His mind drifted back to the night the masked man handed Shiro Rei's diary. The bastard's voice still echoing in his head like it had been waiting for the right moment to replay itself.
"Shiro, in this world we all have a role to play. I have already accepted my role in this game. My fate is sealed. You are the only missing piece that holds everything together."
And before Shiro could respond, the dramatic bastard fell backward out the window, because of course he did.
Shiro sighed, then jumped to his feet.
"I'm not doing this because you asked me to!" he shouted into the empty air, hoping that stalker masked bastard could hear him wherever he was hiding. "I'm doing this because I want to!"
No response. No dramatic reappearance.
'Figures.'
His eyes drifted along the street below. The lower district was moving, slowly, quietly, like people trying not to be noticed. Families. Children. Old men with nothing left to lose. All of them shuffling toward the harbor.
