Kaien trudged slowly towards Naruko who had been sitting on a stool.
In front of her was the keyboard.
He watched her playing single notes within the room that had incomplete furnishing.
He stood beside, watching her struggle to play the C major chord.
He advised her as he demonstrated a new approach.
"You should try moving your thumb to 'F'—the forth note— instead."
Naruko complied, her stiff fingers failing despite her attempts.
Despite the difficulty, her focus was laser sharp.
The way Kaien had done flawlessly pushed her to yearn for improvement.
Quitting only served as an inconvenience for them.
Kaien gave her a dry stare, patting her shoulder gently.
She was seeing slow but steady improvement on his idea, seeing his acknowledgement.
She was unable to play the scales fast, her flow choppy despite her best efforts.
"Don't you need to fix something?"
Kaien glanced at her, his eyes flickering and waiting.
Her mind erased her certainty, now out of her grasp.
It wandered back to the moment she saw improvement, the moment the notes seemed to agree with her.
It brought a back the clarity she had lost, smiling in satisfaction.
"Not really. I think I have done enough."
Kaien did not flinch, nor did he smile.
It was as if her words did nothing to move the mountain he was even though he was puny.
A thought crossed his mind, one that would be devastating to her integrity and resolve.
Compared to her brother, she had a resilient view on life—it wasn't invincible.
It was riddled with holes someone—somewhere—would soon exploit.
"So you are satisfied with your progress?"
A calm nod—very assuring with how unfazed she was—was the answer.
Any doubt she may have had, she shredded it into pieces and burned.
The ashes did not linger within her heart, and she could not see a speck of it in the garage.
'There is more to learn, but I can come back to it with a fresh mind.'
"Isn't there something you are struggling with, like flow?"
He asked a question, staring her delicate face before his eyes settled on the keyboard.
His stoic expression—like any mask—gave the impression there no harm in answering.
"I can always refine when I am well rested."
She assured Kaien, patting herself in the back for the effort she made today.
She thought she deserved a break, maybe even practice again tomorrow.
She was unaware of the impending doom her still budding mind was about to face.
Scene 3
"What if you woke up tired?
What if you were always tired?
What if hesitation chokes you when you are functional?"
Taking in a breath of air, he exhaled his last question with a deep voice that would cut through any lie.
"What are the chances you will fulfil your promise?"
Her blue eyes widened before her head tilted towards the grey pavement.
The very room and everything around her ceased to exist, and her thoughts were the only things she could hear or see.
She didn't know why her mind was racing but the more thoughts popped up, the more she entertained giving up.
'Can I really keep going if I was tired... or lazy?'
If she had to do the things she promised to do later at this instant, would she really do it.
The question made her chest tighten.
Hesitation chained her down the moment she found an answer.
The words were trapped, swallowing them before they even had the chance.
'Is a promise something I really can keep?'
Each answer disagreed with the last, and she fell deeper into a pit of doubt that was ready to swallow her whole.
Every answer revolved around her which made his hands tremble in defeat.
She felt as if her laziness was whispering to her ears—sweet words of comfort.
She wanted to defend herself, but even she knew the time was ticking.
There was no time to waste on resting.
When she raised her head, he was already gone.
"Do you even realize none of your actions are less than ideal?
What kind of child are you?
You aren't even considering the fact that you might break them."
Mei stammered slightly at the boy's smile, whose serenity gripped at her heart intently.
His words were like a sharpened blade, able to dissect people down to their very atom.
Kaien's gaze intensified, his entire demeanour radiating an otherworldly confidence—it was as if he had become a completely different being.
"Am I not human?
Don't we thrive in sins?
Do they lose their potential for virtues though?
Define good and evil."
As he bombarded her with question, each one hammered at her will to speak until it was shattered.
The last one was the only one she could answer confidently, but her response was no better than he was.
'If evil had a merciful child, it'd be you!'
Clueless of such a dehumanizing opinion the auburn haired woman had on him, he continued to speak.
"Only when a mirror is broken does one abandon their ego.
A broken mind is one that comes back stronger, if it does survive the calamity."
His smile returned while shrugging off the awkward gaze he received from Mei.
"But I have to save them if it goes too far.
Why does it worry you exactly?"
Mei shook her head.
"I just think that you are dangerous if left alone.
You're ambitious, that is bad on its own."
"You can always put a stop to it?"
His eyes shifted to the pavement, layers upon layers hiding what little truth he had revealed.
All the sparks of his human connection—his emotions—they died down.
Mei's frown dropped the temperature of the garage by a few degrees, folding her arms slowly.
He stomach churned at the boy's words, whispering the wrong messages to the wrong side of the coin.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Kaien bent his knees, crouching on the floor as he rummaged his pockets.
He sighed as he saw the cracked screen, reminding him of the fracture he had in his heart.
They weren't family, and understanding how exactly he was supposed to treat people was difficult.
Regardless, he gave her a suggestion.
"You can just simply look past it.
If it doesn't sit well, then you just have to monitor me."
Companionship was a valuable asset.
In fact it was actually a luxury he never had in a literal sense.
Thinking back to his past life—the memories, the happiness, the smiles—his heart fragmented even more.
The feeling of validation and acceptance from his peers brought him through tough times.
That is before it no longer did.
The moment life lost its purpose and meaning.
The way he realized everyone wore smiles like masks.
The day he learned to stop caring and serve his own interest.
The instant he searched deep within himself and found nothing.
No echo.
No drive.
No will.
That was when death seemed more honest than life itself.
A soft but solid voice cut through the tension like butter. "Then I need to improve however I can.
I promise this.
Whatever I learn today will never be forgotten!"
His grey eyes flickered to Mei, his lips curling to a calm smirk.
Kaien was no longer observing their reality, because he was trapped in his own.
"You can watch them grow."
A tap of slippers resounded, planting on the concrete floor before Kaien.
Naruto spoke with a voice burdened with guilt. "I remember why I wanted to learn in the first."
He then bowed, feeling as though it was appropriate.
"And I realized, it was a selfish reason.
I am not comfortable saying it though."
Kaien's figure slowly rose from his position, his expression hidden by his grey hair.
"As long as you were faithful to yourself, you don't need to state your reasons."
Seeing the arrival of the two twins, Mei blinked only once.
It was delayed, her mind lagging.
None of them showed signs of hesitation, as they would never find him out without clarity.
None of them stuttered, each waiting for his response.
Their beliefs were stronger, more defined.
She had so many questions...
'How did he achieve such potent influence?'
Without paying attention to Mei's disturbed psyche, grey eyes resolutely met hers.
"Maybe even watch them suffer, only to see them grow into something worthy of your pride."