WATER is a fascinating thing. It can show you how magnificent it is in just a blink of an eye. No matter how beautiful the creation... no matter how big or powerful, it will end in destruction with one touch of its wave, consuming everything it touches. Anything could turn into nothing. A perfect masterpiece of 'everything can change in a blink of an eye'.

"Shino?"

I heard the familiar voice speak but I just stared at nothingness and started thinking of what I do to turn my life into like this. I thought so hard and then nothing came. I pulled the blanket around me tighter when I saw a couple of police officers enter my hospital room.

I felt a familiar hand touch my shoulder as if it was trying to cheer me up but I just removed it.

This is a nightmare. A nightmare where I keep on losing everything. I don't need to have a reminder of what I also lost before.

"How's the investigation?"

I couldn't hear everything they've saying too. My mind was thinking of that night. That night that I lost my friend and almost got killed because of that psycho. It's been a week since that nightmare happened. I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. I needed to see Maddy because she was my friend and because of me she died.

She kept on helping me and when she needed me the most I failed her. I failed to help her.

"Miss Kocho?"

I blink my eyes twice before I try my best to focus "I'm sorry... You can call me, Shino."

He nodded "Forensics will work on the crime scene to preserve evidence."

"Is that possible?" I murmured.

"There will be some evidence on the crime scenes but we really can't promise anything. A team for arson will also be working on this case."

There's a reason why arson was called. Though arson is hard to prove this is not a typical arson case and it didn't certainly start as one. This is a homicide through and through.

After I lost my consciousness that night. I found out that the perpetrator tried to burn the laboratory. It was like he was trying to erase his traces including the research I've been working with.

"He... he wanted to erase traces of evidences"

"Yes, he did" the detective agreed with me "It wasn't just an impulse action on the perpetrator's part. We found containers of materials used for the fire but we can't assume that it was owned by the perpetrator because the laboratory owned also different chemicals that can produce fire"

"You mean to say he planned to kill me?"

"Or to bury evidence that will trace back to him when he abducted you" he looked at his tablet "Your Company reported to the police that someone was stalking you, am I right? It's been going on for more than five months"

"Yes." Everything was started because of the wisteria medicine that I'm trying to develop. "I've been receiving different threats since I've started doing the research about a certain medicine."

"Did you receive any threats before this incident?"

"I did but I saw... I - I saw him first with Maddy. Maybe he attacked Maddy because Maddy helped me before with my research. And she stayed up with me before that incident to talk about something unrelated with my research. After that she went home because it was late already."

I swallowed before I continued "After an hour of working I decided to go home because it was too late and then... then in the corridor I first saw him there - he was speaking and I don't know if that was his original voice or he was using a device to change his voice."

"Did you see his face?"

I shook my head then bit my lower lips before I continued "He was wearing a mask. His mask was different. It was like a screen but it's hard to see the face behind it. but I don't think the material of his mask really soaked up his blood because some of them dropped to me" I tried to reach on the side table located to my left and then put it on my lap before looking directly at him "I don't know if this stain will help you."

"It would be helpful," he said and gave me a small smile.

"The... the guy who helped me. I - I don't know if he was safe"

He chuckles which makes me frown. He probably saw my expression that is why he tried to make his face look serious again "He's okay."

I don't why but I felt relieved, "As for your safety, your Company owner will move you to a safe house until the investigation is over. We will also provide a bodyguard for your sister in case that the perpetrator tried to hurt every person that you know."

"Will it much better if my sister is beside me"

The detective shook his head and then explained why my sister can't come with me. He said that my sister's life will be more in danger if she's with me. The detective excused himself and now I'm with my sister. I want to refuse but I can't... because my sister's life is on the line and I can't bet that. This started as stalking but ended with murder. This is not something that I can handle alone. Not when the lives of my family and my friends are all at stake.

I felt someone squeeze my hand and when I turned my head - I saw my little sister looking at me worriedly. She opened her mouth to say something but she just closed her mouth instead she just stood up and reached for my head and pulled it until my head was resting on her chest.

She didn't say anything - she just stroked my hair gently, "Kanao..."

"I'm here, Sis," she mumbled.

My eyes clouded with my own tears. I tried to swallow my own sob trying to escape from my lips but I failed. I sob so that I almost choke my own air. Kanao didn't say anything to me - she just continued stroking my head and let me cry my heart out.

"Everything will be fine, Sis"

I hope so...

ACCORDING to some weird book that I had read, change is only permanent in this world - and what's really annoying on that part is that... people can adopt on that changes even they don't want too

Why am I talking about this? Because apparently, I'm going to face the changes that happened in my life. Which really annoys me because I don't have a choice but to embrace this fucking changes.

I carefully placed my luggage in front of me before I blew a harsh breath and stared at the house in front of me. Damn! I can't really understand why I need to be here. I looked around and as I noticed the interior design - I was surprised that in this time the classic traditional Japanese houses were still preserved in this area.

I let out a deep sigh, I looked at the ground. I'm confused. I don't think I can adapt to these changes. Changes that I never thought would happen in my life.

I turned my head to my left and saw a familiar tree. But, the one that really caught my attention, was the man leaning under the tree and staring at butterflies flying around him. My mouth parted as a sight of him and I felt that unknown emotion that suddenly surged into me.

The guy has a muscular stature and pale complexion. He has unruly black hair of uneven lengths that sticks up in tufts around his head, which he wears tied back in a low messy ponytail at the base of his neck. His bangs fall over his eyes in an uneven fringe. His eyes are sharp and reasonably thin, their irises a deep sapphire that fades to a lighter blue and their pupils a bluish-black, and are framed by thin eyebrows.

I think he felt someone was watching him. That is why he turned his head and met my gaze. I saw how his thin lips parted at a sight of me. His expression didn't change and he just stared at me as if he was trying to memorize my face.

I clear my throat and smile at him "H - Hello... I am Shinobu Kocho."

He didn't answer and just stared at me. I lick my lower lips and continue to speak "The police and my Company said that I'll be staying here until the investigation is done-"

"I already knew it." he said cutting me off, "I'm Giyu Tomioka"

I couldn't speak the moment I heard his name. Giyu Tomioka. I know to myself that I don't know you but why I have this feeling that my heart longs for you. I don't understand. I couldn't take my eyes off on his face.

It was like my soul finally found the missing piece of my life.