Friday
Ring.
The sound of the telephone ringing resonated off of the walls of the vacant household.
Wang Jinrei was gone, out looking for his granddaughter in desperation. He had returned home after his usual training to find the house empty, the young girl missing.
It wasn't like her to leave unannounced. He'd called several of her friends; perhaps she was still sensitive about the rough words he'd said a few nights before and had gone out to replace her stress with fun. None of them knew of her whereabouts.
Miharu Hirano was particularly concerned when she heard of her best friend's absence; she'd spoken to her not an hour before her disappearance. She dutifully retold the tale Xiaoyu had told her, from purchasing a new purple silk nightgown to seeing Jin, hoping that it would help the search somehow.
At the mention of Jin being the last person to see her, Jinrei became skeptical and decided to investigate the matter himself instead of waiting for the police to report back with an update.
Ring.
In his distracted leave, Jinrei had forgotten to turn off the television. He'd been watching the news intently up until that point, studying each story involving his granddaughter. The news program was still on, and the living room was tainted with the glowing image of a middle-aged woman shuffling through sheets of paper on her desk.
"In more tragic news," she said solemnly, as she'd just finished a report on the grand opening of a toy store in town and the children that were frolicking about in the street, "Eighteen-year-old Ling Xiaoyu was reported missing late last night by her grandfather, Wang Jinrei. Investigators say there are no signs of forced entry inflicted upon the house. Police are currently in pursuit of a young man by the name of Jin Kazama, who, according to a reliable source, was the last person to see Xiaoyu. If you know anything about this poor girl or her disappearance, please call the studio."
Ring.
The answering machine picked up the call.
A policeman's voice was projected through the room, a calm, of all things, voice. "Wang Jinrei, this is the police. We've located your granddaughter. She is alive and visibly unharmed. She was discovered by my partner in a secluded house near the outskirts of the city. The mortgage is licensed to Nina Williams."
A pause. "Xiaoyu is currently unconscious, but you can come see her at the station. Unfortunately, we were unable to capture Williams. She must have heard us coming and fled. There was a green composition book lying beside Xiaoyu's body. It contains some disturbing information; better if you read it for yourself."
Muffled cough, deep breath. "The station's research indicates that both Williams and Xiaoyu have been regularly attending the King of Iron Fist tournaments. If I were you, sir, I would rethink allowing my granddaughter to attend the next one; her abductor might show up for a second try. I certainly hope that you receive this message soon, and that it brings ease to your foreseeable panic."
Click.
As the message recording ended, the newscaster was approached by another member of the news crew. As she receded from their conversation, she turned to the cameras, the foundation coaxed into each crevice of her fault lines becoming evident beneath the bright studio lights.
"Breaking news update," she said quickly, "Ling Xiaoyu has just been found. Police hypothesize that she is unharmed, though knocked out. Nina Williams, a master of infiltration and assassination, is the alleged culprit."
Nina's picture appeared in the right-hand corner of the screen, complete with a dark blonde ponytail and eyes of clear blue. "If you see this woman, please notify the police station immediately. A hefty reward has been issued for her capture."
Outside, a fading crescent moon pierced the approaching daybreak, a waking sky smeared with pink, violet, and tangerine.