Prologue

Hide's P.O.V

Pain.

I thought that was the last thing that I'd ever feel before the icy clutches of death took hold of me for all eternity and never let go. I don't know why I thought that though to be honest. I guess I really wasn't thinking at the time now that I think about for the truth of the matter was that I had a lot more important things on my mind at the time. More important things such as seeing Kaneki one last time…letting him know that I knew the truth all along…that I wasn't scared or disgusted with him…and that I just wanted to go back home with him…just the two of us and nobody else…

I guess that was certainly a lot of things that needed to be said in such a short amount of time and yet, somehow I had managed to find the strength to get through them all. Pretty impressive right? Especially for somebody who can be quite an airhead at times and don't try to tell me otherwise. I know that I can be quite clueless at times and it's something that I've come to realize about myself but enough about that. I believe I'm getting off topic now. Anyway, as I was saying, It had been hard as hell to say all that I wanted to say but still, I was able to say what I wanted to and say it to the one person that mattered the most. The only thing that sucked though was that those words had come at a price and that price was my final breaths…dramatic right?

I had tried to not let Kaneki know the true level of pain I was in as I spoke and I had done a decent job of hiding the truth from my friend until my legs decided to call my bluff and I ended up stumbling blindly like a drunken fool. I knew that I really had no right to complain after what all he had endured from the information I had managed to acquire during my investigations and for the first time in my life, I knew when to keep my big mouth shut. I know, shocker right? Another first for me it seems. Even when I felt the warm blood inside of me gushing out from between my fingers as I tried my best to slow the bleeding of my own wound, I kept my mouth shut. I honestly don't know how I managed to do it but somehow I did and was able to express my true feelings before I felt it…

The searing pain in my side that I could no longer ignore no matter how badly I wanted to. The sudden spinning of the world around me was just as overpowering as the searing pain and before I knew it, I was stumbling forward, against my will might I add, and straight into Kaneki's waiting arms. Alright…so perhaps I didn't do too good of hiding the massive amount of pain that I was in, if Kaneki had prepared to catch me even before I fell. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised though for Kaneki had always been the smart one even when we were younger and it was nice to see that even now, some things hadn't changed…

Oh how I wish that things had never changed and oh I wish so badly for things to return back to the way that they used to be. Change is not always bad, I understand that but in this case, change is definitely a bad thing and I'll tell you why. If things had never changed, then maybe I wouldn't be here right now. Surrounded by a building that was completely covered in flames and lying on my best friend's lap as I try to ward off death's impending appearance. I feel each breath becoming shorter and nearly impossible to accomplish as I lay on Kaneki's lap with my eyes closed. I know that time is running out if I don't even have the strength to keep my eyes open and so I have no choice but to lay here in Kaneki's lap, which is quite comfortable might I add. Now if only it weren't so stinkin' hot and smelled of burning wood then it'd be a bit more bearable though I guess it doesn't matter now. I can feel it starting to come now, Death as she approaches my weakened body, and I know that in a matter of moments…it will be all over which leads me to what I had started to talk about in the beginning.

Now one would think, that in my final moments on this human plane, that the only thing I'd be capable of feeling would be pain. Nothing but pure agonizing pain since well…you know why. Anyway, believe it or not, the pain wasn't the last thing I felt as I felt my consciousness start to fade out and the last thing I did feel was something cold and something wet. A tear. A single tear. I knew that it wasn't rain for it wasn't raining out and it wasn't snow because we were inside. That was how I had managed to deduce that what I had felt on my cheek was a tear and not just any tear but Kaneki's tear…

My friend…my dear friend had managed to shed a tear despite the fact that ghouls were rumored to be incapable of feeling any emotions. The mere thought of Kaneki reflecting even the slightest bit of his humanity had enabled me to manage enough strength to form a small smile and the last thing I think before the darkness completely takes over is how happy I am that my dear friend…is still capable of feeling. My Tokyo Ghoul is not completely lost to the flesh craving ghoul within and how could I not be happy about that…

And that…is the last coherent thought my fading brain is able to come up with before the darkness finally takes hold of everything and I fall into the dark void of absolutely nothingness…

Goodbye Kaneki…I will see you again…I promise you this…I promise…

To Be Continued….