Tangled Fates {Tokyo Ghoul/Seraph of the End}

Chapter 4

The first sensation that returned to Kaneki was pain. His head throbbed with pounding pain. Other feelings rushed back to him. He was slumped over in a chair, his hands chained behind him. His feet here also shackled to the legs of the chair, making it impossible for him to move.

He cracked an eye open, wincing as his head throbbed harder.

He was in a large, circular room with a checkered floor. A table was placed a few dozen feet away from him. He could barely distinguish what was on the table, but it looked like there were tools of some sort.

He appeared to be the only occupant of the room. Speaking of himself, Kaneki looked down at himself and found that his livestock uniform was torn and shredded. His body was caked in dirt, so Kaneki assumed he'd been held in some sort of cell before he was brought there.

Kaneki looked down at his bonds, carefully straining against the chains, being careful not to make any noise. Regardless of his best efforts, the metal links clinked together and the quietest of sounds ensued.

Almost instantly, the sound of a door creaking open reached his ears. Kaneki's head shot up, his eyes widening in surprise and fear.

A small girl girl with flowing pink hair and gleaming red eyes entered the room. She approached Kaneki's chair, a slight smile gracing her pink lips.

"Who are you? What am I doing here?" Kaneki asked hoarsely, his throat burning with every syllable.

"Why do I sound like I haven't spoken in months? Just how long was I out?" Kaneki asked himself, fear creeping into even his mental voice.

The pink haired girl smirked, showing off her sharp fangs. "My, my! So many questions." She said in a teasing voice. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Krul Tepes, the Third Progenitor and what I suppose you would call the queen of this region."

"She's the vampire queen?!" Kaneki thought, looking at the girl in a whole new manner. Though she resembled a pre-teen girl, she radiated power and authority.

The girl continued, after letting the information she'd given him sink in. "As for why you're here, you, Kaneki Ken are the only known survivor of Project Ghoul."

Kaneki's eyes widened at the name. It struck a chord inside him and images of needles and masked faces flooded his mind. Kaneki cried out, straining against his restraints as his mind fought to penetrate the barriers surrounding the memories. His head was throbbing, each wave bringing forth more vague memories of pain. His eyes watered and Kaneki screamed, his cry only elevating the volume of the voices in his mind.

Just as soon as it had appeared, the pain dissipated, leaving only an echo in its path. Kaneki gasped for breath, staring down at the checkered floor beneath him. What just happened?

He heard a giggle and looked up, reminded that he had a visitor.

Krul, as she called herself, opened her mouth. "They really did a number on you, didn't they? Hyakuya Sect is ruthless. Using children as guinea pigs, how cruel." She smiled as she spoke, her expression not matching her words.

"Supposedly, you were meant to be a prototype for the Seraph of the End, but I suppose Project Ghoul took a life of its own, becoming a new project. How exciting! I'd love to see the full extent of how your body was altered, but it seems we can't cut through your skin." She sighed in playful frustration.

"If the humans managed to make another one of you, we'd be in deep trouble. Now, you asked what you were doing here, didn't you?" She asked rhetorically. "Well, you're here to ensure we're able to combat any possible threats concerning ghouls. If we can find a way to kill you, we can find a way to kill them."

Kaneki's stomach dropped as he realized the purpose of his capture.

Krul smiled cruelly. "That's right. You get to be a lab experiment all over again."

She spun on her heel, her long sleeves flowing behind her. She began walking away, the sounds of her footsteps echoing through the chamber. "I'll leave you here with one of my subordinates. I'll be checking on you regularly."

A shadow loomed in the doorway. Krul nodded to whoever was standing there and exited the room. Kaneki could only just make out what she said to him as she left.

"I'll leave him to you...

Jason."