He thinks about what Kaneki told him two weeks ago.

He had stopped by to wait for him like he always does once classes were over. Anteiku was empty by the time he came by and all the chairs were set up on the table. He noticed all the staff had already left except for him.

It was just the two of them.

He thinks about how soft his black hair felt against his neck and how warm his body was when Kaneki ran into his arms.

"I'm so tired…" he had whispered.

He smiled at him, his fingers clutched the back of his lover's head. "Busy day, huh?"

"No…that's not what I mean…"

He thinks about how Kaneki's eyes looked up at him. Glassy, full of love, a hint of sadness.

"I'm tired of people telling me that we won't last. That we can't be together. That someday, we won't be together anymore."

Kaneki's voice was quiet, but the words he said rang loud in his mind. He remembers how tender the half-ghoul's cheeks felt against his hands when he held his face.

"I don't believe it. I never will. I don't care what people say about us…"

When he recalls how his lover's eyes burned through his soul with those words, he feels his chest hurt.

"I want to be with you forever."

Kaneki had held him like he was going to lose him in the next moment.

That was when he finally responded to him.

"I'll never leave you."

Kaneki's bright smile fades from his mind.

…

Ikuma doesn't know this Hide that is in front of him. The one who's eyes are no longer brown. They're black like that night. The night Hide spent searching the streets for hours and hours until the sun rose. Yet that didn't stop Hide until he collapsed on the sidewalk in some distant part of Tokyo he never crossed.

Hide can't remember how he got home that day. It doesn't really matter.

The two of them are seated at Ikuma's usual playing spot in the city. The day is calm and peaceful. Shoppers passing by them are carefree, but a blur.

Ikuma feels sick to his stomach.

The musician doesn't know what to say to him. His mouth opens and closes every time he thinks of something, but the longer he stares at Hide's empty eyes looking off into nowhere, he swallows his words down.

All he knows is that Kaneki wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want Hide doing something reckless. He can't stop thinking about how many times Hide could have gotten attacked that night. How a ghoul could have easily hunted him down.

But he just can't say anything. Not even his music can get through to him.

"He was all alone…no one was there to see. I wasn't there…"

Ikuma feels his heart skip a beat when he hears Hide's voice speak up for what felt like the longest silence.

His voice sounds normal. When Hide looks at him, Ikuma tries not to flinch at his dark eyes.

"Yoshimura hasn't been around for almost a month. They say he's been taking care of business with those doves. Saying he's trying to provide evidence that Anteiku is a safe place for ghouls and that all the ghouls employed there wouldn't harm anyone."

Ikuma forces a smile. "Yeah, I guess it's because things have gotten more dangerous in Tokyo over the past months…"

Hide gazes at Ikuma but the older ghoul knows he's not really looking at him.

"I should have been there sooner. I should have protected him. I don't care what happens to me. But now…"

Hide laughs shortly and this time, Ikuma winces.

Hide grins at him, his eyes too black. "I don't even know what's happening to him. I don't know where he is. I can't reach him anymore."

His smile seems so sincere and Ikuma realizes how good Hide is at keeping his true emotions off his face when he wants to. Too good.

"Let me help you, Hide. I'll do anything to get Kaneki back to you. Just tell me what to do," Ikuma urges him. "I may not be as strong as other ghouls, as strong as Kaneki is, but I'll do my best to fight and protect you."

Hide's smile fades. "It's okay, Ikuma. You don't have to do that."

"No, it's what I should do! I will! Please, Hide." Ikuma grabs his hand and for the first time, Hide feels cold. The ghoul nearly pulls away from shock.

Hide chuckles again and he stares down at the ground. "Am I…really that helpless?"

Ikuma pauses, but when Hide withdraws from him and stands to his feet, he speaks up. "No! That's not what I mean at all! I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm worried about you…"

Hide steps away from Ikuma, but before he leaves, he looks back at the older ghoul with the same smile as before. "I'll see you later."

"Wait, Hide!"

The blond doesn't turn to him, walking further and further ahead until he's lost in the crowd and nowhere to be found. Ikuma gets up off his bench, wanting to go after him but finding it's no use. His hand clenches over the handle of his guitar case and he doesn't break his gaze from the direction his friend disappeared to.

Hide knows what she looks like based on his lover's description of her; she won't be hard to miss. Anteiku is shrouded in an ominous aura since Kaneki was kidnapped and due to Yoshimura's absence, the shop has only been opening twice a week now.

Some of the staff inform Hide of their own observations.

"I've seen that woman come by at least once a week in the past. But nowadays, I hardly see her…"

Shit.

Hide doesn't have much time.

"But I'll keep an eye out for you in case she comes by when you're not here."

Nothing else really matters any more. Aside from his part-time job with Ikuma, Hide stops attending his classes at Kamii altogether and spends the extra time scouting the streets of Tokyo and Anteiku throughout the day.

Hide hasn't been sleeping the past few nights. He can't.

He doesn't feel tired, especially when his mind is in a complete hurricane.

Other than getting in contact with people for information, Hide keeps to himself. Waiting, wandering, searching continuously.

He needs to find her.

Three days pass since Kaneki was taken and Hide hasn't seen her at Anteiku. He's been there every day, even when the shop is closed. He would scour the area, jotting down the spots he knows ghouls gather the most. Yet she doesn't come. The staff also reports no sight of her.

Hide slides down against the brick wall of Anteiku in the same alleyway where Kaneki's blood still stains the ground. Most of it has faded, but a small patch of red remains.

"Fuck…" Hide grips his hair, pulling at it and rubbing his forehead against his palms.

Day four and the sun is already setting. The orange sun casts it's final rays on the city, the shadows cascading down the buildings and spilling into the alleyway he's sitting in.

Was she the one who took him?

"Hide!"

He gasps loudly, jolting in place.

"Ken?" he yells out.

He swears he just heard his voice.

"Hide!"

He hears his lover shout again, only this time it sounds louder.

Hide stands up, nearly falling over due to his legs weakening. He looks all around himself, breathing hard in anticipation. When he takes a few steps backwards, his foot bumps into something that almost trips him. As he slowly turns around, his eyes widen and his heart stops.

Kaneki's body lies on the tainted ground, his grey eyes just as wide as his. Blank and frozen in terror. Blood doesn't stop seeping out of a large, gaping hole in the middle of his chest. His arms are sprawled out on either side of him. His legs are cut off and his mouth is covered in dark red. Like a broken porcelain doll.

Hide feels something cold grasping the back of his neck and it squeezes tight. He can't breathe.

He then hears laughter, but he doesn't recognize the owner. It sounds like an older man, deep and harsh, echoing throughout the stagnant silence. The more the person laughs, the more his neck is constricted.

The laughter then morphs to a woman's. Another one he doesn't recognize.

Kaneki's mutilated body continues soaking in the growing pool of blood.

…

Hide takes in a sharp breath, his lungs filling with the frigid air. His eyes snap open, his vision blurry. His body is covered in sweat and his shoulders feel stiff from leaning against the brick wall behind him.

"Dammit…" Hide mutters.

"Not very smart of you to be falling asleep out here in the open. I could smell you from miles away."

The woman's laughter he heard in his muddled brain - somehow it seems to match the voice speaking to him now. He blinks and once his vision clears, he looks up to see the woman he's been searching for all this time.

She stands above him, a snide smile on her face. Her long, purple hair flows behind her with the wind and her glasses shine with the flickering lamp light above them. Her arms are held behind her back and just as Kaneki had described, she is ethereal in appearance.

"Y-You're Rize Kamishiro, aren't you?" Hide's voice is shaky after waking from his nightmare.

She tilts her head at him in an innocent manner. "Oh? I don't believe we've met. Although you do smell a lot like this one boy I met not too long ago."

"Ken Kaneki, right? That's the ghoul you smell on me," Hide states right away. He uses the wall behind him to help him stand from his stiff position.

She grins. "Oh! So, it's you! You're the human he's messing around with. Well I must say, he doesn't have bad taste. You are pretty cute."

Her high heels click against the ground and it sounds sharp in his ears. Once she's a foot away from him, her hand grabs his face. His brown eyes stare through her violet gaze as her fingers caress his cheeks.

"So plump and perfect…I can only imagine how much blood would gush out of your juicy flesh…" She squeals in delight and her eyes can't break away from his pulse beating on his neck.

He takes her wrist, moving her hand off his face. "I need to ask you something."

She pouts, her hand sliding to his chest. "Hey, that's not very nice. Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

He sighs heavily. "I'm Hide. Now I don't have time to waste. Kaneki was taken by some ghoul four days ago. Do you happen to know anything about this?"

She steps back and flips her hair over her shoulder. "Why on earth do you think I know anything about who took him away? I hardly even know Kaneki."

Hide narrows his eyes at her, studying her expression. He can tell she's hiding something.

"I know you've been watching him for a reason. Maybe you want to eat him. Maybe you have something else in mind. But you know he's a half-ghoul and I think you know a lot more than you're letting on. So please, tell me."

He clenches his fists.

"I need to find him."

Rize frowns at him and she holds her hands behind her back again. "At first I thought you might have been Kaneki. I should have known better though…his scent is a lot weaker on you." She sighs dramatically. "I'm so disappointed…"

She paces a few times in front of him, her eyes focused on the night sky. "You seem so sure that I have information you're going to want. Can you really trust someone like me?"

Hide stays quiet for a moment but he answers, "To be honest, I'm not sure of anything right now."

He tries to think of something else that will convince her to talk.

"I don't want you letting another ghoul feeding from you, ever."

Kaneki's voice enters his head once more. An idea arises among his racing thoughts and his heart hammers in his chest.

I've really gone off the deep end here…such a gamble.

The image of Kaneki's dead body in his mind keeps haunting him, forcing him to consider this crazy idea.

I can't let her get away…

He feels a sweat drop falling down the side of his face and lingering on his jawline. He swallows hard.

"I'll give you something in return for what you know," Hide announces. There's no going back now.

She halts her pacing and she immediately turns her attention to him. She waits for him to continue.

Hide feels himself beginning to tremble so he clenches his fists harder. "I'll let you eat some of my flesh."

Rize's eyes widen in hunger and she strides toward him. "You would be willing to offer yourself to me on the slim chance that I know something? Are you stupid or just plain desperate?"

Hide can't help but laugh at that. "Both, I guess…"

She places her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating faster than it ever did before. She grins in pure excitement. "All right, it's a deal. I'll be nice though and let you choose." Her laugh is shrill, and he winces at the sound.

"Which part are you going to offer?" Her eyes change to black and red.

Hide exhales and he slips off the left side of his jacket. He then pulls down the sleeve of his shirt on his left arm, baring his skin.

Once his left arm is fully exposed, he looks down at her eager face and he nods lightly. "Go ahead."

Without hesitation, her fingernails dig into his forearm and shoulder and her teeth immediately sink into the upper part of his arm. He cries out from the intense pain that shoots through him right away as she gnaws at the muscle on his deltoid area. He hears her humming in ecstasy and he grits his teeth. He tries to breathe through the process and muffles his urge to scream with his other hand.

She rips off a good chunk from his arm and her hands release him. He leans back against the wall, his right arm grasping onto his left and he looks down to see a large bite wound on the outside of his upper arm. It oozes streams of blood and the air stings against the fresh wound.

The pain messes with his senses but he can still see her standing in front of him, her head leaning back as she chews and savors the taste of his flesh.

"My, you're so delicious! I want more!" she shouts.

Her ghoul eyes examine his form and when she sees him breathing heavily and getting pale from blood loss, she licks her lips.

"Too bad. Kaneki will never be saved if I kill you," she states with a pout.

Hide grunts and he pulls his jacket sleeve back over the wound, holding it there tightly. "Please, tell me what you know."

Rize grins. "Well, Hide, you are a lucky man after all."

Hide grips his arm as hard as possible, reminding himself not to pass out.

"There's a ghoul who's been tracking me for a long while now. He's nothing but a brute and he goes by the name Yamori. Sometimes he's even known as 'Jason'."

Rize shrugs her shoulders. "It's too bad. I assume he wanted to capture me initially, but he happened to snag Kaneki first."

"Why did he want to capture you?" Hide asks. He hisses at the sharp, throbbing pain that doesn't stop.

Rize wipes the blood off her mouth with her fingers and then she licks it off. "He's insane. I don't know for certain. But I assume he wanted to capture me for his own twisted pleasure. You see, he has a thing for playing with his victims."

Rize's grin turns malicious. "He must be having a lot of fun with Kaneki right about now. Oh, the poor boy. You better get to him fast, Hide."

At that information, Hide finds a new energy surging through him and he ignores his injury. "Do you know where I can find that ghoul?"

"That is something you're going to have to figure out yourself. The man may stalk other people, but I certainly don't stalk him."

The woman steps into his personal space again and she pulls his jacket away, revealing the gushing wound. She places her mouth over it, sucking the excess blood and he grunts from the stinging pain, his head turned to the other side.

"Ahhh, I really wish I could just eat you up. But more than that, I hope you track Yamori down. That bastard needs to be put in his place," she whispers in his ear. Her tongue glides softly on his ear lobe.

Hide flinches at her touch and she giggles, withdrawing from him. "Good luck, Hide. Hopefully, Yamori hasn't killed your precious Kaneki yet."

She turns her back on him and he watches her vanish into the shadows within the next few moments.

"Shit…" he whispers when he feels his wound is still bleeding.

He pushes himself off the wall, a dizzy spell taking over him when he does so. He repeats everything Rize had told him in his head as he slowly walks out of the alleyway and back into the city. The streets are still crawling with a few people here and there. Every time he passes by someone, he hears gasps and murmuring when they catch sight of the blood staining the left side of his jacket. His wounded arm hangs limply and he doesn't even try to move it on his own.

I must stop this bleeding. I can't die…not yet…

He stops and kneels in the middle of the sidewalk, catching his breath and feeling weaker by the minute.

"Nagachika?"

He hears a familiar voice and he lifts his spinning head to see Nishiki hurrying over to him, a plastic grocery bag in his right hand.

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

His eyes widen when he sees the entire left side of Hide's jacket is soaked in red.

"Holy shit, what happened to you?" Nishiki demands. He gets down to his knees right away, his hands taking hold of Hide's shoulders.

Hide inhales and he smiles. "Well…where do I even start…"

"I gotta get you to a hospital. Let's go, dumbass!" Nishiki takes Hide's right arm and wraps it around his shoulders without letting Hide finish his sentence. Hide feels himself slipping away but he forces himself to stay awake.

…

"I would like for you to stay in the hospital, for at least a couple of days. That wound isn't a laughing matter," the emergency room doctor tells him.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Hide shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry but I'd rather not. I'm fine now that I'm all bandaged up."

"You do understand the risks you're taking by going against medical advice, right?" the doctor continues and Hide nods his head solemnly.

Nishiki stays beside Hide the entire time, his arms crossed, and he bites his tongue in order not to rudely cut in.

The doctor sighs lightly when he realizes Hide is stubborn with his decision. "All right then. We'll transfuse a unit of blood to get your levels back up and then we'll release you once all your vitals and labs come back stable enough. Like I said, infection is serious with wounds like that. If you notice the signs and symptoms, you'll need to come back as soon as possible."

With that, the doctor leaves to examine the other patients in the busy department. From there, Hide lays back on the hospital bed and the nurse comes by to begin the process of the transfusion.

"You really are a major idiot, you know that, Nagachika?" Nishiki says to him.

Hide grins at him. "Yeah, I know."

Nishiki sneers at his response. "And don't be so fucking proud of it either! You could have fucking died if I hadn't happened to stroll by!"

Hide raises his brow at him. "Come on, Nishiki. Did you smell my blood?"

Nishiki hesitates and then he growls. "That's not the point! Even if I smelled you from miles away, it doesn't matter! Risking your life to try and save your boyfriend - it's just too dangerous! And you're only human!"

The ghoul stops when another nurse comes in to verify the blood and he sighs, stepping over to the other side of the bed while the blood transfusion is set up. Once Hide begins receiving the blood, Nishiki continues.

"I know it must be hell without him but…"

Hide is silent, his irises black as he stares off into space.

Nishiki sighs again and he rubs a hand over the lower part of his face. "You can't do this alone, Hide. Count on your friends. Let me and Ikuma help you out. Listen, as much as I say you and Kaneki annoy the hell out of me, I care."

Hide looks up and smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "I know you do."

Nishiki pulls up a chair and sits beside Hide. "I can't believe you let that bitch bite you like that. And I can't believe she didn't kill you!"

Hide runs his hand over his bandaged left arm and he looks up at his vital signs on the monitor. "Some bastard named Yamori kidnapped Ken…"

The ghoul gasps and Hide turns his head to see Nishiki's mouth open in shock. "No way, that monster?"

Hide's eyes grow larger at his statement. "You know him?"

Nishiki shakes his head. "No, not exactly. Just word of mouth. But Yamori is fucking bad news. He tortures ghouls as a hobby, you know?"

Hide's irises darken further, and he suddenly feels nauseous. The vision of Kaneki's dead body returns in his mind.

"And not just any ghoul. Ghouls that are strong and can withstand the type of shit he pulls. I hate to say this, but the ones he ends up 'playing' with? They never come back."

Hide's head leans further into the hospital bed. He feels his face getting sweaty, along with his palms and he takes in a few deep breaths.

"Hide?" Nishiki uses his first name this time.

"I need to find him. I don't give a damn about what happens to me. I'll die in his place if it means he can live," Hide says. His gaze stays on the ceiling and he feels his throat tighten.

Nishiki scoffs. "Idiot. You know that if you die, Kaneki will most definitely die too. The nerd can't live without you. He loves you too much."

Hide closes his eyes, forcing himself not to break down. His heart hurts more than his wounded arm. "I hate that I don't know what's happening to him. What if…"

Hide slaps a hand to his forehead. "No, he's not dead. He's not dead."

Nishiki stares at Hide with sad eyes until his cell phone rings in his pocket. He checks the caller ID and Hide turns to look at the ghoul. He notices Nishiki's expression lighting up. The ghoul stands, his back facing Hide.

"Hey, Kimi. Huh? No, sorry, I'm gonna be a little late coming home. I'm at the hospital…what? No, no! I'm okay. My idiotic childhood friend got into some shit, so I took his ass to the emergency room."

Hide smiles, a genuine one, when he hears Nishiki sounds happy with his girlfriend. Those bright thoughts are dashed quickly, however, when he thinks of Kaneki once more and his anxiety rises.

Everything seems to remind him of his love.

Black hair is scattered all around his feet, along with blood. It's normal now. Crimson paints the checkered floor and his hair begins to look like feathers as the loose strands fall from his head and leave bald patches.

His feet look so inhuman without toes and so do his hands without fingers. Like a bird without wings, his tears sting against the stubs where his toes are still trying to reform.

His voice is hoarse, and he wonders why he hasn't lost it yet. His eyes are sore, and he wonders why he's still creating tears. His head pounds endlessly with his exhausted heart that's run far more than it can go, and he wonders why it's not stopping.

The beast may think he's clinging to those numbers that repeat like a broken record but every fiber of his being clings onto the man fading in his mind.

Where are you!

Don't leave!

The chains that restrict his feet and hands excoriate his skin to the point where it doesn't heal well on his wrists and ankles. He wishes his healing would slow down. How long will it be until he ends up like his old toys? Mangled, overused, and unable to be recognized as a person.

Bound to a wooden chair for days on end, he doesn't know how long it's been since this all started.

Every time the beast's large footsteps echo all around the chamber, his senses escalate through the walls and his heart feels like it'll explode.

The man's grubby fingers dig into his head whenever he grabs hold of his hair, pulling his blood and tear-stained face up to view that distinct mask of his.

Jason.

"At this rate, you're going to lose all your hair. Already aging beyond your years!" The man barks and rips out another patch, causing Kaneki to yelp despite trying to hold back.

The cycle begins, with the cursed injection burning his veins again once it's jabbed into his left eye. Kaneki is already steeling himself to get his toes and fingers ripped off for hours but Yamori doesn't pick up his favorite pliers.

"Those clothes of yours are barely hanging on. Might as well take them off," he bellows.

Out of nowhere, Kaneki feels his chair tipping over and he closes his eyes at the harsh impact. The effects of the injection are quickly taking effect and he feels his strength slipping away, immobilizing him and slowing his senses. Yamori takes his chained hands, releasing his restraints temporarily along with the ones binding his feet. Once he takes hold of his hands from behind, he rips off the tattered pieces of what was left of his uniform, leaving him completely naked in seconds.

Kaneki breathes heavily and then he feels the wind knocked out of him when Yamori slams him onto the cracked ground. Right away, the beast holds up a shining blade that gleams with the white light and Kaneki can barely react before he stabs it through both of his hands pinned above his head.

Yamori's maniacal laugh is muffled behind his mask as blood splatters on him and Kaneki's splitting scream breaks through the eerie chamber.

"Like a pig for the slaughter!"

While Kaneki is still shocked by the pain of the large butcher knife pinning his hands back, Yamori takes the chains holding his feet and, using a metal pole, he nails the chains to the ground like he is merely stapling paper.

Yamori takes a machete and then he focuses on Kaneki's exposed flesh under him. He stands in the space between Kaneki's legs and the half-ghoul peeks through his lashes to see the man's shoulders moving up and down with his excited breathing.

Humiliation overwhelms him, and he can't stand it.

Don't look at me don't look at me don't look at me don't look at me!

Somehow, his hands hurt less when he thinks of how he's naked in front of another man. His skin now known through another man's mind.

His eyes water and the tears spill down his cheeks in an instant. His heart bleeds the longer Yamori stares at him.

Yamori then sinks lower until he's crouching over his body.

"Kaneki, tell me, is there someone you love out there? Someone you shared your body with?"

Kaneki opens his eyes, but he doesn't dare look at Yamori until the man grabs his chin and pulls it toward him. His large eyes meet with the one peering at him through the mask. His vision is blurry from the injection and his tears.

"Staying silent, huh? Well then, I'll take that as a yes. In any case, what's this special someone going to think of you now? Especially when I do this!"

Kaneki feels his chest ripping open when Yamori runs his machete straight from his neck to his stomach and then at his groin. More deafening screams tickle Yamori's ears and he continues, stabbing and slicing away at Kaneki's naked body like he truly is nothing but a swine.

Kaneki can barely breathe because every time the machete comes down and enters his skin, the air is stolen out of him. The white light is blocked by the man's large form and his blood spurts out continuously like a water fountain. At one point, Yamori saws his thigh at a slow pace, drawing out the intense pain and he doesn't stop when he hits bone.

"Did you forget your numbers! Count down from 1000 by seven!" Yamori shouts at him between his frenzy.

Kaneki can't think straight anymore. His voice comes out slurred and garbled. The numbers come to him slower than when his toes and fingers were cut off.

Yamori's white suit is covered in large red blotches once he stands to his feet and admires his work. "Kaneki! Your special someone won't want you anymore! Why? Because the only one who's going to appreciate your body now is me! This is what I call art!"

Yamori's voice sounds far away. It's too hard for Kaneki to stay awake now. His eyes focus on the high ceiling and he doesn't move. Blood soaks him entirely. Multiple stab wounds cover every inch of his skin and his thighs contain deeper and larger wounds that reveal the bone underneath.

"I knew you were perfect. No other ghoul could stay alive but you're still breathing, I can see it!"

Yamori kneels, pulling out the knife that pins Kaneki's hands and the pole that secured the chains on his ankles. Yamori can only see the sclera of Kaneki's eyes now. When he shoves him upwards by his hair, the man digs his fingers into one of his thigh wounds, which immediately causes him to wake up and scream once more.

"Now, swallow!"

Yamori shoves a piece of human flesh into his mouth once he forces it open and Kaneki feels his eyes sting and his lungs work harder to get oxygen. His heartbeat is irregular, beating too slow and then too fast. Kaneki tries to chew but the pain is far worse than ever before. He's losing his mind.

It takes almost two hours for him to finish the piece of flesh that Yamori chokes him with. Usually, it would take only a half an hour.

Yamori sits Kaneki back down on the wooden chair, naked and still bearing the vicious stab wounds all over him. He chains his wrists and ankles into their restrained position and without another word, he leaves. Blood drips from his suit and the massive door to the chamber shuts close.

Yamori's insane laughter still echoes in his half-conscious mind. His blood continues to pool on the chair and around his feet. More of his black hair sheds to the ground, floating like his sanity.

"H-Hide…Hide…"

His voice croaks, but he mutters his name. It's the only thing he can remember right now.

Did you find someone new?

Did you forget me?

His energy runs out and his head hangs limp.

Day five.

"Wake up!"

Kaneki flinches in his chair and Yamori grabs his head, tilting his face up.

"Looks like your wounds are healing slower than before."

Yamori lets go of his head, allowing Kaneki to look down at his body. He sees that nearly all the stab wounds have disappeared except for the ones on his thighs. The bone-deep wounds are now shallow but still visible, like a long paper cut on both sides.

Wordlessly, Yamori procures the large needle and Kaneki's face is covered by the man's strong hand while he injects him.

"Now…"

Like the day before, Yamori takes Kaneki out of his chair and sets him to the floor. Kaneki's body is stiff and ice cold from being naked for several hours.

"Unfortunately, I have some other pressing matters to deal with today, so I can't play with you as long as I want. But there's no way I could ever skip out on our fun together."

Yamori grins at him and before Kaneki could attempt to move away, he lifts his foot and then slams it down onto the half-ghoul's right lower leg. He breaks his tibia bone, which sticks out from the impact.

Kaneki's scream would deafen a human's ear like a loud explosion would, but as always, it's music to Yamori. He lifts his leg to do the same to his left leg.

"No, please! It hurts! It hurts! Stop!" Kaneki shouts but he screams just as loud as before when Yamori manages to break his other tibia bone.

Both large leg bones stick upwards through his skin and Kaneki nearly passes out from the intense pain that throbs throughout his body. Hot tears cover his pale, dirty cheeks and his breaths are ragged. It takes all his energy just to breathe.

Yamori is satisfied with the screams he got out of the half-ghoul and with that, he tosses a new pair of clothes at him. A black shirt and white shorts that look filthy and ripped in various places.

"Put those clothes on. Let's see how well you do with your new legs," Yamori states with a wide, toothy grin.

"I can't…do it! It hurts! I can…hardly breathe…" Kaneki says through clenched teeth.

Yamori smirks at him and he crouches to Kaneki's level. "You can't do it?" The ghoul then grabs the fractured tip of the right bone that sticks out and slams it back into his leg.

Kaneki's scream is fragmented and Yamori does the same action with his left bone, putting it back in its place.

"I should break your forearms then. I can do it just like that. And it'll be impossible for you to get dressed on your own in the next few hours," Yamori tells him.

He goes to grab his arms and Kaneki shakes his head vigorously. "No! No! I'll do it, I'll do it!"

Yamori stands back up and watches his toy squirm. Kaneki continues crying while he reaches for the shirt. Slowly, he pulls it over his head, his black hair falling out as he does. His hair becomes more uneven with each passing day.

Once he has the shirt on, he grabs the shorts and he shuts his eyes for a moment, aiming to slip his right leg through first. With one hand he tries to stabilize the broken leg and his other hand pulls the shorts up as quickly as possible. The pain is constant regardless of his efforts and he can hardly see through his endless tears.

"Hurry up!" Yamori barks and he kicks Kaneki's left leg.

Kaneki yelps at the impact and he leans his head down to take a few more breaths before trying to go faster. It feels like forever, but once Kaneki manages to get the shorts on completely, Yamori nudges both of his legs again.

Kaneki's fingers scrape against the floor so hard, his nails bleed. Yamori steps back with his arms crossed.

"Now get back on your chair. And make it quick."

Kaneki takes in as much air as possible and he wipes the excess tears from his eyes before he uses his arms to crawl forward with his legs dragging behind like a dead weight. Yamori laughs, amused at how the half-ghoul moves like a wriggling worm.

Once Kaneki gets to the legs of the chair, he grabs onto the arms of it, pulling himself up with all the upper body strength he has. The shooting pains of his broken legs impede him, but he forces himself to keep going until his bottom finds the seat. Yamori then proceeds to chain him down securely.

"Good, good. Now I'm going to take my leave. I wonder if I'll be able to meet this person you keep mumbling about in your sleep. This…this Hide…"

Kaneki lifts his head up, his eyes wide with more horror than when he's suffering. "No…no!"

Yamori grins at his immediate reaction and he laughs. "Come now, I just want to meet him. It's not like I'm going to hurt him or anything!"

The last few words he can barely make out with how boisterous the man's cackling becomes. He begins to walk away, leaving Kaneki struggling hard against his chains. His legs are immobile, useless.

I'm so weak. So weak! Weak! Weak! Weak! I can't do anything!

"Please…! Don't! Don't touch…him!" Kaneki notices he's losing his voice from all the screaming, at a time when he needs it the most.

The door slams on him and Kaneki tries to yell but his voice is completely gone. Nothing comes out.

Hide's smile flashes in his mind along with his bright, blond hair.

He can hardly imagine Hide's warmth on his skin.

Oh god! No! No! I don't want to lose him! I can't lose him!

Kaneki tries to move his legs, but the bones are nowhere near healed.

Kaneki can't stop imagining what Yamori will do if he finds Hide and it scares him more than anything. His chest hurts, his heart aches.

He's ugly, crippled, weak.

He can't even protect the only person he loves.