Indifferent Depths

"Sorry, we couldn't save your parents," said the nurse, her voice heavy with regret as she emerged from the emergency room.

"I see," Ryo replied, his face a blank canvas, void of emotion.

The nurse exchanged a troubled glance with the doctor. "What a weird kid! His expression didn't change even slightly when I told him his parents were dead," she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Don't be so hard on him. He's probably in shock after losing his parents," the doctor responded, his tone indifferent as he scribbled notes on his clipboard.

"If you say so," the nurse muttered, casting one last look at Ryo before moving on.

The sky was a sombre, unbroken grey, heavy with the burden of a relentless downpour. Raindrops pounded the earth with a ferocity that drowned out all other sounds, transforming the graveyard into a landscape of blurred silhouettes and shifting shadows. The air was thick with the scent of wet soil and decaying leaves, a melancholic fragrance that clung to the skin and clothes of anyone brave enough to linger.

Now, Ryo stood in the graveyard, the relentless rain pouring down, mingling with the tears of his relatives. The air was thick with sorrow, the mournful sobs of his relatives blending with the sound of the raindrops. Yet, amidst the grieving throng, Ryo remained an island of calm, his face as expressionless as when he first heard the news.

He stared at the two gravestones before him, each marked with the names of his parents:

Yuu Kosana (1961-2001)

Rei Kosana (1968-2001)

His parents had been in a coma for four days before they finally succumbed to their injuries. They had been in a car accident while driving at night.

The fresh earth at their base was a stark reminder of the life he had lost. The rain had turned the soil into a muddy slush, but Ryo didn't seem to notice or care that his shoes were sinking into the ground.

"Can't you show a little bit of compassion? Don't you realize your parents just died?! YOU WEIRD KID!!" Aunt May screamed, her grief morphing into anger as she grabbed Ryo by the collar of his shirt, shaking him.

Ryo's eyes remained fixed on the gravestones, his body swaying slightly with Aunt May's force but his expression unchanging.

"Leave the poor kid alone. Let's go home. Ryo, you should come with us," pleaded Uncle Joe, gently prying Aunt May's fingers from Ryo's collar. His voice was soft, filled with a deep sadness as he tried to console his hysterical wife.

Ryo stayed silent, the rain streaming down his face, making it impossible to tell if he was crying or if it was just the rain. His gaze never wavered from the grave markers, his mind seemingly lost in the void left by his parents' sudden departure.

"I'll be waiting for you," Uncle Joe said, his voice a mix of pity and concern as he led Aunt May away, her sobs still audible over the rain.

Everyone had left. The last footsteps had faded, swallowed by the persistent drumming of the rain. Alone now, Ryo stood by the freshly turned earth His pale black eyes held a depth that seemed bottomless, like staring into an abyss that mirrored the void in his heart. The raindrops slid down his cheeks, seemingly tears that he couldn't shed.

At only sixteen years old, Ryo appeared fragile, his slender frame accentuated by the soaked clothes that clung to him. His shoulders were hunched under the weight of his soaked coat, the fabric heavy with rainwater.

Despite his frail appearance and the torrential rain that threatened to drown everything in its path, Ryo remained resolute. His expression may have been void of emotion, but beneath that mask of calm, a storm raged within—a storm of grief, guilt, and unanswered questions.

He was a figure of contradictions—youthful yet burdened, serene yet tormented, standing alone amidst the downpour as if weathering not just the rain, but the tempest of emotions that threatened to consume him whole. He was drenched, but it seemed as if he didn't notice, or perhaps, didn't care.

It was the silence that began to creep in, subtly at first, as if the world was holding its breath. The roar of the rain dulled into a muffled whisper, creating a void that swallowed the graveyard whole. In that void, memories began to stir, ghostly echoes of a time when life was untainted by loss.

He could almost hear his mother's voice, soft and warm, calling him from the kitchen as she baked his favourite cookies. "Darling, they're ready," she would say, her voice a melody that filled the house with a sense of belonging. He could see her now, flour dusting her apron, a smile that reached her eyes. The scent of vanilla and chocolate mingled with the phantom rain, a cruel reminder of the past.

Then, there was his father, a towering figure of strength and pride. "That's my boy," his father would say, ruffling his hair after a winning game, his laughter a deep, resonant sound that vibrated through the walls of their home. His father's praise had been his armour against the world's harshness, a shield that made him feel invincible.

A sharp pain in his head came out of nowhere. He tried his best to balance himself but still fell, all muddied up now. He closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him. The cold seeped into his bones, but he lay there still as if moving would mean abandoning them all over again. The grave was a gaping wound in the earth, a visual representation of the void in his heart.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, the rain still pouring, the graveyard still silent. The world felt different, emptier.

"How can I possibly cry when I am the one who killed them?"

Ryo's escape from the graveyard was as tumultuous as his emotions. As he bid farewell to his parents' graves, a torrential downpour had transformed the afternoon into a dreary night. The sky, shrouded in dark clouds, seemed to mirror the heaviness in his heart.

Seeking refuge at a nearby bus stop, Ryo quickly realized it wasn't enough. Raindrops began leaking through the roof, mirroring the tears he couldn't shed. Determined to reach safety, he ran through puddles and mud until he finally arrived at his home.

Though he had intended to head to Uncle Joe's house, Ryo's feet instinctively led him to his own doorstep out of habit. The eerie silence of the abandoned village greeted him, interrupted only by the relentless pit-pat of the rain.

Ryo closed the door and headed upstairs to his room. He lay on the floor, a sharp pain in his head striking once more, accompanied by the relentless, never-ending beeping sound. Grabbing his head and thrashing about, Ryo was in agony.

As if fate had more challenges in store, the main door of his house creaked open. It couldn't be Uncle Joe; Ryo knew they were the only ones with a key. What followed was a conversation between intruders, discussing their plans to loot the empty house.

Fear mingled with determination as Ryo realized he had to defend himself. He grabbed a plank of wood, preparing for the inevitable confrontation. He didn't have to wait long.

Suddenly, one of the thieves entered the room. Without hesitation, Ryo swung the wooden plank, but the thief noticed him and dodged, kicking Ryo in the stomach. The impact was brutal, knocking the wind out of him.

"Whoops, young man. You trying to kill somebody with that?" the thief sneered. "Boss, we have a guest."

Barely able to breathe, Ryo was tied to a chair. The boss, Juzo, came upstairs, frustration evident in his voice.

"I thought you said the house was empty," Juzo snapped at Renji.

"Give me a break, Juzo-san. How could I have known? Nobody had come to this house for three days, so I thought it would be empty."

"Why," Ryo muttered weakly.

"What's that, you brat?" Renji demanded.

"Why must it be this way?" Ryo asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Anyway, boss look at it this way, white hair, pitch-black eyes, and a frail body, he is a rare one. I'm sure he will fetch us a pretty good price as a sex doll. I know weirdos who will pay a fortune for him!" Renji exclaimed with a giggle, his mouth almost drooling at the thought of this much money.

"Well, that depends on the kid. Hey, kid, tell us where your mommy kept her jewels." Juzo Replied.

"Just disintegrate, you vermin," Ryo muttered.

"Hey pal, I think you don't understand your position," Renji said, slamming Ryo's head with the wooden plank. Blood trickled down Ryo's face as he collapsed to the floor.

"Renji, you idiot! You went overboard. Now go search for the jewellery yourself," Juzo ordered, smacking Renji's head.

"On it, boss." Renji went downstairs, leaving Ryo bleeding and barely conscious.

As Ryo lay on the floor, the pain in his head intensified, accompanied by a sharp, never-ending beep.

Juzo rummaged through Ryo's room, finding nothing of value. A sudden thunderclap and a large shadow startled him. He frantically turns around.

"It's you, boy. You scared me," Juzo said, turning around to face Ryo.

The rope lay in shreds, torn apart by an unseen force. As if he had teleported, Ryo swiftly seized Juzo by the neck, lifting him into the air with one arm and exerting insane brute force. Juzo struggled in vain, his gasps for air drowned out by the sound of bones crushing under the pressure. With a silent struggle, Juzo succumbed to the overwhelming force, his eyes wide with shock and fear until they dimmed into lifelessness.

A few moments later, Renji returned. "Look, boss, what I found. This is going to reel in some big cash, I just kno—" Before he could finish, Renji froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Boss! What the hell happened here?" He and his boss had been doing thefts together for over a decade. The bond between him and his boss was stronger than steel, but seeing him lying on the floor with his neck completely crushed was devastating for him. He becomes overwhelmed with emotion and is paralyzed by the shock. Without warning, a large wooden plank strikes Renji on the head with such force that it breaks into two pieces, and he loses consciousness instantly.

When Renji awoke, he found himself tied to a chair. Ryo stood before him, a dark look in his eyes. He seemed like a completely different person, his eyes wide open with a menacing glint.

"Looks like the roles have reversed," Ryo said.

Renji cursed vehemently, his words laced with rage. "You bastard! I'll kill you! How dare you!" He struggled against the ropes, but Ryo had bound them much tighter and more securely than Renji had anticipated.

"Don't worry," Ryo said, his voice a chilling blend of calm and menace. "You'll be joining him soon enough."