The Shadow in the Black Coat

(Verse 1)
The flute plays a note that doesn't want to land
While the cigarette ash paints a line in the sand
I’ve got a habit of blending into the gray
Of wearing a smile that just gets in the way
I remember a boy with a laugh like a bell
Who believed in a heaven and feared every hell
Now the mirror shows a stranger with a heavy stride
And a thousand ghosts hitching a ride inside.

(Pre-Chorus)
I used to be the spark, I used to be the flame
Now I’m just a shadow of a forgotten name
I’ll take the strange flavors, the bitter and the cold
Because the story of the hero is a lie that’s been told.

(Chorus)
And I’m the gale that breaks the oak in the night
But I’m the reed that bows when the wind hits right
Behind the milky white, behind the blue disguise
There’s a war still raging in these hollow eyes
I built a fortress out of silence and stone
A king of a ruin, standing alone
Yeah, the crown was heavy, the price was too steep
Now I’ve got secrets that the dead have to keep.

(Verse 2)
White eyes see the truth, but the heart wants a veil
A Henge for the soul so the spirit doesn't fail
I remember the blood under Hien’s red sky
The look in Seitaro’s eyes when I told him "goodbye"
I tried to be mercy, I tried to be light
But you can’t stop a landslide in the middle of a fight
Then came the "Five," and the world fell apart
And Zero left a void where I used to have a heart.

(Pre-Chorus)
I used to trust the wind, I used to trust the hand
Now I’m drawing borders in a shifting sand
I’ll take the quiet hours, the smoke and the haze
Lost in the rhythm of these colorless days.

(Chorus)
And I’m the gale that breaks the oak in the night
But I’m the reed that bows when the wind hits right
Behind the milky white, behind the blue disguise
There’s a war still raging in these hollow eyes
I built a fortress out of silence and stone
A king of a ruin, standing alone
Yeah, the crown was heavy, the price was too steep
Now I’ve got secrets that the dead have to keep.

(Bridge)
(Slow down the tempo, atmospheric synth)
Aiko’s still the anchor in the crashing sea
The only one who remembers who I used to be
And my sister’s in the blossoms, while I’m in the rain
Different lands, different lives, but the same kind of pain
I’m not looking for the spotlight, I’m not chasing the gold
Just a place where the loyalty is the only thing hold.

(Guitar Solo - Melodic, slightly melancholic pop-rock feel)

(Chorus)
And I’m the gale that breaks the oak in the night
But I’m the reed that bows when the wind hits right
Behind the milky white, behind the blue disguise
There’s a war still raging in these hollow eyes
I built a fortress out of silence and stone
A king of a ruin, standing alone
Yeah, the crown was heavy, the price was too steep
Now I’ve got secrets that the dead have to keep.

(Outro)
(Fade out with the sound of a distant flute)
Just a shadow in a black coat...
Walking soft, walking slow...
The wind is dying down now.
And I’ve finally got nowhere to go.
Nowhere to go.
Just breathe.