It has been years. Such a long time has gone... And yet, the rising sun still shone in the very same way it did before all those years. The fact that it never changed was almost enchanting, well, wasn't it? To know there was something that wouldn't change. That would remain the same no matter how many steps forwards one would make.<br/><br/>The sun would always rise the very same way it did today. And that realization almost made Misao smile - if he would ever smile like that. Only the gaze of his eyes grew a little softer. Maybe his face eased up a little as he stood before the hotel, waiting for the taxi he has called for to arrive. Just maybe...<br/><br/>He grew cold and emotionless towards the world he had in his palm. It couldn't make him cry anymore, though it couldn't make him smile, either. He felt nothing for its people - after all, he had it all at his palm every second of the day. Like a chess-master, he made his way through, moving the pawns before him to clean his way first, and only then let himself, the crownless king, come. That was how he thought of himself, the king without the crown, but not without power. After all, all he required to get whatever he wanted till now was a thought... A thought that changed the course of his actions, and put him back onto the path towards success, power, and wealth.<br/><br/>The sound of brakes warned him of the taxi's coming, and when he let his gaze slide down onto the road, there was indeed the car that he ordered to pick him up. The door opened, and he slid in, carefully sweeping the edges of his blazer into the interior. The smooth fabric made a silent sound as he sat down, crossing his legs and placing his small bag next to himself.<br/>"The airport." the silky sound of his voice answered a question that was never told, but hung in the air like the feeling of expectations. The driver nodded, and with a silent roar, the car moved forth once again, to get through a mesh of streets and roads. That was the first, and most likely the last time Misao gave the man a single gaze.<br/><br/>Traveling made him happy. It was one of the rare moments he felt fulfilled and comfortable, on the road and visiting a new place with every month, sometimes even week, of his life. He never settled, he never slowed down, just tread the face of Earth like a kite in the wind. His road was one without destination, he knew that for a long time, and he wouldn't want it any other way... Holding onto things of such sentimental value as home and attachment to the know was for the week. He was strong, and he was brave, he needed no such sentiment. It would only hold him down to hold onto the past like a fool, a fool that cannot see light in the future, and so he turns towards the faded past.<br/><br/>His past had no light. Whether he wanted it or not, there was nothing he could turn back to except for a couple of tombstones. And even those lost their importance in their memories. Just another thing he passed by. He was strong, and so he survived. Wasn't that the most important? What remained, and not what was lost...<br/><br/>It opened his eyes. Showed him that only the strong and the able survive. He never asked for the gift that made him such, but he wouldn't give it back, either. Without it, he'd surely still be in his father's shadow, ever striving to surpass him... The look of his steel-grey eyes hardened at the thought. It was disgusting. And besides, the taxi has already reached its destination. He reached into his bag to retrieve a few banknotes, hand them to the driver with a somewhat lax fling of his hand, and got out of the car, as quickly and smoothly as smoke. The moment the edges of his coat flicked against his legs, the door banged closed, and the sound of a starting engine informed him of the taxi's leave. It was time to go for him, too.<br/><br/>He did indeed go. Like a shadow, he weaved his way through the crowd, flawlessly slipping between all the people around himself, his shoes hardly making a sound on the floors of the entrance hall. He passed the crowds without a glance, but his eyes were still scanning his surroundings for a single thing. Them... He knew too well that 'they' wouldn't hide under the guise of tourists with their large bags and cameras hanging from their necks, families heartily welcoming each other, or busy men of business with their phones in their hands. He knew what he was looking for... And for now, he didn't see it. Fortunately. He simply hated causing a scene.<br/><br/>Then, something caught his sight. A tall man in a black suit, talking to a woman in a similar attire. They were neither elegant nor casual, and not suspicious in the slightest, and yet something about them unnerved him. He knew those faces. Even though he didn't stare at them - he was too discreet for that - the woman turned her head, and their gazes met. It was nothing, and yet...<br/><br/>The world around him faded for a moment. It was morning again, but instead of laying in bed and checking the news, he got out of the exquisite bedsheets immediately, wasting no time, and hurried to get ready.<br/><br/>Everything sped up in a moment, forcing him back into the present. But where he was was a completely different place... He was already out of the hall. The memories mingled together, past with the present, a whole new line of them forming instantaneously - a different taxi, a different driver, even a woman with a child that asked him for the direction to the luggage service in the airport's hall. It took them a moment to settle down in two lines, sprouting from the same branch, but separated and never joining together again. He took a deep breath, holding onto the rail beside him, to get used to this changed reality. He hated being misplaced when jumping...<br/>"Sir, are you okay?" someone beside him inquired, noticing how he clutched the rail. Misao gave them a nod, straightening his back, and moved on. At least the two in black suits were no longer there. It was time for him to move.