Bab 5: Chapter 5: Into the Depths
Chapter 5: Into the Depths
The hunger was an ache now, deeper than any pain Kaneki had felt before, simmering beneath his skin. He lay in bed, eyes squeezed shut, fighting against the gnawing urge clawing at his insides. Hide's visit had brought him comfort, but that comfort faded the moment he was alone again, leaving him face-to-face with his new reality.
He turned his head, noticing the plate of untouched food Hide had left on the bedside table. His stomach twisted, not in anticipation, but in disgust; even looking at it made him feel ill. He forced himself to take a bite, chewing slowly, but his body rejected it immediately. The bland taste only amplified the hunger that roared within him.
A notification flashed in his mind, cold and relentless.
---
[System Alert: Task Update]
Objective: Seek out what will sustain you.
Reward: Temporary control over hunger.
Penalty: increased instability
---
He shivered, the words slicing through his mind like ice. The System—this unseen presence that had guided him since his surgery—was urging him to confront his monstrous cravings. His body demanded nourishment, but what it wanted was something darker, something he didn't dare acknowledge.
Kaneki pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart racing. The System seemed almost alive, like a companion whispering commands from within, pulling him toward choices he'd have never considered before. It was pushing him to the edge, forcing him to acknowledge what he was becoming.
His only thought was to escape. He couldn't endure this torment any longer, and the suffocating walls of the hospital room felt like a cage. With a shaky breath, he slipped out of bed, his legs trembling as he stood. The world swayed around him, the hunger sapping his strength, but he managed to reach the door, each step a battle against his own instincts.
The hallway was quiet, the lights dimmed for the night. He made his way down the corridor, slipping past a few nurses who barely glanced his way. The closer he got to the exit, the more his senses sharpened, every sound and scent heightening his awareness. Outside, the cool night air hit him, a brief relief from the suffocating hunger.
He walked through the empty streets, each step bringing him closer to a darkness he feared but could no longer ignore. The hunger was a relentless presence, whispering at the edges of his mind, pulling him deeper into the shadows. His thoughts became fractured, his focus slipping as the smell of flesh—the faintest scent of life—drew him in.
Without realizing it, he found himself in a quiet alley, the sounds of distant traffic muted by the enclosing walls. A figure was ahead of him, a young man rummaging through his bag, unaware of Kaneki's presence. The scent hit Kaneki like a shockwave, his senses flooding with a primal need that overpowered all else.
"No," he whispered, horrified at himself, yet rooted in place, unable to move.
The System's words echoed in his mind, a cruel reminder of his hunger, his need. He could feel his body tensing, muscles coiling with an instinct he didn't recognize, his vision narrowing as his gaze fixated on the man's back. His pulse raced, the hunger taking over, urging him to strike.
But then, he heard something—a faint whisper, as if the System itself was calling him back, grounding him in the present.
---
[Task Complete: Control Acquired]
Objective: Resist the first instincts of your new form.
Reward: Mental clarity for a limited duration.
Penalty: Increased loss of control, risk of harming others.
---
The fog lifted, and Kaneki gasped, stumbling back, his heart pounding with both relief and terror. He had nearly lost himself, nearly crossed a line he couldn't return from. The System had intervened, granting him a moment of clarity just before he slipped into darkness.
Trembling, he backed out of the alley, the weight of his near-mistake pressing on him. He couldn't trust himself, not anymore. Whatever the System was, it had saved him, pulling him back from the brink. But he knew that the hunger wouldn't subside, that it would return stronger and more demanding with each passing day.
He staggered through the streets, his thoughts a tangled mess of fear and confusion. He couldn't keep living like this, couldn't stay on the edge of hunger, fighting an internal war with every breath. But there was nowhere to turn, no one who could understand the darkness consuming him from within.
As he wandered, he felt a strange sense of presence beside him, as if the System were not just a voice in his mind, but something watching over him. It had granted him control, but he sensed a condition attached to its help—one he didn't fully understand yet.
Kaneki found himself back at the hospital, the weight of exhaustion pressing on him as he climbed the steps and returned to his room. He collapsed onto the bed, feeling the hunger fade slightly, settling into a dull ache that he could bear—for now. He closed his eyes, hoping for sleep, but the shadows of his transformation lingered in his mind, an inescapable reminder of what he had nearly become.
As dawn crept through the hospital window, Kaneki realized that his struggle was only beginning. The System had helped him once, but he knew it wouldn't intervene forever. He would have to confront his new nature alone, to either tame the darkness within him or risk losing himself to it completely.
One thing was certain: this world, this new life, would show him no mercy. And if he wanted to survive, he would need to understand the full depths of his transformation, before the hunger consumed him completely.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone