Isa checked her bag for her phone, but it wasn't there. I guess I left it at home, she said to herself. She really wanted to text Tatara a good night for the first time. She smiled, looking forward to doing so right when he got home.

Ina was on her way to Isa's house, just to visit her friend in a while. It'd been a long time since they spent time together ever since she'd lost her father, and Ina thought that she was closing herself away too much from her only friend, who, only had Ina as her only friend.

She took out her cellphone and dialed Isa's number, looking at the sun as it tried to peek its light through the cracks of the huge puff of grey clouds. The sky on the other side of the clouds was a light purple, and it made Ina feel nostalgia from her memories with her father.

"Look, father, the sky is purple and pink!" She remembered exclaiming to her dad. Her father walked up to her and then took a step towards the window, looking out, smiling.

"Isn't it so beautiful, Ina?" He asked her.

"Mhm."

"That's where your mother is," he said gently, sadly smiling.

Ina looked stared at the sky. And that's where father is. She softly smiled.

Isa didn't pick up her phone, so she dialed it one more time, but she still didn't get an answer.

Is she busy? She wondered. Isa rarely never picked up the phone.

Ina ended up changing her mind and heading back home, since she assumed Isa was too busy at the time. She felt a little disappointed, though.

She watched the clouds as they slowly parted, allowing more sunlight to shine through the open spots. It gave her a strange thought about how it looked so much better on the other side while she was in the gloom; like a contrast.

She continued walking until a delicious scent of blood was traced through her nose. It was such a different scent-more stronger and thicker. It smelled so sweet and delicate. It came from an alleyway nearby. The smell got stronger by the second, which made Ina realize that she was hungry. She felt impetus pulsing through her veins as she took a step forward towards the smell.

I'll steal it.

I'll kill them and steal it.

She was confident that she would win. She trained hard for the past month to get stronger than before, ever since she lost her father.

Food. I need food.

She quickly ran into the alleyway, keeping her guard up as sharply as she could because she traded stealth for speed. She soon then could smell a ghoul nearby-and their scent was a little strange and...familiar.

When she came to an abrupt stop at the dead end, her eyes widened at the sight of who was before her. Clothed in a tattered maroon cloak with bandages covering every inch of her skin. What kind of face was on the other end, looking back at her?

Ina took a step back, shocked and confused. Of all ghouls…

Eto giggled through her mask, a high-pitched giggle. It sent weird shivers down Ina's back. She stood straight with confidence, looking at Eto in the eye.

"You must have set me up. You did, didn't you?" Ina asked calmly.

Eto cocked her head to one side. "Oh? Heh. Yeah, I did."

Something dripped from her forearm, getting Ina's attention.

Blood...?

Ina looked back up at Eto with a questioning expression. "Is that...your blood?"

Silently, Eto raised her arm and observed the wound, blood continuingly dripping droplets on the ground. Without a word, she started to unravel the bandages on her arm, revealing the wound on her bare skin.

"Join Aogiri again," Eto said emotionlessly, her gaze still on her arm.

Ina took a step back. "No. I can't."

Eto faced Ina. "Why not?"

"I don't want to. I just...don't want to live like that. I never really did, to be honest." She smiled, hating to realize her own weakness.

Eto stared at her for a long moment in silence. She smiled inside her mask. "Who's side are you on?" She asked, sounding half innocent and half amused.

"What are you talking about?" Ina replied defensively.

"Do you love humans? Are they important to you...? If you join, you'll become stronger. You'll be satisfied. I can sense need of power, Ina. You've become so weak, why is that?" She scoffed.

Anger rushed in Ina's blood, making her clench her teeth as she tried to suppress a growl. Eto smiled inside her mask, pleased at seeing how easily she'd angered her.

"Weak? What-do you watch me or something? You don't know anything. Nothing," anger clearly showed in Ina's voice.

Eto smiled amusedly inside her mask. "You see…" She finally said after staring at Ina. She started to stare at the wound on her arm. "This scent-I rarely bleed, but I wanted you to smell it," she chuckled lightly. "You'll know in time. And then we'll also find out the true answer," She averted her eyes back to Ina, and with that, Eto disappeared in a blink, leaving Ina staring at the spot where she once was.

"What do you mean?" Ina asked angrily.

A faint giggle came from a far away, slowly fading away as the voice distanced.

I don't need Aogiri to become stronger, Ina angrily thought.