The Memory

Humans can be ruthless beings.

Leon had always known that as the truth– his truth  since he had experienced the extent of their cruelty, multiple times. He thought he had forgiven them every time.

But he somehow forgot the small part of him that didn't forgive humans still existed, buried deep inside the crevices of his mind.

Leon was cast aside, thrown out, and left to fend for himself in a land covered with filth. For a long time, he thought that he'd be alone for the rest of his existence. After all, humans are keen on such punishment.

They loved playing god.

"Don't you want it back?"

The question echoed in his ears. It cut through his being, awakening a dormant hunger for revenge.

Leon let out a shaky breath; his decision weighed heavily in his mind. It was the answer to everything he needed to know, but somehow he couldn't help but feel fear.

He doesn't want his present self to disappear.

All of his emotions and current memories were something that he treasured; he doesn't want it to be erased. Leon wanted to remain himself.

Still, he deserved what was rightfully his. He deserved what was taken away from him.

It's time for him to take the path that fate had given him.

His answer was a low whisper: "Yes."

Kazuki's grin widened at his response, and before Leon could even react, Kazuki's fingers pierced through his nape. Deep into his flesh and bones.

Everything shattered. Agony surged through him like a flash of electricity, searing every nerve and synapse it came across. His body contorted in pain, but Kazuki's hold on him was tight.

Fingers dug through his spine as if they were searching for something, trying to grasp a foreign object  inside of him.

Kazuki's fingers reached his spine, and Leon could feel something cold inside of him. Despite the pain, he knew that there wasn't supposed to be anything there.

"Selfish humans," Kazuki said in a low growl.

He then turned his attention to Leon. "…Do you trust me?" he asked.

Leon wanted to snort in response; Kazuki was literally digging into his flesh and he asked something like that. Only a garbled "No." escaped Leon's lips.

Kazuki huffed out before his fingers sunk deeper into Leon's neck. He ignored the way Leon's dug into his shoulders; his breathing became more pained and erratic.

Kazuki pulled something out of Leon's neck, a long silver tendril that had attached itself to his brain down to his spine.

A weak gasp escaped Leon's lips as it was ripped away. It felt like something was lifted from his very soul.

Kazuki held the silver tendril in his hand, blood dripping from his fingers as he snarled, "This is what they did to you." The twisted object in his hand was searing on his palms.

The silver was reacting to Kazuki's touch; his eyes narrowed with pure venom and hatred as he crushed it between his palms.

Leon's vision blurred; eyes slowly closing as he felt the wound on his back closing itself in mere seconds.

In the blur, he could hear Noelle's voice: "See you soon, brother~"

Then everything went black.

***

Rays of sunlight shone through the marble pillars, casting intricate patterns on the floor. Leon found himself standing in the middle of the familiar place, for as far as his eyes could see, everything was white.

He ventured deeper into the depths of the grand halls; the floor felt warm despite him walking barefoot. His eyes scanned the marble pillars as he walked forward.

The hallways seemed endless.

Then he heard something, a soft sound of water droplets.

He followed the sound of trickling water; the pristine white surroundings slowly transitioned into a garden.

Fields of grass and flowers met his eyes; the skies were clear and blue as if it was a perfect summer day.

In the distance, he could see figures in white playing and running around the fields of grass. Their white robes flowed with the gentle breeze.

"Brother!" He heard a voice call out.

Leon's heart skipped at the sight in front of him as he approached the figures in white. All of them with snow-white hair and eyes that shone like mirrors.

"You're late!" One of them exclaimed, an older teen with a radiant smile.

Another figure, a young boy, ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Yeah~ We've been waiting for you," he said.

Leon was overwhelmed with a sudden rush of emotions; he couldn't remember their faces or names, but their presence felt like a missing piece of a puzzle falling into place.

He felt his lips move on their own as he laughed. "I was resting."

There were dozens of them, all dressed in simple white robes, playing in the idyllic fields.

The Children of Millennium, for that's what they must be, started gathering around Leon. An unspoken bond between them as laughter and chatter filled the air.

Memories flickered in Leon's mind like a tapestry woven from threads of the past.

Leon wanted to stay, to treasure this sense of peace and happiness forever. He knew that this was just a fragment of his memories, a moment frozen in time that he recalled.

Leon wanted to protect this peace.

No matter what he'll do.

...

The scene shifted. The once vibrant fields were now marred with the scent of blood and decay. The clear skies were now shrouded in darkness.

The Holy War

Leon's body moved on its own, running through the fields in terror as he tried to protect his siblings. Tears continued to fall down his eyes as he watched his beloved siblings fall; one by one right in front of him.

The humans had ruined their peace.

Decimated the earth they had protected for centuries, soaked it with the blood of his siblings, and burned down the temple.

All for the sake of power and greed.

They saw them as a threat to humanity, as evil beings who worshipped the wrong god.

He could hear their cries of agony and despair.

Leon fought with every ounce of his strength, using his powers to defend what was left of his family. The grief was suffocating as he knelt down on the stained grass; a younger boy lay there unmoving, crimson stained his white hair and robes -

"B-brother?" he asked meekly.

"I'm here," Leon whispered in a soft sob.

The young boy smiled weakly as he reached out; Leon gently cradled him in his arms, trying to provide comfort in their final moments together.

"I did well, right?" he asked. "I-I'm so sleepy."

Leon nodded his head, wiping away the blood from his brother's cheeks. "Yes. Don't worry; when you wake up, I'll be here."

His heart felt like it was being torn open as he watched the life fade from his brother's eyes. Their lives played upon the cruelty of humanity's greed.

Leon's rage burned as he saw the carnage wrought by humanity.

He'll never forgive them.

In the end, only seven of them were left.

Their once beautiful home was now strewn with the fallen, and Leon clung to the remaining fragments of his family.

They had to carry what was left of their family, and there was only one way to keep their souls forever bound to the living.

Leon's hand trembled and strained as he swallowed the warm object in his mouth. It tasted bittersweet on his tongue.

He held the heart of their fallen brethren; it was the only thing left of their sibling's essence. The last remaining fragment of their love and memories.

It was a painful and sorrowful act, one of desperation and longing.

The hearts of their beloved siblings were now a part of them.

It was the only way Leon could keep them close.

They will forever keep their cherished family by their side.

Leon's memories began to resurface, piece by piece, like a shattered mirror being painstakingly reconstructed. Each memory was a revelation, a glimpse into his past that was taken away from him.

***

Kazuki waited.

He was used to waiting; his eyes were fixed on his older brother stirred in his slumber. He took a long drag from his smoking pipe, the sweet taste of opioids filling his tongue.

Kazuki's shoulder sagged at the comforting buzz that it brought him, smoke curling around him.

The room was filled with a heavy, tense silence as he watched Leon's eyelids flutter open from the opposite side of the room.

His brother's movement was slow and unhurried as he gradually sat up. It reminded him of a wild cat waking from its sleep. Without uttering a word, Leon swung his legs down from the sofa.

Kazuki met his eyes and nearly toppled from his chair.

There it was, the sharp gaze that his brother always had. One that carried the weight of their purpose. Leon's eyes burned with such intensity that Kazuki felt a shiver run down his spine.

Leon brushed a strand of stray hair from his forehead, an all-knowing smile curled at the corners of his lips. "Good morning, dear Kazuki."

His greeting held more significance than mere words; Kazuki's eyes glimmered with tears. "G-good morning, brother," he breathed out.

Leon stood from his position; his posture had shifted to something different; one that carried all the regality and pride he had before.

His eyes scanned the room in a slow manner. Every move he made looked deliberate; it reminded Kazuki of a predator.

Leon's eyes stopped on the undressed woman slumped on the carpeted floor, bite marks visible all over her flesh. She looked dazed, her eyes unfocused, and her breathing was slow.

A soft sigh escaped Leon's lips as he eyed the woman, and he spoke in a tone that Kazuki used to. "Kazuki, how many times did I tell you to stop playing with your food?"

Kazuki grinned at his words. "You really are back."