A/N: Hopefully, my muse doesn't die or start to decide that having a vacation would be better so keep those reviews coming people. You never know. It might inspire her to write more. Click. Click.

Chapter 1

In my dreams, a glass breaks.

Shattering, crackling loudly against my ears.

Etching a cadence solemnly in my core.

I wake to reality's mighty roar

Wild eyes search for the unknown

Brown irises lock with endless black

There a lone boy stares intensely

Breathing, waiting, tittering along my boundaries

"What do you want?" I croak out.

My heart raged against the hollow of my ribs

My breath caught in my throat.

A millennia of paranoia pass.

Then, he smiled. Cruel, greedy, eager.

He answered.

"Your sanity."

And the world turned white.

From a distance, I hear the sirens calling to me.

I hold onto the boy's hand.

They don't understand.

It wasn't an illness.

I don't need help.

It was my beginning.

No one would understand.

No one alive would.

Leaning against the railings of his small balcony, Tsuna sighed deeply and let his mind wander. As of tomorrow, semester break would begin. It only meant another pointless rest period on his part. For someone like him, there weren't many options open for him to take, especially since he didn't have friends, and he didn't exactly have a good reputation. Well, he didn't have a reputation, period. Wait. He did. He was always the dame boy no matter where he went.

"So much for being dame-Tsuna." The lone man muttered under his breath, a tired sigh escaping his lips. It was the same routine. A decade didn't change what he was perceived as. University didn't even contribute to anything because his hometown was Namimori—a small town where everyone knew practically everyone.

A small rumor would become the next big news in a matter of hours. Unfortunately, according to the gossip mill, Sawada Tsunayoshi was the biggest loser of the century. With the current generation being as vain as Narcissus, no one would dare be in his presence in fear of being ostracized. Welcome to my life.

Loud peals of laughter disturbed his train of thoughts. His gaze settled on a group of teens crowding around the new fruit stand. Tsuna watched them interact with another, his eyes intense and calculating. A minute passed and another and he would have continued watching the unsuspecting group if a small sparrow didn't land on his nest of a hair again. The brunet gasped realizing a bit late that he did that without noticing.

Releasing another sigh, the brunet turned away from the view of the market below his balcony, bringing along with him the small sparrow snuggling against his hair. Tsuna wisely ignored the little bird on his hair. Past experience taught him that letting the small things get enough of his hair was the best course of action. He didn't want bird droppings on his hair again.

Back on the matter at hand, he hated doing that. That being a creepier version of observation which bordered on stalking. Well, it wasn't his fault! Most of his Psychology teachers encouraged their students to be more observant. To watch, analyse, and interpret bodily movements. A simple twitch of the eye could indicate a lie; a small flinch of the fingers was a sign of wariness, while tucking one's hair behind an ear sometimes showed paranoia.

Body language was a mode of communication all on its own. As someone being geared to understand the human psyche, it was another language he needed to speak and master. Coupled with his strange ability, Tsuna sometimes went overboard. More often than not, he gets too caught up with his 'analyses' that he sometimes forgets to be discreet. A few slaps here and there, numerous accusations of perversion and whatnot forced him to stop his unsightly habit, but it doesn't mean he stopped entirely.

On few occasions, his intuition would trigger his body to respond and his eyes would automatically latch on his subject for the day. Maybe, that's another reason why people tended to steer clear from him. Apparently, the biggest loser of the century was also a maniac in disguise. Tsuna rubbed his forehead in frustration. Ugh. This is giving me a headache.

He was tired of this. Things needed to change and fast. This was his last chance to do anything remotely out of routine. After this semester break, he would be at his last year in university. Once he obtained his degree, he would be off to Italy to start a new life as an intern in one of the many hospitals his grandfather owned.

It wasn't nepotism, mind you. The psychiatrist he wanted to learn from was working full-time in Italy's most prominent hospital, Instituo Humanitas, another institution under Timoteo's name. Well, his grandfather was filthy rich so what else could he say?

Nimble fingers locked the door behind him before he walked down the hallway. His mind was once again lugged with numerous thoughts. How does one change their lifestyle just like that? All his life Tsuna followed one iron clad rule, "Never ever go where the tingles are." It was a stupid rule but it's the main reason why he was still alive today. His Hyper Intuition may be a burden but he used it almost all the time.

Tsuna pursed his lips in a frown. Well, he was abusing said burden but at least he survived each day because of it, and that was enough reason to utilize it to its full use. Besides, it's not as if he could turn it off whenever he wanted to. He tried countless times, honestly, but nothing seemed to work. When a dozen—or was that a hundred?—tries completely blew up in his face, the tired man stopped trying altogether.

As a matter of fact, it's not that bad knowing things people wouldn't dream of ever knowing but like all good things, his ability had a downside. Like the stupid racing of his heart, overbearing headache, and even the worst case of goose bumps whenever the situation veered towards the dangerous side. Safe to say his survival instincts were genetically designed to keep his sorry ass alive as long as possible.

Maybe, that's also the reason why he's so useless. His mother always used to say, "God was fair. He doesn't give you more than you need just enough for you to be content." Truth be told, Tsuna wasn't a religious man, but he was starting to believe it altogether. He wasn't entirely useless if the saying was true because his dame-ness was balanced out by his strange senses. Tsuna sighed for the umpteenth time when a bell rang loudly from his left.

"Step right up ladies and gentlemen! Try your luck and get a chance to win an all expense paid trip abroad! Come right up!" A cheerful old man bellowed at the top of his lungs, garnering the attention of the masses loitering about.

Tsuna saw a small stand just in front of a gadget store littered with cards and a lottery ballot just beside the scattered cards. A minute later and people were hunkering to get in line to try their 'luck' as the man had stated. Tsuna watched the on-goings with an amused smile. It wasn't everyday that a normal store would announce such an expensive price. Actually, it didn't happen.

Namimori was not known for housing rich individuals. Therefore, it didn't come as a surprise that the townspeople would be vying for the rare prize. His senses tingled pleasantly and it didn't take much thinking on his part to understand what it meant. Something good was going to happen and he just knew it. Tsuna rolled his eyes. Was he trying to mock himself? The brunet shrugged.

Tsuna turned on his heels and walked with leisure steps towards a nearby food stand. Well, he may be no good most of the time but when it came to his intuition, he never has been wrong yet. With that in mind, he bought a variety of food items and sat down on a bench overlooking the stand crowded with the most people.

He just had a feeling that he needed to stick around for much longer. He didn't mind though. It's not as if he had anything better to do. Tsuna smiled small. At least it was a stark difference than when he mopes around his apartment all day. Yeah, it's small but it's something different for once.

…

Different, my ass.

Tsuna was bored. His eyes dropped and he felt his body sag when he saw another man moving out of the line with sad eyes. This stupid lottery thingamajig had been going on for five hours now and not one had won. While the line was decreasing, the store owner's income was increasing. The brunet snorted loudly. It was a good marketing strategy to say the least but he was willing to bet a million yen that the old man from before had a few tricks under his sleeves.

People were really too naïve at times. Such a big prize wouldn't be easily attained. Like the saying goes, "For every wish, there's an equivalent price." Whatever. Tsuna mused. But I'm getting tired of this. He slowly stood from his seat, stretched his stiff limbs, and groaned softly when he felt his joints pop. Throwing away all his trash at a nearby trash bin, he quickly made his way towards Ginzo, a novelty and gadget shop rolled into one.

It was time he ended this farce and unfortunately for the store owner, Tsuna had one thing he could never cheat on. A small smirk formed on his lips as he settled in line. It was still a long line actually but waiting like this was no problem. Another thirty minutes wouldn't stain his five-hour record.

Before long, Tsuna found himself standing behind the lady trying out the lottery game. He stared down at his feet willing his right foot to stop tapping impatiently. It was his turn next but he couldn't stop his senses from going haywire.

"Maa, it's alright lady, better luck next time." The old man cheerily waved away another customer and Tsuna tried not to roll his eyes at the obvious delight in the man's eyes. Yes yes, another customer fooled and more money for my tools. He grimaced at his thoughts before his gaze connected with the host of the game.

"Hello there, young sir! Our game only allows a customer one try and its worth 1000 yen." Huh. Pricey. Well, if you get to go abroad for a measly thousand yen, then why not? Without hesitation, Tsuna fished a few bills and coins from his pocket, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration at the cards laid out before him. Without looking up, he placed the coins on the table, his gaze still glued to the cards. The old man eagerly pocketed the coins and laughed in jest.

"Eager, are we?" Tsuna barely glanced at the smiling man, not interested in the least to engage in conversation. Not when there were still dozens in line waiting for their chance.

"So what do I do?" He replied, suddenly getting excited.

The stout host clapped his hands and smiled wide. "One game is equivalent to five tries. For the fifteen cards in my hand, you have to find the king of hearts two out of five before you're entitled to roll the lottery ballot."

Tsuna quirked an eyebrow in response. "So basically you show me all your cards before flipping them over and shuffling everything and I choose, right?"

"Yes, that's it. You ready?" Tsuna mulled over the mechanics of the game. It was easy enough but with fifteen cards on the field, it would be tricky. Well, it was a game of luck. It's now or never, I guess. He shrugged.

"Sure, go ahead." For a second, there was a strange pause as the man flipped over all the cards. The king of hearts was placed at middle of the neatly arranged cards.

"Take a good look and I'll start at your signal."A quick glance and he nodded. The old man systematically flipped the cards down and shuffled the deck as fast as he could. Eh? The hell? Tsuna resisted the urge to gape. This man was legit! He shuffled the cards like some expert dealer in a world-class casino!

The people behind him peeked over his shoulder wanting to see how he would fare against this challenge. The brunet sighed and scratched his cheek. He wasn't sure about this anymore. Seconds passed and the shuffling stopped abruptly. Tsuna watched with keen eyes and waited with bathed breath. It wasn't long before all the cards were once more laid out before him. The dealer smiled smugly up at him, daring him to pick a card.

"Go ahead, choose." The store owner goaded, his demeanor showed how confident he was of his skills. I'm doomed. Tsuna mourned silently as he stared at the 15 cards.

"Pick a card already!" Someone hollered from the back. The brunet flinched. He didn't need to look back to see the irritated stares boring down his back.

With a tired sigh, Tsuna settled one hand on the table, and slowly reached to a random card when a wisp of a tingle stopped him inches from his chosen card. The brunet froze for a moment, his eyes widening at the implication. Of course, Tsuna reflected as he moved his hand from one end of the row to the card just two ways down from the last on the far right, I have 'that'.

"It's this." Tsuna tapped the card and watched as the dealer flipped the card over. The King of Hearts seemed like a beacon of hope to the many observers around him as they roared at the first success of the day.

"Nice try."

The smile directed at him by the old man was strained but Tsuna responded with equal fervour. He wasn't going down so easily, not when it was his 'burden of a gift' in question. Sadly, it was his to his misfortune that this 'success' of his was starting to attract attention. Well, why wouldn't it? Out of all the hundreds who had tried the past hours, only one was able to get lucky and at first try too!

"Another four tries, right?" Tsuna inquired and watched with satisfaction as the man behind the booth frowned.

"Yes, another four, but being the first one who succeeded, I'd like to propose something." Tsuna stared dubiously at him but nodded nonetheless.

"Why don't we up the cards to 28 cards? If you get to choose the king of hearts, then you take everything, but if you don't, then you lose your three tries. What about it?" Quick to dive for the kill, hmm? Out of the corner of his eye, Tsuna saw the people gathered around becoming listless.

"Take the offer, dude!"

"Oi, oi, that's unfair! Give us a chance!"

"Go with the deal!"

"You can do it!"

Tsuna sweat dropped at the massive response to the offer. The loud cheering of the people was beginning to make him nervous. If they get any louder, surely, the feared Disciplinary Committee, DC for short, would come snooping around. Currently, he didn't wish for a death sentence via a man named Hibari Kyoya. Until now, that fearsome enforcer of Namimori's rules still made sure that peace was kept around his hometown.

"So, what would it be?"

Tsuna bit his lip uncertainly. What did he have to lose anyway? Well, I'd be called a coward if I refused and a loser if I lose. Either way, it would turn out as a lose-lose situation for him while the owner would get a win-win, which he was trying to prevent in the first place. Ugh. What did I get myself into?

"Fine, I'll take you up on your offer." His answer caused a ripple of loud yells around the multitude of people. Tsuna cursed inwardly. Damn it, shut the hell up, why don't you? If the leader of DC himself went over him, everyone would get a beating of a lifetime. He shuddered at the wayward thought.

"Wise choice, sir! And here we go." The dealer merrily laid down 28 cards all facing upwards. He turned to him with a smile that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"Ready?"

Tsuna nodded quickly, wishing with all his might that this game would be over soon. Just like before, the old man was quick to do his job. The cards flashed before his eyes in rapid succession as the cards were shuffled one after the other in rapid succession. A minute passed in hushed silence when the cards were laid out on the table in four columns and seven rows.

"Pick your lucky card." There was a tinge of arrogance in the man's voice obviously knowing that he wins this round. Tsuna defiantly frowned back. Sure, he had about a probability of four percent to get it right but he wouldn't lose here. That four percent was all he needed for that one chance to success. He was useless, yes, but he wasn't one who gave up easily.

"Choose the bottom on the deck!"

"Choose the leftmost card at upper left!"

"Just choose already so we can get our chance!"

Ignoring everyone else, Tsuna's gaze zeroed in on the cards placed before him, his fingers hovering over one card to another. He couldn't feel his senses prickling so maybe his ability wouldn't work with these many cards but he still needed to try. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and out deeply.

Looking like an idiot with his breathing exercises were the least of his worries, but he so badly wanted to win . Not because he'd be a laughingstock if he lost but because he wanted to show everyone that he could be a winner for once. Even though his circumstances were strange, he was determined to win, and win he shall. Another deep breath and his senses prickled harshly. With much effort, he gently placed a finger against one card despite the goose bumps marring his skin.

"The King of Hearts, I believe is this, ne?"

Tsuna didn't wait for a reply as he flipped the card over. Everything was silent before the booming noise overwhelmed the whole shopping district. The red card glared back at him and the brunet smiled shyly at the fuming owner, his cheeks flushed at the attention he was being showered with. He was uncomfortable but he felt slightly better than being ignored most of the time.

"Winner takes all, Yamaguchi-san." Tsuna uttered slowly as if relishing every word that spew from his mouth.

"I win."

…

A midst all the good cheer, one man leaned against the lamp post on the far side of the crowd. His form partly covered by the shadows of the nearby alley. His sharp eyes had watched everything from afar. What possessed him to stop and linger by a back alley instead of meeting his associate was beyond him. However, ignoring a mass of people all concentrated in one place was hard.

The crowding had been suffocating though so he opted to observe at a safe distance. And anyone there could be an enemy in disguise. He had to be careful since he was in foreign waters and his people wouldn't appreciate a wounded leader when he gets back. The noise became overwhelming and it didn't take his genius to know that the young man playing the game had won.

"Bravo." He whispered quietly, his face set in frigid mask. Strange, he mused, very strange. He took in everything playing out before him. Something was misplaced and he was sure to find out. Spurned by this mild curiosity, his eyes narrowed, his gaze now solely focused on the man being showered with praise. Something will show, he had never been wrong before and he will not be wrong now. He will wait patiently, just like a predator to its prey.

Then it was there that Tsuna felt a small tingle slowly progressing down his spine to his limbs to his very core. He froze instantly. It was intense and mild at the same time. Before he could identify what it was, the feeling was gone in an instant but the harsh flinch his body gave off didn't go unnoticed.

Brilliant, golden eyes widened for a second before they narrowed into slits. A small smile broke through his cold mask yet it went unnoticed as the owner of those intriguing golden eyes disappeared completely from view. The brunet looked around panicking for absolutely no reason at all. Nameless faces of the strangers greeted him instead and nothing else. There was something amiss. He just knew it.

Something transpired that day and Tsuna was subconsciously aware of it. The irony of his situation was laughable at best but he understood that day that he made a mistake. Somehow, the first considered win in his life inadvertently caused the beginning of the chain events which would lead to his ultimate loss.

Though unaware of this fact, somewhere along the lines, his mistake caught the attention of one man he should never have met in his entire life. There was only one thing he understood. Even if he didn't believe the spiritual, Sawada Tsunayoshi believed in one absolute fact of life.

"There is no such thing as coincidence in this world, there is only the inevitable."

And so it was that the flood gates of Hell appeared,

The fool, and oh such a brilliant fool he was, would never be heard of again.

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Completed: August 10, 2013