Special: Fragile like Glass

5 Years ago

When Cinder first saw Haruki beside Roman... it immediately pissed her off.

"This is no place for a child! Do you think this is a Joke Roman!?"

Haruki was cheekily looking at her... It reminded her of someone and it pissed her off.

"Now... Now I assure you Miss. Cinder, this child is very powerful." Cinder screamed at Roman. "It doesn't matter if he's strong! He's still a child!"

"I gotta say Miss Cinder... For someone so ruthless I didn't think you'd be this against Haruki working with us, I mean you didn't react this strongly towards Neo..." Cinder flicked her hair back and said. "I just don't want to anger 'Her'..."

Cinder glared at Haruki but he was there ,still standing with a faint smile like it's nobody's business...

Cinder walked away... telling Roman she will be back in a few weeks to evaluate Haruki...

"You heard her... Although I am surprised by your tenacity boy... normally you would be afraid of Cinder for she is very powerful..." Haruki just shrugs "It's just part of my charm..."

Roman bonked him on the head "Make sure she doesn't hear you say that, cheeky brat."

A few weeks pass... and Haruki has Hunted countless Grimm...

It was time for his evaluation...

He was sent to Atlas to assassinate someone, Cinder being his observer... she wanted too see for herself if he could do it.

"Can you do it boy?" She told him teasingly...

Haruki while maintaining his life reaping katana told her... "Well yeah... He is a business man that has loads of dust in his mansion, he is also a drug trafficker... so it would be easy for me to end his life..."

Cinder interjected "Now remember we don't need the drugs just find his property documents and the huge stash of dust..." we don't need anything else... kill everyone who sees you..."

Haruki nodded as he stepped off the car. He walked into the snow covered forest, leading to the mansion on top of the icy mountain.

Haruki thought to himself... "Fuck... after escaping that wretched place I still have to go back to killing people..."

*Sigh... This is just fucking great... another corrupt businessman for a cause I don't even fucking care about... but for Cinder to accept my allegiance...

I have to once more take a life... another human life...

I thought I promised her I'll stay off of this lifestyle.

Haaah* After sighing for the nth time he looked up at the falling snow...

This is an insult to her memory... but this is the path I chose to take and it's not like a have a choice...

He breathed in a mouthful, As he dashed towards the direction of the base of the mountain.

He jumped over the large fence and killed the two guards at the front...

seeing this Cinder was shocked on how decisive he was... he knows the position of every guard and their patrol routes ...

He was efficient it's as if he has done this a million times.

She then understood that Haruki was different from him...

Even if Haruki reminded her of that person. They were vastly different...

Haruki has slaughtered his way to the room of that man... When Haruki entered the man has just finished his call to his son...

He was smiling... he was thinking of quitting this business... for it would only be detrimental to his child in the future. He was sick of this kind of life... he wanted to come clean to his wife so many times...

But he was already too late, the white fang claimed her life in one of her field studies... His son was studying on Atlas academy .. and he would do anything to make him happy, for he was the only one left in their family...

The door burst open... Sending the two Headless guards... towards the man...

He was shocked to see a young kid covered in blood look at him with cold eyes.

Haruki laughed... For this was the exact same situation, on his first kill.

Haruki then said... "It seems I cannot escape my destiny, tell me old man has your past caught up to you yet?" The man asked what he meant. But Haruki ignored him. "Ahhh it's really similar...how fucking ironic..."

The man asked what he wanted.."is it money!?is it power!? I'll give you anything, just let me live!" The man kneeled towards Haruki... he was in tears, not because he was scared... but because he was going to leave his son parentless... He was horrified by the thought of their only child bracing all this problems alone...

He didn't want that to happen... he wanted to give his son the best things in life... for he swore to his late wife that their son would grow up as an outstanding man...

He was begging "Please just let me live!! I'll give you everything just please don't hurt me and my son..."

Haruki gripped his blade and laughed.... "Hahahahahahhahaha!!!! What the fuck is wrong with you!? You were the one that started this! you Started the drug business and got involved with Cinder! You don't escape from this!!! for someone much more powerful is backing her!"

Haruki punched the man in the face. "I don't have a choice either! we both have decisions to make and this is mine!!!!" Haruki stabbed the man in the heart... On his dying breath he said... "please let my son live at least..." Haruki turned his back and let the man bleed to death... but before the man died he has already called security...

When Haruki exited the Mansion he was surrounded by the guards armed to the teeth...

He just raised his blade and said. "I was the one who killed the man you work for... now this can only go two ways... either I kill you all and escape, or you put a bullet in my head..."

Haruki has long stopped the feeling of guilt... Apathy was required in this line of business, show even a shred of humanity and it will cost you...

But this job reminded him of his childhood... when he first killed, he remembered feeling so helpless, he hated that feeling...

He cursed the world for being so cruel, And yet he understood that even if he spent all his life cursing everything nothing would fucking change...

It was hopeless... so he decided to just laugh it off and enjoy the show... He stopped thinking about it, if he did it would only haunt him for the rest of his life...

But he realized that running from it was the worst way, to cope up with guilt... So he decided that he would face the world alone even if the entire world turned against him...

That was when she appeared... she was the one who changed his views towards humanity... She was the one who told him that life is too short to spend it in hating everything... so why not live a little , love a little....

But the same humans that she protected,were the ones that killed her...

It was also like this moment...

A snowy day...

Surrounded by enemies on all sides...

While she was choking on her own blood...

She still chose to believe in them...

She wanted to believe in the kindness that existed in everyone...

Then she died... just like that...

Haruki Charged towards everyone Killing them all... not even one Guard could wound him... When there was only one left Haruki slowly approached him... *Bang Bang* The man shakily shot at Haruki piercing his shoulder and making a hole in his abdomen.

He could've dodged but he didn't... he was too numb to feel the pain...

He just looked at the Guard, he knew this kid was a newbie... He knew this kid had little to no Battle experience... So he stabbed him in the guts... hoping that he'd live through that, he slowly walked away staggeringly...

When Haruki reached the base of the mountain...

Cinder saw the boy covered in blood...

She saw what happened at the mountain... Instead of being impressed she was scared on how terrifying this child could be...

She thought when Roman said he was strong she thought he meant he was only so-so...

She can't help but be reminded of that kind little brother of hers in the past... although Haruki was far from being kind... she couldn't help but compare...

He was also talented like Haruki... They trained together hand in hand... He was strong, determined and Very cheeky.

He Had beautiful Silver eyes... she always liked looking at him... his cheerful demeanor.

She loved him very dearly but he was taken from her...

By those wretched bandits from the other town.

So she chased after them... but when she arrived at the hideout and killed everyone...

She saw her brother sitting there, looking down... But when she approached her brother looked up... But the place where his beautiful silver eyes should be were replaced with Grimm Eyes... "Sister is that you? I'm sorry I couldn't see... I'm sorry for running away..." Horrified by this Cinder knelt and hugged her brother...

"I'm so sorry Caleb, I'm so sorry....." She shed tears until she couldn't anymore.

They returned to their village only to find embers... There was fire everywhere...

people begging for their lives...

The Bandits were everywhere... they were pillaging everything...

So she ran along with Caleb they reached their home only to find their parents burnt corpses...

She knelt powerlessly down to the ground... She hated being weak... She wanted power... She wanted to be feared...

She slowly picked up her father's bow...

She charged towards those bandits...

She kept on killing even if she was wounded all over

she kept on killing and killing...

Until she reached the last bandit alive, who was holding her brother hostage near a cliff threatening to drop him if she moves...

Caleb told his sister "Sister please run away and be happy" He pushed the bandit with him towards the edge....

Cinder widened her eyes and screamed "Caleeeeeeeeeb!!!!!!! No! NoNONONNONONO!!!!!!!!"

The last thing she remembered was fire... she immolated everything around her...

it was at that moment she awakened her semblance...

Glass...

It is as sharp as it is fragile.

Moments ago they were laughing and playing...

Then everything went quiet.

A sudden drop-off from the connection felt moments before.

A punctuated ending followed by that involuntary reflection, that happens when life quickly changes from fast to slow...

A small girl sitting on the edge of a cliff watching the sunset. Not knowing what to do next....

In her own twisted way she has already treated Haruki as a replacement for Caleb...

She just didn't show it... that was why when she saw him hugging Neo she was pissed! She didn't like sharing what's hers...

Her arrogance and her pride got in her way... Her desire for power blurred any semblance of connection she once had with Haruki...

Essentially turning him against her...

She tried to control Haruki,

Because in her own twisted way she didn't want to lose anyone anymore... that's why her desire for power was so strong...

She was still that fragile girl acting like a sharp blade...

She wanted strength...

Even though she knows herself how weak she truly is....

A Mask of power hiding bitter misery...

She was just a girl, afraid of breaking....