The rain poured down like a relentless curtain, shrouding the city in a gray mist. I stood atop the sleek glass tower, my eyes fixed on the target below. The high-rise building's lobby was a hive of activity, with suited executives and briefcase-wielding entrepreneurs rushing to and fro. My target, Kenji Nakamura, stood out among the crowd a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression.
And Iadjusted my earpiece, receiving the final confirmation from my handler. "Shadow, we have confirmation of Nakamura's presence. Eliminate him with precision."
So I nodded to myself, my mind already focused on the task. This was my specialty – infiltration, surveillance, and execution. I had been known only by my codename: "Shadow." My real name, Kaito, was a distant memory, reserved for those few who knew me beyond my profession.
I got descended into the lobby, weaving through the crowd with ease. My tailored suit and confident stride allowed me to blend in seamlessly. Nakamura stood by the reception desk, engaged in a heated conversation with one of his underlings. I noted the security personnel stationed around the perimeter – four in total, each armed with a sidearm and a keen eye for potentialthreats.
My approach was calculated, each step deliberate and precise. I slipped past the security guards, my movements fluid and unobtrusive. Nakamura's conversation partner stormed off, leaving him alone and momentarilydistracted. That was my cue.
I closed in, my hand slipping into my jacket pocket. My fingers wrapped around the grip of my silenced pistol, a familiar weight and balance that brought me comfort. One shot, one kill – the mantra of my profession.
Nakamura sensed my presence, his head snapping up to meet my gaze. For an instant, our eyes locked, and I saw a flicker of recognition. He knew who I was, or at least, what I represented.
The pistol coughed softly, the sound muffled by the suppressor. Nakamura's body jerked, his eyes widening in shock as the bullet pierced his chest. He crumpled to the floor, a crimson stain spreading across his suit.
So I turned to leave, but not before catching a glimpse of a figure watching from the shadows. A figure I hadn't accounted for. My instincts screamed warning, and I spun around, gun raised.
Too late.
A bullet ripped through my side, sending me stumbling backward. I felt the warmth spreading across my abdomen, the pain beginning to register. My vision blurred, and I saw the figure emerge from the shadows – a woman with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair.
She approached me, her gun still trained on my prone form. "You're a hard man to kill, Shadow," she whispered, her voice husky and confident.
I tried to raise my pistol, but my arm refused to cooperate. The woman's eyes narrowed, and she squeezed the trigger once more.
Everything went black.
As I lay there, dying, I realized that my profession had finally caught up with me. The shadows that had been my home for so long had turned against me. I was no longer the hunter; I was the prey.
But little did I know, this wasn't the end. Not yet.
The darkness receded, and I felt a strange sensation – as if my consciousness was being pulled apart and reassembled. When I opened my eyes again, everything was different. I was different.
The woman with green eyes stood over me, a look of concern etched on her face. "Kaito, can you hear me?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Itried to respond, but my voice was barely a whisper. "Who... who am I?"
The woman's expression softened. "You're Kaito, a man who's been given a second chance. You've been reborn."
Reborn? What did she mean? As I looked down at my hands, I realized that everything about me had changed. I was no longer the assassin known as Shadow. I was something new, something unknown.
And with that realization, my journey began.