It was dark. Too dark.
Rain poured down on my head. It was cold. So cold.
Red and blue lights assaulted my vision. Police tape was everywhere.
A body.
Auburn hair.
There was no mistaking it.
No. No. No. No!!
I ran forward, but my legs wouldn't move properly. Like running through thick molasses.
"Yuto!" My lungs ached. I screamed as loud as I could.
But I already knew.
The Yuto that was always there, was gone.
I was twenty years old when it happened.
Yuto was twenty-one.
We'd finally caught him. Kenji Nakamura. The butcher. Fifteen victims over two years. The case was perfect, everything was perfect.
The trial lasted three months.
He was convicted. Life in prison, no parole.
We'd completely destroyed him.
Me and Yuto celebrated with drinks. We'd finally breathed after a long time. We laughed and laughed. Of course, Yuto was side-eyeing every woman in there.
That was six months ago.
And then Nakamura escaped.
A prison transfer. Two guards dead. He vanished.
Even with every officer searching they couldn't find him.
But he didn't run.
He came for us.
For me.
But Yuto–
He was always protecting me. He was always there. I really wish he wasn't there.
---------------------------------------------------
I stood again in the alley, the rain soaking my clothes.
Yuto lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
The blood made an interesting pattern. Almost like a smile. A happy smile. The one he would always flash when we solved a case, or when I came up with an ingenious solution.
Three stab wounds. Chest, abdomen, throat.
Nakamura had left a note pinned to Yuto's jacket:
"Your valiant big brother offered himself up to me so willingly! He knew I was coming after you before you even did! I was so moved by his act of brotherly love I decided to paint you an art piece! We're even now, detective!"
I knelt beside my big brother's body. We were never related by blood. But we had a bond that was unbreakable.
A bond built between red strings.
A bond built between pinky promises.
A bond built between mysteries.
His eyes were still open. Staring at the sky.
I reached out and held his hand.
The hand that always ruffled my hair was cold. It was freezing.
"Yuto," I whispered. "Nii-san, wake up. We're supposed to go to Hokkaido. Remember? After the case. You promised. We pinky swore."
He didn't answer.
He never would.
But why… Why did he have a smile on his face?
--------------------------------------------
Days later I had finally done it. I had tracked Nakamura down. It was simple. He was stupid, ignorant, and immature.
Today was his reckoning.
Today would be his last day. I will make sure his death is painful, I will make sure he experiences everything Yuto did and more.
My fists tightened my fingernails cutting into my palms. I felt a warm dripping sensation.
"Ah.. I keep doing that. Silly me." I chuckled.
Nakamura appeared on one of the two hundred cameras I set up.
"Ah. So easy. Like a fucking mouse caught in between five lions. How fucking naive." I uttered without an ounce of emotion. No rage. No sorrow. Only calculation was left.
Nakamura was standing in a warehouse after getting a tip that my new office was located there.
As he stood in the middle of the warehouse all the doors immediately shut.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
"Who's there!? Come out!" He shouted.
He waved his knife around like a madman trying to strike at ghosts.
What a fucking idiot.
Step. Step. Step.
From the shadows a young face appeared. 20. Mine.
"Ah. You brought yourself right to me Hiroto! I can finally finish my Magnum Opus! Detective Brothers United by Crimson!
"You've gotten it wrong Nakamura. Today's your final day. The justice system didn't work. I've crowned myself as your judge, jury, and executioner. Unfortunately the consensus…"
I pointed my thumb downwards.
"Guilty. Unanimously."
He lunged at me swinging his knife. I pivoted my foot and stepped out of the way.
I've studied hours and hours of his skills. What a shitty amateur.
I swung my leg out, tripping him. He stumbled and then brought his knife upwards. I met his knife by grabbing his wrist and then I brought my knee upwards towards his liver.
"ARGH! Fuck you Hiroto Takatana! Today will be your last day!"
He pulled out a pistol.
I sighed. Of course he had a pistol.
Bang! Bang!
My eyes went wide as I looked downwards. Two holes in my shirt.
I fell to my knees.
Nakamura slowly approached me
Step… Step… Step
As he got closer and closer his grin grew wider.
If Satan was real, it would probably look like this man.
As Nakamura prepared to finish the kill he was met with an elbow to his jaw.
"W-what how." He muttered, incoherently.
After the elbow I quickly grabbed his wrist, twisting it.
Snap!
Broken for sure.
The gun fell out of his hands, I took off my red hoodie. It was from Yuto.
A bullet-proof vest was shown to Nakamura.
"Y-you.." His voice was full of malice.
"Yeah. Nice try, fucking idiot." My voice was devoid of anything.
My fist slammed into his face.
One. Two. Three. Four.
He fell to the ground, blood pouring from his nose and eyes.
It wouldn't stop here.
Five. Six. Seven.
I wonder what my face looks like right now. Yuto wouldn't like it.
I pulled him to the center of the warehouse by the hem of his shirt. Almost as if he was garbage. Because really, he was just that.
"You know Nakamura." I asked tying his broken wrist to a beam. "You're garbage who thinks he's special. An artist. A creator."
I tied his other wrist to the beam.
"You're not special." I crushed his groin with my foot until I felt a pop.
"AAAAARGHHHHH!!!!" He screamed.
I stepped back and looked at him. Holding my fingers up like I was capturing him in a snapshot.
"So fucking ugly… Really... Wouldn't even be Instagram worthy."
For the first time since Yuto died a feeling welled in my chest.
Sorrow. I have nothing but my sorrow.
This wouldn't bring Yuto back.
"Chest. Abdomen. Throat. Do you remember what these words mean?"
I moved closer
He was begging now. Crying.
"Please– please, I'm sorry– I didn't mean–"
"Just shut your mouth."
I raised the knife then–
SHATTER!
Versions of myself appeared to me all at once. The version of me that stabbed. The version of me that threw the knife away. The version of me that was never even there.
"You who stand at a crossroads. The Hiroto who lost his everything– what does he choose?"
I looked at the knife in my hand.
Then at his disgusting face.
I sighed.
"That's right. I'm a broke detective from Arinia. I'm Hiroto Takatana and I will solve the 10 Wonders."
Clatter!
The knife fell to the ground as I got up.
The world faded to white.
-------------------------------------------------
"Hiroto Takatana, who are you?"
I took a deep breath.
"A truth seeker. An advocate of justice."
But somewhere deep down a pain struck my chest.
Because I knew what I had actually chosen when I was presented with the knife. Back when I was on Earth. Back when I was drowning in the sorrow of my lost brother.
"I'm someone who lost my everything."
"I'm someone who will protect others."
"I'm someone who will find all the answers, solve the impossible, and seek truth– no matter how hard it is."
I looked up at the disembodied voice, although all I saw as white void.
"I'm someone who chooses to live for myself. For the brother I lost."
"That's who I am."
"A detective, and a damn good one at that." I flashed a bright smile. The one Yuto would always give me.
Silence.
Then:
"Good job, Hiroto."
My eyes went wide.
"Yu-"
Path Trial : Complete
Designated Path : Oculist (Unique)
Description : You who seeks the truth. You who are never blinded by evil. You who stares into the abyss and dares it to stare back.
Your trial is over. Wake up, detective.