Chapter 3

"Hunter!" my aunt tried to stop me as I kept walking away from her. "HUNTER!" she yelled and grabbed my arm. "Please just listen to me, boy! You said that we can discuss you as the heir of your father as Duke of House Livingstone some days after the funeral. It's been over a month!"

"Then give me another month." I coldly answered and continued walking.

"Why do you not want to take on your responsibility, Hunter?" my aunt questioned with a concerned tone. "We only have so much time in our hands! We cannot keep stalling!"

"Aunty Aiko, my father inherited that damned title when he was eighteen. I am only SIXTEEN! I'M NOT READY TO TAKE ON A RESPONSIBILITY SUCH AS THAT YET! NONE OF MY PARENTS HAD EVER EVEN THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT THAT I WOULD BE HEAD OF OUR FAMILY NAME AT SIXTEEN!!"

I clenched my fist as I held in tears, being reminded of my parents once again. Ever since the funeral, I felt that I've been more short-tempered recently. Thus my outburst at my aunt just by being reminded that we needed to discuss the family title soon.

Sigh.

I am far from ready. I'm the oldest child of my parents and their only son. Now that they're both gone, I have more responsibilities and expectations that I didn't even expect would come so soon laid on me.

And along with how depressed I've been after losing both my parents, I feel like I'm dealing with too much.

God, I don't know how long can I keep going. I know I must take on this position at some point. But whenever I attempt to talk to my family members about it, I think of one excuse after another to not do so.

Everything just feels hopeless.

I feel so lost.

My aunt approached me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Hunter, my brother trusted you with everything he had. And if he were here right now, he would have wanted you to have faith in yourself."

"If he were still here, then I wouldn't have to undertake his position because Father wouldn't be dead." I sarcastically answered. "Just find a proxy for me. Someone to take over while I'm still unprepared to take on the position myself."

The eyes of my aunt widened upon hearing my request.

I walked away after my sentence but my aunt didn't give up on trying to reason with me. "Hunter--" she spoke but I cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

"And just leave me the hell alone," I demanded, trying my hardest not to snap again. I walked away to my bedroom and locked my door.

For a few moments, I just stood there with my back against the door, staying silent and staring at the ground with a blank expression.

Eventually, tears began pouring from my eyes as quiet sobs began escaping my mouth. My soft crying turned into another outburst and I once again started to break everything in my room and push things to the ground. I don't know how long can I keep doing this again and again. But at this point, it became a coping mechanism for me.

After there wasn't anything else for me to break, I collapsed on my bed and sobbed on my pillow.

I miss them so much... The people that were always there for me...they were gone. It felt as if I was all alone now. I could barely hold my tears during the funeral. Nothing feels the same anymore.

I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how will I ever live without them. I feel like I'm seeing everything through a dark room.

I could still hear their gentle voices.

"We're back home!"

"You look charming in that suit, son."

"Hunter, you didn't need to do that."

"If that's what you truly want, Hunter, we won't stop you."

"Levi, our son got accepted into all the colleges he applied to!"

"Which college do you want to attend?"

"How was your first day?"

"Does my boy have a girlfriend yet?"

"I don't see how any woman can resist a man like you."

"You're so sweet, son!"

"Alice, look at our intelligent boy."

"Just because he skipped a few years does not mean he can't act his age."

"Hunter, take care of your sister, alright?"

"I promise your mother and I will come home."

"Don't lose hope. We shall always be here for you both."

I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands while praying for everything to stop. I don't want to hear them. I don't want to keep convincing myself that they're still alive when they're not. They're dead, so stop talking in my ear!!

"We love you, son."

"Don't give up, alright?"

No...stop...just please stop... You're not here anymore... STOP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALREADY SAID TO ME! STOP LYING TO ME THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE IN DENIAL!

I opened my eyes again, tears still pouring, and spotted a box cutter on my nightstand. I immediately sat up and grabbed it before holding it against my left wrist.

What if I just join you?

Will it make those voices stop?

Will I be able to be with you both again?

Will I stop feeling so numb?

Will I finally stop seeing everything through a dark room?

I just want to feel the same comfort I felt from my parents again...I just don't want to be left alone by them! I...I can't live without them... What's the point of me being here if they're not?

After a lot of contemplating, I slowly pressed the blade against my skin. It slightly cut through me, making blood come out but I didn't feel any pain. It made me feel slightly happy because I was going to join them.

I made up my mind.

I then took a deep breath and was about to cut my wrist.

[Knock Knock]

"Big brother...?"

I immediately stopped upon hearing the gentle voice of my little seven-year-old sister. The voices stopped and I felt a wave of relief rush through me.

I realized what I was about to do to myself. How could I forget that by killing myself, I would be leaving my sister the same way our parents left us. I don't want her to feel more pain than she's already going through.

"Just a second, Florence!" I yelled through the door.

I placed the box cutter inside my drawer and fixed the mess I made as much as I could.

I rushed to the door and opened it, only to reveal a little girl with the same short pinkish-red hair as me. Florence was slightly androgynous. She is a girl but she has rather boyish features. It came to the point that others would mistake her for a boy.

"Hello, Florence." I smiled and bent down on one knee. "Is there something you need?"

"I wanted to be with you..." she shyly answered. "Can I come in?"

"No need to ask," I said before Florence stepped inside and I closed the door behind her. "Did you do it again?" Florence asked with a sigh as she looked around my bedroom.

I stayed silent and only smiled at her.

Florence then looked at me and spotted the fresh wound on my wrist and her eyes widened. "Hunter, you're hurt!" she gasped and grabbed my hand.

"D-don't worry about me, Flory." I stammered and ruffled her hair with my other hand. "It's just a scratch."

"No, it's not!" she exclaimed. "You're bleeding!" Before I could speak again, she hovered her right hand over the wound. Orange light came out of the palm of Florence and eventually healed my wound. Not even leaving a scratch.

"There." my little sister smiled. "All better."

Florence inherited the power of our grandmother, Magical Healer (A/N: Name may change). I believe it's very self-explanatory.

So to put it in simple words, my little sister can heal injuries and diseases. What she can't cure are disorders, disabilities, mental illnesses/disorders, and herself, or basically anything related to the brain.

Florence still has difficulty curing people of diseases, however. The best she can do is lessen its severity.

While my power is called Energy Wave, a completely different power. I possess the ability to absorb the energy of others. I can channel or form that energy into different physical waves, such as sound waves, light waves, and vibrations and blast that wave towards my opponent.

It's nothing compared to my sister's.

"Thank you, princess." I smiled. "You're always here for me."

"Be...be more careful next time..." Florence pleaded with a shaky tone, tears forming in her eyes. "What if you get seriously hurt and I...I lose you as well...just like Mummy and Daddy..."

"Hey now..." I tried to comfort the little girl. I protectively wrapped my arms around her body before Florence buried her face in my neck and cried. "You will never lose me. Never ever. I will always be here with you, Flory."

"Do you promise...?" she gazed at my dull pink eyes with a hopeful expression. I looked back at her amber and pink ones and said with a smile, "I promise. Has your big brother ever lied to you?"

You're all that I have, Florence. I will love you with everything I have. Don't worry about anything else. Let your big brother handle those burdens. Be as carefree as you want. I'll be here for you. I'll protect you from everything.

I don't want to make Florence worry about me. So, I can't be emotional in the same room as her. I want her to heal from the death of our parents. I don't want to see her more upset than she already is by seeing me cry.

We laid on my bed and the entire time, Florence was nestled against my chest as I tightly cuddled her, not wanting to let go. We always deeply enjoyed each other company. And it's just going to be us now. As long as I still have her, then I won't give up.

"You had another fight with Aunty Aiko," Florence spoke.

"We weren't fighting," I stated.

"You were yelling." Florence pointed out. "Why don't you even want to discuss the matter at hand?"

"Florence... Please understand that...I'm not ready yet." I said. "And until I am, I want our relatives to choose a proxy for me. It's better than having me make a mess of everything."

"Have you told them that yet?" Florence asked.

"Earlier I did," I answered. "I'm just not sure if Aunty will grant my request."

"However, when I'm ready..." I continued. "I will become Duke of House Livingstone and surpass our father. He trusted me and I don't want to let him down."

Florence buried her face in my chest and said, "I'm certain that whatever you do will make Mummy and Daddy proud of you. Such as...if you pursued theatre, then they will certainly be proud of you because you are passionate about it."

"Yes, but...I want to take on what Father left behind. I want to continue on his legacy."

"Speaking of theatre...you've been out of school for about a month now. I'm sure you miss performing on a stage, so when will you come back?" asked Florence.

I stayed silent for a moment. "I don't know yet..." I answered. I'm still not mentally and physically ready to come back to college. "I bet you miss seeing me act and sing, don't you?" I smiled.

But it's mainly because I will have to leave Florence again.

I study abroad in the US. I attend a performing arts school that is located in New York.

It's quite funny. A lot of my relatives expected me to study at Harvard or Cornell because of how intelligent they say I am.

I skipped several grades in my childhood because of how...bright I was compared to other children my age and my teachers always said that my brains will be able to get me ahead of my studies. But despite the praises I received from adults and family about my cleverness, I still wanted to walk towards performing arts.

My parents were very supportive when I said I wanted to study in another country.

It was a hard decision, honestly. I leave behind my home temporary for school and Florence was crying for me not to go when our parents were dropping me off at the airport. She refused to stay at home that day and insisted that she see me off as well.

So yes, I study in an unfamiliar country alone where I know no one but my classmates and professors.

I'm only back in London now because of...the current situation...

Aunty Aiko called me from my dorm room and broke the news to me.

Despite having plans to enlist in the military soon (next year when I turn seventeen if everything falls into place), I'm studying musical theatre in college. I have a passion for music (especially singing) and acting, thus I believed that theatre and theatre would be the best choice for me to study and attend.

I don't have plans to pursue an acting career, however. I only chose to study theatre for the sake of my hobby, as something to do on the side, and as a backup plan.

I didn't choose to go to a military school because I believed that I was already learning everything I needed to know about the military at home from my father and mother. And they were already providing me with the training I needed. So I ultimately decided to go to college for my hobby.

But...now that they're both gone, I will just have to train and tutor myself from...now on. Why does everything remind me of them?

At this point, I was just trying my best to smile for Florence.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back the energy to study again. Ever since they died, I've lost motivation for everything. Training, fighting, singing, acting, studying, guitar, video games, and so on. Every day is the same. I lay on my bed, contemplating everything and doing nothing physical. A day doesn't go by where I don't shed a single tear for my parents.

I've been starting to neglect my health as well. I forget to take care of my body due to how I've been feeling lately.

I just...want things to return as they were. When we were a complete happy family.

But I'm mindful to not show this to Florence. I try my best to smile for her even if it isn't genuine. Her happiness is all I want to see. I want to help her heal, so she could be as cheery as she was before God turned his back on us and stole the lives of our parents.

I don't care about myself. Florence is my only priority. She's the only thing bringing light to my life.

I...I don't care what happens to me as long as she's genuinely happy.

Florence must have sensed my gloominess. She sat up and reassured me. "Everything will be okay, brother! You...you said so yourself!"

Yes, only because I'll make sure everything will be okay so you could have a comfortable life without them.

"We still have each other! And that's all we need!"

I want to believe that, Florence...but I want them back so badly...

I patted her head and put on my usual smile for her. "I'm the one who should be saying those words to you, Florence."

"I want you to be happy." my little sister pouted. "I don't want you just worrying about me. You need to take care of yourself as well, Hunter."

I brought her to my arms in a warm embrace. "Don't worry about me, princess. Your brother isn't going anywhere. Just worry about yourself."

Strangely, everything surrounding Florence is darkness but herself. In my vision, she's a ray of light.

I kissed her forehead and buried my face in her hair. "I'll be okay. Your brother loves you so much, princess. Remember that."

"I know, brother!" Florence giggled. "You say it all the time."

"And do you get tired of it?" I teasingly questioned.

Florence wrapped her arms around my neck and exclaimed, "Not at all!"

I laughed at her reaction while trying to convince myself that everything will be alright.

You're my last hope, Florence. Please...don't leave my side as Mother and Father did. I can't lose anyone else...

(Night)

"Mummy, Daddy..." I hear my sister sob.

I opened my eyes and saw myself in a dark place. I looked around and saw nothing but darkness.

"Don't leave us!" I hear the voice of Florence.

"Florence?!" I yelled. "Where are you?!"

I began running ahead, trying to find my sister. Her weeping sounded nearer, so I continued running, thinking that I would find her even though everything was just an abyss of darkness.

My heart was pounding, not knowing whether or not my sister was okay. What if she was seriously hurt?

I wanted to see her so I could bring her into my arms. The sound of her sobbing broke my heart...

I yelled her name, again and again, only to get the same crying as a response.

"That means...we won't be able to see them again..."

"We will be okay, won't we...?"

I hear her again.

"FLORENCE!" I yelled. "I'M COMING!!"

Eventually, a bright light appeared in front of me, making me stop in my tracks.

Two people I never thought I would ever see again appeared in front of me. My parents. I should be relieved to see them again but for some reason, I felt none of that. Something just felt off-putting about their presence.

Immediately upon seeing them, I fell to my knees and tears formed in my eyes.

"Mother...? Father...?" I quietly spoke.

What are they doing here... They should be dead...

But I couldn't be bothered to worry about their presence. Only one thing was in my mind.

"Why did you leave us...?" I croaked.

They did not answer.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE US?!!" I asked again, louder and growing angrier.

"ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" I yelled again, tears uncontrollably pouring from my eyes. "YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD COME BACK!! YOU LIED TO US!!"

I grabbed onto their legs and cried on their feet while continuing to ask why did they leave my sister and me alone.

The two continued to stay silent, still as a rock, watching me loudly weep with blank expressions.

When I looked back up at their faces, everything became black.

...

My eyes shot open and I was met with a dark room. I blinked for a few seconds before making out the sound of weeping from below me.

I looked down at my chest and saw my little sister quietly crying into my shirt.

"Hey, Florence..." I quietly called as I lifted her head. The sight of her teary eyes broke my heart. "What's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?"

"I want Mummy and Daddy..." the little girl sobbed and buried her face in my neck.

I could only stay silent while gently caressing her head. "I'm sorry, Florence...but...we can't see them anymore..." I whispered.

Even if I haven't recovered from that disturbing dream I had yet, I still tried to calm down my sister who seemed like she had a dream about them as well.

I held in my tears as I whispered soothing words into Florence's ear to calm her but nothing worked.

She couldn't stop crying.

I tried the various ways our mother did to calm down my sister whenever she was upset. But it seemed that I couldn't do them as good as her.

With Florence in my arms, I checked the time on my wall clock, using only the moonlight coming through my windows to see through the darkness, and saw that it was 2 AM.

The two of us must have fallen asleep earlier when we were laying down together.

I looked back at my sister and tried to think of a way to make her stop crying.

I then suddenly got an idea.

I picked up my glasses from my nightstand and put them on. No way my farsightedness will allow me to to see clearly without them. I picked my sister up in my arms and got up from my bed. While carrying her, I walked to the door and exited my bedroom. Florence looked visibly confused as to why I was making the both of us leave my room at this hour but didn't question me and continued to softly cry.

After some moments, I stopped at a certain door across the hallway from my room. The bedroom of my parents. I never thought I could ever bring myself to go in here again.

I slowly and hesitantly walked inside, closing the door behind me. I walked through the room, trying my best to not peer around but the memories I have with our parents here flashed in my eyes.

Some of Mother and Father's things are still here. I remember my relatives asking if I wanted to have any of Father's belongings but I refused to even look at them let alone have them.

I laid my sister on the large bed and I quickly followed after taking off my glasses. "I'm sorry, princess..." I quietly spoke. "but this is the best I can do for you...I can't bring them back..."

It still felt like Mother and Father were still here. This was their bedroom after all.

Surprisingly, Florence stopped crying and took deep breaths.

"I feel...better now, brother..." she spoke. "This entire room still smells like them..."

"Will you be okay for the night?" I asked with worry.

"Yes, but...what about you?" Florence questioned. "You were...mumbling in your sleep and...you were crying as well..."

My eyes widened. I felt a rush of guilt that my sister had to witness me in such a state.

"I just had a bad dream as well, Florence." I smiled. "But...I'm okay now."

That was a lie.

But I just wanted my sister to have a peaceful night. She recently started to go to sleep a lot more quickly in contrast to how she was after the funeral.

"Are you certain?" Florence further questioned.

"I'm certain, princess. Don't worry about me."

Florence looked doubtful but nodded her head anyway.

I doubt I would be able to sleep tonight knowing that I was on the bed of my parents but it was better than having another dream about them.

After Florence fell asleep, I brought her into my arms and whispered, "I will never let you go...I promise I'll always be here for you..."