At night, Beiling City was once again drenched in heavy rain. Chino walked through the streets, his raincoat shielding him from the downpour.
"I used to hate rainy days, but now..." He trailed off.
Han, holding an umbrella, walked beside him "002, what were you before?"
Chino turned to him "Before what?"
"Before you became Fish-Man."
"I was just an ordinary student," Chino began, his voice tinged with memories "My grades were never great, and passing the university entrance exam was struggling for me."
"Since elementary school, I was overlooked by teachers, parents, and classmates alike."
"But I had Rhubarb. He was my dog, my loyal companion for nearly 8 years. He understood me, even when no one else did."
"My family life wasn't easy after my parents divorced. My father remarried, and my stepbrother outshone me in every way."
"But Rhubarb was always there, a source of comfort in a difficult world."
"Then one day, a trivial incident at school changed everything. I accidentally dried my blanket alongside a girl's bed sheet, and she made a scene, spreading rumors about me throughout the school."
"It was unfair, and I couldn't let it go. I confronted her, but she wouldn't listen."
"She accused me of deliberately invading her space," Chino continued bitterly "I was enraged and lashed out, slapping her in the heat of the moment."
"Then she twisted the story, painting me as the villain and spreading it online. Suddenly, I was the target of everyone's scorn."
"I tried to explain, but my words fell on deaf ears. The school pressured me to apologize and compensate her, but I refused. Eventually, I was expelled."
"At home, my parents were disappointed in me. It felt like the whole world was against me. I could barely breathe under the weight of it all."
"I took Rhubarb for a walk in the rain to clear my head, but we were ambushed by a group sent by that girl's boyfriend. They attacked us and mercilessly beat Rhubarb to death."
"I was left battered and broken in the rain, wanting to die but also wanting to live. And then she appeared..."
"It's obvious who that person was. You can guess."
Chino's confession leaves Han speechless. The weight of Chino's pain and trauma was palpable in his words.
Then Chino spoke again, his voice heavy with a mix of sorrow and bitterness.
"And you know what, Han? I killed every last one of those people who laid a hand on Rhubarb. I tore them apart, piece by piece. And I didn't feel an ounce of remorse."
"I cried the entire time, but it wasn't out of regret. It was out of... I don't know, maybe it was out of a sense of closure."
"My mind was clouded that day. I kept apologizing to someone, but looking back, it wasn't them."
Han absorbed this revelation in silence, unsure of how to respond.
"Maybe you're right," Han finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"If only I had your resolve back then... But it's too late for regrets now."
Then, unexpectedly, Han choked bitterly.
"Do you know why, when Lord Aurora asked me to think of a color, the first one that came to mind was green?"
"Because I've been cuckolded by my wife."
With Han's revelation hanging heavily in the air, silence enveloped them.
Raven broke the silence, her tone laced with cold amusement "My Master once said, the first time someone bullies you, it's their curiosity. The second time, it's their choice. The third time, it's your destiny."
"If you don't speak up against injustice, you're complicit in it."
"The world's rules haven't changed. When you're weak, even your very breath is scrutinized."
"In this new form, you're anything but weak."
Chino's gaze sharpened, his resolve firm "Indeed..."
"We're reborn now."
"Let's start by understanding our newfound strength."
...
In a dimly lit apartment, a man and a woman embrace each other tightly "Your husband's absence has been quite convenient for us these past few days. We've had plenty of uninterrupted time together."
"He's not as accommodating as you. Not everyone is cut from the same cloth, hmm~" The woman teased, her voice filled with suggestive undertones.
Crack!
Abruptly, the door swung open, starting the couple. Yet, when they turned to look, the room was empty.
"Who's there? Han?" The man called out, puzzled by the disturbance.
Silence greeted him, and the door quietly closed once more.
Perplexed, the man furrowed his brow "If it's not Han, then who could it be?"
"Don't worry about it. Let's continue," The woman coaxed, eager to resume their intimacy.
But before they could proceed, a chilling sight unfolded. A cleaver suddenly appeared, hovering in mid-air!
With a swift motion, the cleaver descended, slicing through the man's neck in a gory display.
"Aaah!" His eyes broadened in agony as blood gushed from the wound, drenching the woman's face.
She shrieked in horror, frozen in terror as her companion collapsed beside her, life ebbing away.
As she lay paralyzed with fear, a shape materialized in the air before her.
"Who are you? Where are you? Demon!" she cried out, panic rising in her voice.
With deadly precision, the cleaver levitated once more, poised to strike.
...
Within the confines of a university dormitory, the incessant patter of rain against the windowpane creates a soothing backdrop, occasionally punctuated by distant thunder.
Clatter.
Clatter.
Strange footsteps echoed through the hallway, resembling the gait of a dampened sea creature.
"Hu hu, oh oh.... oh oh ah oh...."
A peculiar, guttural cry reverberated through the corridor.
"What... What's that noise?"
A bleary-eyed female student sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes in confusion "Who's making such a racket in the dead of night, howling like a wolf?"
"Oh, oh!"
"Did you hear that, did you hear it..."
"It's getting closer!"
Clatter!
With a sudden thunderous boom, a Fish-Man appeared without warning on the ceiling of the female student's room!
That night, tragedy befell the dormitory as a young girl met her demise within the confines of her own bedroom.