Hello

This will be my first Tokyo Ghoul fanfic. So I am very excited to start my new story. I have actually been planning this one out and I have been writing scripts and details about every little thing. This anime means a lot to me and the whole concept has captured my heart. I can relate to many of the characters in the series and I truly admire the whole concept. I can't wait to play with some of the heavy themes.

I HIGHLY recommend watching this anime or at least getting familiar with it.

This anime will also be rated M for graphic, strong and adult themes. Reviews and any comments of criticism (good or bad) are very much welcomed! I really do want to know what my readers think!

And without further waiting, please enjoy my brand new story:

(Song for chapter 1: Kiss Land by The Weeknd)

The city is bright and loud with cars passing by in fast speeds. Honks and tire screeches submerge echoes through tunnels. People walk on the sidewalks in masses, passing by bright lights and advertisements. Stores are lit and welcoming to wandering customers. The night in the city is wild and full of life. Music is played in little pop up shops, bringing out a sensual feeling. Many young people crowd a food truck, grubbing on greasy fried treats and drinking endless amounts of alcohol. Women stand by street corners, luring hungry men with a flick of their bright painted fingers. In a darker and quieter part of the city, heels click with the concrete. The young woman rushes past the streets and into an alley next to the local apartments. She pulls her coat around her a little tighter and clutches her purse. The night brought out a chilly breeze, cooling the warm temperature. She walks though the alley, a little exhausted from her work and eager to go home. I can't wait to sit home, maybe snack on some tempora and watch a movie or a few shows. She relaxes a bit to the thought of her home. Her feet ached a bit from taking the extra night shift. As she started to regret wearing her heels to work today, a trashcan tips over to her left. She stifles a scream and gasps as she turns towards the crash.

A dog wags his tail as he searches in the trash, eager for a meal. The woman relaxes when she noticed the dirty animal.

"Oh! It's just you." She smiles at it. She notices the dog's ribs peeking out from his belly and patchy gold fur. Her mood softened a bit and feels pity for the hungry animal. "Oh you must be hungry…" She reaches into her bag and pulls out a small wrapped item, leftovers from her work. As she unwrapped the little meal and looks up, her stomach drops as a man shows up out of nowhere. He is seated next to the tipped trashcan by the dog. By his outfit, the women can tell that the man is homeless and also starving just like the dog.

"You scared me for a moment, I assume he's yours?" She calms down a bit and waits for an answer. The man continues to be silent; his beanie covering his eyes and his face is set in a permanent grimace. She wavers a bit and slowly walks towards him. She pushes the leftovers towards him and urges, "This is all I have for now and I'm not sure if it's enough for you and your dog…" She looks back in her bag, hoping to find some loose change to spare to the man. When she couldn't find any, she gives up and looks up.

The man is now standing in front of her, less than two feet away continuing his uncomfortable silence. She jumps a bit at his fast reaction and closeness. "uhh… do you still want the..?"

The man doesn't move and continues to not move, his arms by his sides. By now the woman feels a little alarmed and afraid. She bends over and puts the wrapped meal on the ground. "I'll just leave this here if you want It." and turns around, quickly walking away. She looks down completely regretful for her actions. She finished up closing her bag and without looking ahead, she bumps into something.

Alarms are ringing in her head as the man is now directly in front of her and holding on to her upper arms. The woman's eyes are wide with fear and she starts panting. Her heart races against her small chest. She tries to shrug him off but his arms are locked on her like steel, unmoving and bruising. The man finally stares directly at her face, and her breath stops as she finally gets a glance of his full face. His face is wrinkled and old, but his eyes! The sclera part of his eyes are completely black and the veins around are radiating, his cornea bright red. The man finally moves his face, grinning with malice.

"Y-y-you..!" Tears are streaming down her face as she quivers.

"I am hungry too…" His voice like sandpaper. He growls and jerks his head back, stretching his mouth out.

The dog walks out the alley and heads down the street, towards the loud cars and stores. He continues to search for food, ignoring the agonizing screams and gory sounds behind him.

…

I finished wiping my finger with iodine wipes, a replacement for alcohol wipes. I pick up the lancet, and held it against my finger. I aim it against the side where the fatty part of my finger is, aiming for the small vein. I hold my breath and push the lancet quickly against my finger, feeling the sharp minuscule steel pierce my flesh. Once I felt the pain, I let out my breathe setting it aside. A bright round drop of blood forms from the puncture side of my pierced finger. I pick up a piece of gaze and wipe it away then start pinching my sore finger, "milking" it to form another drop of blood. I pick up a mini capsule stick, ready to collect the sample.

This is the 10th and last finger stick I am doing today and hopefully my last ever in my career. As a new phlebotomist, the hospital that has recently hired me required me to do 10 finger sticks. Finger sticks are just small samples that we get from using lancets. They are kind of like the needles diabetes patients use, small but very painful. Most of my fingers are wrapped with bandages from the previous sticks. We collect the blood in very, very small tube like capsules, probably the size of a pencil lead. The blood is stored there and then taken to the lab to test them.

I've spent all morning collecting mine and truth be told, I absolutely hate them. I held the small stick against my finger, letting the blood use its natural flow to fill it up. When it is done, I place the filled stick against the clay tray, where my nine other sticks reside. I quickly cover my bruised bloody finger against another layer of gaze. My tools and supplies are set around me on my dining table. A couple of used lab blades, sticks, bandages, etc. Still carefully holding my finger, I touch my phone to check the time.

8:40 am, not bad. Before I could do any more, my phone starts vibrating. Cara is calling. I grab the phone, carefully holding it while keeping pressure on my finger. I scroll my phones lock and answer.

"H-hello?"

"Rin! Good Morning! I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

I look at my blood stick tray and bloody gazes cluttered everywhere. "No, nothing at all."

"Ok good, so we are still meeting today for brunch near the school right? I still need help on my lab assignment."

"Yeah I'll be there. Just finishing some lab stuff." I tilt the phone and turn my head to look at my big calendar board. It is covered with small cursive writing, each square having brightly colored notes on it. I am a busy student. "When is that test by the way?"

"Next Monday. I think we are covering two more units this week. Say, how did the interview go for Kanou General? You got in?"

I smile with a bit of pride, "Yes I did! I am hired and I finished training. I am officially getting paid later today. I think my GPA and volunteering record won them over."

"Congrats! I am so happy for you! And I knew you were gonna get it, with all your school skills and most of all that charm." Cara laughs a bit.

I giggle with her. "I just can't wait to finally have a job that I will like. I hated working in that book store." Although I am on full scholarship, I still needed money to pay for all my extra fees and rent. I decided to move into a nice apartment complex next to my school where the landlord offered a huge discount for Kami students. There was no way that I was moving into a dorm filled with strangers and worst of all, sharing a bathroom with all of them. The idea is horrid. Anyway, I ended up working in the local bookstore since I do enjoy reading but the owner was a rude lady who never let me have time to read books. I had to deal with her in my first semester. "You should have seen me that day when I quitted, the look on her face was priceless!"

"I wish! At least you only needed that, I hate work study! I get called in everyday for this semester." Cara groans. Cara is a bright student but her laziness in high school cost her a few grand of tuition.

"You should have not slacked off."

"Not everyone is a nerd like you."

"I am not a nerd! I prefer the term genius."

"A conceited one." We both laugh, enjoying the ritual of small talk in the morning. Cara was one of the few people I can tolerate. Moving to this area was not my cup of tea at first, but I am lucky to have become friends with someone like her. Someone, trustworthy.

"Anyway, this café we are going to, are they Parisian style or-"I noticed the red on my hand and glance down. I gasp and flung my hand at an alarming rate. My finger has been bleeding this entire time and quickly, the blood gathered around my palm dripping towards my elbow. When I jerked my hand, I accidently hit the clay stick tray and small flower vase on my table. Both of them spilled and I yelped, grabbing the flowers and vase from spilling more water. The table is covered with water and white carnations, my favorite flower. My bloody hand tries to clean up the tray and spilled sticks but failed.

The blood from my hand and sticks are mixed with the vase water, the flowers are covered with blotchy spots of my blood. The sticks are all shattered from the impact of my vase, the blood all flowing around. It was a bloody mess.

All my hard work gone to waste.

I groan loudly, "Call you back Cara." I hung up and tossed my phone on the coach near the table. I get up from the kitchen to grab paper towels but realized my hand was still bloody. I rush to my sink to wash it all. Damn my clumsiness. There goes all my work! I finish washing my hand and hold a paper towel to my finger. I've always been a fast bleeder, the only time I appreciated it was during blood donations but anywhere else, I loathe it.

Grabbing more towels than I need, my frustrated self walks back to the messy table. I throw the paper towels on the bloody water, letting them soak. I scavenge the tools that didn't get caught in the mess. I open a bandage and quickly put it on my still sore finger. My right hand has all its fingers wrapped in flesh tone bandages.

I look at my left hand, the dominant one. All it's fleshy finger, healthy and ripe. I whimper. I have no choice but to prick them. I move over to the table, trying to clean it. I bunch up the paper towels and started wiping but then I noticed my flowers.

White Carnations have always been my favorite and I've always cherished them. The once bright white petals are now spotted with many drops of my blood. Some petals are plucked and scattered around the others. It leaves a gruesome look on them, wet and bloody. I frown at them.

Why is something so pretty always ruined?

… ...

I rub my sore fingers, all ten of them. I spent the last half hour redoing my finger sticks. I dreaded all of it because now my writing hand is aching. Class is going to be hell today. I enter Kami University, its main campus. I walk down the clean concrete, passing by students. Its late morning and absolutely beautiful today. The campuses trees and bushes are greener; flower buds are starting to grow on them. Spring is starting and the air has never felt better. The right amount of sun shines and the right amount of wind blows. The sunlight shimmers its way through the thick tree leaves above me. I brush the dark brown strands away from my face, enjoying the warmth on my face. Despite my frustrating morning, I chose to look nice today, since today will be huge milestone as I finally get to work a job I've been wanting. I let my hair down, a rarity for me, in its natural curly waves.

I check my phone, letting Cara know that I'm about to head to my first classes today. Organic Chemistry and Psychology 101. I'm supposed to meet her after them, around lunch time. She needs help with her lab assisting class and I offered to tutor her since I finished that course in high school.

I head towards the science buildings, all silver and glass windows. I walk towards the glass doors, grabbing my school ID to scan it. I placed the card on the screen and the doors unlocked. I love how high tech this school was.

I entered the building and headed towards the class, it's doors opened. It was a large room, an auditorium. All the Chemistry classes are huge. Luckily, the professor entered and started the class. I only focus on him the rest of the day.

… …

I leave the building with a headache and sore hands. I always write the most notes in those classes. My fingers are begging me to stop, they burn a bit. This is what I get for being a Bio-chem Major.

I moved to Kami University a few months ago, completely new to Tokyo. The busy city lifestyle and the tough school work took some time getting used to. Being an honors kid with high academics, getting into this school wasn't a problem and neither was paying for it. But I was just a freshman trying to fit in. Luckily, I met Cara and a few people. I was acquainted with many others as well, occasionally seeing them.

I strolled around the campus enjoying the spring air and relaxing a bit to the pretty view. It was an amazing school. I headed to the café where I was supposed to meet up with Cara. I made sure to bring my books and notes to help her. I finally reached where she was, sitting in one of the tables outside. The café was cute, friendly looking. It had potted plants decorated around the windows and the tables were covered in pretty white lace cloth. She finally noticed me walking towards her, smiles and waves at me. Her books were stacked on the table.

"Rin!"

"Hey Cara!" I seated in the chair in front of her, slinging my bag on the side and placing my books on the table. "How was Anatomy?"

"Tough as usual but we get to start animal labs soon." She smiles and adjusts her blonde braid. Cara was a transfer student from Germany yet she spoke as if she was a native here.

"That's interesting!" A waiter soon approaches us and we give him our orders. I ordered plain black coffee and some sandwiches. Cara orders her usual sugary macchiato and cake. The waiter writes them done and leaves.

"Ugh, you always drink that nasty stuff. I honestly don't know how you do it."

I laugh. "Well I appreciate coffee in its natural state. Something about its bitterness."

"I remember when you first gave me some, I almost choked." She rolled her eyes at the hilarious memory.

Germans and their sweet tooth.

We continue to talk for a few minutes and then moved on to our studies. I helped her with recognizing blood compounds and types before our orders arrived. We enjoy our drinks and food in the pleasant environment.

"So, if the blood cell has no Rh it's negative right?"

I sipped my coffee and nodded.

"Good. At least I know that." Cara writes down her notes and flips her book. "Thank god I have a blood expert as a friend or else I wouldn't know what to do. So, what about the basophilis?"

Before I answered her question, my phone vibrated. I read what it said:

KANOU GENERAL HOSPITAL LAB ASSISTANTS

FIRST DRAW DAYS ARE TODAY AT KAMI LABS. MEET THERE FOR FIRST ASSIGNMENT. VOLENTEERS WILL BE PRESENT FOR DRAWS. WEAR UNIFORM AND ID CARDS.

"What's that?" Cara leans over to read it.

"It's my first assignment for my job. The hospital is going to use our labs for draws."

"That's good! You won't have to leave campus."

"Yeah it is." I smile at her. We continue discussing, correcting her while stuffing my face with delicious sandwiches.

… …

I shrug on my white lab coat and attach my ID card on the front pocket. I arrived at the labs and entered the lounge where all the other phlebotomists are. I placed my stuff on the racks. I greeted some of the other employees and acquainted with them.

We all set up our stations in the lab. Each of us have our own area to draw blood. I made sure all my supplies were there. Gloves. Check. Needles. Check. Hubs. Check. Tubes. Check . I mentally go through my list. Everything is good and sorted. I waited for the volunteers to enter the labs. My hospital requires a few draws from people every 14 months and earn some CTE credits. We draw blood from people who volunteered and with their permission, test on the blood using basic procedures. It's to help insure our practice is kept up to date. I use to draw blood during my final year of high school and I have been certified. It was one of the reasons I got this job.

People arrived and we all begin our draws. I go through many effortlessly. I talk to most of them, enjoying a conversation and keeping their minds away from the needle.

An hour passed by and I've went through more than I can count. My tube rack is filled, all from different people. The thought of having to go through them, one by one testing them, is a little overwhelming. Only a few volunteers come by, which is good. It means the day is almost over.

"Uh, excuse me?"

A man near my age walks up to me. I greet him and he sits.

"Hello my name is Rin, I am from the lab. Can you state your first and last name please?"

"Oh, its Hideyoshi Nagachika."

"Nice to meet you." I smile at him. "Have you had your blood drawn before?"

"Yes I have." He looks friendly, and familiar. I feel like I've seen him around campus.

"Are you fasting? On any blood thinners or allergic to latex?"

"No, and no."

"Alright." I proceed to check his veins and clean his arm. I start putting the needle together and slid my gloves on. "So do you go to school around here, Hideyoshi?"

"Yeah, Kami University." He replies kindly.

"Hey, I go there too."

"No way!" His eyes widen and he grins. "I knew you were a little bit familiar. Which department are you in?"

"Chemistry." I tie a tourniquet around his arm.

"Chemistry, I think I know someone who takes that." I pierce the needle through his vein, and the blood gushes in the tube. "Say, I didn't know students are allowed to work in hospitals yet. Don't you need to be a certain age?"

"Not if you have the qualifications." I gently untie the tourniquet and take the tube out. I discard the needle safely.

"You must be really smart huh? I heard it's hard to get the job- Wait! Wah, we're done?!" He looks at his arm, shocked. I put a bandage on his arm. "I didn't even feel the needle!"

I giggle at his reaction.

"Wow you are good!" His mouth hangs open. His eyes wide with amazement. "Say, do you need more volunteers? I have a few friends that wouldn't mind coming."

I was about to decline his offer, but then I looked at my tube rack. Despite being filled, I need one more person. "Yeah, I think I need another. You don't mind do you?"

"Of course not! I got a friend in mind. Don't you worry! He'll come." He smirks I really like this guy's energy. His smile is contagious.

"I would really appreciate that." I couldn't help but smile. After a few more small talk, Hideyoshi leaves. Our supervisor tells us to finish up and clean. He comes and checks our racks. As I cleaned up he checked mine, he nods with approval.

"I am amazed by your work, Miss Anbe. Despite being inexperienced, you managed quite a harvest."

"Thank you, sir. I just need one more draw then I will complete the assignment."

"Very good, there will be another draw day tomorrow. It will be short but it's for those who didn't finish. No need to worry. You did well." He nods again, his eyes crinkling. He marks a clipboard when he finished counting my tubes. I clean up my lab and like the others, we all took our forms and filled them out. We had to get them signed to insure that we completed our job. As I finished my form, my phone vibrates again. I received another email but this time it was confidential.

FORWARD REPLY:

THIS MESSENGE HAS BEEN VIEWED BY insert/insert AND IS FORWARDED TO YOU FOR APPROVAL. THIS IS SENT FROM A SECURE AND SAFE SITE. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

FROM: insert/insert

SENT TO: insert/insert

NAME: RIN ANBE

AGE: 17

BIRTH: APRIL 2ND

PARENTS DECEASED/SENTENCED

GRADUATION FROM OKINAWA HIGH AND CURRENTLY ATTENDING KAMI UNIVERSITY

4.5 GPA

BLOOD TYPE: AB -

WEIGHT: 153 KILOS

HEIGHT: 167 CM

MEDICAL RECORD: INSOMINIA, WELLBUTRIN…

What the hell is this?! My heart hammers hard. The email goes on to say even more private stuff. From all my old addresses to even all my vaccinations. How is all this information here? Some of these are even things I never knew about myself. Blood tests? Surveillance? Mental health? My stomach has dropped. Has someone been stalking me?! The email was sent by a confidential address and looks like of great importance.

But who?

I tried to calm down and think logically. I took a deep breath and went to my supervisor. Maybe he might know something, he has records of all his lab assistants. He was writing down on his clipboard and I gave him my form to sign. As he signs it, I shakily ask, "Sir, when I was hired… was my application sent to others…?" Without looking from his clipboard, he nods.

"All applicants' information is sent to other hospitals or affiliations. It is routine since the job requires you to constantly move around. For example, like your school. Kanou General is associated with the university which I why we use their labs sometime."

"I see, and they all have access to, say, our medical records and old addresses…"

He looks up from the board and tilts his head questioning. "Well they have all the info that you put on your application. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh well not really, I just received an email that says someone confidential has received information about me, and I just thought that you might know of anything else?"

"Oh well that's fine! Some businesses block their addresses in case of hackers. It's a good thing they sent you that, It means they are considering taking you in. You have nothing to worry about, Miss Anbe." He gently smiles again, his face crinkling showing his old age.

"Alright sir, thank you." I bow down and turn to leave with the others.

"Oh and Rin." I turn around to look, "Be careful going home tonight. There was a ghoul attack yesterday. Poor waitress was killed in an alley." He shakes his head with pity.

"Oh, that's so sad. I will sir!" I smile but as soon as I turned away, I frowned.

I exit the building and turn to walk on the sidewalks. I kept my lab coat on, feeling a little cold. Stores are starting to turn on their neon lights and some shops are closing. The sun is starting to set, giving the sky a dark orange hue occasionally showing some stars as well. Tokyo is a wonderful city, always alive and busy. But as soon as it gets dark, there is this irrational fear of the monsters that lurk around.

Ghouls.

They are the only fear I have in this city. I thankfully never had to encounter them but every day I hear horrible stories about people getting attacked. They look like normal people, but according to my studies, their biological makeup is completely abnormal. They possess immense strength and regeneration but what makes them monstrous is their kagunes.

They range from different forms but one attack from them is fatal to ordinary humans.

I continue walking through the city, and shiver just thinking about them.

… …

I finish brushing my teeth and spit out. I made it home safely, though I was rushing. I finished all my homework and was ready to retire for the night. I shut off my lights and climb into my large bed. I sigh at feeling the comfortable duvet and snuggle in. I reach over to get my phone, scrolling through my mail. Most of them were spam from stores, some emails about my school and work. I stopped at one in particular. It was another confidential one. I opened it up.

CONFDENTIAL ADDRESS HAS CONTACTED YOU. THIS EMAIL IS FROM A SAFE AND SECURE SITE. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

Oh great, another one. I unwillingly continue to scroll through it.

SENT TO: insert?/insert?

FROM: insert?/insert?

YOU HAVE RECEIVED A FORWARD FROM US AND CONFIMRED APPROVAL. TO ACCEPT FURTHER ACTIONS PLEASE CLICK 'ACCEPT' AND YOU WILL BE FORWARDED.

Approval? I approved that stalker email ? It must have been the fact that I did opened it. Curiosity got the best of me, and I tapped on the word ACCEPT. The email vanished and I was sent back to my inbox. Weird. But before I could close my email, another one was immediately sent. This time it had a name. I opened it.

CONFIDENTIAL ADDRESS HAS CONTACTED YOU. THIS EMAIL IS FROM A SAFE AND SECURE SITE. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

SENT TO: RIN ANBE

FROM: CCG LABORATORY DIVISION

From the CCG?! What would they want with me? I continue reading.

UNDER THE GHOUL COUNTERMEASURES LAW AND LEGISLATION

YOU ARE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH BY THE CCG LABORATORY DIVISION. IF FURTHER INTEREST IS GAINED, PLEASE ACCPET THE LINK PROVIDED AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FURTHER ACTION SOON.

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO ACCEPT THIS.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

I stare at the email and read it a few more times than necessary. Chosen? By who? And what kind of research? Maybe this was the thing that my supervisor was talking about, businesses randomly selecting applicants. This looked like an internship offer, and I am a little confused.

I already got hired… maybe this is just a little extra? But why would the CCG, out of all other corporations, would want me?

From my knowledge, the CCG or Commission of Counter Ghoul deals with ghoul attacks and cases. They have a high reputation in Tokyo and becoming an investigator is extremely difficult. So why on earth would they want a college student? I stared at the link, wondering who sent this. It's a huge deal and they probably pay well and it would look amazing on my resume. I finally made up my mind and clicked the link, instantly closing the email and sending me back to my inbox. When I didn't receive any more emails, I shut off my phone and placed it on my nightstand. I turn over on my back and snuggle into my comforter. I stared at my ceiling.

It's just the lab work, maybe just health routines for the investigators. I won't be near any ghouls, at all. Hell, they'll probably reject me anyway; there are plenty of other candidates who are more qualified. I'm just a kid. They won't work with ghouls. As I fall asleep, I keep convincing myself that it isn't a big deal. Those ghouls aren't involved.

But deep inside, I feared that it was more serious than I thought.

And there you have it! The first chapter of my new story! I have finally made up my mind on the title. By the way, this has the most word count I've ever wrote. That's pretty amazing!

Kaneki will be deputing next chapter and plenty of more stuff to come as we meet Rin Anbe!

The next chapter will be up soon after I update my other story. I hope you all liked it and please let me know what you guys think! Criticism is widely accepted!

Until next time

Dreamer