"Hmph! There you go again with your inexplicable principles about us.Why are you always so fucking halfhearted about things. Why does it always have to be me and my choices...what about yours, Dave." Dave's words irritated Aubrey so much that it didn't sound pleasing anymore. She demanded answers but more than that she seeks clarity.

Halfhearted...halfhearted...those words lingered on Dave's mind. Like a piercing dagger striking him crashing his ideologies. Staying too long in Japan changed him utterly or is it just he didn't realize he's in a different world. By how and when did he become so indifferent...so cold...so halfhearted.

Halfhearted.

"You're right, Bree. I have been so halfhearted and it may be the reasons why things aren't moving with us." Dave paused and glanced at the Ridgewood Hotel sign. "We're here." He said.

"What??? Shit, that does it really. You are really good at shifting issues aren't you? From your issues, then you bury me at the end with my issues. And if it seems you find yourself in a corner then you suddenly vanish. That's your fucking problem that is your fucking self...Fuck Dave!!! I haven't asked for anything right...just a simple effort from you for me to feel that I am valued...

"I didn't asked for love that much...just to feel valued...important Dave. Do you understand that..."

Aubrey hurriedly opened the door and stepped out mad at Dave. This time it was Aubrey who was the first to leave.

Dave was speechless and slowly stepped out of the cab. He wanted to run after her and stop her. But he can't, it would be an insult to her. He was caught in his own demise. He loved her yet he can't do anything about it. His hands unexplainable trembled. He wanted to call her name...but he couldn't...

He was halfhearted still...

He didn't say anything...

He watched her fade into the darkness again.

He just stared at a blank space until no shadow of Aubrey was left.

He has - lost her entirely...

because he didn't do anything to keep her.

His tears fell

...one by one...

...it hurts him deep inside...

...the smell of her perfume lingers with him...

...her kisses gone forever....

* * *

He held his katana in most revered sense. The blade reflected the moonlight on its edges like a roaring river. He held it with both hands ready to be submitted to its belonged place. As he layed it down, his breathing is one with the sword and its own life force flowing through his veins as well.

The spirit is held within.

He knelt down as if paying respect to the souls it had taken. He held the scabbard in another hand slowly meeting its both ends. He inhaled and in one full breath in one quick motion he sheathed the katana to its scabard. He then bowed down again.

Understand emptiness.

A shadow moved in the corner of his eye. The chrysanthemum bended from the direction of movement gladed by the winter wind. The enemy was wise to be patient enough to attack from a moment his katana was sheathed. In a blurry motion, a glazed steel cut the candle in his room in half.

The tatami sheets never casted a sound as the enemy penetrated and moved towards his back. Everything was so sudden that he had no choice but to cover the incoming steel from the enemy with the wakizashi on his left side. Like lightning it both steel touches and created a horrendous sound of death.

It was difficult for him to stand since he was in a kneeling position. For if he stand it will be too late for him to block the incoming enemy attack. He choose to lay but in that position his power is reduced and more of a defensive position. His shoulders can't move in a direction he wanted and another strike from the enemy can cut him severly.

The enemy blade rise up like a phoenix lighting up the darkened room. He finds the enemy is using Jin Tachi, a longer sword than the katana, which is visible enough as the moonlight hits it. With his current weapon at hand, he is no match for its length. More if the enemy is one with the darkness. Its length can be very confusing and entering in the enemy circle is difficult because of the differences in sword lengths.

He rolled back down and grabbed the katana with his left hand. He got two swords now, called the death twins. One Katana. One Wakizashi. He felt their powers overcoming him and he posed in an attack stance. The katana piercing the darkness forward and the wakizashi pointing downwards on his left side. He was invincible now from all attacks.

Definetely the enemy would never get him ready for the attack stance and threw a shuriken with poison edges. In three sudden throws, the enemy rushed towards him as if hes catching up with the thrown objects. But he was wise not to move head on with what he's facing. He swirled backwards with a downward motion to move towards the back of enemy approaching towards him. The momentum from spin and the downward motion a lifting strike upwards would cut the body in half.

The enemy being able to read his movements also swirled forward in a downward motion so that his blade wouldn't cut him. By going downwards, the uplifting strike would be avoided and the enemy did escape the heavy attack. Yet, he grinned in anticipation that the enemy would do that and as the enemy move downards a heel kick on the side was blown to the side of the enemy.

A grunt was heard but the body size bothered him. When he threw the kick it seemed he have hit a light mass. It scrambled towards the corner again seemingly very cautious now. Like a jaguar eyeing its pray. No movement. No sound. Suddenly it vanished inside the shadows of the corner of the room seeping inside the black hole.

At first impression, he thought it was trying to get away but he thought otherwise. Its movement was swift and it knows the advance defense and counter offense tactics of the Jin Tachi methods. It is not cowarding away, it is using the shadows to its advantage - to kill.

But it bothered him so much the light mass he felt and the grunt he almost seem to heard. Deducting from the movements of agility and swiftness, a woman, definitely a woman is the one who is trying to kill him now.

"Could it be Ayame??"

No, it couldn't be. She died that night on the cliff where the storm has taken her body. He could always remember it like it was yesterday. He couldn't protect her that night and he didn't have enough strength to hold on to her as she was dangling on the cliff - so he lost her back then.

"Only if he was stronger inside."