CHAPTER TWO

In an old laboratory a group of boys crowd over a boy. Two of them pin his arms to the ground while other two grab his legs. The boy's school shirt had been ripped apart and the lower half of his body completely bare, exposing his pale and delicate structure.

"Holy shit! He's a guy right?! He looks like a girl...even his body...he's so weird"

"Hold him down properly", a rough looking boy orders them.

"Is it alright to do this?" the one holding his left leg confirms hesitantly.

"Are you scared?" the rough one widens his eyes "just do as you're told" he then points down at the almost naked figure pinned down before him "he needs to be taught a lesson…he should've stayed quiet like a mouse."

The boy who spoke earlier takes out a paper cutter and kneels down in between the boy's legs, "it's your fault Rion...trying to be a hero…helping out those nerds that were born to be bullied…"

Rion shook his head from right to left while looking down teary eyed at the one with the cutter. He tried to shout out but could only produce muffled sounds as his mouth had been tied up with his tie.

"Wait till the whole school sees this" the rough one looks at another accomplice who was busy taking his pictures, "but that's not going to be all…you need something to remind you…so you never forget" he presses the edge of the cutter's blade into Rion's slim, pale thighs and slides the cutter down to just above his left knee.

Red liquid oozed sliding down his porcelain thighs and spilled onto the floor. Rion cried out muffled screams, breathing hard as if having an asthma attack.

"That's not quite enough…let's give you another"

The injured boy tried to break free as he saw the cutter coming down to his thigh once again. He closed his eyes preparing to take another wave of pain when he heard a voice.

"Hey what's wrong…Hey!…wake up!…Doctor he's convulsing!!!"

Rion's eyes shot open and sprang up breathing out like he had just been saved from drowning. Through blurred vision he saw a wavy haired spectacled boy shaking him up looking quite worried and then saw another person in a lab coat rush towards him.

"Hey are you alright?! Answer me!" Eugene looked down on Rion who was still shaking in fear, "calm down…it's alright…" he tries his best to stabilize the one on the hospital bed.

Rion gradually calms down, breathing out slowly while trying to have a clear vision of the two people beside him.

The doctor feels Rion's wrist for some time and then looks at Eugene, "he's fine…he just needs some rest"

Eugene sighs out in relief turning his attention to Rion who was now fast asleep like a baby.

"He's still asleep?" Kai appears by the door.

"Captain…he had a convulsion…he just fell back asleep again" Eugene stands up and looks at the sleeping figure, "it's strange…it was like he was having a nightmare…is that even possible?"

"Well we collected only half of his soul…the other half must still be connected to him"

"That means his memories cannot be erased"

Kai nods in agreement, "that's going to be quite troublesome"

"But…I am kind of relieved he can still retain his memory" Eugene smiles.

Kai on the other hand just looks away in disinterest, "you don't need to feel responsible towards him…he's just another collected soul…so don't involve yourself too much with him."

"I understand…"

"Good. Let's go we still have things to do"

Eugene slings his bags over his shoulder and prepares to leave before taking a last look at Rion.

"I'll be back"

The duo makes their way to the department when suddenly Kai turns around abruptly almost crashing into Eugene.

"Captain?"

"Eugene you cannot tell anyone that he's a half-soul"

"Why is that?"

"First we won't get paid in full, second he'll be fed to the hell hounds and third…that'll make you sad…I don't want that" Kai scratches the back of his head quite embarrassed.

"Captain…you're just worried about the payment aren't you…"

"I'm trying to be nice and you…whatever…let's go" the embarrassed man quickly averts his gaze from the boy and resumes his walk forward while the wavy haired teen smiled to himself.