Tall. White hair. White overcoat. Glasses. A face devoid of particular emotion.

He stood a few inches taller than Isa, staring down with a nonchalant expression.

"I'm sorry," Isa said moving to the side, embarrassed that she'd mistaken somebody else for him. She felt her cheeks lightly burn as she looked away. "I've mistaken you for somebody else."

"It is fine," he finally replied after looking at her for a moment. From under the table, he grabbed a black suit case that had fancy golden rims and walked passed her calmly, heading out the door. Isa stared at the floor, feeling embarrassed and ashamed for looking like a fool. She took a breath in, then out. Then, headed out the door.

She lay on her bed, a wrist on her forehead, feeling completely exhausted. She felt an unpleasurable feeling in her chest. Something heavy. She listened to the news on the TV; flicked the remote, turning it off when it was another incident of ghouls.

Ghouls.

Rain dropped from the dark sky and bounced off the ground and made dull thumps on the windows. Isa sat up, deciding to read a book she borrowed from the library. She looked at the front cover and actually noticed that the title was in a language she didn't know.

Hours past. It was late midnight and Isa was still reading. It was about a young boy who drank an unknown potion and turned into a monster. Not physically or mentally, but everyone who saw him would curse him, blame, or run away after seeing him, even if it was someone he'd never met before. Then there was another boy. He was a monster from the start. They both met for the first time and understood each other; that they were the same, but so different in many ways.

"You're not a monster at all," Isa read the last sentence of the book aloud. Interesting story, she thought. The sounds of rain outside gave the story a bit of a bittersweet touch. She set the book aside and decided to sleep.

She panicked. Ran as fast as she could to safety. They were behind her, she knew it. Her breaths were heavy, her energy drained as she sprinted. The coppery smell of blood; red painted on the walls-bodies-lying everywhere.

I'm going to die! The thought screamed in her head. Isa ran for a closed door, seeing it as her only path. She swung it open. The lights were off. Even the little bit of light from the outside night lights didn't illuminate the room.

Somebody was there.

Isa froze in fear. He noticed her presence, turned around slowly. They were face-to-face, but Isa couldn't see him.

"W-who are you?" Her voice squeaked in horror.

No response.

She took a step back-but the door shut on its own… Her breaths became heavier, all her limbs trembled. He took a step closer. And closer. Slowly he approached her, and it eased her fear-she knew that something about him was…

The windows shattered, wind blew in like a powerful storm. Startled, Isa covered her head and lunged further away from the explosion.

She slowly opened her eyes to a shining red-and white electricity.

What...is happening?

She was too stunned to move. It was an ugly battle… For what?

She startled awake.

Daylight.

I should return the book, Isa thought.

"Today will be the first day of snowfall, so please dress…" She watched the weather news while eating a quick breakfast.

She winded past the busy pedestrians on the way to the library. Snow fell lightly from the sky. It's winter already.

On the front desk, she laid her book in the return basket and decided to roam around to search for new books. Even the library was busy. There were long lines for autographs, kids listening to their favourite author, people working away by the windows. On the far east end, a blue banner labeled "New Releases" hung from the ceiling. Isa decided to check it out. In the far corner, a familiar book came into view-the one she'd always wanted. From a fast pace walk she turned it into almost a sprint-didn't care about the rules of being quiet, didn't know if it was allowed to run in a library. The book was half hidden from the shelves in front of it. Isa made a quick turn, bumping into someone else, knocking all of their books too.

Why does stuff like this always happen to me?

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Isa's eyes widened in surprise. Was she imagining things like last time?

He looked down at her with a emotionless glint in his eyes. Isa hurried and picked the books off the floor, stacking them into neat piles on her arms. She set the last book more carefully and stood up facing the man. "Here you are. I deeply apologize for my… Uh, rush."

He stretched his arms and took the books calmly from her. He still didn't say anything. Isa decided it was time she got off her comfort zone. "I think I've met you before if my memory serves right. May I ask your name?"

He stared at Isa with an observing look. "Tatara," he replied softly.

"Tatara…" She meant to say it in her head. "I'm Isa. It's nice to meet you." She was stunned how confident she was. "I sincerely apologize for spilling tea on you the other day-I mean weeks…"

"No need."

"Pardon?"

"No need to apologize…"

Ah… The situation was becoming a little awkward. Think, think, Isa. "I see you like books too," she said. He looked down at the pile of books in his arms.

"Yes, a friend of mine wrote them."

Isa stood on her tippy toes to read the top of the book. "Takatsuki Sen… I've heard a lot about her works. She seems like an amazing author."

Tatara nodded ever so slightly. With nothing more to say, Isa decided to end the conversation before it got worse. "It was nice getting to know you, Tatara-san," Isa smiled and walked passed him. Tatara hesitated before walking away. He narrowed his eyes in thought.

Isa's heart felt lifted and lively. Was this the feeling of love? Or was it just happiness? She couldn't really tell. It was her first time every loving a opposite gender-or maybe it was liking. She replayed the whole scene over and over in her head, the nostalgia never tiring.

The wind blew strongly at the top of a tall skyscraper. A man dressed in a white cloak and red mask approached another person sitting at the edge of the roof, who, was swinging her legs, not even the slightest bit afraid of the extreme height.

"Who was that person, Tatara-san?"

"A human woman."

"Hmm…?" She leaned back on her hands and stared at the sky where the snow lazily fell. "What kind of person is she? Do you think she'll be useful to use?"

Tatara walked towards the edge, observing the vast city lights of Ano. "I'm not quite sure."

"Then we'll just have to find out," she smiled.