"Rumors, mhm?" I raised a brow, "what makes you think she's alive anyways?"

His eyes averted away from mine to the ground. A smile crawled on his thin lips as his bangs covered his eyes. He straightened his back and tucked his hands in his pockets.

"Well, there are some theories to explain the rumors," he looked up again, his eyes sharp, "first theory is that Yami had another successor who looked identical to her. That successor took her place during the kidnapping incident. It is assumed that Yami had a way to communicating for help when she was trapped in her father's basement."
"So the assumed successor killed herself at the end, while everyone thought it was Yami." I said, placing a hand on my waist.
"Bullshit." Ayato-kun rolled his eyes.
"The next theory is that she did not actually kill herself. She may have plunged her fist into her chest, but she may have regenerate a new heart in place." He stated.
"Nonsense. Is that even possible?" I asked, raising a brow.
"Well, your question leads to another theory." He held no expression on his face. I can't believe this is the same being who cried for days after her death.
"And that is?" Ayato-kun questioned.
"She might be a hybrid. A mix of a ghoul and some other creature." Toshi answered.
"Is there another theory?" I asked.

Toshi simply shook his head as he looked at me once more. At that brief moment, I noticed how dull and inanimate his eyes were. Depression and darkness seemed to cling onto him like old friends.

"The little game you're playing now with an unknown being might lead you to her coincidentally." He tilted his head slowly and slightly, as if trying to challenge me onto something.
"How do you know about the game?" I asked.

He didn't reply. The corners of his lips lifted up a bit into a crooked smile. He turned around and begin walking away from us.

"Just step down from your position. You're nothing compared to the actual Mad Hatter, Enomoto Hitomi." He replied, emphasizing my name in a disgusted way.

I gritted my teeth, clutching my fists. Ayato-kun leaped forward and grabbed Toshi's collar from behind, causing him to choke.

"You might make this easier for us by telling us the truth." Ayato-kun spat.

Toshi grabbed his wrist and pulled it away. He sneered at him, and then let out a deep laugh. The transition between his reactions was almost bizarre, as if he has already lost control over his emotional status. It makes me think what an odd creature he is. After all, he is the runaway patient number 48. If he didn't run away in the first place, he might have some control over himself now.

Do I care about him or whatever he does? Not anymore.

"Don't touch me again." Toshi hissed suddenly, narrowing his pupils at Ayato-kun. Just as I was about to interfere between them, Ayato-kun took a sudden step backwards with a flinch. That wasn't him. He never backed away from his enemies.

Satisfied, Toshi smirked and turned around.

"What the hell did you do to him?" I threatened.
"Nothing you should be concerned about," Toshi begin walking away, "just remember what I told you."

After he walked away, I approached Ayato-kun slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. He immediately flinched as a response, but relaxed later. Toshi must have done something horrifying to him, but what could it be? A glare couldn't possibly scare Ayato-kun, right? Preposterous. Toshi must have been getting stronger and stronger each day, and here I am underestimating him.

Another dangerous enemy.

"What did he do to you?" I asked.
"He..I don't know how he did it, but..I had a dreadful flashback of the past.." He whispered, taking in a deep breath.

When he mentioned about a dreadful flashback, I knew what he meant. I knew almost about everything he has been through.

But he doesn't know about mine.

"He's just trying to weaken you. Don't let him get into you, Ayato-kun." I tried to reassure him.

He simply nodded, a blank look on his eyes. He's in fact one of the most difficult people to comfort, for I suppose he never actually did have someone to comfort him after what had happened to him in the past. At times like this, I don't want to look like a stupid, lovesick girl, but instead, I held out my hand towards him. This may look like one of those scenes from romantic and cliche movies, which is why I said I don't want to look like a love fool. But if you have gone through trauma, you could sympathize with someone who has experienced it too, right?

He slipped his hand into my mine and squeezed it for reassurance. Ayato-kun may seem strong, very strong, but he gets defeated by his own emotions and fears sometimes. I cannot sympathize with that aspect very well because I bury my own feelings instead. I'm heartless. I'm a monster as they all say, and monsters don't feel as they used to before.

Carve someone into a monster and you'll never see the light.

"Let's go home."

|||

(A/N) Can you guys believe I haven't updated in almost a year? I'm so sorry to all the people who were looking forward to this story :( are anyone of you still here? It's kinda foolish for me to hope that, smh