"It's called…Sharx."

The blood drained from my face. "Sh-Sharx…?" I fell to my knees. That image projected itself in my mind repeatedly. Those red crimson eyes. That shadowy figure. That menacing look in its eyes. I-I couldn't take it! No…No! Mom! Mom! "(Y/N)?! Are you alright?" Shirazu's voice rang through my head before I snapped out of it. My voice trembled but I managed to reply.
"Y-Yes…I'm ok."

Shirazu helped me up to my feet. Those same crimson eyes seemed to flash before me. I felt nauseous. Our target is the person who killed my mother. My mother was the only person who took care of me when I was little and I miss her so much. I joined the Quinx for this purpose, to get revenge, but…Will I really be able to face this ghoul, Sharx, now that I have the chance?

"S-Sassan, does (Y/N) know this ghoul? Sharx?"
"Sharx is…Sharx is the ghoul who killed her mother…"
Shirazu gasped. His eyes widened and looked at me palely. "Take her home, Shirazu." Shirazu helped me to his bike and we rode home. The icy wind hit my face like a sharp knife. I felt devastated. Maybe I'm just a coward. Maybe I'm just scared. Maybe I can't face the past. The ride home was silent and not a word was exchanged. The least that I could do right now is make myself stronger, stronger so that I could face this ghoul, this ghoul that took down my mother.

I went straight to my room when we made it back to the Chateau. I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, tears pricked at the ends of my eyes. I bit down hard on my hand. Blood streamed off my fingers. Vivid images flashed across my mind.

"Mama, let's go to the bookstore today! Maybe we can meet papa there like how we used to~" A smile spread across her face; her unharmed, glowing, fair face. "Well, we still need to get that book you wanted, right?" Just for a moment. Just for a moment, her face would emanate true happiness, and then it would go back to that same sad smile. But even in that small moment, I would be able to catch her true smile. The smile that actually showed that she was happy.

"MOM!" My screams echoed in the distance. But everything was futile. I could feel my mom's warmth around me. But she wasn't really there…No…What was on me, was her blood that splattered onto my face and body. I looked ahead of me. That same shadowy figure stood there. Its crimson red eyes glaring at me while smacking its lips. The blood, her blood adorned this…this monster! I looked down at the woman who shivered beneath it. Mom…
I can remember her face smiling. Smiling just like those tiny moments where she was happy, except this time, her smile...it was longer than those moments.
"(Y/N)...Run and Live…"
That's all I remember her saying before a bunch of men cloaked in white coats came from either side of me and tried to subdue the shadowy figure. The shadowy figure was long gone and so was my mother. Her motionless body lay there in the middle of red crimson pools.

I remember them saying 'Sharx' was the ghoul that was responsible for my mother's death before they took me away into CCG's custody.

Sharx…

I jumped when I heard thuds coming from the other side of the door. Someone was knocking at the door.

I opened the door and met a concerned Sasaki. "Are you alright?" I nodded. He frowned as he saw the blood streaming down my knuckles. He took my hand but I pushed him back. "I-I said I'm alright…" He knitted his brows together but just looked away. He turned around but stopped midway. "One more thing...Are you sure you can take this missi—" "Yes, of course. I can handle it. I'm ready." The flames in my eyes ignited. Sasaki grinned and finally left.
"That's good." I nodded and went to the training room.

The floors and walls were fixed from the damage that Urie and I previously caused. The room was swept clean and everything was organized. Sasaki did this...I stopped as I saw Urie before me, holding two wooden katana. He looked at me with a fierce glare. "Let's spar." He threw one of the katana at me and I caught it with ease. I tried to prepare my stance but he was already charging at me! I just barely blocked his attack. His sword's weight was bearing me down. I couldn't hold him much longer. He's become a lot stronger than last time!

I pushed him off and leapt backwards. Only five minutes have passed and my wrists were already paining from holding off his attack from before. I started running towards him and lunged at him, but he easily blocked it and threw me back. I quickly regained my posture and clenched my katana. We clashed once again. Our swords crashed on to each other, the wood chipping off. I couldn't resist him much longer. Urie took the chance and kicked me off balance. I could've leapt back but he was too fast. I fell on my bottom and gave out a yelp of pain.

"Ouch!"

"Your attacks are crappier than before. Weren't you training?"
The warm tears were rushing out from the ends of my eyes no matter how much I tried to stop them. I let out a slight whimper. Fuck. I'm crying in front of the infamous Kuki Urie. Ugh, I'm hopeless. Urie raised his brow in response to my whimpers. "I don't suppose it hurts that much…" he said as he kneeled down before me.

I shook my head. "You won't understand." The tears flowed freely down my cheeks and I didn't try to stop them. "I'm so pathetic. I get a chance to kill the fucking piece of shit that killed my mother, but I chicken out. Fuck." I held my head and cried. "I can't even fucking practice properly. I'm a coward. I'm scared and that's the truth. That memory keeps playing itself in my head and I can't forget it. I can't let it go, neither fight it. I can't forget the fear I held for that ghoul…" Urie stood up, making me jump slightly. I looked up at him through my red eyes.

He scowled at me. His expression was deeply cold and frightening. He scoffed and turned away. I'm so pathetic, he doesn't even want to look at me…
"I didn't think you'd act so weak." I knit my brows together. I-is that all he wanted to say?
"Do you really think you'd get another chance? Another chance to get revenge? To avenge your mother? For what I'd give just to get revenge for my father!" He crossed his arms and glared at me. "Don't make me laugh by saying you're 'scared'. Humph. To think I actually thought you were strong…Tch, it's such a joke." He turned around and left the room.

I was still shocked by what he just said. My cheeks were still moist with tears. I clenched my fists and stood up. He's right. There won't be another chance like this. I'm not going to let that bastard escape my wrath. I'm not going to leave my mother unavenged. It's my decision. It's not a choice of whether I'm going to fight or not. I have to fight. It's a choice of whether I'm going to be strong or not and I choose to be strong.

Night fell. I was busy cleaning the dishes and Mutsuki was drying them. "Um, (Y/N)?" I hummed as an answer. "I heard about our mission…Our target is…"
"It's alright, Mutsuki. I'm alright. I'm ready to face this ghoul. I'm ready to avenge my mother. It's the main reason why I joined the CCG."

The boy had a worried look on his face but I just smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'll be alright." He pursed his lips and managed to smile. "I guess you have to train hard for this." I nodded and clenched my fists.
"I will avenge my mother."

I lay in my bed trying to sleep. I shifted onto my side so that I wasn't facing the door. The bed sheets were wrapped around me making me feel warm. I heard a creak at the door but I didn't turn around. Sasaki? He stood by the door and stared at me sleeping. He came closer and sat next to me. "I know you've been having a hard time training and stuff, but just…don't overwork yourself. Sweet dreams…" I shut my eyes tight and acted as if I were asleep. I heard him chuckle softly before kissing my head lightly. He turned off the night lamp I left on and proceeded to the door. He glanced at me one last time and then left. My face was warm and red. I'm pretty sure I'll sleep well after that!

I drifted to sleep shortly after that.

Mm, an autumn scent filled my nose. Where am I? I looked around and I'm in a room that looked very familiar but I just didn't know where. "Mama, papa~" a little girl's voice echoed inside the room that I was in. She looked inside the room and ran to the other. Huh? That little girl…is me! I followed the little girl to the dining room where she's wrapped in the hands of a man. A man that I could not recognize. "Papa! ~" she exclaimed. Her face was beaming. The man's face was muzzy and I could not see him clearly.

Was this man my father?

"Heh heh, (Y/N)-chan! Did you sleep well?" the man spoke in a gruff yet cheery voice. He put away the book he was reading and pinched her cheeks. "Mmhmm!" Aha! I remember where we are…This was my old house…The house where my mother and I used to live. "I've made some cake!" an oh-so-familiar voice was heard behind me. It came from where the kitchen was. I turned around and saw her right before my eyes. She was alive, and well. Her face was youthful and filled with life. "Mom…" I whispered but she walked right through me. My eyes widened. What the hell? She walked right through me…as if I was invisible! I-is this a dream…? I looked back at them and what I saw was a happy family…The happy family which I longed for, for so many years.

Suddenly, the walls around me were warped and became distorted. I was in a totally different place. It was raining. I was in an alley. Blood was flowing along with the rainwater. A woman holding a child was running away. It was mom…I looked ahead and saw a man wearing a white coat. It was that man from before, my supposed father, and he was lying on the ground, dead…Beside him was another corpse. Its kagune was spread on either side of its body…It was a ghoul.

I remember now…My father was killed by a ghoul while trying to protect me and mother.

THUD!

The clock read 2 am. Sasaki opened his eyes with a start. "What was that noise!?" He got up from his bed and came out of his room. "Sasaki! Sasaki!" Mutsuki came running towards him, all the while shouting his name. "What is it?! What the hell was that noise just now?!" he questioned Mutsuki while holding his shoulders to calm him down.

"It's (Y/N)! She's nowhere to be found!"
"WHAT?!"
"Her room's window is broken! She must've been kidnapped!"


(A/N): I suppose I'll try to update faster now that I've planned everything out and put it on the table. Hope you guys have got some idea of what's going on! ^^

Please review, it really motivates me to write more!