Chapter 05 - I eat the peel because it's bitter.

I came to to the sound of something being dragged across asphalt. Something with clothes. A few seconds later, I realized that that something was actually me. My jeans were torn and the moonlight was just bright enough to tell me that my jacket was covered in blood.

She must've noticed me examining myself, and she was still dragging me. "You're finally awake, huh?" Her limp was obvious, even without looking at her. She came to a stop in the middle of the road and sat down next to me, reaching behind her.

"Thirsty?" Saki pulled out a water bottle and took a sip before offering it to me. I nodded and took a few gulps before handing it back to her.

"They're around us, you know. Those girls from the Tenth. They're watching us, and I'm not sure why they haven't killed us already."

"Is this still... the day of the mission? With the VIP escort?"

Saki nodded. "The night of. It's like, midnight. Probably a bit after. Come on, we still have to get across town."

We headed in the general direction of the train station, limping all the way. Saki was leaning on me, an arm around my shoulder. It was clear that she was struggling to breathe, but she didn't let it show. She had such a tough face.

The station was dimly lit, and one of the lights occasionally flickered. The train was nowhere in sight.

Silence.

Footsteps. From behind us.

Immediately, Saki let go of me and drew her pistol. "Took you long enough."

I couldn't even see the figure who had crept up on us. "I was really just interested in seeing how far you would get. But now that you're here, well, I can't let you get home free like that."

"Why not?" Saki shot back with panic. "You've already completed your mission!"

"Not really."

The sound of flesh being torn and cut through filled my right ear. Saki's pistol let off a single round as she collapsed to the floor, her eyes gone dark.

I tried to catch her, but she was too heavy for the little strength I had left in me.

Teeth grinned in the darkness. "How unfortunate for you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't worry, though. It's not your fault."

The figure approached and melted away from the darkness, then kicked me onto the ground. The lights started shaking. The station started rumbling.

"When all this is done and gone, no one will miss you. You were never anything more than just another girl, hoping she was worth something."

My vision got foggy. The lights shattered, leaving everything in darkness again. The rumbling got louder. "Worthless. Useless. Even your parents are disappointed. They know, don't they?"

The whole city was shaking. I couldn't see anything.

"EVERYTHING YOU DREAMED OF BEING, EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE, IT WAS ALL WRONG. YOU'RE A DISAPPOINTMENT, AKIYUKI EMIRI. YOU'RE A FAILURE, AKIYUKI EMIRI."

Something burned through my vision from my left. There was a train horn.

"YOU'RE THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, AKIYUKI EMIRI. YOU COULDN'T EVEN SAVE THE PERSON YOU-"

I woke up, gasping for breath. I was cold. I was sweaty under my clothes. I woke up just before the train hit me. I felt my face, making sure it was still there.

The clock on my nightstand read 3:52 AM. Other than that, it was complete darkness. Complete silence.

I cried myself back to sleep.