August 5th, 2025
Haneda Airport - 1:12 PM
The fluorescent lights of Haneda Airport cast a sterile glow across the polished floors, reflecting the dull drone of flight announcements echoing overhead.
Ian stood in line at the counter, holding nothing but a tattered duffle bag. His eyes were heavy, not from sleep, but from the weight of everything behind him.
His chest ached not from heartbreak alone, but from a sinking feeling that no matter how far he went, the darkness would follow.
He was next in line when he saw her.
Sitting alone on a bench tucked in the corner near the vending machines, Ellie Park looked like a ghost of herself.
Her eyes were red, her posture defeated, her hands trembling as she clutched a half-empty bottle of water. Her long almond-brown hair was unkempt, her skin pale as though she hadn't slept in days.
Ian stepped out of the line and slowly approached her.
"Ellie," he called softly.
Her head jerked up at the sound of his voice. For a moment, her expression lit up with disbelief. "Ian…"
She stood abruptly and threw her arms around him. It wasn't romantic. It wasn't light. It was desperate. It was grieving.
"Are you okay? Did something happen to you?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
Ian gently nodded, arms tightening around her. "I should be asking you that."
They sat in silence on the cold bench, surrounded by the buzz of travelers too busy to notice the heaviness pressing down on the two of them.
Ellie finally broke the silence. "That night… Jayden… I can't stop thinking about it."
Ian looked away. "Neither can I."
"What the hell happened, Ian? Who was that woman? She was a monster."
Ian exhaled slowly, haunted. "She's… someone from my past. An ex."
Ellie blinked, trying to process. "An ex? You were involved with that?"
"I didn't know she was capable of… that," Ian said. "Back then, she was already unbearable. But now? She's beyond...twisted and violent."
Ellie held herself tightly. "Jayden was cheating on me."
Ian looked at Ellie, concerned.
… but he didn't deserve to be murdered like that. No one does." She added.
Ian lowered his gaze. "No. He didn't."
"I want to tell the police." Ellie's voice was trembling. "They need to know what happened."
Ian's head snapped toward her. "Ellie… no. Please. You can't."
"Why the hell not?" she hissed. "He was murdered. Right in front of me."
"Because the police won't help you. They might already be in Ruth's pocket."
Ellie froze. "Ruth?"
"Yeah, that's her name. She's influential. She's married to a powerful and wealthy man. So wealthy they must've owned half the city, maybe more. If you go to the cops, you're not reporting a crime - you're painting a target on your back."
Ellie covered her mouth in horror. "She's that powerful?"
Ian nodded slowly. "And that connected."
Tears welled in Ellie's eyes. "This can't be real… This isn't real life. This is a nightmare."
"I wish it wasn't," Ian said, voice low. "But it is."
They sat in silence again. This time, the weight was heavier. It wasn't just grief - it was the feeling of being trapped in a story too twisted to escape.
After several minutes, Ellie spoke, her voice hoarse. "Where are you going?"
Ian looked toward the wide windows facing the distant runway. "Back to South Carolina. To where I grew up. I need to disappear for a while. Tokyo's not for me. This city… it chews people up. There's too much blood in the streets. Too many ghosts."
Ellie looked down at her shaking hands. "I'm going there too. Planning to visit the orphanage. Thought it'd help clear my head… Maybe give me peace."
Ian managed a weak smile. "Then maybe we should go together. One last good thing before we vanish."
Ellie nodded, eyes still filled with sorrow. "I'd like that."
As they stood to leave, neither of them noticed the man watching from behind a column. He was dressed plainly, an average-looking traveler with a dull suitcase and a ball cap pulled low.
But his eyes were razor-sharp.
The former ninja watched Ian and Ellie until they walked out of sight. Then he pulled out a cheap, burner phone from his coat and typed a message:
"He is going to South Carolina. With the foreign girl."
He hit send. The recipient: Ruth Tachibana.
Pocketing the phone, the man calmly turned and walked in the opposite direction, blending seamlessly into the shifting tide of travelers.