Chapter Text
It was that hot summer night that irrevocably changed the trajectory of Genya’s life. Three months after the massacre of his family, leaving only him, his long gone nii-chan, and the unspoken regret that haunted his every move. The preteen shuddered into himself despite the sticky heat that clung to his skin, bringing his legs to his chest as he munched on dry berries and decaying bird meat.
He wouldn’t be here, had he not blamed his nii-chan, had he not screamed such awfully untrue words.
Murderer.
Genya could laugh at himself as that word wrung his brain at every waking moment. How could the nii-chan that saved his life from the monster that stole their mother be a murderer? How could the nii-chan that put his own life on the line be anything but a goddamn saint for not putting him in his place right then and there? Although, as the boy sat out in the woods so far from home, basically on a silver platter for whatever demon that could be lurking around, he’d wished nii-chan did. He wished nii-chan had beat him, hit him, yell, scream, and shout at him. He wished that nii-chan took Genya with him, furious but still with him.
He wished that nii-chan hadn’t abandoned him.
But as the boy gulped down the last morsel of bird meat, the twitches of the leaves, the pitter-patter of wild boars were amplified, forcing all of Genya’s attention as he strained his ears in search of any nearby threats. He felt himself flinch as the ear-piercing shriek, before feeling his body soften into the dry grass.
‘It was just a bird.’
Genya nestled his back onto the tree, relaxing but keeping his eyes wide open. Danger was just around the corner, and with no one but himself, every minute could be his last. So, Genya ignored his drooping head and heavy eyelids, waiting for the golden patron of safety to break through the horizon once more.
He hoped his older brother was faring better than he was. Hopefully he’d found a nice house to retire to every night. Genya hoped that now he wasn’t around, Sanemi could find a better job. A stable one with enough pay for better food, better clothes, and even the occasional ohagi. He hoped that his nii-chan wasn’t using stray stones to hunt wild birds with barely enough meat for one meal.
Minutes trudged along, yet it always felt like hours had gone by. As Genya looked up, he scoffed at twinkling stars painted vividly across the velvety blue sky, shining as if the light of Genya’s life hadn’t snuffed out. As if the deaths of all his younger siblings were meaningless. As if all their hopes and dreams that were snatched from them in just a second was just an unlucky event.
They deserved to grow up.
They deserved a future as bright and joyful as they were. Sumi deserved the kimono business that she’d already begun practicing for. Teiko and Hiroshi deserved to go see the ocean, and Koto and Shuuya deserved the chance to dream like all the others did. They didn’t deserve the quick and bloody murder by the monster that stole their mother’s face.
Suddenly, a rough balmy hand gripped his shoulders, leaving Genya no time to scream as he was flipped on his back. Genya gasped as a horned figure dominated his sight. He fumbled around, kicking and scratching as he tried to escape its strong grasp. Landing one good punch, the demons claws were briefly off his body. Jumping to where his dull knife was, he waved it in front of the drooling monster that eyed him.
‘That’s it, you’re done for. You’ll never find nii-chan and you’ll never apologize.’
As Genya lunged towards the snarling figure, he prayed to God that he’d survive this night, to see the nii-chan that saved him and abandoned him at least once. At least from a distance.
He couldn’t die without making things right. So, he grit his teeth, ignoring the sharp painful spikes that grappled his body, stabbing his weapon into the demon. Its orange eyes widened before releasing a guttural scream that reverberated through the woods, its zombie grey skin etched with deep wounds that let gushing blood seep through onto Genya’s hands. The demon’s fists collided with his body as it writhed in agony with ear-piercing shrieks assaulting Genya’s ears.
The demon managed to land a punch strong enough to thrust the boy into a nearby tree. He gasped as he heard a crack in his ankle, and despite the torturous sweat that clung to his face, his insides felt cold. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, pumping blood through him but as the demon crashed into him, his knife immersed in its body like a mere accessory, Genya knew that he was done for.
With a strangled cry, he ripped the broken knife from the demon, taking slight glee in the shrill scream it, but as he tried to land one more hit, the monster shattered the blade.
He was going to die.
He was going to die, without ever making things right. He was going to die, and he was going to do it pathetically. The demon’s drool dripped onto the crook of his neck, the metallic copper scent of blood drowning his nose as Genya was seconds away from being ravaged.
His breathing quickened as his hands shook without abandon, as the demon laughed in his grime and bloodied streaked face. His body felt like lead as he threw weak punches at the monster’s face. He couldn’t die, he promised himself that he’d make things right, that he’d avenge his fallen family and apologize to his oldest brother, his first and best friend.
As the gashes on Genya’s body grew deeper, with hot blood seeping from his veins and onto the demon’s long scaly tongue, he saw his nii-chan one last time.
His snow-white hair was soft and wild as the two trudged the cart along. His nii-chan turned to look at him, exhaustion etched onto his eyebags, yet his smile illuminated by the sun’s warm and merciful glow. With an upbeat voice, lined with his usual seriousness, his nii-chan addressed him.
“With Otousan gone, while our lives have become easier, it’s up to us now, Gen. Okaasan and the kids need us more than ever. So can I count you?”
Genya could almost hear the tenderness from his voice, free from the permanent anguish that the ruination of their family had left them in. Everything was becoming blurry as the demon’s breath burned his bruised skin.
‘Nii-chan, I’m sorry.’
Just before everything turned to darkness, something cold dropped into his hand. He gasped, a searing pain in his chest as large spikes of ice erupted right next to him. Distant cries tinged his ears as he briefly saw the demonic figure impaled by ice. After a few moments, the monster that was mere seconds away from devouring him whole had become limp, dull sunset eyes peering into nothingness.
Genya craned his head forward and was greeted by the soft yet unwavering cyan glow of the gem that rested in his hands. His fingers carefully gripped the thing that had saved him, wincing as thin layers of ice incased his hands. Before he could crawl onto his feet, his eyes closed and all he could feel was the brisky frigidness that overwhelmed the pain that racked his body.