Eep, I haven't posted anything in a really long time. Sorry. :c I also deleted two of my old stories. They were embarrassing. Sorry. :c

I'm not even sure whether I want to post this one or not. I've had this story lying around in my 'y not' folder for months now along with like 50 others but I never have enough confidence to post anything longer than a single chapter one-shot. I guess I'll decide from the feedback whether I'm going to update or delete. Please let me know what you think~

Also... there's a possibility I might rewrite this in 3rd person. I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm thinking about later chapters. Ehh!

[[Hmm... warnings? I guess maybe I should. Strong themes. Sexual content. Shizaya. You know, the works.]]

Lights

How long has it been?

Days?

No... definitely weeks. I couldn't be sure, my perception of time was way off. My eyes have learned to adjust to the dark by now, although there was no life behind them. I was only a shell. An empty void of life. That's all that remained of Izaya Orihara.

My eyes fixate on the few items that I can see surrounding me. I can see boxes on the floor. I can see a tiny window on the wall to my left. I can see the stairs at the other end of the room. I can see my torn up jacket lying on the floor not too far from my feet. Did they even realize how cold it was down here? I had no strength left to fight back, no matter how much I told myself to. My hands refused to move. My legs couldn't push my body off the ground. I could barely keep my head up. My flick blade was out of reach and any muscle that I had was deteriorating. The only thing I could feel was the cold floor and the metal around my wrists. My eyes were now fixated on the tiny sliver of light shining through the cracked door at the top of the stairs. My only chance of escape, my glimpse of survival, my hope of freedom. My only reminder that there was still a world beyond this room that I was bound to. That my lovely humans were still hard at work without me watching over them. That the city hasn't gone quiet yet...

But that could change in an instant.

The moment the light grew wider, I felt my heart sink.

Already?

Footsteps echoed through the room and I watched the light disappear along with the slamming of the door which caused me to flinch. My ears were not accustom to noise in the least bit. I am left in silence for the most part.

I swore it's only been a few hours.

I remained as still as possible, as if that would negate my presence, as if that would cause the footsteps nearing me to suddenly stop and turn around. To leave me in peace for a little bit longer. To forget that I even exist. What could I possibly do in this position? I held my breath.

"Orihara, why so quiet, haah?" the voice called out to me sarcastically. I haven't spoken a word to these people since they placed me in this prison. I could not see the face of the man speaking to me, but I recognized his voice well. There were two others with him.

"Are you ready to talk yet?" the man spat at me, his voice was vile. It made me sick to my overly empty stomach. My arms tugged at their restraints, even though putting forth the effort was pointless.

The man knelt before me and placed his hand on my cheek.

"You really need to reconsider who you think you're dealing with here, or do you need to be put in your place? I know I wouldn't mind."

The man was trying to anger me. He probably thinks that getting a rise out of me would result in me telling him the information his gang was seeking. He's the one who doesn't know who he's dealing with. Why else would they place me here? Isolate me and try to break me this way?

Because of this profession I've chosen. That's the reason I'm here after all, in this ridiculous mess. It's been weeks, it has to have been weeks; I haven't said a word. I know something they don't, something they need. But I refuse to let it slip. Normally, I wouldn't care. In practically any other scenario I would have just handed over the information and been done with it. This specific case would involve people I don't dare bring into this twisted world. I wouldn't sell this information in a million years.

They'll have to kill me first.

I remained silent, my hazy eyes wearily gazed up at his angry ones. I gave him the best death glare I could manage before I felt his fist collide with my cheek. I couldn't even fall all the way to the ground because of how tightly my arms were bound above my head.

"You piece of shit, we've been through this countless times. I will get this information from you if it's the last thing I do. You have no idea the trouble you got yourself into when you involved yourself with that monster."

'Monster'

I form a coy smile. I am reminded of a certain blond. Even though these people say monster it in a different sense, his name can't help but force itself into my mind. I pulled myself up, ignoring all the pain that accompanied my shoulders. I was lightheaded from the lack of nutrience, I had no chance of fighting back now. The man leaned in towards me.

"Looks like you leave me no choice then," the man whispered quietly against my ear. My restraints were opened and I fell with a hard thud to the ground. I told myself that this was my chance. That I had to gather up the strength from somewhere and run right in this very moment or I might never get the chance to again. My hands pushed against the flat surface of the ground trying to steady myself in order to take off running. But I couldn't. My arms shook violently as they attempted to push my frail body up off the ground. The moment I managed to get myself up, I felt a hard kick to my side.

"Keep him down," the man demanded. I felt strong hands come in contact with my arms.

Nostalgia.

I wonder whether or not anybody has noticed that I haven't been on the streets of Ikebukuro. He's probably so relieved...

A hand traveled up my torn shirt. I shivered with disgust; this filthy man's hands exploring my bruised skin, he didn't deserve to touch me. Who the hell does this bastard think he is?

I turn away when he begins to bite my neck. I have to shift into stand by... right now in this very second. Shut off all my senses, leave my mind blank, shift into a neutral mode until this nightmare was over. How did I, a God of the people, fall to something this pathetic? How did they get their hands on me in the first place?

And even as I'm shutting my mind down, the golden eyes of that monster shine vividly in my memories. Why of all times am I remembering that color now. Why when I'm being belittled like this...

Maybe it's because they're the last thing I remember seeing before ending up here. Maybe because there is nothing else in this world that can scare me. I choose to believe that he wouldn't have sold me out to people like this. That Shizuo didn't associate with people like this.

Who am I kidding?

I can feel the cold floor come into contact with my skin. I'm no longer clothed.

Shut down.

Shut down before it's too late.

I allow my vision to blur. I can no longer make out any objects around me, only clusters of dulled colors moving around me. I can still identify the sultry laughter coming from above me. I let it fade out.

Pain. Immense pain tears through my body and I could not stop a scream from leaving my throat, try as I might.

The hands.

There are too many hands on my skin. I hate it, it sickens me. It's slowly causing me to lose my mind.

The feeling soon numbs and disappears, along with the ceiling I was staring at. The horrid sound of their laughter eventually fades as well until I am left with nothing but a blank memory.

A memory of the city at night and the way its light shines. The way it shines when I'm standing on the rooftop of my apartment and the way I never fail to find who or what I am looking for. The way it was all in my control; the driving forces that played directly into my hands, and the never empty streets. The colors, the myths, the abnormalities, they all seemed to blend together in this perfect harmony that kept everything moving forward. The wonderful sound of my name being called, the rush that accompanies a chase, and the calm that soon follows after.

This city owes me for its life, and this is all I am.

Was this too short? Ehhh. If I update I promise the next chapter will be much longer. Please leave reviews, I'm not even sure whether I should bother with this story. Reviews would make me happy.