It was a beautiful morning out in the park. The air was fresh, and the bright sun shined through the small clouds in the sky. Early in the morning, T.K. was performing his martial exercise known as Tai Chi when wearing a light jogging suit. Since the day was quite warm, he felt he didn't need to wear his black trench coat like he always does. Unlike the other hard arts that had to be performed with speed and fury, T.K. practiced Tai Chi with slowness and gentleness. His mind tells him that he's got to be totally prepared for the big night. He knew that if he was to kill his next target successfully, he must not make any mistakes of whatsoever.

To finish the art, he placed his feet shoulder-width apart, stood upright and placed his hands to the sides. T.K. began to take a slow stroll through the park, watching the children play and laugh when their hearts were tickled by joy. He also caught a glimpse of a man and a woman strolling by, hand in hand.

However, T.K. didn't feel that sense of joy at all. He's never felt such a feeling since he was a little boy.

"Why? Why does it feel like there's something missing in my life? I'm one of the best professionals in the world, and I make more bucks than the President of The United States. So why do I feel so empty?" T.K. asked himself. T.K. took a seat on a bench where nobody sat. Letting out a deep breath, his mind traveled back to last night...

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"Hey, Davis. I see that Kari is a singer. Does she perform every now and then?"

"She sure does, T.K.! Kari's one of the most famous singers in the city! Sings like a beautiful nightingale! Every Thursday night, she performs at a wonderful restaurant/club named Tsunami, which isn't too far. There, no guy could take his eyes off of her! But you better be careful. That place is owned by Tai Kamiya. He always stresses the rule that no weapons are allowed."

"Hey, just because I can't bring a weapon doesn't mean I can't kill, my friend. You gotta use your imagination, Davis. Weapon or no weapon, she'll die by my hands..."


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"So she'll be at Tsunami tonight. I should be excited about this next assignment. It'll grant me millions of more yen than I usually earn. But why do I feel so... nervous? I... I killed so many dark targets throughout my life, and every one them has provened to be a great challenge to me. But why is Kari so different? According to Davis, she never lifted a gun in her whole life when out in the streets. This should be a piece of cake for me! Why do I feel so uneasy about this? Why?" T.K. asked himself.

"Perhaps it's because your heart is telling you that you want Kari to live."

T.K. was startled by who was speaking to him. As he whipped his head to his right, he realized that an Asian man wearing black pants, black shirt and sunglasses was sitting right next to him. The man seems to be Filipino, and his hair was cut really short. T.K was surprised that the man could be so close to T.K. without T.K. realizing his presence. Usually, T.K. can sense a presence from many meters away. This, however, was a complete surprise to the assassin. In a flash, T.K. got up from the bench and began to reach for his combat knife hidden underneath his jacket.

"Who the hell are you? How did you sneak up on me like that?" T.K. asked.

"Take it easy, my friend. I mean you no harm, okay?" the man said nicely.

"Who do you work for? The Ishidas, the Kamiyas, or some other clan?" T.K. asked fiercely. With good agility, the man hopped onto the edge of the bench's back-rest and balanced on it with ease.

"Like I said, I'm a friend. T.K., don't you ever listen to your heart? It seems like every time you take a life, you have this emptiness building within you, making you not listen to your heart at all. I can tell you what your heart is trying to tell you," the man said.

"What the hell do you know about what my heart tells me? My heart tells me that I should be devoid of all feelings when it comes to the art of death! Kill or be killed: that's the law of the jungle! I do this to survive," T.K. stated. The man let out a sigh.

"Once again, you're not listening to your heart. I'll tell you what your heart is really saying: it says that you're tired of being alone. Your heart yearns for something it has not had since the day you were born. You know what it is, T.K. You want it more than anybody, and you know the woman who can give it to you-"

"SHUT UP! I don't need to hear any of this bullshit! If you don't shut your mouth, I will shut it for you!" T.K. shouted shakingly. The man hopped off the bench and walked to T.K. The man slowly walked to him, but not looking as though he intends to hurt him. Strangely, T.K. felt it was all right for the man to approach him. So he put his hand away from reaching the knife. As the slightly taller man was a few feet away from T.K., he gently placed his hand on his shoulder, almost looking like a father-figure.

"You're so full of hate, so full of rage. This does not make a man out of you. T.K., you must listen to your heart. If you deny what your heart is telling you, you will forever suffer through the river of emptiness and despair. She's out there, T.K. She's the only one who can fulfill your greatest desires. She's the only one who will give you the meaning to live. She's the only one who can free you from the darkness. That, your heart tells you! You musn't give in to the demons anymore, T.K. Follow your heart. Then, and only then, can you truly live..."

The man took his hand off T.K.'s shoulder and began to walk away. Standing right where he was, T.K. was astonished by how much wisdom the man had, for he appeared to only be in his mid-20's.

"Hey, mister! What's your name?" T.K. shouted. Slowly, the man turned around to face the young man.

"The name is... Shard." After saying his name, Shard turned again and resumed his stroll. After standing there for awhile, T.K. made a 180 and walked back to his hotel room. What he didn't know was that after he turned his back to the man in black, Shard disappeared into the shadows.

".... follow my heart? Matt never taught me anything like that. All he taught me was that only the strong survive. Gotta focus on tonight. When I see Kari, we'll see what the night will bring...."




.... to be continued.