Marble flipped through the channels, absentmindedly wiping the counter in the café. It was that time of day where she rarely got any customers, due to most people being at work or school. The coffee machines were off, and the only sound was the low humming of the refrigerator, so she would often fill the silence with the television playing in the background. Another unfortunate part of this time of day was that there wasn't anything worth watching. The soap operas she'd watch came on later, and most channels aired some sort of superfluous product not worth half the Lien they were asking for. Knowing she wouldn't find anything, she changed it to VNN News.

"Must be a slow day…" she remarked to herself, seeing that Cyril was covering a segment called 'amazing pets'. She sighed, and decided to have some cake ready for that night. "Maybe I'll make a devil's food cake? I haven't made that in a while…"

"Now, onto our next tragic story. Two unidentified bodies were found by the VPD late last night, although they were able to discern that both victims were Faunus, and members of the White Fang. While there has been no official statement with regards to the case last month, regarding Tukson, the similarities are certainly there. Perhaps this individual sees himself as a vigilant, as all three targets were members of the White Fang, and were brutally eviscerated. Is he trying to send a message to the White Fang, that if their violence against humans continues, so will his? Although there are many speculations, there is one thing for certain; this man is dangerous.

"The VPD has put out a warning to all residents of Vale, especially those in Faunus communities. They recommend the following; Do not wander out at night alone. If you absolutely have to, remain in busy and well-lit streets. Under no circumstances should you approach this individual, as he is considered armed and dangerous. If you are affiliated or appear to be affiliated with the White Fang, you may be a potential target. If you have a weapon, it is advisable to have it on your person at all times, and lastly, if you see this individual, report it to the VPD immediately."

Marble dropped all she was doing, as she saw the image on screen. The sketch of the man responsible was no man at all. He had messy red hair, and it appeared that the lower region of his face had decayed, causing his mouth and teeth to be completely exposed. He had piercing red eyes that Marble could only compare to the illustrations in Velvet's textbooks. All in all, he appeared to be a monster poorly disguised as a man.

"Gods, that's horrifying," she shuddered to herself, feeling a chill go down her spine. Although she was shaken, she was glad that Velvet was away on a mission outside the kingdom. She loved that her daughter cared so much about her, but she didn't enjoy worrying her so much. That was her job as a mother to worry, where did Velvet get off thinking she could take that away from her? Trying to get her mind off the news, she continued with her baking. It wasn't long before she heard the bell on the door chime. "I'll be with you in a minute!"

"Take your time, Marble, I'm off today," replied a woman. Marble turned back in surprise, recognizing her voice. Making her way to the coffee counter, Detective Adel gave a small wave.

"Oh, Libby! You haven't stopped by in weeks!" Marble grabbed a mug and set it down on the counter. "It'll take a little while for me to brew the coffee you like, if you don't mind waiting."

"Not at all, like I said, I'm off today. Usually I'd offer Coco to go shopping with me, but she, Velvet, and the two boys are on some school assigned mission... thing, outside the kingdom."

Marble hummed in acknowledgement as she reached for the sugar underneath the counter. "Speaking of daughters, Velvet has been really paranoid lately. She's obsessed with that loon who murdered Tukson…"

"She should be concerned," Libby replied, an eyebrow raised. "I'd say you'd be crazy not to be worried about it."

"It's not that I'm not worried," Marble admitted, her voice shrinking a bit. "It's just I can't let Velvet know that. She's already been losing sleep at school worrying about me, and just this last weekend, Ken told me that she fell asleep sitting on a stool!"

"I understand what you mean. Coco likes to act like she doesn't care about what happens to her mom, but when I got hit by a stray bullet last year, she called me crying," Libby laughed. "Oh, I remember how she tried hiding it behind her sunglasses, I didn't have the heart to tell her that it only grazed me." Libby leaned forward on the counter, and began fiddling with a sugar packet. "It's tough, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Marble agreed solemnly. She sighed, and perked up after a moment. "But Velvet does make me proud, and I know her father would have been too."

Yang sat in silence as she watched the news. She had just talked down Blake the night before, and now there was another killing, two, in fact. What's worse, it only seemed to be confirming Blake's suspicions. The two were White Fang members, but there was no chance at telling who. She felt a knot form in her stomach, and nearly jumped as the door to the dorm opened. Shutting her scroll as quickly as she could, she plastered on a smile, and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, hey guys! Ruby back yet?"

"No, she's been in Ozpin's office for a while now," Blake informed.

Weiss shifted uneasily, a bit concerned. "You don't think she's in trouble, do you? I mean she did try to stop that woman."

"They're probably trying to get as many details as they can on her. Whoever did this was definitely a professional." Blake looked over to Yang, who seemed off. "You alright, Yang?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm great," Yang answered unconvincingly. "Just a bit tired from last night, you know?"

"Right…" said Weiss, narrowing her eyes. She opted not to press the issue, and took a seat on her bed. "How long do you think they'll keep Ruby up there?"

"It depends on what she tells them," Blake replied with a shrug. She took her seat by Yang, grabbing a book on the way. "All we can really do now is wait."

Kaneki walked down the sidewalk, his expression dull, and his steps without purpose. He came to the unsettling realization that he had nothing but hunger to look forward to at this point. None of his friends, the ones he could remember, were in this world and he didn't share much of a connection to the few people he's met. Marble and her daughter were kind people, but from what he gathered, Velvet was training to become what he equated to this world's version of the CCG. Does that make the White Fang the Aogiri Tree of this world? He wondered whether he could find a place with them, or if he should just keep to himself. He quickly dismissed that thought when he realized he had been blamed for the deaths of three members. Then there was the problem with the two he encountered. Ozpin and that woman.

He allowed his thoughts to linger for a while, before he realized he had already arrived at the café. Walking through the door, he put on his metaphorical mask, and smiled politely. "Good afternoon, Marble. I'm here for my shift."

"Oh, Ken, is it already that time?" the Faunus woman asked, peering over to the clock. She let out a small laugh, and turned back to the customer. "I guess time flies when you're catching up, right Lib?"

"Sure does," replied the woman. She turned to face Kaneki, and he got a good look at her. She had shoulder length brown hair that lightened at the tips. Her face was pretty, but it was clear that she was a woman that rarely got enough sleep. "You must be the new help Marble's been telling me about. Ken, is it?"

"Yes ma'am, Ken Kaneki." Kaneki bowed slightly, then proceeded to walk over to the counter.

"Wow, you weren't kidding, Marble, he's very polite." Libby laughed, her gaze following Kaneki. "I'm Detective Adel."

Kaneki froze for a moment. Detective? Am I already under suspicion? He was thankful that he wasn't facing the two women as he froze, and quickly composed himself. "Oh, you're a detective? That's a relief, considering all these killings that have been plaguing this area. Do you have any leads?"

"Ken?" asked Marble, confused at his sudden interest in the killer.

"Ah, nothing I can share that isn't already known to the public," Libby replied, waving off his question.

Kaneki pursed his lips slightly, and pressed on. "Is there any truth to the potential motives behind the killer? I've heard that he's been targeting Faunus exclusively, and has already killed three people in the last five weeks."

Libby narrowed her eyes slightly at the inquisitive teen, and took a sip of her coffee. "Sounds like you've got the same theories as everybody else. They're not bad theories, but the public will make connections they want to see. Tukson was never confirmed to be in the White Fang, yet the news put the idea in everybody's head. It really mucks up our investigation. Any reason you're interested?"

Kaneki looked away, and touched his face. "I'm scared," he answered, making his voice waver. "It's embarrassing to admit it, but having Velvet around was assuring, and now that she's on that school trip, I've been anxious."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Libby said firmly. "Some people aren't meant to be fighters, and judging from what Marble's told me, you're more of an intellectual, aren't you? I knew I wasn't meant to be a Huntress, but I still wanted to help people. Marble here, she cares about people, and whether or not somebody deserves it, she'll do what she can to help them, something I'm sure you can attest to."

Kaneki looked up to Marble's soft expression. "It's alright, Ken. I'm scared too. I just can't bring myself to show it in front of Velvet."

"We'll all be working on this," Libby assured. "Whoever this freak is, I'll be sure to bring him down personally."

Marble's expression shifted a bit, and cleared her throat. "About that, Libby, is that sketch accurate?"

"It's as accurate as we can get it," Libby admitted. "We're calling him 'The Cannibal', since all his victims seemed to have bite marks."

"Bite marks?" Kankei repeated, feigning ignorance.

The detective hummed, and took a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, that hasn't been made public," she admitted. She set down her mug and looked at Kaneki analytically, but didn't say anything. "I trust you'll keep that to yourself?"

"Of course," Ken replied with a sense of nervousness. He walked behind the counter to put on his apron. "What does the sketch of the guy look like?"

"I got a print out here," Libby replied, reaching into her bag. "Higher ups wanted us to put these up in places where people could see them. You don't mind, Marble do you?"

Marble shook her head and went to fetch some tape. "I'll put it next to the door."

Kaneki took a copy and was immensely relieved with how little it resembled him. "This looks more like a Grimm than a person," he commented. Kaneki placed the sketch down and walked behind the counter to begin his shift. "What time did you want me to close up, Marble?"

"I think seven," she replied uneasily. "Unless it gets dark sooner. I don't want you walking home in the dark."

Libby nodded approvingly. "That's good of you Marble. I can't tell you how many business owners and managers force their employees to stay late to maximize profits." She finished her coffee and sighed. "Alright, I'm gonna get going now. I'll talk to you soon Marble."

Marble took off her apron and sat on a stool across from Kaneki, clearly exhausted. "I must be getting old…"

"Can I get you anything?" offered Kaneki.

Marble smiled at him, leaning forward on the counter. "You're too kind, Ken. I'm fine, thank you. In fact, I should probably be going soon, I have to buy groceries to make dinner this week. You should come over some time. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kaneki waved as she left and was left alone once again. The moment the door shut, he dropped the faux smile and began to inspect the sketch once more. The police officer must have mistaken the toothy grin on his mask for his own, which was understandable given how much viscera was caked on it. His hair was stained with blood at the time, given his recent meal, so his currently white hair wouldn't stand out too much. And finally his eyes, which on the sketch closely resembled Grimm's eyes more than his Kakugan. He was fortunate, but he needed to be more careful. That being said, he came to the realization that night that he could no longer starve himself before eating, as he became too irrational and primal. No, he would need to hunt before he got to that point, which meant he needed a place to store his food.

"I'm going to need my own place," he said to himself. He took out the notepad he used to take orders and began to write down his necessities. The first two were obvious; a place to live and a refrigerator. Next, he needed more clothes, along with a washer to clean any bloodstains he could get while out hunting. He couldn't hang his clothes to dry either, and he couldn't risk showing his gear in public, so a dryer. The list, he found, resembled what one expected to see on a list of somebody moving out for the first time. However, he didn't have nearly enough money to get started and Marble couldn't afford to pay him enough to achieve all of this in a reasonable amount of time. He needed a lot of money and fast. The work day was uneventful, and closing time came. He locked the front door and walked behind the counter to make a call to Jack.

Kaneki was prepared to leave a message, not expecting him to pick up. Surprisingly, he did.

"Eyepatch?" he questioned.

"Yes, Jack," Kaneki replied evenly.

"Listen kid, what happened that night-"

"Won't happen again. It was a misunderstanding."

There was a scoff on his end. "A misunderstanding? Kid, you ATE two Faunus. I'm all for sending a message, but that's way too far! Are you trying to paint a target on your back? Because what you did is a surefire way to get every Huntsman and Huntress to come after you, forget the police!"

"I need money, and I don't care who I need to hurt to get it," Kaneki said, ignoring his comments. "I know who you really are, Torchwick. You can either help me with a job, or I can turn in your body for the reward money. Take your pick."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's not get hasty now," Torchwick said nervously. "This isn't Vacuo, alright? Wanted posters are not bounty missions!" Torchwick paused for a moment and let out a long sigh. "I have a few jobs that need to be done, but you've been way too messy. I'll start you off with a small hit and see how quietly you can get it done. If all goes well, then we'll talk bigger jobs."

"Who's the target?" he asked.

"White Fang deserter. He's cut off all ties months ago, but recently was seen in Vale. Go to Junior, and he'll give you the rest of the details for a small fee, I'm a bit busy at the moment with another job. Make sure you aren't acting shifty, Junior has these two bodyguards that will step in if you threaten him. I'll send you the address and the guy's name."

"Got it." Another Faunus… great.

Kaneki closed up the shop, putting up a small sign explaining the change in hours, and headed to Junior's nightclub. Before arriving, he dipped into an alley to put on his mask, as well as put up his hood to hide his hair, as it wasn't stained red now. As before, the mask brought a strange comfort to him. Now ready, he headed back to the sidewalk and walked towards the club, noticing a yellow motorcycle parked right by the door.

"That's… bright," he said to himself. Two bouncers stood at the doors.

"What's with the mask?" one asked. "You got an ID?"

"I'm not here for the club," he replied in a monotone. "I'm here to ask Junior about a job."

"Who's asking?" the other demanded, unfolding his arms.

"Eyepatch," Kaneki replied, looking up at the two bouncers. "Torchwick sent me here."

The two shared a look with each other. For a few moments, they seemed to have an entire conversation without saying a word, and eventually nodded, and allowed him in. As he walked in, Kaneki heard the doors lock behind him and mentally rolled his eyes. He headed straight towards the bar and took a seat a few stools away from a familiar blonde girl.

"I know you know something!" she shouted angrily. "You know everything that goes on in Vale! Who is it!?"

"I told you three times already, Blondie, nobody knows! whoever that is showed up just as quickly as they disappeared! The only people who've seen them are some old Faunus lady who claims it was a Grimm and the cops who failed to catch it a few nights ago. You want a picture, here! This is the only clue anybody has about this thing!" Junior slammed down a sheet of paper containing the sketch Libby had shown Kaneki earlier.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" the girl demanded. "This doesn't look like any Grimm I've seen, and it sure as hell doesn't look human."

"I told you what I know," he repeated, frustrated. "And the cops don't think it's human. Hell, my contact tells me that even the Headmaster at Beacon doesn't know what this thing is, so good luck figuring it out! Now, get out of here! You're bad for business!"

The blonde girl growled, but turned to leave, not noticing Kaneki sitting a few chairs away. Junior turned his attention to Kaneki, who had his head ducked down. "What can I get you?"

"You don't happen to serve coffee, do you?" asked Kaneki.

"I'll have my guy put a pot on," Junior replied dismissively.

Kaneki straightened up, keeping his face turned away from Junior. "I've been told you're the person to ask about a certain individual. A guy named Himizu?"

"Maybe I've heard of him," Junior replied, walking back over to Kaneki and standing over him. "But I'm sure as hell never seen you around here before. Who are you?"

"Eyepatch."

"Funny," Junior replied sarcastically. Kaneki took out a few Lien cards and tossed them towards Junior. The bartender counted it up and pocketed it. "Alright, what do you want to know about him?"

"Just where he is and what he looks like."

"One of my guys saw him walking around the Art District, apparently he's been staying with a human friend of his. He has a tail, but he keeps it wrapped around his waist so he can pass off as human, but he has a scar going down his arm from a robbery gone wrong."

"Thanks," said Kaneki, as he stood up.

"Hold it right there, Eyepatch," said Junior. "It's rude to do business without showing your face." Dozens of men dressed in black wearing red shades made their presence known, all wielding a variety of simple weapons. The two bouncers held large clubs and several others even had guns pointed at him.

Kaneki raised a hand and placed a thumb over his index finger. "I was hoping we could do this without any bloodshed…" he said barely above a whisper. He pressed down, and a loud crack echoed through the club. "I guess I was mistaken." Kaneki looked over to Junior, exposing his face and Kakugan. He bent his middle finger down and pressed down resulting in another snap.

"Hold your fire!" Junior commanded, his voice in panic. Kaneki noticed all his men lowered their weapons. Junior didn't seem like a particularly smart man, but he surprised Kaneki. "You're the Cannibal, aren't you?"

Kaneki didn't respond and instead took a step towards Junior. "Whoa, I don't want any trouble, alright? Here, take you money back, you were never here. I don't want anything to do with you!" Junior took out the cards Kaneki had tossed him earlier and placed them on the bar. Kaneki walked over and picked it up, then looked up at Junior.

"That girl said you know everything that goes on around here," Kaneki said, his voice returning to his monotone state, "and you know what that creature is being called internally by the VPD… Let's hope you don't learn too much about him. I hear he has a nasty appetite."

The threat seemed to convince Junior to reveal the rest of his intel, as he quickly wrote down a street name where the target seemed to spend a lot of time in. Kaneki nodded, and turned to leave, when he saw the blonde girl from earlier watching the entire situation going on. She was standing near the exit by the restrooms glancing at him and at the sketch Junior had given her. He pulled his hood back down and made his way towards the door, hoping that she wouldn't put two and two together. Unfortunately, he heard two gunshots fire off behind him. Instinctively, he leaped to the side, only to realize no bullets whizzed past him. Instead, the blonde seemed to have propelled herself forward, as she was now flying straight at him. "Stop right there!"

"You don't want this," Kaneki growled. He was thankful he wasn't starving at the moment, and managed to duck out of the way instead of easily skewering her.

"You're the bastard murdering people!" she accused, swinging wildly at him. Kaneki easily evaded all of her attacks, weaving through her punches. Kaneki, not seeing her slow down, delivered a roundhouse kick that connected with her stomach and sent her skidding back a few feet. To his surprise, she used her yellow gauntlets to propel herself back towards him with another two gunshots, re-engaging with him in an instant. He grabbed her arm as she overextended, and flipped her into the wall behind him, causing it to crack. "I'm not done yet!" she growled at him.

"I don't want to kill you," Kaneki said to her, "but if I have to hurt you, so be it."

She roared as she started another combo for punches, but Kaneki blocked and redirected each one, unleashing a flurry of blows to her midsection. She glared at him, and her eyes were now burning red, and her hair seemed to be on fire. She shouted, lunging at him, but to Kaneki, she no longer had a decent form. She was desperate to land a hit, and because of that, she left too many openings. He ducked under her left hook, caught her right punch, and landed a vicious knee to her kidney. When she twisted in pain, he then elbowed her in the jaw, knocking her down to the floor.

"Are you done?" he asked, not winded in the slightest. To his irritation, she stood back up, trembling in anger.

"S-shut up!" she hissed. She got back up, bleeding from her mouth, and threw another punch at him. This time, it was much weaker, and it was clear that she was tired out. Kaneki realized why she was so familiar. She was the girl who flirted with him back at the café, Yang.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," he said quietly. Yang wobbled on her feet as Kaneki knocked her out with a blow to the back of her head. He turned back to Junior. "I was never here."

"R-right," he agreed.

Kaneki searched Yang, and found her scroll. Recalling back, he remembered her sister's name, Ruby, and typed a message to her that read, 'Can you pick up your friend? She's at a nightclub downtown. She got drunk and busted her lip when she fell.' He was about to place the scroll back in her pocket, when he decided to further discourage Yang from investigating him. He borrowed some paper from Junior and jotted down a note for her when she awoke. He put it in her hand, closing her fingers around it and left the club.

Kaneki had a general sense of where most things were in Vale by now and had no trouble getting to the Art District. He had been through the area once before, but didn't pay it any mind then. The night life seemed to have died down since then, likely due to the recent killings. Kaneki, without his mask, walked down the street casually, looking around for somebody who matched the description of Himizu. He found the street Junior had provided soon after, and it became easy pickings from there. There were many people grouped in pairs or more that seemed to be doing their best to have a fun night, which made it easier for Kaneki to blend in. He ended up wandering for a few hours before he finally found his target.

The man had a muscular build and stood a bit taller than most. It seemed that he enjoyed showing off his physique, as the scar on his arm was clearly visible. Knowing that Junior said he hides his tail as if it was a belt, he noticed that the man deliberately hid the top of his pants, hiding where his tail would be. Kaneki kept a distance, watching the man for a while, until he started trying to impress a couple of women. It became clear that he had been drinking, as he attempted several poses, flexing his arms. Fortunately for Kaneki, he saw the furry brown tail wrapped around his waist, confirming his target. He decided to allow the man to strike out, before following him from a distance.

It became clear to Kaneki why this guy was a 'small hit'. He didn't do much to hide his presence, likely having grown comfortable flying underneath everyone's radar. Kaneki could surmise that Himizu was likely not worth the trouble for the White Fang to track him down themselves, meaning that this man was likely a coward. The hit was easy, Kaneki just had to ensure he didn't raise any alarm when he fulfilled his end of the deal.

It approached one in the morning when Himizu finally seemed to be heading home. He didn't live very far, having only traveled a couple of streets away. He walked up towards an apartment building, which seemed to be in disrepair. Luckily for Kaneki, tracking him for the last few hours has allowed him to locate his scent. The half-Ghoul remained across the street for a few minutes, until he knew that Himizu had gone into his apartment. Following his scent, Kaneki scaled the fire escape, finding himself several stories high.

"Are you going to make a meal out of him too?" Rize asked sweetly. "You've made a terrible habit of leaving unfinished food."

"Shut up," Kaneki ordered in a harsh whisper. To his surprise, she didn't speak again. He took a deep breath and using his Kagune, he slipped it through a crack and broke the latch that held the window shut. He slid it open, stepped inside and took a sniff of the air. Himizu was living with another person, but given how weak the scent was, they likely weren't home. That left him with a few minutes to work with. Stalking around the dark, Kaneki headed towards the living room, where he found Himizu passed out on the couch. His tail trailed to the ground, revealing that he was indeed a Faunus.

"Kill him slowly."

Kaneki didn't bother responding to Yamori. Instead, he walked over in front of Himizu, Kaneki's Kagune poised to strike, but he stopped himself. He couldn't risk leaving blood everywhere, Torchwick requested stealth. His Kagune instead hovered over Himizu's neck, before quickly tightening around it.

"Hrnnn!" Himizu said, suddenly jolted away. His eyes widened in horror as he felt his windpipe being crushed, before they turned to Kaneki. His expression morphed into a deeper terror, before he slowly lost consciousness once more. As his body fell limp, Kaneki felt the bones underneath his Kagune beginning to creak, until there was a rather loud cracking sound. He adjusted Himizu's body back to how it was, as if he died in his sleep. The medical examiner would be able to tell, but Himizu's roommate, whoever that was, may think him asleep for a time. Wordlessly, Kaneki left the same way he came in, taking his scroll out. He dialed Torchwick's number.

"Eyepatch," he answered. "What is it now? Did you blow it with Junior?"

"It's done," Kaneki replied. He could hear Torchwick choke on something he was drinking as he said that.

"W-what? You did it tonight?! I thought you'd stake it out for a few days at least."

Kaneki rolled his eyes. "I told you I needed money. Where do I pick up my payment?"

"Right, right, straight to business, huh? Shit, kid… Listen, I'm in the middle of something right now. I can give you your payment tomorrow morning. The warehouse is out of question, so I'll send coordinates. Sounds fair?"

"Fair," he replied. "I'll see you then."

"Yaaaang, wake up!" Ruby called out, shaking her sister awake. "What happened!?"

The blonde girl sat up, rubbing her head as she regained consciousness. "Where am I?"

"Did you really hit your head?" asked Ruby, tilting her head to the side in confusion. She stood up, and helped her sister up. "Yang, were you really drinking?"

Yang's eyes widened in befuddlement. "What? Of course not! Why would you think that?" She looked and noticed that the two were outside of Junior's nightclub. The bouncers were gone for some reason. "Ruby, I couldn't even drink if I wanted to, I'm 17."

Ruby took out her scroll and pointed to it. "Well I got a message from your scroll that you were drinking too much and hurt yourself. I didn't want Weiss or Blake to see that, so I came alone."

Yang shook her head, then she remembered what happened. "I came to see if Junior knew anything about what's going on in Vale," she confessed. "There were two more killings last night… Blake's been taking it hard, and I couldn't stand around doing nothing."

"I get that, but why didn't you tell me?" she asked, a bit hurt. She did a good job from expressing anything on her face, but her voice wavered ever so slightly. "I could have helped you."

Yang sighed, shaking her head. She went to scratch her head, then noticed the crumpled piece of paper she had been holding. She unfolded it and her eyes widened. The message was short and to the point, but something about it made Yang's blood run cold.

"Yang?" Ruby called out, concerned. "What's wrong? What's that?"

Yang simply shoved it in her pocket and forced a laugh. "Oh, just a number for this guy I met," she lied. "I thought I lost it, is all."

"Oh alright then," Ruby said with a smile. "Let's get back to our dorm, I'm sure Blake and Weiss will get worried if we aren't there by morning."

Yang nodded, and hopped on her motorcycle, Ruby jumping on after. The two sped off, Yang's mind stuck on the note.

You are alive because I allowed you to live. I will not be so merciful if we meet again. If you value your life and the lives of your friends, you will not pursue me any further.

I never intended to be away for so long, but things have been difficult. When I first started writing this story I was so excited to try something new and share it but before I could get into a routine of writing, life just kicked me down, even before the world decided we should stay indoors. I have no clue how many people will remember this story or care that I've updated it, but here it is. I want to reply to all those who reviewed, but I don't want to inflate the word count too much. I want to continue to write this story, and some of you have pointed out some things that could use improvement, and I really appreciate it, I just don't know how to juggle all the input you've all shared with me without changing the direction I had originally intended. If my absence has affected my writing in a negative way, I'm sorry. I don't want to abandon the story, I really don't.

That being said, I am so grateful for all the kind words you've all given me. I have not read them in so long, and coming back to see them all honestly melted my heart. I didn't realize how much a few words on a screen could cheer me up. I love you all, sincerely.

With Love, Liz.