Unraveled

#25: As The World Caves In

Hospital Rooftop

After a year,

"I heard that Shinohara-san is already awake", Urie joined Juzou on the rooftop happily taking a photo of the peaceful city to show the man who was in a coma for half a decade. "Keep praying, Kuki. She will also", Juzou wishes for his friend to see the sun again. "It's been a year since all of this happened. I can't believe I no longer have to fight ghouls in a few years. Sometimes, I feel like floating around", the man became honest with his senior. "You're not alone Kuki. I sometimes feel useless now that there is peace and somehow feel something is missing. I can get past those feelings but others won't continue to exist if the war didn't end. For what is missing can be found but something we throw away might get lost forever. That's what Kina-chan would usually preach to me", the man maintained a resting smile face. At the mention of the lady's name, his heartfelt hopeful to hear her laugh again. 

"I am glad I talked with you, Suzuya-san. May we continue to see each other in the future", Urie bowed and left. 

Corridor

Urie saw a couple of ghouls being led in the laboratory. They had to gain their trust that they were just going to be injected with reversal blood from the dragon's nest to make them humans. As one of the group advocates that ghouls were once humans what is being done is just bringing them back to their original creation. The man ended up in one room with a lady still attached to oxygen and machines to keep her alive. After being injected with the reversal cell, her body wasn't able to withstand the process and kept retracting to produce RC cells. This caused complications in her body causing the lady to be kept in a coma to allow cell regeneration. 

Urie entered the room and saw flowers on the vases. A lot of people loved her so she remained accompanied for the whole year. "I am here again, Imai-san. I just had a conversation with Suzuya-san. He told me to keep praying for your sake", the man sat next to her and dropped a paper crane he folded along the way to the hospital. 

Mutsuki is already an instructor in CCG's training area for special forces. 

As for Saiko, she built her own restaurant. She wanted you to know that she's learning a lot so when you come and visit her place, you'd be proud of her. 

Week after week, he could hear the sound of the ECG machine. There would always be silence in between them. "Please, wake up. Imai-san. You help create such an era where investigators no longer have to stare on their wills every time they are to go to an S-rank mission", Urie learned the reason why she joined the CCG. "I want you to see how everyone is already living their lives", he held the lady's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  

Cemetery

Ui bowed and lighted an incense. "What a coincidence, Koori", Akira arrived holding a bouquet of flowers for her father. "You're not with your husband", Ui didn't look at her but just stared at Arima's grave. "We're not yet married", the lady flushed. "When are you planning to?", Ui sighed and started walking away. "You have to thank the guy. If not because of him, all of Rikina would have been eaten", Akira felt like she understood Ui's guilt. It was Urie who dove into the danger zone just to save his superior. The man didn't give any response and then continued walking away. 

He saw another figure making him feel so drained. "Yo!", Nishiki and the rest of the cafe servers are in the location where they buried Yoshimura's quinquie after being recognized as innocent. He might have taken the lives of thousands of humans and ghouls but he did what he could to save the rest of them. "We invited Hirako and the rest but they were saying something about preparing for Arima-san's visitation. You came a lot earlier", Nishiki noticed. "I have things to do in the Academy", the man tried to keep the conversation short. His eyes were directed to Touka and a baby on her arm. Beside the lady is the man who is known as the hero. "Urie told me that he just gave Imai a visit. They said that she's almost over with the reversal treatment. We can expect her to wake up soon", Kaneki informed. Ui nodded and clenched his fist. Of course, he wanted her to wake up but what is he supposed to tell her? 

The next few weeks...

The lady woke up and slowly opened her eyes. She sat down and looked around. The last memory she had was being eaten by an unknown creature crawling on the ground. Her panting became heavier and the place seemed distorted. A hand dropped on her shoulder. "You're fine, you're safe. Imai, this is me, Hirako", the man tried to calm her down. Rikina breathed slowly and tried to assess the situation. Almost everyone in the room is a familiar face. With the smile on their faces, she already knew the answer to her question. 

"Congrats everyone. I know you'd be able to save all of us", she gave a smile making the weak in the heart cry. "Kina-sama! Your father said that you might wake up this week so we really camped in here. Doctors are getting mad at us", Saiko dropped on her bed. "Did you lose some weight, Saiko-chan?", Rikina noticed. "We're so happy that you woke up. I still have a lot of things to apologize for", Mutsuki also stood next to Saiko. "Kina-chan. Shinohara-san is already awake. I'll have you listen to a whole year's story", Juzou sat on the chair. "Guess what? Mado and Amon are getting married soon and they're getting me as their best man", Takizawa clicked his tongue and sat on the bed. He retained his white hair and used black nail polish having him still look like a ghoul. 

Then, CCG still existed but operated mainly on special forces. 

78% of ghouls are already humanified. 

Hinami is already in high school. She's intelligent enough to pass all her tests. Ayato is in the same school as her. 

Most of the ghouls are being integrated into the society. 

"Aren't you bombarding her with so much news? Let her rest", Urie shooed those who were surrounding the bed. "You just want to keep her to yourself", Saiko pouted. "Ahk! The doctor said she shouldn't be exposed to so much stress", Urie defended. Rikina just laughed and all of them felt relieved to hear it. "I am so much excited to hear more but as of now, can I just have a conversation with Touka?", the lady saw the dark blue-haired lady holding a baby. The rest of them left the room and promised to pay a visit again. 

The two were left having Kaneki carry the baby out. "I can't believe I slept for a year", Rikina sighed and looked outside the window. After some time, tears escaped her eyes. "All the pain we have gone through, the fear and the anxiety, I'm glad to live until this time to see what my comrades had been fighting for", Rikina burrowed her face in her lap and cried. There's no more chasing ghouls and no more feeling scared of losing people because of not being strong enough. People will still die. Accidents will happen here and there but one thing is for sure. Humans and ghouls no longer have to die fighting for their own survival. "Thank you, Rikina. You have fought well", Touka hugged her. The door flung open and Yoriko also joined the group hug. "Takeomi called me and said that you're already up", she cried and whined that she was late for the reunion. 

Chapter end.