Kaneki sat silently within his cell- the former Kaneki, at least. He had no recollections of himself or who he was. He knew many things; it's not as if he lacked basic intelligence or common sense, but he lacked things like memory, and emotions, and mainly stimulants. Throughout his few weeks of being within the confinements of Cochlea, the young half-ghoul had been tortured without peace. Finally, however, he had been given some peace. Finally, the CCG had realized something crucial to his treatment: his mind was already long gone. Nothing they did would ever help in accomplishing one of their goals with him, that being, receiving any information on ghouls. How did this happen? The immense amount of pain the humans caused him was more than anything Yamori could have hoped to achieve. A centipede in the ear? Constant destruction of his toes and fingers? It was all child's play, now it was the expert's time to play. The professional ghoul examiners opened him up place upon place, and for what reason? Kaneki was like a child that was being bullied without giving any explanation as to why. Simply put, they were giving him pain just because they could, in his mind. All that remained were a few memories, albeit hazy, that caused him to be nostalgic around certain things. Books, coffee, the nice attitude of some inmates- they were all anchors holding the boy down within reality. Without them, it's as though he would drift away and never come back down to the earth.

The days after the raid in the 20th Ward had been hard ones. Skirmishes the first two, full blown attacks the next three. It was a hell for the investigators as they watched colleague by colleague die, and later picked up the remnants of their subordinates laying on the ground; what was left, if any, was given proper burial.

Kureo Mado's death was one of the hardest hits to the CCG for he was one of their best. Koutarou Amon, soon after Mado's death, had deserted with Akira Mado. Akira Mado and Koutarou Amon were never found within those days, and so searches for them were called off since the priorities of the commission were lying elsewhere. Their connection with one another was never found. Akira was Kureo's daughter, yes, but why she met up with Amon; how they met; why they life- nothing was ever found. It was as simple as not wanting to die and leaving to find a place to live where death wasn't as relevant. Of course, something as simple as that couldn't have been the answer as to why they had left, no, the brain within investigators is more convoluted than a simpleton explanation such as that. No one was certain, and no one had any plausible reasons, there were only theories, theories that would be left to collect webs since no one touched them. Them leaving was another considerable loss for the counter-ghoul organization, but it's not like more soldiers for war couldn't be trained. No, no, a war always requires warriors, and a few good ones dying off or leaving wasn't the biggest deal... at least to some.

During this time a new threat started to emerge. Centipede, a recently made organization, had started to obtain territory within the 20th and 18th Wards, leading to conferences and meetings discussing strategies on how to beat this new foe by the CCG. Most of the Centipede members the CCG had killed, thus far, were weaker members; none with a Rank of A or higher had ever been captured, which led to the disbelief that they were a powerful organization... however, a certain event proved them wrong. A CCG building was infiltrated by a Rank S ghoul who slaughtered the investigators before planting a bomb and eliminating tens of interns and office workers. It was the first domestic terrorist attack that didn't involve an actual battle that had happened after the Black Reaper and Owl's capture (though, the CCG soon figured out there were two Owls).

Many ghouls soon joined the Centipede group. They weren't as big and powerful as Aogiri Tree, but most certainly did they have the brains to overpower them if the Centipedes continued to increase their numbers.

Those poor investigators... those ignoramus fools. Believing yourself to be the greater group is sanctimonious, cocky, and arrogant. Never would it achieve something. Both the ghoul and human groups lacked the ability to see past this, with the exception of a few who had no power within either society. Mother Nature is cruel like that- she will give the powerful the opportunities to succeed and the weak a hope that can only be dreamt of. The powerful would change the world, and the weak would be the driving force. Powerful individuals manipulate, but they are nothing without a people to back them.

As the days went on, Kaneki's heart faded more and more. His sweet yet monotone expression soon turned into paranoia and anxiety. Confined to himself for most days; beaten, whipped, painfully tortured; a blindfold preventing his sight, chains preventing his movement. The RC injections were the most painful, after all, there was only one place they could go. The wardens at Choclea didn't make this any easier: sometimes they'd stick multiple at a time. As loud as he screams were, the damned sadists only replied in pleasured satisfaction. A rat with regenerative abilities as powerful as he, who'd pass up the offer? Who'd miss this boy, anyways? Who'd care if a schizophrenic, broken down microbe of a person was destroyed? Person... ghouls weren't person, 'least not in their eyes. But nothing was right unless it fell under their eyes.

Be forgiven not, be damned to hell- thy shalt suffer.

The rabbit's nose was not one made for tracking, yet it does so contradictory to its purpose. Continue it shall until its life purpose is achieved. That is her will, she purposed- find he, the one who dare beguile her in his charming and enchanting trance.

Soon...

or perhaps maybe never...

no...

someday...

her words, her poetry, will form a path for him...

Odysseus will travel the journey...

all to see his beloved once more.