The days that followed Rize's visit were filled with an undercurrent of unease. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see her cold, calculating gaze, feel the weight of her warning pressing against me. We had been warned about a new enemy, but nothing about this felt real until I saw the fear in her eyes. She was terrified, and that was something I had never expected to see from her.
Touka, Kaneki, and I spent countless hours discussing our next move, trying to decipher whether Rize's words were genuine or just another one of her manipulations. But despite all the hesitation, one thing kept echoing in my mind: if she was lying, we had nothing to lose. But if she was telling the truth, then the world we knew was about to change forever.
Our decision was made in the quiet hours of the night. We would follow Rize's lead, gather information, and investigate this new threat. But we were also prepared to kill her if it came to that.
The next day, we made our way to the rendezvous point—a dilapidated building on the outskirts of the ward, far from the safety of Anteiku. The streets were eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that made my instincts itch. As we approached the building, I couldn't help but glance over at Touka, who was walking slightly ahead of me. Her expression was hard, unreadable, but I could feel the tension radiating off of her.
"You're not happy about this, are you?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Touka shot me a glance over her shoulder, her lips curling into a thin smile. "You're asking the wrong person. I've never been a fan of trusting people like Rize."
I couldn't argue with that. Touka had every right to hate Rize after everything she had done, but right now, we had to put personal grudges aside. For all her faults, Rize had information we desperately needed.
We reached the building, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The place was deserted, save for the occasional rustling sound that echoed in the still air. As we entered the darkened structure, I felt a strange unease settle in my gut. Something wasn't right.
"I don't like this," Kaneki muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the area cautiously. His hand hovered near the hilt of his weapon, ready for anything.
Touka nodded in agreement. "We should've just gone to the CCG with this information. At least they would've had resources."
"Not an option," I replied. "Raizen's influence is too strong. The CCG's loyalty is shaky at best."
I didn't mention my own doubts about the CCG's ability to handle the situation. Their hands were already full with their own agenda, and if Rize was right, we couldn't rely on anyone but ourselves.
A faint sound echoed through the dark hallway, followed by a soft voice.
"Didn't think you'd actually show up."
Rize stepped out from the shadows, her eyes scanning us with a mixture of amusement and something else—something darker. She was alone, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on here than she was letting on.
"We're here," I said, my voice cold, my hand instinctively resting near my weapon. "Start talking."
Rize's smile faded as she met my gaze. "I'm glad you came. But it's not just about talking anymore. You need to see it for yourselves."
She turned, and with a wave of her hand, gestured for us to follow. Reluctantly, we did, moving through the abandoned building like shadows in the night. We descended into a basement, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking straight into a trap.
Rize stopped in front of a large, reinforced door, one that looked far too secure for something as simple as a meeting place.
"This is where they're keeping them," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
I stepped forward, my instincts screaming that something was off. "Who?"
"The weapon," she answered simply. "They've been experimenting with ghouls. Turning them into something... different."
I exchanged a glance with Touka and Kaneki, both of us sensing the danger in her words. We had known about ghouls being experimented on, but this felt like something more—something far darker.
With a grunt of effort, Rize pushed the door open, revealing a small, dimly lit room. Inside, there were cages—large, industrial ones—each holding a ghoul. But these weren't ordinary ghouls. Their bodies were twisted, their forms contorted in unnatural ways. Some were still conscious, their eyes wide with terror, while others lay unconscious, their bodies broken beyond recognition.
"This is what they're creating," Rize said, her voice thick with bitterness. "Monsters. Weapons to use against us."
I felt a surge of anger wash over me, but I held it in check. This was what we were up against—a group with the power to create creatures like these, to turn ghouls into weapons. It was the worst kind of violation, a perversion of everything we fought for.
"Who are they?" Kaneki asked, his voice low but laced with a growing sense of dread.
Rize's expression darkened. "I don't know yet. But they're tied to someone in the CCG. And if we don't stop them soon, they'll unleash these abominations on the rest of us."
Touka stepped forward, her voice unwavering. "We're not letting them get away with this."
"We'll end this," I said, my voice filled with determination. "But we can't do it alone. We need to find out who's behind this. We need to strike first."
Rize nodded, her gaze flicking to each of us. "I'll help you, but you have to understand. This won't be easy. These people are dangerous. And they've only just begun."
I looked at my team—Touka, Kaneki, and now Rize, the most unlikely of allies. The storm had come, and it wasn't just the world we had to fight against. It was everything that had been hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.
As I turned to face the darkened streets outside, I knew one thing for certain: there was no turning back now.