"So, angels and devils want to hunt them, because they have super powers, but fail to do so, correct?" I asked my mother, who had just finished the bedtime story she'd been telling to me and my brother bit by bit for the past few months.
I often wondered why she took her time, narrating every event and decision of main leads with such care. Maybe she wanted to buy herself some time to think of how to continue the story. I didn't let it bother me much, because to me, it was just her way to make the story she was telling us last longer. The fun part: I actually enjoyed it. The more she made the story last longer, the more I enjoyed it.
"Yes, but sadly, the older one sacrifices himself so the younger one can live," my mother replied. Her voice was soft as usual, but steady.
My older brother who was sitting beside me raised his eyebrow, and asked, "Can't both of them live? Does the older one really have to die?"
"No, it's simply not possible," she said with a faint, melancholic smile. She seemed to be trying her best to hide the melancholic feelings she felt at that moment.
At that moment, my mind began to race with some questions like this: Why is she feeling like that? It's just a story. Why get sad over it?
I always had this ability to see through anyone, though I didn't use to communicate with people often. Whenever my mother was sad or hurt, and she tried to put up on a face to hide her feelings, I knew right away. So it was natural for me to see through it at that moment as well.
"One bears the blood of an angel, while the other bears the blood of a devil. If both survive, it will upset the balance of the world that keeps the world stable. Their combined power would be too great, great enough to bring the whole world to ruin just by their mere presence."
I didn't understand much what she said, but still I asked her a question anyway, "Is there really no way to change that outcome?"
My mother chuckled softly, she then looked at us with her usual, cheerful smile, "Well, then, let's see..."
She then began retelling the story from the beginning. However, it was different this time. She told about every event, choice, and detail. There were different choices and outcomes. Every possiblity, every decision, and their consequences were laid out before us as she retold the story in a completely different way.
At that time we, my brother and I, were just children. We didn't care much about how the story was proceeding or how the details were in the story and so on. The only thing we cared about as children was that we were being a told an interesting story for our bedtime, and it alone made us excited.
That's what I thought... I didn't pay much attention to the details and such. I mean, what kind of a child would do it? Only my brother could do it, even in academics and other things, which piqued his interest, he paid complete attention to them. Perhaps, that's why he appeared to know more than those at this age.
Ughh... It's annoying to think that my brother, who knew more than he appeared to know, acted childishly... Sigh...
---
It had been 18 years since those bedtime stories that which mom used to tell us. I was now 24 years old, and my brother was 26 years old. We were on a subway train, heading back home from work.
Going back home by subway isn't that bad, I thought to myself.
The rhythmic clattering of the train on the tracks did little to ease the exhaustion weighing on us. Running a large company that has branches all over the world isn't easy. Especially when you're the one who created that company and worked hard to get it to the place where it is now.
We had received sudden influx of emails and urgent tasks a few days ago. We hadn't been home in 4 days. We were stuck in the office, juggling responsibilities. But despite the exhaustion, I had fun, because I was at my brother's side. Even as we worked, we found moments to laugh and joke around.
And speaking of home... There was no one at home who was waiting for us to come home. Our mother, our only family member, passed away last year. Her death felt unreal. I couldn't believe that she had died while coming back home from a supermarket, buying ingredients to make us our favorite dishes to eat.
It was an accident according to media and witnesses, yet my brother asked police and detectives to check if it really was an accident or it was a murder on my nagging. I just couldn't accept the reality that mom was gone. I cried for many days, and whenever my brother saw me like that his expression became soft as if he wanted to cry too, but couldn't because he had to act strong.
He had to act strong, because now he had a brother to look after who was his only family member. Seeing him suppressing his emotions and killing them inside made me mad at myself and sad at the same time, because I was so powerless that I couldn't do anything to support him, yet he always did that what I couldn't, and made me happy.
Police and detectives found no evidence or clues related to that matter. It was as if the world had erased the truth, leaving behind only questions.
We never found closure to that. It just remained as a mystery which was too tangled to unravel. Life moved on, dragging both of us along with it, even if our hearts were stuck behind in those days and nights when our mom used to tell us stories, made us our favorite dish, cheered us up whenever we were down spirits, and so on...
Today, at 8pm, January 20, 2040, Friday, it'll be her death anniversary. It's 7:55pm at this moment. So within 5 minutes, it's mom's... Come to think of it, last year, both my brother and I were supposed to come home by midnight due to overwork. We really worked hard for our company, and thanks to that, we're now well known in the whole world.
The train continued to rattle, I couldn't help, but think about the stories our mom used to tell us. The stories about angels and devils... Now I think about it, I vividly remember it.
I glanced at my brother's face who was sitting beside me, arms crossed and eyes closed, and wondered: Does he remember the stories mom used to tell us?
"Aries, something's the matter?" asked my brother, calmly.
I was taken aback by this. He truly is fearsome when it comes to things like this, I thought to myself before answering him, "Ah, no. It's nothing. I was just thinking how tired you look."
He opened his eyes and looked at me, and with a smile, he said, "Look at yourself first. You look like you gonna drop dead any moment soon."
I wanted to reply to him in a kidding way, but didn't bother, because we both were tired and it'll only lead to more exhaustion. So, I simply chuckled, and replied, "Is that so? I believe that I worked really hard then. I should reward myself with a good sleep, don't you think?"
My brother let out a faint smile and said, "You should."
He rummaged through his coat's pocket, clearly searching for something. Lemme tell you about us first: My name is Leo Aries. 6'1 feet (185.42cm) tall. White complexion, black hair with golden brown shades, same with eyes. My hair are like wavy or curly, depending on "mood of my hair". I'm tired of straighting them, but they don't get. Well, I am not complaining, because they make me more handsome. Hahahaha.
As for my brother, his name is Kane Nightshade. 6 feet (183cm) tall. White complexion, black hair with white shades accompanied by golden brown shades, eyes of black color and golden brown shades. I often tease him because of white shades in his hair that he got it due to his overworking habit. His hair are silky, so he can do any hairstyle, but he doesn't know how to do one, so I do it on his behalf.
While we're on it, I shall tell you that Aries and Nightshade are nicknames which we got from mom, so we've added that to our name, as we don't know our family name. Actually, our father was a big shot, according to our mother. But we don't know much about him, all that he sacrificed his life to save us before I was born, and Kane was just a kid. And that was all we knew.
"Here," Kane took out a chocolate milkshake from his coat pocket, and moved his arm towards me, "Take it. You must be thirsty."
It was my favorite milkshake. I took it. Kane then pulled out another one, and began to drink it. It was still cold, which means that he bought it from subway station while I was buying tickets for us.
I let out a mischievous smile, and said, "Don't you think we'll run into trouble if someone from staff saw us drinking it on train?"
"So what then?" Kane looked at me, "I am gonna shut their mouth by giving them enough cash." Kane began to drink it again.
"Isn't that risky?" I asked, puzzled.
"Just leave it. Go ahead and drink."
"But still..."
Kane looked at me with his tired eyes, having an expression over his face saying, "Since when you began to follow rules?"
"Say about from a few minutes ago."
"Just drink it, Aries. Don't lick my brain."
"Brain? You have it? That's new to me."
Kane tightened his grip on the milkshake, and said, "If you don't shut your mouth, then I will."
"Why so serious?" I spoke with a mischievous grin over my face.
"Aries..." Kane looked at me with a serious look. It was crystal clear that I was annoying him and he was putting up with me as always. But hey, I just love to annoy him.
I chuckled. "Okay, okay, I will stop now. Hahahahaha."
I then began to drink my milkshake, while Kane had already finished his. Holding the emptied milkshake box in hand, Kane leaned back and looked at ceiling of train.
Everything was peaceful until now, but the moment train rattled through the darkened tunnel, a thought came to my mind while I drank the milkshake, What if the story mom used to tell us was a real story? What if brother and I were the main characters? Could we've changed the endings? How would we've arrived at the conclusion of our story?
I then shook my head. No, no, no. It's impossible to think that it will happen...will it?
The moment I uttered these words in my mind, I let out a sigh, and muttered to myself, "No way it's gonna happen."
Then all of a sudden, I heard a tick of clock, as if the clock had struck a new hour. Coincidentally, my gaze fell onto the watch I was wearing, and saw that the time was 8pm exact. I kept looking at it, and found it odd the needle of my watch wasn't moving at all. I then lifted up my arm, and brought my wrist to my face to see it closely.
There was no doubt. It wasn't working. I then turned to face Kane, who was already looking around our surrounding with a vigilant look. Everything seemed normal to me. People talking to each other and kids playing with each other, and so on.
"Hey, what's with that look?"
"It has begun."
"What is?"
"They are gonna be here soon."
"Who?"
"Get down!" Kane grabbed my collar and pushed me down, but in forward direction, while doing the same as well. Just a second after what Kane did, an attack came from behind which tore down the wall of train.
An attack like that on a moving train? How's it possible? I thought to myself, but then it hit me, I couldn't feel the train moving. So I knew that something wasn't good. I got a bad feeling from it.
People began to scream. A shiver ran down my spine as something dark swept into the train car. A tall, levitating, skeleton figure draped in a worn out cloak that seemed to absorb light around it.
How did it even fit in a train like this? Should I ask it? Probably not the good choice, I guess... I thought to myself, while looking at it.
It then spoke with a voice full of sinister aura, "Sons of Voidwalker and Auriel. Join us, or meet your end here."
Then a screen-like thing appeared before me and Kane. My heart pounded as the screen-like thing, which was floating, appeared before me out of nowhere.
[Descendants Found.]
[Descendant Awaken.]
[Opening Descendant's Information.]
+
[Name: Leo Aries Voidwalker.
Age: 24 years old.
Compatible Attribute: Light.
Exclusive Skills: Martial Arts Lv. 3, Weapon Mastery Lv. 4, Patience Lv. 2.
Overall Stats: Physique Lv. 6, Strength Lv. 6, Agility Lv. 7, Magic Lv. 2.
Overall explanation: Despite being not yet being awakened in his true form, Leo Aries Voidwalker is still stronger than an average human after being awaken in 1st form now, and has limitless potential due to Light Attribute.]
+
I looked at the screen and muttered, ignoring the screams from people on train, "What... What the hell is going on?"
I then looked at the figure before us. I was confused whether it was the same reality where I was living in with my brother just a few minutes ago, or not.
That day, something happened that changed everything. Everything changed that day.