Soo… I want to say I am really sorry my English are so rusty and I always had issues with English grammar so I am really sorry for my mistakes and the long time It took me to post this 3
Touka woke up early the next morning. To be honest, she didn't slept at all. She wait and wait until the sun was rising and she got up from the bed. She enter the bathroom and took a quick shower. She look herself at her mirror. The steams from the hot water made her reflection foggy but it was better that way. She wrap herself in a big, fluffy towel and exit the shower carefully. Her hand touch the place above her heart unconsciously. She had a bad feeling. She could feel her chest heavy with every breath she took. She chose to ignore that feeling and get ready for her busy day. She had an early class but that had to wait until she could drop off her son at the kindergarten. She look at her clock. She had an hour and half until the time to wake up her son.
She walk toward her kitchen, feeling her legs heavy. She had years to feel so tired and vulnerable. She press the button to her coffee machine and open her agenda. She had a class at 9.30 that would last about two hours and then she had a thirty minutes break before she had to go to work. She had a five hours shift and then she could pick up her son from Kazuki's office. Due to her full program, Kazuki was the one that was picking him up from kindergarten every evening. Yoru loved Kazuki's office. He could sit on his high chair and drawing on his tablet. The privileges about working on the country's most popular newspaper. Touka rise her head and spotted the drawings pinned on their fridge.
Yoru had a nature talent on drawing even from this young age. Everyone could see it. Especially his teacher, who encourage him more and more and that was the reason that Touka was working two jobs and was studying hard. She wanted to provide him everything he ever wanted. She wanted him to follow his passion, even if he was too young now to even know what the word "passion" meant.
But Touka was there. She could see the way his adorable face lit when she bought him his tiny easel and some watercolors. He was too careful to not mess anything and too kind to ask for more when something was running low. Like his father. And Touka knew both of them extremely well to figure when an watercolor was running low or a dove was on their trail. She let out a sigh and shook her head. No more Kaneki thoughts, she murmured to herself and took the coffee pot and pour the brown liquid to a big mug. She took two big sips while she was checking her mails. Some newsletters, some fan mails from the readers of the newspaper and some article themes from her editor. She rolled her eyes. When she agreed to work as a columnist to the same newspaper Kazuki worked she couldn't ever imagine herself be that occupied with it.
It start with an article about postpartum depression. She really need those money and she gave it a shot. She couldn't imagine that the sales of the newspaper will be increased by 25% after her first article. When the next week's paper came with another article of her about being a single mom in a big city that wasn't her home and the newspaper's office filled with fan mails from all over England saying her that they loved her articles, and women from all the world could understand exactly her feelings and the newspaper editor gave Touka her own column and a steady income that was more than enough to live her and her son but…
When she was walking down the street and a coffee shop had this huge sign with red letters on it "HELP WANTED" she felt her heart sink. She could feel the void in her heart disappear for a while when she entered that café. In less than two minutes she was hired. Her work experience was more than enough for the store owner and when he asked to make him a latte and she presented it in less than a minute with a bunny design, he was in love with her skills. And she felt in love with the place. The customers were nice, her co-workers were kind and her boss such a professional. It remind her of Anteiku. And later :Re. But she knew it wasn't the same and that exactly what she wanted. To have that familiar sense of security without the doves in her doorstep or the empty promises of returning and rebuilding.
«Mommy? » Touka smiled when her son tried to climb in her hug. She haven't heard him coming. His sneakiness will save him if he ever was hunting down. Not that Touka will never allow anyone to touch him. She would destroy everyone and anything that was trying to touch him. She picked him up and he hugged her neck with his tiny hands. He let out a giggle and Touka felt her heart pumping happily.
Touka was bored to death. Her class was the most boring lesson she could ever had with the most boring person she ever met. Mr. Hudson let them leave earlier and it was the only thing that made her smile the last two hours after leaving her son to kindergarten. That weight in her chest was growing bigger and bigger every minute that was passing and she, for the first time since the day she fled from Tokyo, was really scared. She felt her palms shaking and sweating like crazy and she remove the cell phone from her pocket. She dial the number quickly and after one long minute she heard her Boss voice.
«Touka? Is everything ok? » Touka licked her dry lips and focus to keep her voice steady.
«David, will be ok if I don't come today? » The only thing she wanted was to stay home along with her son and let that weird day pass.
«Are you ok? Yoru is ok? »
«We are fine. I am just… »
«Too tired? Man, how many times should I tell you to rest woman? Stay home with your son today, do some family things. Either way it's Tuesday. You know we don't have that much work at Tuesdays. Mina will be ok by herself. »
«Thank you. I will work a double shift tomorrow… » Touka could swear that both her bosses were such amazing person. In the other hand, everyone at London were so nice and kind.
«Yea, yea. Be sure about that! » Now, that was pure irony. Touka rolled her eyes. David was always worrying about her shifts and the hours she was spending on the coffee store and always scolding her about to cut her shifts and dedicate more time to herself which Touka ignore. He terminate the call and she remain to stare the blank screen. She felt a big drop of water hitting her cheek and she raise her eyes to the sky. The grey clouds were opening and big drops were falling to earth. She stare a little until the rain became heavy and she opened her umbrella. She walk a little without knowing where she wanted to go. She stare the people around her that was running to reach their homes faster and protect themselves from the pouring water. She felt lost. Alone. Empty. Her mobile vibrate and she took it out to see a text from Kazuki, asking her if she could pass by the newspaper before goes to work. She raise her eyebrow and check the time. She never asked her to pass by. Something was going on. Her heartbeat raise and she sign to a cub.
She arrived to the newspaper ten minutes later. She enter the Times building and she turned to greet the girl at the reception but she was missing. She frown and walked to the elevators. No one was on the ground floor but when she reach her destination and the elevator doors open, Touka froze. People was running like crazy screaming orders and papers were flying across the room. She knew that "The Times" was the biggest newspaper at London and all of them worked like crazy everyday but she had been in the offices again and that wasn't a normal situation. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist.
«Touka». A breathless Kazuki was looking at her more pale than ever. Pure terror filled Touka's senses but she did her best to hide.
«What's wrong Kazuki? You look extremely pale for someone who lives in the least sunny city in the world!» Kazuki crack a faint smile and led her to the center of the office and between a bunch of people who was gathering under a big TV screen. A black screen was showing and the pause sign was the only color on the top right corner.
«Touka…» she turned to face him and for the first time he seemed really worried. Touka felt an ache in her heart and she swallow the saliva that was gathering in her mouth. He didn't continue. He just press the play button on the remote control and a familiar voice, a voice that had years to hear, filled her ears. She turned her eyes to the screen when a purple haired guy with red suit appeared in the screen. Touka's jaw opened unconsciously. He opened his arms and the familiar creepy smiled appeared in his lips. He looked different. Damaged. Older. Wiser.
«Greeting human. We stopped the transmission from every channel in this world because we have a big announcement to make. My name is Shuu Tsukiyama and have the pleasure to announce you that we, ghouls, succeed to hit the biggest and largest doves, excuse me, CCG base, here in Tokyo. Yes, we are behind the big terror attacks to Sensoji and Tokyo sky tree last week. We are sending our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. » Tsukiyama touch his heart dramatically while the same time a crazy laugh heard from his side. The shot zoom out and next to the purple haired guy and Touka felt her body scream even her mouth couldn't make a sound. Sitting in a king's, red, velvet chair was a scary creature with his white hair sleeked against his head, his black fingers on the top of his mouth and his grey eyes dark from the craziness. The scales he used to have covered his hands were now all across his right side of his face, covering his neck, his cheek and were reaching his right eyebrow. Touka felt the hot tears streaming down her face quietly.
«Or not. » His voice heard and Touka cover her mouth to prevent herself from scream. He sound so cold. So broken. « You, humans, took everything from me. Now it's my turn to take everything from you. Your land. Your families. Your houses. Everything you own. You will kneel in front me. »
«We are calling every ghoul in this land to join our forces. » Tsukiyama's voice continue. «Join us, or die. We have nothing to lose anymore. But you do. Return to Tokyo.» :Re for return «Return to your roots.» :re for rescue «Return to us. If you don't, we will find you. And we will terminate you. » The camera focus on Kaneki's creepy smile and the screen paused there. Touka could feel someone shaking her violently but she couldn't move an inch. Her mind had stopped, her body had stopped and she couldn't even proceed the images that she just watched. He was alive. He was damaged. He was lost.
And she left him. She abandon him and she took away their son. She was the one responsible for the death of all those innocent people. She had heard the news about the attacks but she never thought that this, THIS, was behind this. Touka brought her hands in her long hair. She could feel her heart stop. She could feel her lungs close. She could feel the room becoming smaller and smaller. She brought her hands around her around and she could hear Kazuki calling her name. But she could only do one thing. She could only thing one thing.
Touka screamed and fell to her knees.
The One-Eyed King is back. And he is crazier than ever.