I finish my terrible meal, finally feeling slightly full, and observe the timid nighttime light coming in through the window, softly illuminating the place.
I go back to thinking about my situation. I don't remember having any form of identification, nor any family member or person who might miss me… maybe the shopkeepers I used to ask for money and food… but that seems unlikely.
I don't remember the city I was in, nor the street or neighborhood. The most I can remember is that it was a coastal city in Brazil… and that doesn't help much…
I sigh I let out a long, discouraged sigh, and then something specific comes to mind.
'I don't remember my "new" face…' Thinking about that, I grab the metal tray and turn my back to the window.
'It must be a full moon, it's pretty bright.' I see the environment begin to get brighter; maybe a cloud moved out of the moon's way. I try to adjust the tray to see my reflection, and then I finally manage to see myself.
'Huh?' I'm confused as I observe the apparently normal face of the child in the reflection, aside from the malnutrition and the black eyes with red pupils.
'This looks familiar…' I continue looking at myself in the reflection, trying to connect my exotic eyes with the sense of familiarity they bring.
'Aren't these the eyes of a Ghoul from Tokyo Ghoul??' I stare at my reflection in horror. Did I turn into a Ghoul?? The strange regeneration seems to confirm this suspicion even more, but I managed to eat normal food just a little while ago, so how?
I take a deep breath again and search for answers in my thoughts. I don't remember my "parents" having the same eyes, nor the strange regeneration. They seemed normal, and the people on the streets where I begged for money… I can't remember, damn it…
Then I get an idea. I try to activate my Kagune… only to realize I have no idea how to do that. It should be natural, right? So I try to focus on pulling something out of my back.
'…'
'…'
Nothing… to be fair, I felt a slight itch on my back, but nothing more than that.
'No Kagune then? So I must not have turned into a Ghoul… thank goodness.' I feel relieved that I didn't turn into some kind of cannibal.
Well, despite the different eyes, I don't remember people looking at me strangely… so maybe they were normal before? But the guy who brought me food didn't seem to have any reaction…
Taking advantage of the light, I look over my body again, searching for anything else strange, and I'm even a bit surprised. I don't look as terrible as I thought.
Still quite malnourished, but I don't look like just skin and bones. My face and body still have some light fat, which keeps me from looking like a walking skeleton.
Setting that aside, I notice that I don't look that different from when I was younger in my other life. The same black hair, white skin… this time stained with various purple bruises, made by my "parents"… For them to still be on my skin after a month, they won't be disappearing anytime soon.
I sigh "I don't even have a name here…" I think bitterly.
My attention returns to my eyes once again. I think they look cool, but I'm still worried about how similar they are to the Ghouls from the anime.
'Maybe I'm in a parallel land where eyes like these are normal, or people can't see them?' My mind starts to flood with theories about my eyes and the strange regeneration, until I finally fall asleep due to physical and mental exhaustion.
─── ◆ ───
Industrial lamp buzzing
Muffled noises
My eyes begin to open slowly, brightness finally appearing after a long, dimly lit night. I then raise my hands to rub my eyes…
'I can't lift my hands…' A wave of despair rises in my chest. I try to get up, only to be unable to move at all. My entire body is numb and tingling with a heavy sensation.
'I can't feel anything… what happened? Where am I?' I notice that I'm in a smaller cell, completely covered by a cloth. My other senses begin to function, even though they're still dulled.
I try to focus on the background noises. I can recognize some voices, but everything is too muffled to understand what they're saying.
Thinking a bit more clearly, I don't feel the ship swaying, nor the sound of the sea, or even the creaking of the ship's hull… Am I on land? How long did I sleep? Why isn't my body responding?
Before I can continue reasoning, I feel my consciousness starting to fade rapidly.
'No… I need to… stay awake…' I struggle to keep my eyes open.
Then the cloth covering the cell is removed, and the strong artificial lights of what seems to be a warehouse make me lose the strength to keep my eyes open, though not before I glimpse three blurred human shapes watching me.
I hear voices that, to me, sound as quiet as whispers. From time to time, I can hear a few words or sounds that seem to be spoken in Portuguese, along with a language I can't recognize.
I notice that one particular voice seems to switch between the two languages, as if it were translating the conversation for both sides.
The sounds grow less and less audible, and before I completely succumb, I hear the first and only recognizable words:
"Deal closed." And I black out completely.