15 Chapter 13 – The Red Mist

Ambling wearily through the front door, I came to find myself being warmly greeted by the familiarly shining figure of my beautiful Imouto stood patiently above a freshly boiling kettle; An important reminder untoward the noble reasons behind my recent accolades.

"One sugar as always Onii?"

Nodding my head in silent appreciation as I slumped back onto the couch, my face remained a picturesque image of unimaginable exhaustion. Momentarily closing my eyes whilst exhaling the last available oxygen from my lungs, the soothing whistle from the kettle reaching its eventual climax provided some much needed diversionary mental respite from my aching muscles.

Carefully placing two fancifully decorative coasters on the table situated in front of me, Eve gracefully fixed her skirt before taking her seat on the cushion just besides my own. Her lovable smile remaining a constant feature upon her lips, whilst her eyes twinkled like polished emeralds kissed by the gentle summer rays.

"Well someone looks like they had fun today!!"

Eve's infectious giggle never failed to enliven my soul as she playfully shoved me across the shoulder.

"Hey easy.....Man in pain here!!"

Gazing sheepishly towards the table, the hint of a smile pursed across my lips as I lowered my hand towards my cup; The infinitely tiring events of earlier feeling but a distant fleeting memory.

"I was watching you guys from my class window you know." Eve's cheeks suddenly burned a dark shade of red as she reached towards her cup.

"Oh yeah? Developing a Bro-Con complex are we?" (Opposite of Sis-Con), I flashed a playful smile towards my sister and she happily played along.

"Oh please.....Can't suddenly develop what was always there Onii!!" Opening my eyes wide in exaggerated horror as we simultaneously burst out laughing, before continuing to sip our tea in harmonious enjoyment.

A metaphorical fire suddenly blazed within my heart instantly reminding me of an everlasting truth. Regardless of inevitable hardships or shortcomings, eventually you'll happen upon certain moments in life worth cherishing. These moments may not significantly alter our direction in life, however they help rekindle our fragile intrinsic nature providing the mental strength required to resiliently march onwards. Carefully setting down my empty cup upon the coaster there remained but a single matter I remained absolutely sure of; If one day in the distant future were I to fondly analyse the various events which helped shape my so called "self," this would be one such defining moment.

"After single-handedly winning the match, Scott became so awestruck with my magnificence he immediately agreed to anything I said." Eve rolled her eyes whilst releasing an exaggerated sigh, before settling on a light punch on my shoulder.

"Let's leave make-believe land on the side for now shall we? I saw Scott scoring all those goals you ass!!"

"Meh he wouldn't have scored those goals without my incomparable vision!!" Emphatically wrapping my hands across my chest and exhaling a resounding "humph."

"What happened after Onii?" Eve's quietly spoken words took on a more serious tone as she revealed her silent and endless worry over the safety of her dear friend Mia.....Our fleeting blissful exchange had finally passed.

"I spoke to Scott alone and convinced him to come along with the two of us to Veno's tomorrow, under the guise of student council work....However...."

"However what?" Eve narrowed her gaze suspiciously towards me as I momentarily hesitated.

"I....Kind of.....Stood up Rea for a date today and I'll have to bring her with us tomorrow....Forgive me!!!" Bowing my head in shameful embarrassment, I anxiously awaited my inevitable recompense however it never arrived. Instead as I nervously raised my head, Eve quickly bent towards me and lovingly planted a kiss upon my cheek.

"Hey what was that for?" Sheepishly rubbing Eve's warm lipstick off my cheek with the back of my hand, however immediately stopping as I noticed her unexpected reaction. Tears freely flooded down Eve's crimson-tinged cheeks as her warm smile shimmered brightly in my direction:

"What....What's wrong sis?" Eve shook her head whilst carefully wiping away the evidence of her sadness, her sudden outpouring of emotion leaving me emotionally stunned.

"Nothing....Nothing at all....Hey Onii mind if I tell you about my secret wish?"

"Wish? What are you talking....." Eve's familiar warmth instantly silencing my lips as she tenderly placed her hand above mine; Gazing poignantly into the distance as if silently witnessing the birth of a magical new universe:

"After Dad passed on and Rea moved away, that ever-present sparkle in your eyes suddenly vanished and consequently our relationship seemed to just fade away. Mum was too busy with her new job to spend time with me and I....I became so lonely....I thought if I gave you some space things would eventually return to how they once were. However as the days went by you just seemed to cut me off more and more....." Eve took a few deep breaths and clenched her fists, forcing herself to carry on:

"Anyway I'm unsure if you remember, but one day I decided to make you some tea and thought maybe we could spend some time together and talk things through.....Except you weren't in the mood to talk and threw me out as soon as I stepped in. The tea I was holding flew over my arm...Burning it in the process.....Hence the long-sleeves back then....." Eve gulped and stared towards her lap, her soft lips quivering in nervous anxiety as she finally revealed my despicable actions after these long years.

Upon lowering my head in silent shame, a flood of images suddenly flashed across my mind; Images tainted in a twisted shade of red, the sickening remnants of my uncontrollable and seething anger. Tears instantly welled beneath my eyes whilst my spine rhythmically tremored, however this time the cause wasn't anger but unbearable shame. To not only wrongfully blame, but also physically inflict pain upon someone so precious should have been absolutely unthinkable. My actions were merely an excuse, a pathetic concoction I had invented in order to prevent myself from taking even the minutest responsibility.

Eve mean-whilst somehow mustered the courage to carry on with her harrowing story:

"Honestly I wasn't mad at you Onii, I know how much everything affected you and also how responsible you felt. So that night after I cleaned up, I sat down on my bed, placed my hands together and prayed that one day you'd come back to me....And after watching everything you did for me today I know my wish was finally granted."

There's a famous phrase which comes to mind: "The tongue is mightier than the sword." A logical man would find the phrase laughable, citing important historical figures such as Alexander the great or Genghis Khan who carved their way through entire civilisations, reshaping not only countries but generations worth of ideologies and ethos. These people would be entirely correct in their assumptions regarding not only the devastating potential, but also the lofty heights which are invariably achieved through the terrifying instruments of war.

However when intellectuals discuss radical shifts in culture or social awareness, are they more likely to quote Genghis Khan or Dr Martin Luther King? When you think of Nazi Germany, is the first thought that comes to mind not a moustached balding man with his hand emphatically raised towards the heavens staunchly declaring "Seig Heil!" (Hail Victory!) Whilst there maybe infinite lessons to be learnt from the actions of prominent historical individuals, the inspirational words and phrases (regardless of their nature) which incite within us a deep emotional response are able to shape societies and cultures for countless generations.

In similar fashion Eve had never physically harmed myself, yet her words easily pierced through my fragile emotional barriers and penetrated deep into my very soul. However Eve's pure-hearted nature had paved a pathway towards forgiveness and therefore as I confidently raised my gaze towards my most precious treasure, the unquenchable feeling of redemption began blazing anew:

"Eve....Are you finally able to acknowledge the existence of your pathetic excuse for an Onii?"

"I was never ashamed of you Onii...But there is one thing I'm absolutely sure of."

"...And what would that be?"

"When someone asks me who's my role model...I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it's my Onii."

With those final confident words Eve wearily laid back into my arms, the recent overarching physical and mental exhaustion finally taking its toll. Tenderly resting her head against my chest, the rhythmic thump of her heart slowed more towards a delicate whisper as reality slowly slipped away from the two of us...The Creed siblings once cosmically seperated now existing in perfect duality, our tandemic hearts eternally beating as one.