When the girl asked Yuki to tell her everything, she hesitated. It was hard opening up to a person she never met, so she looked away and then slowly stood up.
Yuka's expression softened, she placed one hand on Yuki's back.
– It's okay if you are not comfortable telling me what happened... I am not forcing you, just saying it would make you feel better opening up to someone, that's all... where are your parents at?
But then Yuki froze, she stared down slowly and says in a very upset tone:
– Th-They got... killed...
Yuka was not able to add any more words, but just to offer Yuki some comfort and offer her time together. She gets up afterwards and leans her hand towards Yuki...
–That means you must be alone.. want to live with me and mom then?...
Yuki's eyes widened at the question, feeling a bit afraid.
– Mommy told me to never trust strangers...
Yuka's expression softened further, but she decided to pout at her and cross her arms.
– Hmph. Come oooonnn, it will be fun... I promise.
Yuki smiled a bit at that, finding it kinda amusing, and she hesitantly took her hand and nodded:
– Okay... fine. I will come with you.
They ran and went playing around, butterflies were flying around them, the nostalgic scent of nature was everywhere, and the glimmers of sun passing through the woods. Yuki's self-hatred and sadness was forgotten in this moment, the amount of attention and care this girl was offering her was overwhelming.
Yuki knew that she couldn't go to orphanage, and the only paths were either killing herself or living with Yuka, so she has chosen the second options, and starts living with her.
Once they reached Yuka's home, Yuka introduced Yuki to her house and her mother, she seemed to live in a very poor condition. Yuka's mother smiled and tilted her head slowly.
–Hello, who might you be, little one?
– H-Hell— but Yuki's attempt to be polite and salute the mother was quickly interrupted by Yuka's interference as she rushes besides Yuki and says:
– She is my new friend! Itami Yuki! Could we keep her with us until she becomes an adult, mom? I have always wanted a sister!
The mother's eyes widened, she slowly looked at Yuki and then senses something familiar within her..
–Wait, weren't you Kana's daughter? I am so sorry of whatever happened to your parents... then the mother hugged Yuki gently, alright... I will adopt you then, child. You are welcome home...
Yuki was feeling a bit uncomfortable yet she felt... happy? She slowly returned the hug and Yuka celebrated.
– Yayyy!!! I finally have a sister!!
The mother smiled gently, and looked over as Yuki and Yuka started running around the house like the innocent children they were, feeling a hint of warmth to the addition of a family member.
Years passed and Yuki's life has been getting greater, her constant bickering, love and care for Yuka has been growing, and her relationship with her stepmother has been going amazing.
Until she was 13.
When she was thinking her life could have been turning for the better and having no moments of chaos, the unexpected happened.
One week, as days passed, Yuka started getting sicker and sicker, and Yuka's mother disappeared the week before this. Yuki was very confused of everythingthat was going on, but the least she could do was for her to take care of her older sister.
Yuki would cook and feed her soups daily, unaware of that the person she was seeing as a sister was poisoning herself in the process.
In one of these hard days, someone knocked at their door. Yuki, still taking care of Yuma, quickly walked to the door and opened it, there were2 peasants from the town, the man along the woman looks down at Yuki's small figure and asks:
– Where is Kanemoto Yuka and Kanemoto Mizuki, the mother?
Yuki felt a slight shiver through her spine, something felt off entirely. First, Yuka was sick, the mother left, and now 2 citizens show up asking for where her loved ones are.
– T-The m-m-mother disappeared a-and Yuma is here... I-I am taking care of her...
– Try to tell them to show up tomorrow at the scaffold, they are getting executed! They announce, leaving Yuki frozen and terrified... this was happening again...
– W-What?..
– The mother is sentenced to death penalty for robbery, the guardians announced us. And the little one also needs to come by because she is part of the family aswell. We are gonna leave, make sure to tell them that, otherwise you will end up along them too.
And then, they leave. Yuki stood there mortified, she was trembling, and slowly shut the door. She slowly walked back to Yuka, her still resting in the bed.
– Y-Yuka...
– ..Hm?.. the sick girl tilted her head towards Yuki, confused.
– Why did you hide that from me... d-did you... poison yourself, and that's why you were sick..?
When she gears that question, Yuka's expression completely darkens, but before she could contemplate of what she could tell to Yuki, she gets wrapped in a hug by the step sister.
– PLEASE!! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE AGAIN!!! Yuki cried loudly, holding Yuka like a lifeline, desperate.
Yuka muttered something incoherent, before being cut off by Yuki as she quickly cups her cheeks, with tears in her eyes.
– T-They said... they plan to execute you tomorrow... the girl stated, catching Yuka off guard, she never expected that, and she was afraid of that herself now, so she quickly cling into Yuki like her life depended on it... I-I... I WILL SAVE YOU, YUKA! Yuki exclaimed, with tears in her eyes.
With determination, the girl starts preparing Yuka and takes her on her back, Yuka was confused of what was she doing but couldn't fight back, and then Yuki starts carrying the sister figure away from home.
– I-I am not. letting you. die!! Yuki says as they start going far from home.
The citizens and guards of the town spots them, even if Yuki with the girl were far from town by then, so some of the guards quickly prepare their bows from the distance, while 3 of them go after the girls, seeing that Yuki is taking and defending the supposed criminal.
Yuki pants through the way there, and then, an arrow pierces through her left leg, making her scream in pain. Yuka, in her back, looks at Yuki with concern, having no energy within her left.
– Y-Yuki... w-why... w-w-why... are you.... doing this...
– Shut up! Yuki shouts as she slowly grabs the arrow that's stuck through her flesh, attempting to pull it out— I don't want to lose you too!!
– Y-Yuki... I... I-I....
– Don't say a-anythin—GRRGHH!! And then she pulls the arrow out, and gasps sharply from the pain.
Yuki almost gets shot again, but dodges and slowly goes back on carrying Yuka towards the forest, she saw the guards behind them, but kept on going up on the hill.
– I don't h-have much time left... Y-Yuki... put me... d-down... I beg you...
Yuki remained speechless as she heard those mutters, gently placed Yuka down, and then they looked at each other in the eyes. The sister figure laughed quietly at Yuki, gently pokes her forehead and then slowly mutters:
–Y-You are so... s-stupid, Yuki...
– Y-Yuka...
– Y-Yuki, promise me something... the step sister says, with a gentle rough tone. Yuki just remains speechless, letting Yuka talk. I-I am going to give you... m-my soul... one beat passed... and kill them all...
Yuki's eyes widened, but before she could ever think, Yuka slowly leaned and placed her forehead against hers, holding her in her last seconds, and then falls down unconscious, lying dead right in front of her.
Yuki, The Cursed Child, slowly got up and looked down at the lying corpse of her sister figure, her hands were shaking and she clenches her fists. She didn't knew what to say, she had just lost... everything.
She slowly turned around, facing the guards, she starts panicking, her breathe shaking before she ends up screaming in terror, despair and anger. The guards tense, and try to act, but before they could come with a plan, Yuki's whole body turns into a monstruous shadowy creature, her whole body turned black, with spirits of the people she loved surrounding her. Her arms stretched towards one of the guards, catching them by their throat and rips their head out. The two other guards looked at the scene unfolding them with horror, the way she had just killed one of their teammates made them freeze, they were able to do nothing as Yuki quickly launches towards them and slices their bodies in half, blood and guts spilling everywhere. She tooksome of the arrows that they previously shot and threw them back at the guards with the bows, killing them all in an instant. She screams again and goes into the woods.
She woke up in a dark room, an old man staying alongside the bed she was on.
– You are awake...
Yuki, quickly stays guarded, but then the old man calms her down, gives her a cup of water, and talks:
– You have committed a crime, murdered a couple of guards. I can't understand your motives, and I had just found you in the middle of the forest. Do not worry, I am not one of them... I have a deal for you.
– G-Go ahead... Yuki says, still cautious.
– I will train you until you master all of your powers... in return, I want you to become my servant, how would that feel?..
Yuki looks down a bit, shocked by the proposition, but all she wants now is vengeance. She looks back at the old man and nods:
–I agree....
The man looks at her with a softer expression, clearly fond of her decision:
– Very well then... you will rest for now, and tomorrow the training starts.
That was all that Yuki could remember of her childhood. She was so fixated on vengeance afterwards that she has forgotten everything that has happened. She looked one more time at the picture of her and Yuka, pours a tear into it and places it back in her pocket.
She slowly gets up from the rock that she was standing on, looking at the town she burned in flames, and fades into obscurity