They had just eaten dinner, and Toya was still exhausted from the training earlier, but his little sister wouldn't stop asking him to play. At the end he gave in. They were playing hide and seek. Toya was the seeker and his little sister the hider. He was counting down from 60. As he began he could hear his sister run around behind him. When he finished counting, he had a pretty good idea of where she was, but he decided not to check there right away. He was in the living room, so he was thinking of doing the kitchen first. But when he passed his dad, he felt something. His dad kept looking at the door from time to time as if he was expecting something. He brushed it off, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind. As he had searched the kitchen he decided to go look where he thought she was hiding. And just as he guessed there she was hiding under his bed. It was one of her favorite hiding spots and she used pretty often. As he helped her get back on her feet their mother called saying it's time for bed.
"You heard her time for bed." Said Toya in a happy voice. "I will play with you again tomorrow."
"Promise." She asked knowing that Toya normally found some sort of excuse.
"I promise." He said clearly knowing the reason behind it. "Now go to bed."
As she had left the room Toya laid there thinking - worrying. He had noticed his dads looks at the door and fought about the nightmare he had last night. At the end he brushed it off thinking If I keep thinking about this, I will never fall asleep.
As the kids had gone to sleep the parents were left alone in the living room. At first, they just sat there enjoying the silence. Later they began to chatter. But they were interrupted as there was knocked on the door. At first it was thought to just be the wind but as the knocking continued Theia said with a smile like always.
"I will open it. You just stay put." Kenzo replied with a smile of his own. As Theia reached the door the knocking stopped. She hesitated, her hand already on the handle, a chill running down her spine. The air felt heavy, like an unseen power was pushing her down. Why does this feel wrong. Then it hit her - a suffocating, menacing aura, thick as a storm cloud. It was wrapping around her like chains.
Behind her, Kenzo moved. Fast. Too fast. Faster than sound.
"No Theia get away from the door" but it was too late. The door was already cracking open. A glint of steel. A flash of red. And then. Drip. Drip. Blood. Blood was dripping to the ground. And there in the entrance Kenzo stood with his back to the door shielding Theia. Her heart froze as she saw him there. A deep and long wound on his back. Blood streaming down from it, staining the floor beneath it. His skin pale as the blood left his body. On the other side of the door they stood. The soldiers. With nothing but bloodlust in their eyes.
"Get the kids and run, I will hold them here." His voice was low.
She wanted to scream, argue, heal his wound. No, I can't leave you.
"Run!" He screamed.
Theia turned, sprinting.
Toya's eyes shot open. His breath was uneven and fast, his heart was pounding like horses running. Had he heard something? The word run still echoed in his mind. But he didn't know whatever or not it was from his dream or reality. The nightmare from the night before clung in the back of his mind - shadow figures, blood, his father's voice calling out to him. Then a sound. Footsteps. Uneven. Fast. Desperate.
Toya pushed off his blanket and stepped onto the cold wooden floor. It was like all warmth in it was gone. Shivers ran down his spine. As he reached the handle, he heard it. A strangled breath. A sob. He teared the door open and stepped into the hallway. He froze. There, in the dim light, on the floor just a few meters sat his mother. Blood stained her clothes. Her face was pale, her eyes in shock with something between horror and desperation. He wanted to reach out for her, but he couldn't. Something stopped him. His eyes went down from her face to her arms. His eyes widened. His chest tightened. There in her shaking arms was his little sister.
As he stood there unable to move, his mind was racing. How did this happen? Who did this? Where's dad? This can't be happening. This has to be a nightmare, I'm still dreaming right? He wanted to go over there, help, scream, run - anything - but he couldn't. But his body refused. He was frozen. It was like all colors had been drained, as he stood there in the dim light. All he saw was darkness and the color red. The color of blood. Move! I have to move! He cursed himself for being so weak. For just standing there as his mother was covered in blood and his little sister was on the verge of death.
"Big brother" the voice was so low, it was almost impossible to hear. It was drained, full of pain. But still he knew that voice. Even now then it was basically unrecognizable. It was the voice of his little sister. The voice that always had so much life in it. He couldn't bear to hear her like that. He rushed over, still half paralyzed by fear. His heart hammering with pure fear. As he got closer, he nearly passed out. With his heart skipping a couple of beats. His sister was covered in blood. She had a massive wound on her flank. It was bleeding badly, and she had lost a lot of blood. Her skin had already begun to pale. Her breath was uneven and fast. And her eyes kept opening and closing as she slipped in and out of consciousness. His mother wasn't in a much better state. She had a couple of, what looked like sword-wounds, on her shoulder and arms. She was physically fine, but mentally, she was broken. Her eyes had lost all light and were dry from all the tears. She looked like an empty shell where the soul had already left the body.
He couldn't just let them stay like this. They would die if he did.
"Hey mom!" he called, but she didn't response. He knelt down and stretched out his arms, grabbing her shoulders. "Mom, snap out of it! We must get out of here! Where is dad?!" As he nearly screamed this a dim light returned to her eyes. She looked up at him, then down at his little sister, tears streaming down her chin as she continued to shake.
"The soldiers… your dad told us to run… to get you out of here… but…" her voice cracked, she still looked down trembling even worse than before.
"They got to your sister… I managed to knock him out but… We need to get out of here." Toya could see the horror in her eyes, and to be honest the thing he wanted most of all right now was to just run. Run as far away as his legs allowed him but… He couldn't leave without him.
He sighed "yeah. Mom take her and run out the back. Run until you can't stand anymore." Toya slowly rose from his kneeling position. His body shivering.
"You are coming with us, right?" Her voice was a whisper filled with desperation.
"Of course. There is just something I need to do first", He smiled trying to act like it was no big deal, but his voice betrayed him, it cracked. He stood up, turning his back to her and ran. Running to his father. Ignoring the uncertain floor filled with blood. Ignoring the blurring in his eyes from the speed. And as he did, she was left wondering was he always this tall? She had always seen Toya as a little kid she had to protect but know it seemed like their places had been switched. As he ran there in front of her, she no longer saw a kid, she saw a man. A brave man who charged in knowing the dangers, knowing the fear. Like a shining star in an empty night sky. Like a reflection of his father, she fought remembering a distant memory. As Toya ran, mother's mind drifted to the day Kenzo had rescued her from an Umbra Serpent - also known as a shadow devourer. They were gigantic pitch-black snakes with violet eyes. They preyed on people's fears. She had gotten attacked and were frozen with fear but despite the fear Kenzo rushed in and saved her. And now she saw the same courage in Toya as she had once seen in her husband. And felt the same fear as back then, but despite the fear she got up from her sitting position took the daughter and ran to the back.