On a desolate and windswept rooftop, belonging to a branch of the CCD, two figures stood in stark contrast. One teetered dangerously on the edge, while the other, a formidable presence, guarded the entrance. The figure on the edge lowered his foot, his gaze turning towards the unexpected intruder who had foiled his desperate, suicidal plan.
The intruder, donned in a standard black and white CCD uniform, bore the weight of his position as chief on his chest, a badge glinting in the fading light. But it was his disfigured face that commanded attention. The left side, marred by deep burns, merged seamlessly with a neck ravaged by the same fate. Only the right side of his face remained relatively unscathed, adorned with small, scattered burn patches. He had dark blue hair with a dark plain eye on the right side of his face while the other seemed forever shut, trapped behind layers of melted skin. Fingerless gloves adorned his hands, revealing the haunting reminder of his burned fingers.
Looking at Grey he seemed surprised to see another person up here.
" What's a kid doing here? Jeez, I knew Storm wasn't competent but I didn't think he'd be this useless."
He mumbled, unknowingly allowing the wind to carry his words to Grey.
" What are you doing out here kid..." he said in a croaky voice, walking toward Grey.
Still standing on the edge, Grey glared at the man.
" Are you here to stop me?" he said in an aggravated voice.
The man suddenly stopped as though realizing something, he raised his hands showing he was harmless.
" Just came out to get some fresh air but....."
He approached Grey cautiously.
" ....whatever your reason is I doubt it's worth killing yourself."
Looking at the man, Grey's face contorted.
" is that so? Do you know how it feels to be the reason the people you loved died, TO HAVE EVERYTHING YOU HELD DEAR CRUMBLED DUE TO YOUR OWN STUPIDITY?!"
Grey's chest heaved heavily.
The man looked at Grey as flitting emotion flashed across his face, he chuckled wistfully before speaking.
" Ohh yes, that and much more, after all, I did burn my family to death. A bit mistakenly though."
Grey's face looked strangely at the officer, now by the edge of the roof, taking in the city's view. Turning his head to face the city too, Grey spoke.
" So why are you still here, you should have killed yourself a long time ago."
With a grim smile, the man sat on the edge, letting his legs dangle on the building's surface.
"Listen, kid, it's not your fault they died. It's the curse, that's just the way it is. You can kill yourself for things beyond your control."
The officer looked into the distance with a trace of melancholy sipping its way into his eyes, he added.
" You know, I once found myself in the same situation as you, having everything taken from me, trapped in an endless cycle of despair. I almost ended it all back then, had someone not saved me, a kindred soul, someone who had already lost everything to the curse. From then I made it my duty to stop the damages caused by the curse, and hopefully if possible one day destroy it."
Grey turned his head looking at the man with an amused gaze.
" If that's your attempt to make me join your suicidal ideal of fighting against the curse, then you've got the wrong person. You know, my Dad was once a scavenger, he's told me stories about you cursed, what you suffer, the madness of the Limbo, and your casualty rate. I may be young but I'm not stupid, why suffer through all that pain for an unreachable goal? When I can just end it here, peacefully."
Hearing Grey, the man released a wistful chuckle as he stood up from the edge.
" So we've got a smart one, huh."
He looked at the city below, the lights, the buildings, and the people flashed within his eye.
" You know, while not exactly the same, back then I the said the same thing as you, why suffer through all that when there was an obviously more logical option right in front me?"
The man sighed, before he continued.
" But is this really where you want to end it, to become just another death, another statistic, just another casualty caused by the curse? Humans aren't logical beings, revenge isn't logical but we crave it."
He looked at Grey's face, which now had a look of struggle.
" I'm not going to let myself die, not until I injure the curse, not until I make it suffer the same pain it's caused me...those were the words she told me. But....."
The man left the edge, walking back towards the entrance.
".... In the end the choice is yours, to become a statistic or....."
He left that part unsaid.
Grey looked at the man, who was now by the door.
" You know the path you are taking, only leads to a horrible death,"
The man stopped at the now-opened door. Turning his head towards Grey, a glint of madness shone in his eyes.
" Then I'll make sure it chokes on my bones."
Then he left, leaving Grey alone on the roof.
Grey looked over the edge, the energy that seemed to be pushing him to jump, just a minute ago, nowhere to be found. Coming down from the edge, he ruminated on the words of the stranger.
" Become a statistic, huh."
Grey sighed, he didn't want to die. He just didn't want to suffer and the depression from the death of his parents was enough to push him to take his life as he didn't have anyone to bear his suffering with.
' Revenge on the curse...haha. It truly is a madman's dream.'
He didn't want to blame the curse for the death of his parents, he still had part of the blame and it was the same as blaming their deaths on a force of nature.....But if the curse was sentient or there was someone behind the curse.
Grey's eyes flashed.
'Then I guess I could afford to be a little foolish.'
After that Grey felt a little lost, a dream of getting revenge against the curse was as far as any dream could ever be. So he felt a little perplexed about what to do.
' I guess I'll have to be going to the academy tomorrow.'
Grey sighed as he left the edge. He was about to leave when a shiny object caught his eye, it was coming from the side of the edge where the stranger sat.
Picking it up, he saw it saw it was a business card. On it was a picture that looked like the stranger except here he wore a half mask covering where his face was burned.
[ Name: Magnus levi. ]
[ Citizen rank: 1]
[ Post: CCD branch chief]
[ Cursed rank: C]
Grey felt a shiver climb his spine, the person he had been shouting at was a C rank cursed in other words a broken cursed. Such a person could easily kill him, without even having to move from his position.
" I almost committed suicide, in more ways than one."
Grey shivered as cold sweat dripped from his head.