Chapter 16: The Fall of The Winged

Painful ringing inside Shu's head had made him mad. With the thunder of the rain, he advanced forward.

Blood ran down his nose.

"Just ruin everything. Break. Break them all." Said the voice.

Then his eyes came pouring out red blood.

"Pitiful.. pitiful.." whispered someone inside his head.

His mouth overflowed with blood.

"Tear everything, make it rain blood." Chanted the voice, a voice belonging to Shu himself.

His ears spilled blood.

Woth emotions stirring up inside him, he smiled.

*

Dan smiles brightly, the beauty mark at his face complimenting his feminine looks. He blew on his bamboo flute made by his friend Shu, reminding him how reckless he chopped his first handmade flute had him laugh.

At the top of the grassy hills, he played his flute, the blades of the green grasses dances along the wind and twirls between the music. With simple melodies floating around the air, the eighteen year old Dan felt in peace.

A frowning ash headed man went up the hill, and sat beside Dan. The smaller boy killed the tune and groaned at Shu. "You ruined my peace." Shu sighed. "Am I too handsome for your peace?" he leaned back at the trunk and watched the weird town growing crimson trees below them.

Shu, and eighteen year old man had grown to have a very fine built, with long legs and arms, and even managed to feed himself some weight from the busking money they earned for the past few years, while his friend Dan, were centimeters shorter and more thinner than him.

"shut 'ya trap. Peace with you ain't an option." Dan sighed and shook his head, poking Shu's head with his flute making Shu groan uninterestingly "ew. Saliva." Super unbothered, Shu pretending to be disgusted.

Dan raised eyebrow, seeing his friend acting a little strange, he tucked the flute in his clothes and brought out candies off his sleeves instead, throwing it to Shu's direction. "Shu! Catch!"

It bounced at Shu's head. Completely unfazed.

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"Why didn't you catch it?!" Yelled Dan furiously, shooting out candies to Shu's head like he was waging a war, the enemy was Shu's head.

Dan groaned and crouched down, sitting in front of Shu's annoying face. "I've had enough of that face." Pointed him, and gave him a look that says 'spill the tea.'

"My mom she.. you know she doesn't have a strong body don't you? After she quitted her job at the pleasure house, her body grew weak after for taking so many jobs." Said Shu, cicadas chirping behind them while he removed attached candy wrappers off his grayish hair.

"I could feel in the air that this coming winter would be cold, so i thought maybe i should go buy mom a thicker blanket." Explained Shu with a serious face, while Dan broke into a terrible face.

Shu's serious face finally came to an end, ranting out to Dan's face, he blabbers; "But i was short five coppers! i couldn't buy mom new pair blankets, what if she says she's cold, and then I can't give her blanket?! I'll lose face as her son! She raised me so well and then i- I'll just betray her expectations for me! That promise i said to her to live beside a falls! Ah!! She'll probably curse me to death that im a worthless lying son! And then—!."

Dan inhales and shouts. "SHUT IT. Don't go berserk just because you lost over five coppers! Gods! Here, go bring auntie a nice big blanket, it should fit five temples inside that blanket okay?" Shove Dan some shining coins to Shu's palm.

Automatically, Shu's wallet opened and the coins quickly disappeared. "Thanks with this."

"Brat." Groaning again, Dan throws grasses at his friends face. "Why are you still sad?! Does something matter? Whatever nevermind asking its all about your mother anyway, fine then I'll use my trump card."

Dan stood up and ran at the grasses, pointing his hand out. "Hey Shu!"

"What?"

Dan went im circles and raised his arms, dancing around. "Chee-chee-cheer uuuup! Yay! Cheer up! Woo!"

"Stop it you're too embarrassing, how eye burning." Booed Shu, throwing small rocks at his friend.

Laughing, Dan goes back, whining; "Keeehhh. My energy's gone."

Dan took a seat beside Shu, then leaned at Shu, closing his eyes. "Would you mind if i take a little nap?"

"No, Dan, though you're so small, your head is as heavy as a big mountain rock, so get off me." Dissed Shu, trying to shove off Dan's head away who never failed to attach its head back to his shoulders again.

"Goodnight!" Dan fakingly snored, then suddenly his eyes split open, surprising Shu.

"What, did you get shot?"

"Ah! Wait!" Exclaimed him.

"What's wrong?" Asked Shu, successfully shoving off Dan's head away.

"I just remembered!" -Dan

"What?" -Shu

His friend stood up and patted the dirt away from his clothes. "Auntie asked me to buy the newly shipped vegetables from the Nayotake Kingdom."

Shu stood up, his eye strangely catching a gray type of material falling down from the skies.

He held out his hand and let it land at his palm. Looking closely, "Hm? Ash?"

Dan far away had been yelling, "Oi Shu! What are you doing?! Lets go! Jirobu also said that we still have another gig at the underground city for busking! We should finish buying it at the market and go quickly!"

Yet Shu didn't even bother to budge, crushing the ash on his palm and looking up again."How strange." Mumbling as if he can talk to the wind.

"OI SHU! ARE YOU LISTENING YOU BASTARD?!" Screamed out Dan angrily.

"The breeze sings such sad melodies.... A huge fire huh?" He closed his eyes and nodded, feeling the wind.

Dan helplessly yelled again with his high pitched voice. "CAN YOU STOP ACTING COOL FOR ONCE?" A vein grew at Shu's forehead, yelling back while walking at Dan's direction "Can you stop yelling and just run off with your tiny feet?"

"Fuck you!"

Emerging behind a tree, Jirobu yells, "OI YOU TWO! MEET US AT THE CAPITAL! RIGHT AT THE UNDERGROUND'S ENTRANCE SO WE CAN START BUSKING!"

Jirobu had looked even taller. Even muscular and his height grew higher than Lev for several inches.

"YEAH!" Yelled back Shu and disappearing out of sight, catching up on Dan to pass on the news.

At some point in some time, after the quarrels of Jirobu's party and Shu's, strangely, they made acquaintances with each other and agreed that they would help each other when it comes to busking. With years helping each other a hand and earning their money for food, they've become normal friends one would not expect. Though not too close like Dan and Shu.

Dan was still very cautious of Jirobu by the accidents Jirobu had brought to him when they were little. But when Jirobu asked for forgiveness of Dan, the two friends had agreed that maybe taking in Jirobu as friend would be okay, when Mayumi taught them that one should always give others second chances for them to atone and maybe even turn into a new leaf. After that, the Dan, Shu, and Jirobu's party did countless of busking together under the capital so they could join forces and add more attention, making them a nice team that earns way lot more money.

Just after the two were gone out of Jirobu's sight, his friendliness fades and a cloud of awful aura surrounds him. "Heh. Pleasure house huh. No wonder, his mom's looking a fucking slut." His violet eyes manipulates his smile, and stirs up a dark scheme inside his head, grinning and chuckling mysteriously as he fades away inside the forest again, with a hideous plan plotted inside his head.

"Oh? Jirobu? You are Jirobu yes?"

"Heh. Yes auntie."

"Oh! Then, what brings you here?"

"Well, its just, Shu said i should pick up his things inside his room."

"Shu did? Okay then go on, come in."

"Thank you for permitting me to go in, auntie."

"Hm?"

"What is it boy?"

"Jirobu?"

"What are you?—"

"Stop that, dont touch me."

"Jirobu!"

"Jirobu stop that!"

"Why not? You're a prostitute right?"

"Stop!"

"Stop! Jirobu!"

"Please dont touch me!"

"Stop that!!! No!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Shhhhhh...."

*

Climbing a pole with so much hassle, the boy pants, looking around. "Where the hell is he?" Searched Dan in the bustling marketplace filled with hundreds of walking heads.

"I lost him again, he probably spaced out, trying to be cool while talking to himself.."

"Ugh..... To no choice then." Dan pulls out the bamboo flute and plays a certain tune while his body barely hugs the pole. People stops and looks at him by the second he plays a song.

After quite a while, someone moves; "Oi oi stop stop im here dammit!" Yelled a voice within the crowd, turning out to be Shu in a panicked face. Dan laughed loudly and the people clapped shortly before going back to walking again.

"Every single time." Panted Shu.

"No, its because you, always get separated every single time, i had to play that song." Dan rolled his eyes back to his brain.

"Nevermind, do we have everything in list now?" Dan asked, looking at Shu after.

"Luckily yes, your sense of direction always put us in a loop-hole. Who buys fish at the meat stall? And who goes to the marketplace instead of the port to buy shipped goods?" Shu shook his head in disbelief, walking away.

Dan groans in embarrassment, "Oh shut up, auntie entrusted me with this." While Shu scoffs.

While in travel going back to the house, two men smiled and waved their hand at Dan yelling; "Heeeey!"

"Oh? Its Jirobu's friends." Noticed Shu. The two men were also just as tall as Jirobu, and had been friends with Dan and Shu after Jirobu had reconciled with Dan.

"Ah wait Shu, i think they're calling me. Take this and go home to auntie so we can eat right after i go back." Said Dan while he shoved back the bags of vegetable he was carrying to Shu's hold, making it almost impossible for Shu to go back to his house without tripping.

Angered, he spits, "Stop being so full of orders, you don't own my house, you dare tell mother to cook you—"

" 'Kay bye!" Interrupted Dan and fled.

"Dammit. He always won't listen to me."

After some time, Shu had arrived at his quiet home, pushing the door open, Shu immediately placed down the heavy bag at the door and went inside dragging it.

"Mother? Im home!" Called out Shu, his mother unexpectedly not at the door to welcome him home.

Raising his eyebrow, he adds. "Dan said he'll be back later, he demands you to cook the.. hm?" He stopped, looking around. The furnitures were out of place, and the small kitchen remained untouched, the clothes still lay unfolded and some objects were sprawled out at the wooden floor.

"Why such a mess?" Muttered Shu confusingly.

"Mother? Where are you?" Dan asked out, putting down the bag and looked at the kitchen once more. But there we're no signs of movement. Checking the bathing room had tuned out to be a fail too.

'She must be out. But where? That's very unnatural of her to go out while the house is in a mess. Heading towards his room and Dan's was to no avail, empty. Then lastly to his mother's own room. Pushing the door aside, he peeks calling out;

"Mother?"

"Mother!!!!"

Shu saw his mother lying at her bed, she was wide awake and was staring at Shu with complete shock in her face. Too paralyzed to even move, Shu's eyes dropped a tear. His mother laid barely dressed at her own bed, her clothes were ripped off and her lower body remained unclothed, blood oozing down of her legs. Shu's body shivered, more and more tears unconsciously fell down of his eyes. His mother cried.

"S-shu.." She moved up, her hair in knots and disheveled, as if someone tried to rip it off her scalp.

Shu ran to her side and knelt down, holding her to his arms. "W-wha- who... Who did t-this to you?!" He trembled and held his mother bitterly.

Seeing his mother again in a very horrifying and lifeless state made Shu crying in a terrible outrage. "Mother!!!"

Shu did not know what to do. What should he do? Should he call Dan and leave his mother alone? Should he stay with her and ask what happened? Should he call the law officials? Should he go out to find who violated her mother? Should he yell and cry? What should he do?

"Jirobu... He went to the house.." his mother hoarsely said under her breath. Her voice completely exhausted.

With the mention of someone's name, Shu's eyes were full of anger. "Jirobu?!?! Why?!"

"He.. said that you told him to get your things for busking.. and i made him enter the house to take it.." explained his mother, her eyes closing and tear marks covered her cheeks. Shu saw some red hand marks around her mother's neck and bruises at her skin.

"A-and then he suddenly... He suddenly got ahold of me and started to do disgusting things to me... I tried t-to push him away, throw things at him.. but he was too strong and.. ripped off my dress.. he.. he forced himself on me, and then his friends too.. they.. they also.. used me.." Shu felt his mother's heart crumble down, while Shu felt nothing but growing rage on each word she said, Shu felt like vomiting.

Even if wars occur, and even if the world comes to an end, if someone ever lays a hand to his mother, will surely be faced a certain death from Shu himself.

"I-im sorry... The dress... It was y-your gift for me and i- g-got it all ripped... Shu.. mom w-will fix—" she forced a smile, a tear going down at her cheeks again. She felt too disgusted at herself, ashamed to be seen by her son at this state.

"STOP IT! WHO CARES ABOUT THE DRESS?! MOTHER!" Shu cried out loudly, his emotions in a roll.

Then Shu sobbed. "I-im sorry.. this is all because of me! Im so.. so so sorry.. if i came back sooner i would've protected you from him... If i didn't told him he should've stayed away from me!" Shu gripped his hair and he trembled, seeing the state of his dearly loved mother.

"S-shu.. dont be so hard on yourself.."

"What are you talking about?! He did disgusting things that only your lover, Dad, can do to you! And he put you in hell! He made you suffer! He raped you! They raped you mom! And I couldn't do anything to protect you! Fuck!" Shu broke down in heavy tears, his fingers trembling, and his eyes shook, too angry to even think straight, he kept scratching his arm.

"Shu.." his mother sobbed and hugged her arms, feeling extreme frustration. Shu gripped his skin and closed his hand to a fist, till his fingernails dug in at his palms making it bleed because of the rising rage, seeing his mother hurt and covered with bruises.

"I'll kill him! I'll make him pay! I promise you!"

"Stop! Shu! Come back! Stay calm!"

Shu took in a nice deep breath, "I'll get help. Mother please stay at bed and rest. Please. Do me a favor and just stay. I'll take care of everything. I swear. I'll take care of it all." Shu said in a hurry, locking every single window and door as he left, securing his mother's safety.

"I'll put you in jail."

Just after going out of his house, he bumped into a passerby.

"Im sorry-" said Shu quickly, ready to pace away again.

"Oh. You're the kid of Mayu?" Said the man, Shu stopped at his tracks and looked back, it was a middle aged man, a person living next door. The man raised his brow and nodded at the expression Shu was wearing.

"Oh. You already found out?" Said the man making Shu confused.

"What?"

"We heard her screaming."

The calm nature of the man made Shu in a quick fit of anger. "What?! You heard?! Why didn't you help her?!"

"Huh? Why would we help her?" Said the man, making Shu widen his eyes dumbfounded.

Then the man replied, adding a little smile. "I mean, even if you did go to the Jian kingdom's law officers, you think they'd pay attention to a case where the victim has a background of being a prostitute in a pleasure house?" Asked the man to the mentally broken boy.

He yells, "My mother didn't worked as a prostitute! She-"

The passerby interrupted him. "The fact that she works at a pleasure house is already solid, none would even budge an eye to care for her case, even though she's innocent, the outcome would already be decided by the second you mention that she works at a pleasure house. Moreover, you have no evidence supporting that she is even innocent! no one would believe someone as poor as us, they might even turn it and put the blame on you, saying you were the one who took advantage your own mother and raped her! HAHAHA" Shu's breathing increased, a terrible anger had added to the stress he had been shouldering.

Trying to pull his punches over the laughing man, he pleads as calm as he could, "Then help me! You heard them right?! You can serve as my evidence! A witness! Everyone in this neighborhood is a witness! We can put Jirobu in jail—!"

"Help you? Why would i even want a part in this mess?" The man raised his eyebrow im disbelief and started laughing down to the boy.

"What?!" Shu trembled, trying to hold on to the last thread of hope that someone can help him.

"Just give it up, kid." Sighed the man who just finished laughing, completely careless at the world.

"What did you say?!"

"You won't win." Said the man seriously as he placed on his hood again and started walking away.

"There's just no justice to the poor." Mumbled him under his hood, Shu felt too much in despair, so helpless he felt like he'd drown away in bitterness and burn.

"You..." He teared up like a little boy, trying to keep his composure, and pathetically pulls back his tears from falling.

"Everything in this world is rotten. Every single one of you." Looked Shu up in the sky, trying not to cry even more.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him. I'll make him pay. You'll regret it."

As strange as Shu can feel, he felt like his walking had felt closer to running. And even if he doesn't see Jirobu nearby, he could hear Jirobu clearly, as if his senses and hearing heightened.

He followed the louder direction of Jirobu's laughing voice and inhaled enough air to his lungs, looking through every tree possible, he grits his teeth. "I smell his scent. Here." After figuring out where he might be, he hid behind the tree trunk, and listened to what was happening quietly.

Shu finally had caught up to where Jirobu had been. Jirobu was beside a silent running river with at least five people behind him, talking to someone.

"Thanks for the help on luring Shu away! HAHAHAHAHAH i finally screwed him up!" Said Jirobu to Dan, Shu became more and more confused than ever.

"What?" Asked Dan.

'Huh? Why is he here? Whats he talking about?' Shu asked himself.

"What do you say? Team up with us and take down Shu. He's in a vulnerable state right now after what i did!" Said Jirobu with a wide grin, while Dan was being confused, Shu was being eaten by anger, almost running out of the tree and punching the life out of Jirobu after confirming that he and his friends really harassed his mother.

"Huh? What are you saying? And also, about ganging up on Shu, I already told you my answer about this didn't i?" Dan sighed then he added. "It's true, i hate Shu on how he's so perfect in every way, i hated that he has a mother, he has extraordinary skills and he's tall and strong, he has everything that i don't have, and i hate it very much." Added him quietly, Jirobu having a very nasty grin when his eyes flickered behind the tree. Sensing that something was moving behind it.

'he's here.' thought Jirobu and smiled even wider.

"But—"

Jirobu cut Dan's words and spoke a little more louder, laughing; "You're pretty handy! You did such a good act to fool him as your friend and to betray him for us! HAHAHAHA"

'..huh? Dan's a part of it?!' Shu clenched his fist tightly when he couldn't even feel the pain of his fingernails digging through it.

'For how long had he been-?!' Shu gritted his teeth.

"What are you saying?—" Dan replied too.

"What, you took him to the marketplace so we can get to his mother right? You betrayed Shu because you hated him! You just said so!" Dan became more confused than ever, not even knowing what Jirobu means, or why his face were changing back to the mischievous face he wore when they were kids.

Someone came out of hiding and asked. "Dan. Is that true?"

"Shu!" Called Dan.

Shu tried to be calm, suppressing his emotions and asking Dan. "What is he saying?"

"Why are you here? Why do you look at me like that? Wait, Don't misunderstand me having to do anything with Jirobu! I dont even understand whats happening!!" Replied Dan back to Shu with panic in his voice. Shu looked down at the grass.

"Then what?"

Dan walked infront of Shu. "Im not involved with him!—"

"How can i believe you now Dan? You just said you hated me."

Jirobu laughed, his violet eyes twinkling in pleasure. "That's right! He does! Your best friend had been working for us so we could fuck your life up because we hate you!"

Shu's eyes were covered by his hair, getting dizzier about everything that has been happening, he thinks he couldn't register the information inside his head.. "Why do you have to do this Dan?"

"Wait! What's even happening?!" Dan looked both at Jirobu and Shu.

"Why did you fool me and my mother? Is it true? All of it, everything were fake?"

"Huh? Auntie?!—"

"Yes! Every second he spent with you, he said he regrets it, he said that you're so arrogant to him and he told us your mother was a slut, and so we fucked the whore!"

Shu snapped up, he was trembling in anger. "DONT YOU INSULT MY MOTHER IN FRONT OF ME! SHE IS NOT THAT TYPE OF PERSON!"

Then Jirobu replied with a big grin, "HUUUUH?! WORKING AT A PLEASURE HOUSE?! ISN'T THAT WHAT WHORES DO?!"

"My mother isn't like that!" Shu replied back while Jirobu just laughed in front of his face. Shu nearly is in the verge of breaking.

"Why?! Why do you do this to me?!"

"I've seen that you really love your mother and every money that you earn goes for your mother's sake. So i just thought, what if i dirtied your prized possession, what more if i break it? Do i even need a reason to want to destroy you?"

Shu had finally lost it, he tried to move forward to punch Jirobu. "You!!!!!!!" But someone pulled him back to thinking zone.

"Shu!" Called Dan to his friend. Shu became even angrier, who forcedly pushed away his friend's hold against him.

Shu glared at Dan dangerously, and growled lowly. "And you.... Dan... You... Everything... You... I thought you were my friend.."

"Shu! No! I did take you to the marketplace! But i know nothing of this! Is auntie? What happened to her?!"

"Don't play innocent, i already overheard you talking earlier." Shu growled to Dan.

"Insult me all you want, but don't take my mother in this." Shu looked at Dan, but Jirobu looked more amused than ever.

"Shu! Wait! You're wrong! I—"

Shu was in the verge of being crazy, he scoffed and his eyes were red, his heart strongly stimulated. "I'm wrong?"

"You're mistaken! I dont have anything to do with this! Please believe me!"

Then Jirobu yelled. "Do it!"

Looming behind Shu were two men, holding a knife with a grin that fastly advanced towards Shu's back, with Dan seeing what was about to happen, Dan took immediate action and yelled. "Shu! Watch out!"

Just when about the two were swinging their knives to thrust into Shu's flesh, Dan pushed Shu to the side and took the hit. Two cold blade penetrated inside his body, one inside the ribs and one at his abdomen.

A sudden pain had rushed into Dan's entire system, he went pale and started breathing really heavy and kept sighing abnormally, kneeling down at the grass.

Shu at the side mostly hit his head at the small rocks, making him aware and completely snapped back to a straight thinking. "Ow-" he looked around. "Dan? Dan!!"

Rushing over his friend's folded body, he gasped at the sight of two handles of knives with its blade fully thrusted inside his friend's small body. Shu looked terrified. His hair stood up at the sight of red oozing blood, his friend's face were almost blank and empty, just heaving heavy breaths time by time.

While Shu was holding close his friend's body, not knowing what to do to help his friend from stopping the bleeding. Jirobu almost yelped in delight, "HAHAHAHA THIS IS SO FUNNY!" Laughed him that resulted Shu's switch to snap, standing up quickly and grabbing hold of Jirobu's collar.

"What are you laughing for?! You fucking asshole! You-"

"Finish it."

Dan witnessing another attack to come behind Shu, he quickly picked himself up and was planning to block their way from stabbing Shu. He stood right behind Shu raised both his arms trying to protect his friend and took another hit at the back.

"Ack—!" He groaned, puking up blood out of his mouth. The blood he coughed had reached Shu and notified him the events that was happening just behind his back. Shu shuddered and gasped, appalled at what happened. With blood dripping down Shu's cheeks, he tried to catch his friend's falling body, refusing to stand any longer.

"D-dan!!!!" Shu couldn't think properly, his breath heaved laborious sighs and was highly frightened at the sight infront of him.

"Shu.." called out Dan tiringly, while Jirobu laughed behind them.

Quietly he mutters. "You... I've always been.. t-thankful... you accepted me being your brother. I hope you believe me... I've never lied to you.. ever.."

Shu didn't even registered what his friend just said, he kept his focus at the warm pool of blood rushing out of his friend's body. "No! No! Wait! Stop talking!"

His head snapped back to where the laughing Jirobu was standing. Shouting, he points. "You! What did you do?!"

Dan then gripped Shu's clothes, gaining his attention, squeezing the words out of his blood strangled throat. "I'm not acquainted to Jirobu.. i regretted letting them join us in busking h-ha ha.. we.. we had to split the money, i-i cant even buy auntie a pair of sandals.. shame.." Dan tried to smile, hoping to at least put his friend back to a calmer person.

"Dan!"

"I-if only i didn't take you away that afternoon..." Dan whispered bitterly, his chest stinging more than ever at the thought of his deeply respected auntie getting forced onto and being hurt had also pained him deeply.

"Wait! Don't talk!"

"Shu... I hope that deep in your heart, you know that i wont ever do such a thing to hurt both you and auntie.." to Dan, it was Shu's mother who truly had been standing up as his mother, and he treated Shu like a true blood brother. Aware to the fact that the three of them has different blood on their veins, the three of them still shared the same family. It made Dan, someone so broken, to be someone so filled with love from his new family.

Shu's tears dripped down, a bit unsure what expression he was wearing, was he crying? Was he furious? "Stop talking! Shit!"

He looked back, "Jirobu!! Help me!! Help me cover his wounds!''

Then the people behind Jirobu smiled and laughed loudly. "Huuuuh? Why would i? Girlies like him should go die." Laughed them even louder.

"Lets go." Jirobu walked away, followed by his underlings.

Shu gasped and panicked. "Where are you going?! Jirobu!"

"To destroy you!" He yelled, and left, their presence completely disappearing.

Dan continued to cough and cough, his clothes now were blood red. Shu held him tight at his arms. "Shit! Shit! Wait hang on, lets treat you at the house!"

"Shu... Its so cold.." whispered Dan while holding tightly at Shu's clothes.

Shu immediately panics and removes his coat, wrapping his cloth around his friend. "What- here! Wear it! Don't be cold!"

"Shu...im scared, i dont want to die.."

"What are you saying?! You wont die! I'll take you home and treat your wounds! You'll be fine!"

"S-shu..."

Dan gasped for air, having difficulty on breathing as the blood slowly covers his throat. "Shu, its so c-cold!" Dan now started feeling numb all over, not aware of the temperature anymore.

"Is it still cold?! Do you still feel cold?!" Shu panics and rubs Dan's shoulders, trying to pass in warmth.

"Shu... Shu.."

"Dan!!!!"

Shu kept crying, "Im going to lift you now, i don't care even if you tell me its embarrassing."

"Shu..." Dan felt his body being lifted up, then his sight started to get blurry, with nothing to think about, he says;

"My h-house... You can 'ave it- it, m-my money... Inside..." He started coughing and breathing heavily, his ear ringing terribly.

"Stop talking! Shit!" Shu tried to walk faster.

"S-so cold.. Shu i feel n-n-numb..."

"I think i-im gonna die.."

"Shut up! Shut up!"

Dan smiled, his teeth stained with blood. "Shu.. when w-we were kids, i-ive always looked up to you.... Hah... ha'ving you by side made me feel brave. You and auntie.... Are the only ones i have left... S-so... Take everything i own... As t-tha thanks.. for everything.." Tears started to mark Dan's cheeks, it kept dropping down as memories flood inside his head, trying to push out every words of gratitude he could think of.

"T-thank you for the m-meals... Thank you for a-acompanying me... i enjoyed... Thank you for being my friend... I'm so- so lucky..." Dan smiled widely and chuckled, tears of eternal joy slid down his cheeks, tear after tear.

"Stop it! Shut up! Shut up! Don't say that! Just just up!" Shu yelled loudly, looking up ahead, his emotions getting mixed and screwed up.

Yet Dan still continued. "Sh-shu... Your soup were b-better cooked than auntie's. H-haha! Your p-powers were amazing.. and.. and y-youre a great friend..."

"Thank you.."

". Thank you... "

"Thank you.."

Shu kept his teeth gritted, focusing to walk instead while crying silently, refusing to take his friends words.

"Shu... Im so sleepy.." Dan whispered softly, his blood dripping down his body, leaving bloody marks where Shu passed.

"What?" Shu snapped back to reality, looking down at Dan at his hold, trying to hold back his tears.

Dan smiled gently, his breathing slowing down. "So... So.. would you mind if i take a little nap?"

"N-no!!!! No!!! No no no no! You wont sleep!" Dan's eyes fluttered, closing slowly.. slowly..

"Don't you hear me?! Don't close your eyes!" Shu hiccuped, his tears trying to break out.

Dan smiled and chuckled for the last time before his breath quietened. "Im not heavy... So.."

"Don't close your eyes! Look at me!" Shu tried to shake his friend awake, but his shouts only sounded like a soft buzz of bees inside Dan's head.

With Dan's sight coming to a dark end, he smiles for the last time.

"Good night. Shu."

He didn't know such words could be such a fatal blow to him, yet his dearest friend still wore a sweet smile on his face, as he exhaled his last breath and before his body slowly turned cold at the arms of his friend.

"Dan? Dan!!!! Fuck! Wake up!!!" Shu kept crying, sobbing and wailing, his knees giving up, he hugged his friend's silent body as he screamed and shouted, cursing the heavens.

"Dan!"

"Dan!!!"

"Noooo!! Dan!! Ahhh!!" He held his friend's unmoving body, shaking it countless of times, trying hanging in a thread of hope that he still might be saved. Pleading yet also cursing the heavens at the same time.

"Im sorry i doubted you! Im sorry i couldn't protect you!. Im so sorry, im very sorry, please please forgive me!. Im sorry Dan!. I couldn't save you.. "

"Help me... Someone.. help me.. save my friend... No.." he cried and cried, but he couldn't make himself leave the side of his friend even though he wanted to look for help.

He felt the clouds block the light away and everything turned gray. The lightning and thunder came, as well as the soft arrival of rain, pattering and showering his friend's body that covered with thick blood.

Shu lifted his friend again, yet it felt different, cold, and lifeless. Dan's hair was wet and sticky, his mouth were open and his limbs fell out of his control. He started making way to his house, with his friend's corpse in his carry. Shu's eyes were tired and red, drained the life out of his once colorful and twinkling beautiful eyes.

Pushing the door, he took his friend to where his mother was, keeping his eyes to his friend's resting body and then placed him down next to his mother. "Mother... Dan is..." Shu looked at his feet, and then up to his mother's.

He gasped at what he saw. A knife was deeply stabbed on his mother's stomach, his mother barely breathing.

"Mo-..ther? Mother!!!" Shu immediately went to her side and trembled, a familiar feeling of fright overcoming his heart twice.

She smiled at her son, however she was already breathing sharply, her blood quietly travelling the bed mixing with Dan's leaking blood.

Shu couldn't think to ask anything else but, "What happened?!" Shu kept looking back and forth at the knife at his mother's stomach.

"Who did this to you?!

"Jirobu?! Is it him?! Is he the one who did this?!" Asked Shu as his mother nodded slowly in reply.

"That! Haaaaa... Ha.... I... I-i'll kill him!!!!"

"Shuu.."

' "Im strong because im protecting someone. The strong are born to protect the weak. It's the duty of those who we're born with a stronger resolve." ' Shu recalled his words, he trembled and teared up.

"I was wrong, i am not strong. I couldn't even protect my family. This all happened because of me." He gripped his hair, going mad at the sight in front of him.

"I showed kindness but it just came off as arrogance.."

' " The fact that im strong, wont ever change." '

"Haaaaa.. how pathetic of me!!"

"It all happened because of me! I should've taken care of him! I should've killed him myself! Dan would've! You would've! If i just! That Jirobu!!! I'll kill all of them!"

Then a voice spoke inside his head. 'They deserve it. Kill them. Kill them. They have to die. Disappear, bleed, perish off this world.' bloodlust rised within Shu's eyes, he grinded his teeth together.

Mayumi spoke lowly, "Shu. Don't be swallowed by hatred. Your mother will pass happily if you were here beside me."

Then she added, "Leave the punishing to the gods in the heaven, they will bring justice to us. Leave the hate and despair alone Shu. It will do you no good. Let the divine punishments be fulfilled by the gods. We are in peace if youre with us."

Then Shu remembered the conversation he had with the passerby, scoffing after the darkness had beaten the light inside of him. "There is no law for people like us in this kingdom. There will be no justice for us in this world."

"You're wrong Shu.."

"There is no god in the heavens, they will always be asleep as the demons that lives within hell had inhabited this world! Both the heaven and hell are empty!" Yelled Shu to his mother, his expression now in a mess.

Then he smiled and pointed at himself. "You said that i am blessed with power myself! I'll bring vengeance to the both of you myself! I'll do the job that only those who has the power to do so! If there's no one to bring justice for your pain, then let me be the one to torment them back to hell! I will be their god!"

"Shu.." She coughed, feeling her heart slowing down.

"Remember my words.." she whispered and looked at her son.

"In time, you will find a person, someone who will save you from this world. And when that time comes, you must protect them as if your life depended on it. So you will not experience great pain ever again."

"Always love and cherish them, Shu.." she smiled gently, trusting that his son will find the right way.

"Whatever decisions you make in the future, i will always be behind you. I will watch over.. you. Don't turn your back from the light.. Shu.. always.. always bask in the light. Let mother protect you again, i love you, my son." She said, trying to make out more words while her breath ran out each second.

Mayumi reached for the cold hand of her son, Dan, beside her. "I will always.. we will always love you."

She smiled lovingly. "Be with the wind.."

And then she whispered down to her last breath. "Always.."

Shu had snapped back when his mother moved no more, her eyes was still open but she laid there lifeless and cold while she held Dan's hand. "Mother! Mother! Oh Dan.. no.." Shu felt like he couldn't cry anymore, his eyes were too dry and he had panted more than ever.

However, he still cried, he wailed loudly and shouted angrily at himself, trying to shake his mother and friend's body.

Shu shook his friend Dan's corpse while crying "Dan... d-didn't i tell you not sleep? Dan..." Then he looks at his mother, and sobbed even harder.

"—Here, go bring auntie a nice big blanket, it should fit five temples inside that blanket okay?"

"Hahahahaha!! You're such an idiot!"

"Shu! My dearest son!"

"Welcome home! I've prepared dinner!"

"Chee-chee-cheer uuuup! Yay! Cheer up! Woo!"

"OI SHU! ARE YOU LISTENING YOU BASTARD?!"

"I love you Shu!"

"I'll go help you buy auntie a pair of slippers."

"Shu! Lets go run now!! HAHAHA"

"—But remember me clearly, nevermind the place, anywhere would be fine as long as i have you by my side."

"Shu. A name so generously spirited, gentle and loving. Take on the sound of the warm breeze, and live freely just like the wind."

"I will always.. we will always love you."

Shu smiled, humming the tune Dan used to play at his flute to call Shu whenever he is lost within the crowd. Shu closed his mother's eyes and removed the knives stabbed to his mother's flesh and then next on Dan's. Shu kept singing the tune and wiped the blood and semen on her mother's thighs with a very warm cloth his mother used to wrap her son against with when he was little. As very gentle as Shu could, he wiped their faces and stroked their hair lovingly, bringing the newly bought thick blanket to cover the bodies of the two people he loved the most as he smiled dearly at them. Shu sang it for hours, humming and smiling at his seat just beside the bed, staring at his mother and friend that now lay soundly at the soft mattress. As he hummed and held their hand, he smiled and sang an eternal lullaby to his family until the night came.

He had finally hit his breaking point.