The Beginning of Everything
Yuzuki looked deeply into the eyes of each of his allies, the tension in the air almost tangible. The words he was about to speak wouldn't be easy—not for him, and certainly not for those who were about to hear them. But he knew the moment of truth had arrived. His gaze was cold, distant, and though his lips were firm, they were burdened with a sorrow he no longer knew how to hide.
"I'm going to tell you everything," he began, his voice low, but unusually heavy. "But understand this: I will not die here. And if I have to kill you to complete my goal, I will."
Mao laughed, the dry, sarcastic sound echoing in Yuzuki's mind, as it always did. "He's got guts, doesn't he? I really like that," Mao thought, with perverse amusement. Yet at the same time, Amok watched intently. There was something intriguing about Yuzuki's behavior. He had strong convictions, an immense willpower. But what he couldn't understand was why Mao hated the boy so deeply. "I'm no expert in human emotions, but it feels like Mao has something very personal against Yuzuki. What could've happened between them?" Amok wondered silently, keeping his usual observational posture.
Yuzuki's words hit his allies like a bomb. Father Gotier, Akari, and even Zeke were visibly shaken by the coldness in his voice. Silence settled over them until Akari finally spoke, her voice trembling, "You... have you always been like this?"
Yuzuki looked at her with a dark gaze and nodded. "Yes," he said, with an icy calm. "I've always been like this."
He then began to tell his story, hiding nothing, unconcerned with how his words might affect them. "I was born into a noble clan called Yuzuki," he said, his eyes fixed on the ground, as if he were still trapped in that dark past. "But over the years, the leaders of the three most powerful clans on the island of Kogutsu—and even the king himself—used my clan as a sacrifice to summon a primordial Kugutsu. My family... my clan... we were treated like cattle. We were bred to become beasts for slaughter. I never received love from my parents or uncles. I don't even know what love is."
Yuzuki paused, his words laden with pain, as if he were trying to give shape to something that had always been trapped within him. "I grew up like this. The Yuzuki clan has been like this for generations. There was nothing but suffering, sacrifice, and death. Until it was my turn. I would have accepted my fate easily. I lied to you, Akari—I never cared about my family. The only problem… the only problem was that I had a younger brother."
The mention of his brother darkened Yuzuki's eyes even further. He closed them for a moment, as if gathering the strength to speak of it. "I don't know what love is, but I believe I felt it for him," he said, his voice carrying genuine sorrow. "I took care of him, bathed him, took him out… he was the only happy child in that miserable clan. He was the only one who returned my affection, and I felt so happy for it. Kaleb. He was the only ray of light in my life."
He looked at his allies before him, each absorbing his words in different ways. Father Gotier seemed shaken, Akari was pale, and Zeke remained silent, processing the revelations. Yuzuki continued, anger and despair stealing his tone. "But Kogutsu Island, its people, the clans, the kings who passed… nothing changed. They didn't care about us. We were disposable. So I did what needed to be done."
He raised his head, now looking directly at his allies. "I studied, I learned about the clans, about the kings, about the rituals, about the island, about Pangeia, about Kanjis, Kugutsus, races and forbidden knowledge. I knew my brother wouldn't have much time. They were going to sacrifice him, as they always did."
Yuzuki's words dripped with immense frustration. He knew there was no turning back. The path he had chosen was filled with lies, betrayals, and unthinkable decisions, but it was the only way he had found to survive. The only way he could try to save Kaleb.
"I didn't care about my family. I didn't care about the clan. But I did care about him," Yuzuki said, his tone tinged with suppressed rage. "I didn't know what else to do. So I made a pact. I called Mao. I did whatever was necessary to ensure Kaleb survived."
Yuzuki stepped forward, his presence growing even more imposing, as if he were ready to face anything, anyone, who stood in his way. "And now… I will continue, no matter the cost. If I have to kill you to complete my goal, I will. Because in the end, everything I did was for one reason. I did all of this to save the only being I ever loved. The only one who showed me I'm not just a monster."
Tension reached its peak. Yuzuki's words had shattered something within his allies—something that would never be the same. They looked at him now with a mixture of fear, confusion, and perhaps a flicker of compassion, but the truth was nothing could erase what he had said. He had shown, once again, that he would do anything to achieve his goal, even if it meant destroying everyone around him.
Kaleb Forever
The air was heavy, laden with the weight of unspoken words and averted glances. Yuzuki, still physically wounded, now carried an even greater burden in his heart. He fixed his gaze on Father Gotier with a disturbing intensity, as if he could scorch his soul with that piercing look.
"You told Akari and me that your family was murdered by the Church of the Holy Faith and Mr. Kitty. You said your only sin was loving your family too much," Yuzuki began, his voice deep and full of resentment. "Do you understand how I feel? I said I would help you in your vengeance. And I will."
Those words were more than simple promises. They were laden with the weight of all the pain and revenge Yuzuki was willing to bear. And then he continued, revealing the most painful truth of his life. "My brother, Kaleb, was only ten years old. I spent eight years preparing, making plans so we could escape that cursed island, so we could be happy, far from all that suffering. I never told him about my plan… I should have."
Remorse consumed Yuzuki, and a deep ache filled his chest. He forced himself to breathe, but could not prevent tears from welling. The pain of not protecting Kaleb, of having failed, was unbearable. He pressed on, his voice now wavering, yet filled with anger and sorrow. "I was poisoned in my sleep. A paralyzing toxin. I woke bound to a cross, and I saw my family and my brother being led to the king's sacrificial altar. I screamed, begged to know how they discovered my plan, but no one answered."
Yuzuki's words cut like blades through the hearts of all who heard them. "When I looked at my family, at my parents… they were smiling, but it was no loving smile. It was a diabolical, cruel grin. It was them… they were the ones who betrayed me. They ransacked my room, took my documents, and delivered everything to the king, to the clans. I was forced to watch my mother and father drag my brother, Kaleb, away to be sacrificed, while the clans and the king laughed."
Silence fell, and the atmosphere grew even denser. Zeke, the recent ally still rooted in his origins on Kogutsu Island and its three principal clans, stood visibly shaken. He had no idea how deep Yuzuki's pain ran. He did not know Yuzuki came from an extinct, sacrificial clan—and that realization paralyzed him for a moment.
Akari, also from the island, could scarcely believe what she had heard. She knew the history of Kogutsu Island and understood its people's suffering, but she never imagined Yuzuki was one of its victims. He was indeed a son of the island, but his story was far more tragic than she could have conceived. She stood in shock, her mind struggling to process such brutality.
"You judge me," Yuzuki said, his voice taking on a bitter, furious edge. "But what did you do to save my clan? What did you do to save my brother? You bastards… and now you think I am cruel?"
The contempt in his voice was palpable. He looked at Akari and Zeke with a gaze that could rend their very souls. "You are the same as me. You should not judge me."
The weight of Yuzuki's words fell upon them like a verdict. He did not want pity. He did not want understanding. What he wanted was for those around him to see the truth behind his actions, the pain behind his decision. He wanted them to know that, at some point, he had been forced to become what he was. And perhaps, deep down, he hated himself for it.
Amok, silent and watchful, merely observed it all. He understood the burden Yuzuki carried, and in a way, he respected it. But what fascinated him most was Yuzuki's growing power. He did not know whether the boy would lose himself in his quest for vengeance or find some measure of redemption amid it all. Amok also knew that, at its core, the pact between him and Yuzuki was one of power and control. Yet it was clear that Yuzuki was beginning to grasp the depth of what that meant.
"Interesting," Amok thought. "Very interesting. You have a power within you, Yuzuki. But what will you do with it? That is what will define your destiny."
And meanwhile, Mao reveled in the situation. He knew that, at some point, Yuzuki would have to confront his own truth. And when that happened, the consequences would be all the more unpredictable.
Silence settled over the group for a few more seconds, until at last Father Gotier spoke. His voice trembled, but there was a note of understanding in it. "Yuzuki, I… I did not know all of this. I did not know what you endured."
Yuzuki looked at him with an impassive stare. "Now you know. Now everyone knows."
But the ache in his heart did not fade. Kaleb, his brother, the only being he had ever truly loved, would never return. And with that, Yuzuki's past was forever stained by tragedy, betrayal, and loss.
And now, with emotions laid bare, Yuzuki's future was uncertain. He did not know what awaited him. But one thing was certain: he would do whatever it took to ensure Kaleb's death was not in vain.