Hello there!

Just as promised, here's the second part of chapter fifteen. It was a pretty intense chapter to write but I manage to finish it before the end of the week. I hope you enjoy the emotional drama as much as I do, because this one is full of it.

Melissa Fairy: Can't really blame you hahahaha I kinda did, but now I'm back! (Or so I think?)

VampireSiren: Hi there new reader! I'm so flattered you like the story and think it's one of the best in this fandom (although some of the typos and grammatical errors from the first chapters make me cringe sometimes hahahaha). I hope you enjoy this chapter too and stay tuned for more updates~

olivia. rodriguez .927: I'm glad :)

corneliapr: Thank youu! Hopefully new updates will come more regularly ^^

Chapter 15 (II)

A dozen screens were displayed on the wall in front of her. Her eyes moved from one to the other, examining the scene and trying to figure out a possible layout of the place. She shivered. That old train station looked like an execution game. The walls weren't only covered with dirt; there were dark red stains -that shouldn't be there- splattered over the oxidated surface.

''What the hell'' She muttered.

After a few minutes looking at the unmoving screens a shadow appeared in one of them. It was an old man dressed in what seemed like a hunting outfit. He had a shotgun between his hands and a macabre smile played on his lips. Shiori felt pure terror at the expression of enjoyment he wore so casually. Was he like Rikako Oryou? Another pawn.

The feelings she had tried to suppress about the whole situation surfaced when from the corner of her eye she saw two more silhouettes appear in another screen. Guilt, sorrow, doubt. The first one was a woman she didn't recognize, but the man who walked in front of her with a protecting attitude was definitely Kougami Shinya. The prey.

Unconsciously Shiori's eyes kept jumping from one screen to another, looking for a white glint. She tried to figure out how did Makishima manage to lure Kougami in there, and more importantly who that woman was. She wasn't in the files he had shown her.

''The sheep and the wolf'' Shiori surprised herself murmuring out loud. She took a closer look at the woman, her face was red, her eyes puffy... she was a sheep. A civilian. As opposed to Kougami Shinya who looked much more collected. Shiori grew uneasy as she saw the game unfold. Kougami left the woman in a ''safe corner'' and showed himself to the hunter who didn't hesitate to shoot at him, aiming for his head. She found herself rooting for the young enforcer even though he was considered a dangerous criminal by society, forced to work with the police department as a tool. He could have chosen to leave that woman behind and flee alone from that place -his chances of surviving alone were way higher-, instead he opted to protect her and confront the hunter, knowing it could cost his life. Even with this noble mind-set and sacrifices, Sybil still decided to label him as a latent criminal, without giving him a choice to prove himself. Shiori wondered if he was angry, if he felt hurt or betrayed. Was it really fair to judge people only by their psyche instead of their actions?

She took a step back from the screens when she realized how immersed she had gotten in the fight. She brought a hand to her eyes and enclosed them, trying to steady her breathing. She knew Sibyl was flawed, but what was the alternative? How could free will be implemented in a system in which every important decision in their life was made for them? Was it fair to let Sybil determine who was good or evil? What would she settle for?

A loud noise irrupted in the room and an intermittent red light followed a few seconds later. A mechanical voice filled the air.

Intruders alert

Forced to return to reality, Shiori looked at the screens and saw six shadows enter the compound. They wore Sybil's symbol on their uniforms. She needed to warn Makishima and get out of there before the place became flooded with detectives and hounds.

There was a door next to the screens, Shiori crossed it without a second thought. After a few minutes running in penumbra she finally reached the end of the hallway which merged into the extensive arena she had observed from the surveillance room. Not far from there she heard the shotgun go off, followed by the sound of the firing of a dominator, and then... silence.

Shiori looked around trying to figure out which way to go, but she realized there was no time to hesitate when she heard fast footsteps approaching her location. She turned around and started running away. She wasn't fast enough.

''Stop right there!'' The sudden cry that filled the room made Shiori stop on her tracks ''Turn around!''

She couldn't move. She couldn't even breath.

''Don't make me repeat myself!''

It took all her strength to slowly raise her hands and turn around with her gaze casted down. She took a deep breath before looking at the detective in front of her, Reira Arakaki. The uniformed woman's eyes widened in shock. Her confidence and sense of authority deflated.

''Shiori?'' Her voice broke at the end ''Is that really you?'' It came out more as a pleading than a question. Reira's eyes got filled with tears, a mixture of hope and confusion ''It can't be... you were dead''

The guilt stabbed Shiori's heart once again. She didn't move. How could she? She bit her lip to stop its tremble and looked at her feet, unable to face her old friend. Reira's professional façade broke down the moment she had recognized Shiori. She lowered her weapon and shortened the distance between them, circling Shiori with her arms. Reira buried her face into Shiori's now short hair.

''Thank god'' She whispered, fighting the hot tears that threatened to leave her eyes ''Thank god you are alive...'' She muttered. The familiar warmth of her friend did nothing to stop Shiori's racing heart. She wanted to correspond the hug, but her body wouldn't move, she stood there waiting, with her arms by her side. Eventually Reira broke the embrace to take a closer look at Shiori ''Are you hurt?'' Shiori shook her head once as Reira examined her body, looking for signs of violence inflicted upon her ''Good, we need to get you out of her. There's a team of detectives and enforcers here, we have to meet with them and then we can finally go home'' She explained with a hopeful smile. Shiori couldn't look at her.

''I can't'' She finally whispered, but it was loud enough for Reira to hear it. She frowned, confused.

''What do you mean you can't? Of course you can'' She tried to reassure her, placing both her hands on her shoulders ''Whatever he told you, he lied. Even if your hue got clouded we can treat it. I will talk to the chief and I'm sure she'll understand. You did nothing wrong, he was the one who kidnapped and abused you. But there's nothing to worry about, we will bring him down and he won't be able to hurt you anymore''

Shiori placed her hands on top of Reira's and gentle pushed them away.

''I'm sorry'' She whispered ''But things can't never go back to how they were before'' The silence that filled the room was painful for both of them. Shiori was unable to look at Reira, who was trying to establish eye contact to understand the meaning behind Shiori's words.

''What are you talking about?'' She finally asked, breaking the silence.

''I won't be coming with you, Reira'' Shiori tried to explain, fighting her urge to run away ''I can't no longer pretend that I'm not different''

''Is he making you say that?'' Reira asked between her teeth, anger rising in her stomach.

''No''

''Then why?!'' She spat, making Shiori take two steps back surprised. Realizing her outburst, Reira forced herself to breath and closed her hands into fists ''He was the one behind the Academy's disappearances and murders, and those aren't the only crimes he has been involved with'' She tried to remain calm and explain the atrocities that man had committed in order to open her friend's eyes.

''I know'' Shiori admitted feeling shame.

''You know?'' Reira repeated as her expression froze into one of pure furry ''How can you be so calm about it?! He killed people before, Shiori. He is a threat to our society, the main reason Sybil exists''

''I'm not trying to justify his action, but don't you have your doubts about the life we've been living so far?'' She asked her friend who refused to even look at her at this point, but that didn't discourage Shiori ''About why did Sybil ban some of the books that were in the forbidden section in the academy? Or how every big decision seems to be made for us?''

''Who the hell cares?! Sibyl exists to protect us'' She rose her voice over Shiori's. She felt like she was fighting a losing battle and feared for the outcome and its consequences; the actions she knew she would have to take if Shiori didn't snap out of it. On the other hand, the tension started to wore out on Shiori too, who let out a frustrated dry laugh.

''Well, it has done an excellent job so far'' She muttered under her breath.

There was another tense silence between them and neither seemed to have the intention to recoil. Reira gulped down as she stared at Shiori with cold calculating eyes. She knew there was no point in dragging it out any longer. Her next words sounded so foreign to herself, as if she couldn't believe they were leaving her mouth.

''Are you saying you'd rather stay with him?'' Her voice held no recognizable emotion, probably because her mind didn't register yet the future consequences of the outcome of their dispute. Her body moved mechanically. She didn't even register the sadness and sorrow that filled Shiori's eyes.

''It's not that simple'' She whispered casting her gaze down and biting down on her trembling lip.

''It is! He goes against everything we believe in! He is a criminal, a murderer. How can you declare to stand on the same ground as he does?'' Reira's hands trembled in furry, her vocie filled with contempt. Shiori took a step forward.

''Reira, if you just let me explain...''

''No! There's nothing to explain'' Reira spat, rising her weapon and aiming at Shiori ''You made your point pretty clear'' The last part of the sentence was barely audible, as if she had resigned herself. Shiori's eyes widened and she stared in disbelief at the dominator pointed at her. It took her a couple of seconds to find her voice.

''Reira, what are you...'' Shiori tried to reason with her but fell silent when the dominator activated and scanned her hue. It changed its shape and a new blue light took the room.

''A latent criminal has been detected, The current enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim calmly and subdue the target''

It was hard to determine which one of the two was more surprised. Reira was the first one to recover though.

''He did this to you'' Reira's voice deflated at the end as if she was too tired to articulate the words properly. She came to that place to rescue one of the enforcers of her team but instead she discovered her best friend was still alive... only to lose her once again ''I know the real Shiori. She is caring and compassionate, she doesn't condole murder... but he corrupted your hue and your mind. The person in front of me right now is not her... I don't recognize you anymore'' All of the emotion she had held back came rushing to her as she uttered those hurtful words with a mixture of sadness and resentment.

''Don't say that'' Shiori choke on her words. Reira's mouth twitched inadvertently as she corrected the aim of the dominator, pointing at Shiori's chest. Her fingers found the trigger, but they stayed there, unmoving.

''You'll get better, I promise'' Reira whispered, holding back her tears. She was ready to shoot, when suddenly the loud sound of two gunshots, one right after the other, pierced through the air. Reira looked in that direction taken aback and while she considered whether to follow the sound or stay there, Shiori's legs moved on her own and started to run away. Reira turned her head towards her and gasped at her negligence.

''Stop!'' She yelled tying to aim ''I said stop!'' She repeated dangerously, but it fell to deaf ears, Shiori didn't stop. She kept running for her freedom. ''God damn it, Shiori! Stop right now or I'll shoot you!'' Reira's hands were on the trigger and she had a clean shot on Shiori. She held the dominator with both hands now, but as the distance between them grew, Reira's will to shot crumbled slowly. Eventually, Shiori ran out of sight and Reira lowered her dominator with a defeated sigh.

''God damn it''

Shiori didn't stop. Even when she was sure she was out a sight and wasn't being followed she didn't stop. Not when she felt out of breath, not even when she thought her legs would give up under her weight. She couldn't stop. They wouldn't stop. The pain in her chest, the shame and guilt of her mind, the burning in her throat, the tears in her eyes. They just wouldn't stop.

To be continued...

So, how was it? I hope it was stimulating and I was able to keep things interesting throughout the chapter. Thanks again for following this story, and as always, I really appreciate your opinions and thoughts on the story, so please, feel free to share them via PM or review, they help me keep motivated (happy too) and if it's a constructive criticism it helps me improve, which is something I strive for.

I'll update as soon as I can, but this time I won't make any promises because I hate lying... Luckly it will be sooner rather than later!

See you around~