Chapter 1- Man in Cloak

Toshiro was walking by the hall. He was quite tired for today's mission, so he decided to go back to his room early. It was already night time, and the hall was quite dark. And it was too quiet.

Strange…

He sensed something wrong. He observed the hallway, although it was dark, the light from the window could lighten the area on where he was standing, even if it was just faint. Nothing seemed out of place. But he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was there. That someone was watching him.

Then he saw it.

His vision was altered; it was an illusion all along. It slowly revealed its through form, a path in the forest.

I can't believe I've been tricked with just a mere illusion!

"Its not just a mere illusion, Captain Hitsugaya, its one of the well-made illusions that no one can see through." He jumped when he heard the voice. A shadow descended from the bushes. He was wearing a cloak and he was surprisingly tall. Toshiro took out his sword and pointed it at him. "Who are you?"

The man kept silent for a few minutes before he replied. Toshiro could see his malicious smile under the dark big cloak.

"You don't need to know."

Then a few people with cloaks on dashed towards him.

"Bankai!" He dashed at the men, he sliced every one of them, but before he realized his mistake…

slash,

a sword pierced through his stomach. Toshiro bent down with pain, he could see his blood, dripping on the ground.

"They are all just illusions; you taught you really defeated them, hmm? Such a fine young boy, the youngest of the captains. But no one can alter my masterpiece. Don't worry, I won't kill you, not yet."

An evil laugh rang toshiro's ears as his eyes began to feel heavy. The man carried him, and the last thing he heard was…

"Next target… kikuchi Rukia."

Rukia angrily stomped her feet while walking.

"Ichigo is so immature! So annoying! So disgusting! I hate him!" She angrily shouted. She and Ichigo were in a big fight and Rukia stormed outside. She went to the park to freshen up her mind, although it was already night, and there were no people outside and Ichigo had warned her not to go out at a very late hour at night. "Don't care what ichigo says, I can take care of myself." Then a gust of wind came, and it somehow passed her ear. Her hairs went up as she heard somewhat like whispers from an unknown element around her.

"Be careful, Rukia. Don't let them have you." The voice sent chills down her spine. She began to observe her surroundings. Everything was quite normal. But she began to feel uneasy.

That voice… It was Toshiro's voice.

Just then she heard rustling in the bushes.

"Ichigo?"

There was no reply.

"Ichigo, it's not funny! Quit playing pranks with me, I had it with you!"

"Oh really? You had it with that substitute shinigami? Why don't you just take back what you gave to him and kill him?" A man in a cloak appeared behind her. She quickly took out her sword and faced the man.

"Who are you?"

"You shinigami always ask the same question. And I always tell them the same answer, You don't need to know"

The man dashed towards Rukia but she quickly dodged. Then suddenly a dozen men with cloaks surrounded and attacked her. She slashed them one by one, making sure that they didn't stand up again. When she finished them all, she turned to the man who first appeared to her. "Who are you and what do you want?" The man gave off an evil laugh.

"You're all the same, who are you? What do you want? What do you need?... I think I got a little chit-chatty here, not with that boy shinigami, the young one, what's his name? Oh, toshiro I think?"

Just then her surroundings became pure black, she couldn't see anything,

an illusion

but before she got to counter the illusion, she was stabbed on the stomach, it pierced and she cried in pain. The man was slowly approaching her. Rukia could not think of a plan. The pain was interrupting her thoughts. It was a different kind of pain, one she did not encountered before. They were alone, and she knew all too well that no one can help her right now.

Then, she heard someone call her name, and suddenly her surroundings become normal again. She saw ichigo dashing towards the man in cloak, but before Ichigo can even swing his sword, he disappeared.

Ichigo came to her. "Rukia! What happ—oh shit…" He saw Rukia's outfit covered in blood. Her eyes were twitching. Rukia's eyes slowly closed, and Ichigo desperately calls her name over and over again.

"Rukia! Stay with me! You'll be alright, I'll bring you to Inoue!" With a worried look, he carried rukia and ran to inoue's house.