User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 55

Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 55
I can remember it all now.

Everything that happened.

That day....

....the day that mother died.

***

Ko gave a wide yawn as he entered the dining hall, scratching his head groggily.

Haku was the first to notice his presence, greeting him by saying, "Ko, you're late. Breakfast is almost over."

The older brother frowned. "I'm late because you took too long in the bathroom."

"He's got to keep up his appearance, right?" Ritz snickered. His twin promptly smacked his head, and they broke out into an argument.

Ko ignored them with a sigh, reaching over to his right to retrieve a piece of bread from the basket. A tiny hand reached up and stopped him. He looked down to see droopy blue eyes staring back at him curiously.

"I want that one," Zen whispered to him.

"Um..sure," He took it from the basket and gave it to her, then took his own piece out and began eating it.

A little farther down the table, Kaine was trying to get away from the table without being noticed.

"Hey, Kaine!" Riku called after him, "You can't leave yet--Ko just got here, so you have to wait until he finishes breakfast!" He grabbed his brother's wrist and sat him into a chair.

"But--" Kaine began protesting.

"No," Riku held a finger in front of Kaine's face. "It's for family time, Kaine. Emotional bonding. Family time."

Riku felt a tug on the hem of his shirt and looked to to see Zen pointing to an un-eaten loaf of bread on his plate. "Can I have that?" She requested quietly.

Riku laughed and swept her up into his arms, twirling her around in the air. "You're adorable!"

Kaine quickly stole away while his brother was occupied.

It was hectic, living with so many siblings.

But we were happy.

If only I hadn't...

"Ko,"

Ko, hand raised in mid-knock before Hisagi's office, turned to see his mother. "Oh. Is Father in his office?"

She shook her head. "No, not right now. What did you need?"

He shrugged. "Well, nothing, really. I just wanted to ask him something. Where is he?"

Yukino hesitated. "Why don't you ask me your question instead? Your father is busy right now..."

"Um...I can wait, it's not important." He quickly turned and walked downstairs before his mother could press the matter. Ko didn't have a question exactly, but he did have something he wanted answered. Passing the grandfather clock in the foyer, he confirmed that it was 8 o'clock--and for some reason, Hisagi was always missing this time of day. Ko tried daily to find him at his office, or around the house. Mother always told him, 'He's busy right now, so please wait a while.'

He was conviced father was keeping secrets.



Later that night, Yukino found herself troubled. Sighing, she set her book down, looking up at her husband. "Hisagi..."

"Hm?"

"Ko asked for you today, again..."

Hisagi continued his paperwork without looking up. "He always does. It's natural for children to notice their father missing every day. Zen asked for me too, didn't she? And Haku."

"Yes, but," She paused to collect her words, "I think Ko is getting the wrong idea from all this. What if he just wants to spend time with you, but you're never there when he asks fo you?"

He sighed, placing his pen down, walking over to his wife and kneeling next to her chair. "What do you want me to do?"

Again, she hesitated. "Maybe you should just tell him that--"

"No," He interrupted gently but firmly. "He isn't ready."

"But..."

"Yukino. He's not ready," He repeated. "You might not understand, but it's also for his sake that he doesn't know yet." He rubbed her hands in an attempt to comfort her. "It'll be alright. Ko is a good boy."

Before she could reply or protest, they heard a timid knock on the door.

"Come in," Hisagi said.

The door was pushed open, and Zen padded in, using the hem of her shirt to carry something. Without a word, she walked to her mother, climbed in her lap, and hid her face in her shirt.

"Z-Zen...?" Yukino asked, "What's wrong?"

The toddler didn't reply.

Hisagi craned his head to see what she was hiding. "Is that...?"

Yukino sighed, nodding. "Y-yes..."

In Zen's arms were five loaves of bread, presumably collected from her brothers.

If only I had been content with the way things were....

It was 8 o'clock.

This time, Ko had a plan. He was going to follow his father and find out what he was hiding.

When he finally caught sight of Hisagi walking down the hall, he almost felt like calling out to him. Maybe it would be better to ask than to do it in secret. But he knew his questions wouldn't be answered. No, it was better this way. He followed his father down a long hall. He was surprised when he realized the farther they walked, the more he realized they were in a more unfamiliar part of the house--he didn't even know this corridor was here.

He suddeCurse the curnly felt intimidated as Hisagi stopped at the end of the corridor.

There was nothing but a wall, decorated with a painting of the mansion's exterior.

Ko quickly scurried behind a column, hiding in his shadow as Hisagi cast a cautious glance backwards before turning his attention to the painting, tracing his fingers along the frame's edge until a segement of it concaved. The wall groaned as it receeded and slid out of the way. Hisagi walked down the dimly lit stairs.

Ko swallowed. He should go--he knew this. But he also desperately wanted to know what was down there. Before this, he hadn't even known they had a basement.

He would just have to come back when his father wasn't down there.

Curse my curiosity.

When he heard the distant singing of the grandfather clock as it struck midnight, Ko swung his legs over the side of the bed, already dressed. He lit a candle and left his room quietly, his muted footsteps carrying him across the hall and down the stairs.

Behind him, Zen was just exiting her room, intending to go to her parent's room. Instead, she caught sight just as he was walking down the stairs.

She followed.

Ko found the corridor, quickly walking to the painting at the end. He mimicked the motions he remembered his father using until the wall revealed the stairway. His heart raced in his chest, but he proceeded.

Soon, the stairs gave way to level ground. The air around him had already grown cold, he noticed. He easily saw why. A gate of incredible size loomed overhead, guarded my two chains of equal size. In the center was a lock, somehat smaller.

Did he need a key?

Upon further inspection, he noticed a needle in the center. Around the needle were the stains of dried blood.

His blood would be the key.

Reaching his hand forward, he pricked his finger. He jumped, startled, as the chains glowed and rumbled, receeding from the lock. Hands trembling, he pushed the doors open. Almost immediately, a wave of menacing aura washed through the air. "...I should leave," He whispered to himself. But he didn't.

Against his better judgement, Ko walked into the room.

If it was possible, the room grew colder. It was plain and empty, save for a gate at the adjacent end. This one was much smaller than the one he had just walked through--he would have compared its appearance to a summoning gate, perhaps. He walked over to it, feeling drawn to its doors.

He pressed his palm against it, and the door cracked open--

"...Ko?"

Startled, he jerked his hand back, slamming the door close, and spinning around. "Z-Zen?" He stared at his little sister, baffled. "What..what are you doing here?!"

Zen sauntered over to him, unaware of the brevity of the situation. "Are we playing a game?"

He shook his head, suddenly realizing what he was doing. "No, we...we have to go now, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because we should be asleep." He quickly redirected her towards the door, ushering her out. "Come on, before--"

Hehehe....

Ko halted in his steps, going rigid.

''Well, well, well...what have we here? Two little children, come to visit me, huh?''

He jerked his head in the direction of the voice--behind him. There stood a man. Or at least, it was a shadow in the form of a man. A faceless man, with no determining features except for a wide, malicious grin, lined with rows of sharp teeth.

Hey, which one of you let me out, huh?

Ko felt a cold sweat break over his skin. He took a step back, towards the door.

Was it....you? the form pointed at Zen. Or was it...you? He pointed to Ko.

Overcome with fear, Ko was unable to move. He barely felt Zen cling to his leg, also afraid.

It doesn't matter. The figure laughed. ''You, boy...I hope you don't mind, but I'll be using you as my get-away-vehicle. At least until I can find a decent body.'' He dashed forward, hand extended.

Ko's mind didn't allow him to register what happened next. He heard a shout, and that horrible, horrible laughter. Then, someone was screaming....Zen. Zen was screaming, and she wouldn't stop.

Gradually, his senses returned to him. He had been knocked down. Next to him, Zen was curled into a ball, clutching her head, sobbing. What had happened?

"Are...are you okay....Ko....?"

He froze. That voice....He looked up, slowly.

Yukino stood before him, a painful smile on her face. And there was blood--blood, everywhere, on her face, her clothes.

Ko's eyes widened. "Mother...? Mother, what...."

She coughed violently, blood spilling from her mouth. "Listen, Ko...you need...to take Zen, and...and run..." She paused to catch her wilting breaths, "It's...it's not safe..."

"Please....save....Zen...."

"Save...yourself...."

''I can't remember anything else. But it was me--I'm the one who opened the door, and released that....demon. The one who killed mother. But I wouldn't allow myself to think those things. I would never break the rules. I...would never....''

''Zen...Zen was there, right? She was screaming so loud, so loud....why wouldn't she stop?''

She must have done it...she must have opened the door....Yes, that's it...

It's not my fault.