strain or smile at all, they were just there being in each of their position at a certain time and place and had their eyes open, seemingly expecting something. Something could mean a lot, some could be good, some could be bad. But certain people just had their faces unreadable, but their eyes were opened and had no intention of closing it anytime soon. As if waiting for a sign, an unknown and invisible sign by the standard of lively society anyone was facing.