Chapter 8 - Reo Is Gone

Later on that night, long after Sou and Ace visited our home, I found myself ensnared in a vivid and haunting dream. The dream had manifested my deepest fears and uncertainties. I stood alone by the yard gate, a place where I'd spent countless days awaiting my dear Uncle Reo's return. The gate, old and weathered, creaked with each passing moment, and every sound, be it a distant footstep or the distant barking of neighborhood dogs, sent my heart racing with hope that this time, it might be Uncle's footsteps approaching. But, inevitably, the hope faded, and he never appeared.

As days turned into weeks, my voice grew desperate, and words tumbled from my lips, "Uncle, what's taking so long?" The silence that enveloped me was stifling, a cruel reminder of how lonely I truly am without Uncle Reo. "Uncle, where are you?" I cried out, my voice pleading. "Please come home, it's been weeks," I sobbed, but my desperate calls were met with an eerie stillness that shrouded the estate.

Inside that vast, empty compound, I felt more alone than ever before, the weight of this isolation pressing heavily on my heart. I clung to hope, but it eventually gave way to despair. "Uncle, please," I whispered, my voice cracking with fear and uncertainty. "You're way too late."

Then, in a harrowing twist, something inside me snapped, and I found myself clutching the pistol Uncle had once lent me during his training. I stepped out of the estate and embarked on a nightmarish spree of violence, one that would haunt me to my core. The first victims were three innocent children playing outside the yard, their laughter silenced by my ruthless actions.

I shot them dead.

I continued on this nightmarish path, targeting anyone who crossed my path. I watched in terror as the world around me transformed into a realm of chaos and horror. I was out of control to the point where police officers arrived to capture me.

The dream felt all too real, and the remorseless violence was chilling.

"Uncle, please... you're way too late," I whispered, overcome with dread and guilt.

What am I saying? He will never come back, not after what I just did.

Abruptly, I awoke, gasping for breath, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. The room was shrouded in darkness, and I frantically looked around, realizing that it had all been a dream. The horrors I'd experienced were not real. I was still sane, untouched by the nightmarish descent that had unfolded in my dream.

I was relieved, yet fear still lingered on the edges of my mind. I had not embarked on a murderous spree, and most importantly, Uncle Reo was…

My gaze turned to the space beside my bed, where Uncle should have been sleeping. The room was dimly lit, and the early morning hours had yet to arrive.

"Where did he go?" I pondered. I leaped out of bed, panic tightening my chest as I combed through the wooden house.

I searched everywhere inside but could not find him.

On the table, I found a piece of paper with Uncle Reo's signature at the bottom. My trembling fingers reached for it, holding onto a flicker of hope that Uncle had not left without a word.

"Good morning, Maki," the note began, and I slowly read each word, a sense of foreboding gnawing at me.

"I imagine that you will be heartbroken when reading this, but please bear with me. You and I both know how things were going to end if I had stayed with you right?" I read out.

Uncle Reo had understood me better than I could have ever imagined. He explained his departure, the decision to leave without a proper goodbye, to protect me from the pain of parting. He knew that our farewell would have been emotional and that he would struggle to leave if we had faced each other one last time.

Tears welled in my eyes as I continued reading. Uncle had taken note of my attempts to join him in his mission, and he had chosen to shield me from a potentially dangerous path.

With every word, I felt the depth of his love and his hopes for my future.

As I reached the end of the letter, there was a surprise that filled me with bittersweet emotion. Uncle Reo revealed that I would inherit his last name, "Souken." It was a dream I had cherished for years, and now, it was becoming a reality. My eyes overflowed with tears as I read this promise.

"I'm sorry for hesitating this long," he confessed, and it was as if my deepest desires had been fulfilled. My heart ached, and I clutched the letter close, knowing that Uncle had left in this way to protect me.

In the quiet darkness of the morning, I stood alone, facing an uncertain future with hope and love in my heart. I whispered to the empty room, "Come home safe," knowing that I would not cry but rather hold steadfast in my faith in his abilities and his promise to return.

REO's P.O.V:

After leaving Maki in the middle of the night, I called Ace and asked him to pick me up by the front gate of my estate. Despite the late hour, Ace willingly obliged and arrived at my house promptly. We greeted each other and I wasted no time getting to the point.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up. Can you take me to your branch's Agency?" I asked, grateful for his assistance.

"That's why I'm here, aren't I? Did you say goodbye to your niece?" Ace asked, his curiosity piqued.

.....

Ace noticed my delayed response and quickly grew agitated. "No way! You didn't! You left the poor girl up there by herself in the middle of the night!? Do you realize that the creatures in your woods don't feast on her because you're there, right!? So stupid," he berated me.

I patted his shoulders to calm him down, understanding his concern. "It's okay, the creatures in my land won't harm Maki. I've made sure of that. As for leaving her in the middle of the night, I had no other choice," I explained.

"No choice?" Ace echoed, seeking more information.

"Yeah," I affirmed. "I wanted to eliminate any possibility of her following me. So, I decided to slip away quietly from the estate."

Ace shook his head and took a deep breath, his frustration apparent. "Poor kid. I hope she takes it all right," he wished, expressing concern for Maki.

"Same goes for me," I added, aware of the impact my abrupt departure might have on her. "I know what I did could have been quite a shock for her, but it was the best method I could come up with in this situation."

"I'm sorry, Maki. When I get back, I'll be prepared for a scolding," I attempted to lighten the mood with a jest, though even I didn't find it particularly humorous.

Ace glared at me in response to my little joke.

"Come on, Ace, don't be like that," I sighed. I settled into Ace's car, and he started driving us to the nearest headquarters of Gaia, otherwise called Ghost Assassination Infiltration Agency.

Gaia was an organization shrouded in secrecy, clandestinely funded by various Eastern and Western Governments. Its primary role was to handle the dirty work behind the scenes, from eliminating potential threats to dealing with unruly politicians and even sending specially trained mercenaries to participate in covert military operations. Gaia remained hidden from public knowledge, and any attempts to expose its existence resulted in swift and fatal consequences.

My earliest recollection in life was waking up in Gaia's main headquarters in England. At that time, I had no memory of who I was or where I came from. As a child thrust into this world of shadows, I merely followed the instructions of the people who found me, and it just so happened that these instructions often led to acts of violence. I was groomed to become a killing machine, honing my skills with a wide array of weaponry. Like many others, I was trained in numerous methods of assassination, all in the hope of completing our missions. The missions we undertook were no laughing matter; failure was not an option, as it could lead to international chaos, depending on the target.

As I reminisced about my past, I glanced over at Ace, who had been driving in silence the entire time. "You're no fun," I commented, attempting to engage him in conversation.

"Who said I want to be?" Ace retorted, maintaining his stoic demeanor.

"The least you could do is hold a conversation," I continued. "Is there even a headquarters nearby?" I asked, attempting to break the silence that weighed on me.

Ace informed me that we were about an hour away from the headquarters, and I couldn't hide my dissatisfaction. "An hour! Come on, let's have a chat. I can't stay silent for that long," I complained.

"Well, I can," Ace responded curtly.

His stern words prompted me to shift the conversation. "I'm still angry with you," Ace suddenly declared, bringing up a past event I vaguely remembered. The Research and Development Department had made a groundbreaking discovery, a method to prevent aging and maintain one's prime physical condition indefinitely.

"I see. You're upset that I didn't accept the offer," I concluded.

"Why wouldn't you?" Ace demanded, frustration apparent. "What's the point of working so hard, to the point of coughing up blood, if we're just going to lose our strength to the ravages of time? It's unfair. I worked so hard and endured so much to attain the strength, speed, and agility I have now, only to risk it all fading away. Mr. Souken, why did you refuse?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his earnestness. "Because it sounded lame," I admitted honestly. "The thought of looking the same forever felt dull. Can you imagine staring at your unchanging self in the mirror every day, with no trace of difference? No, thanks, I couldn't bear it."

Ace noted, "For a man your age, you certainly don't act like a geezer."

I smiled and responded, "I try my best to stay young at heart."

Ace pressed the issue further. "One day, you might understand where I'm coming from. Who knows, maybe the Agency will offer you the opportunity for that perfect body if you help me take down Xavier."

I nodded in agreement. "You're not wrong. Xavier has been on a killing spree, targeting my comrades. He's undoubtedly the most challenging target Gaia has ever faced, which is why we were desperate enough to seek out an old geezer like you."

"Looking forward to working with you," I said, my anticipation growing as I looked forward to witnessing Ace's formidable skills in action.

Since Ace was keen on conversation, he delved into a sensitive topic. "Tell me, what's your history with Xavier? I know you guys were close before he murdered your family. I know it's a sensitive topic, but sooner or later, you've got to open up and speak."

Xavier, a man I considered the most despicable person I had ever met, loomed over our conversation.

I explained, "First off, Ace, that man and I were never close. We were merely competitors, aiming for the title of the best assassin in the agency. Let me quote him: 'I killed your loved ones because they looked happy.'"

I said it word for word.

Ace's bewildered expression caught my attention. "Did he say that?" he asked, clearly taken aback by Xavier's callous words.

I nodded affirmatively. "The man is not mentally stable, I'm afraid. The sheer number of killings he's committed likely messed up his psyche somehow."

"He has a bad habit of toying with his targets too. Strike a conversation with them before murder" I added.

"Regardless, I will kill him soon," I said with unwavering determination. Reasons aside, Xavier had taken everything from me. My wife Maria, my youngest daughter Hina, my elder daughter Olivia, and my son Ricardo were all exceptional individuals with promising futures, yet he ruthlessly cut their lives short. While Gaia had expelled him from the organization, they had failed to eliminate him all those years ago. What's more, unlike me, Xavier had undergone the procedure to attain an ageless body before he turned his back on everyone.

"That bastard better not underestimate me," I smirked, with thoughts of exacting my revenge fueling my determination.

Finally, we arrived at the headquarters, where the only visible structure was a modest ramen shop. Ace retrieved his keys, and we entered the unassuming eatery, doing our best to appear casual. One of the most impressive aspects of Gaia was its ability to maintain secret bases hidden in plain sight. Nobody would ever suspect that an underground organization operated beneath an ordinary ramen shop.

We headed straight to the back of the restaurant, where an elevator awaited, ready to transport us to the underground facility. "It's been a while. I wonder how this place has held up," I mused aloud.

Ace, however, was quick to remind me of the obvious. "This isn't the branch you used to work for. Stop acting like you've been here before."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his surprise. "Oh, but I have been to every branch, believe it or not. In my prime, I accepted missions from all of them," I admitted with a grin. Ace was visibly shocked at my past accomplishments, it was quite amusing to witness.

Ace then inquired, "You still have the blue syringe, right?"

I nodded in confirmation, ready to take on the challenges that awaited us.