Once upon a time,

In the outskirts of Ikebukuro

There lived a brunet named Shizuo

"Kasuka!" A child flashed a blinding smile towards his brother, encouraging him to step outside the shade he's in and play with him. They were at a park along with a neighboring forest that surrounds half of the entire locality. The day was somewhat humid but its icy gale drove away the heat. Radiance shone down onto their features, glinting a part of their disintegrating youth. As trees swayed against sudden gusts of wind, indicating an imminent premonition.

Innocence emanated from both of the young children, whom were displaying their youthful indulgence without any fret.

That is until, it was forcefully taken.

Born with an accursed gift of strength

People lived in fear knowing his existence

Far from where they were at, hordes of bystanders took their chance, murmuring whispers and sparing paused side glances.

Unwary of the given stance, the child merrily played on the oscillating grass, paying no heed to them, a huge grin plastered on his cheery appearance.

"Kasuka, look-

Turning his attention to his unresponsive sibling, he tilted his gaze, a tad surprised to find his said brother mere inches from him but was looking at the opposite direction. He sees other children cowering underneath the same shade his brother was once in. Undeniable fright evident from their eyes, however, being the child that he is, didn't notice such sentiment.

"Hey-

His face fell down when some shrieked and ran, some pulled by their parents. He didn't know what he did wrong.

He only wanted to play.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Why won't the neighbors play with us?"

The woman went quiet, placing a needle inside her sewing kit. Stunned by the question but then graced him a reassuring smile as she gently tousled his hair.

"Perhaps they are shy, my dear. Don't let it get to you."

Instantly, the child gleamed ever so brightly to what his mother had said, trusting every word of it.

Till one day beforehand

"You don't have to be shy!" Days after, he garnered up enough willpower to approach the other kids who were the same age as his. To actually try and make a difference. To make himself fit in.

"I-I do-don't re-re-real-ly want to-

"Oh, come on!" He beamed. "I know you want to play too!" Tugging the arm of the kid with a barely concealed effort. And much to his shock, the said kid screeched in agony.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

Flabbergast.

Why did the kid scream?

"What are you-

Before he could ask what the matter was, he got pushed away rather harshly.

"YOU MONSTER!"

Monster?

Wasn't it the scary things hiding under our bed?

Out of the blue, people started to gather around them, yelling things he did not understand. Their fingers pointed, expressions indescribable and subjecting demands.

It was all too surreal.

"Get away from us."

And with that, he ran.

A certain personage decides to take the stand

Heart throbbing badly in his chest, it hurt to breathe in every soundless step. Hitched, body numb and sweating, if they were still raking over the coals back there, he didn't want to listen.

He just didn't understand.

What did he do wrong?

By the time he arrived home, he abruptly opened their entrance door and slammed it shut, startling both the inhabitants inside of it.

"Shizuo?" He was welcomed by the sight of his parents at the dining room. His mother stood up. "What's going-

A loud knock cut through her question.

On the spur of the moment, the child flung himself onto the leg of his mother, trembling to death. Another knock took place. The woman looked to her husband.

"Kichirou–

"Stay here." He instructed and proceeded at their doorstep.

What exactly has he done?

"Shizuo." She coaxes. "What happened?" There wasn't a single trace of anger within the tone of her voice. He knew that she was simply worried and quite concerned about his current behavior. But he couldn't voice out the words she needed to hear.

For he was afraid.

Forced to face such cruel fate

At an early age,

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT–

His father's yell echoed throughout the room, making him clutch onto his mother even tighter.

"Go to your room." She commanded, lacking the gentle aspect it had earlier. It made him flinch and shrink further though he hadn't move a muscle, as his body was rendered inert but was shaking uncontrollably.

"Go." Hearing the familiar manner of showing genuine care and being stern, he managed to stare back at her.

"Please."

He immediately complied.

While going upstairs, there's this stench that lingered in the air he couldn't pinpoint but ignored it when a soft voice called out to him.

"Nii-san."

"Kasuka..." He responded.

"Something smells."

"...?"

As an unruly uproar transpired below.

"Nii-san?"

"Get back, Kasuka."

He was shown the true meaning of pain

This wasn't bravery.

Rather, it was reckless, based on instinct and out of pure curiosity. A sense of responsibility being the older child in the family. That is why with his brother's presence, he wouldn't allow himself to return such vulnerability. Despite his limbs trembling beneath his feet, he fought it off and found his lost resolution.

Because if he were the reason behind this mess they're in, he'd properly apologize for whatever he did.

Going down the stairs, he hears the noise becoming audible and coherent. Nearing their doorway, he hid behind a furniture big enough to cover his entire body as he caught a glimpse of a man in a black suit. Their entrance door was wide open and he could see many spectators outside watching them claw at each other's faces.

"Kichirou!" His mother shouted.

"Did you hear what this bastard said, Namiko?! He called us a nuisance in our very own property!"

"I assure you, Heiwajima-san. I'm not the only one who thinks so. This is what the majority wants and I'm merely doing what's best for all of us. Please do settle down and act professional–

"What's best?!" His father's hand grasped the man's shirt upwards. "Or for your own personal convenience?"

The man laughed mockingly. "That's a horrible accusation, Heiwajima-san."

Disconcerted at the intense exchange of his father and the unknown stranger, he made no attempt to disrupt them.

"Unlike you, I have an audience to support my statements. What I say are facts, not petty assumptions–

His father seethed. "I should've listened to him when I had the chance. To think I even considered you as a friend–

"Business is business, Heiwajima-san. It's not my fault you weren't able to acknowledge that."

"You bastard–

"I admit, for years you've done a splendid job securing this place. However, not even those selfless deeds of yours would cover up certain disturbances you created."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Your eldest... is quite a handful one, isn't he?"

"...what?"

Momentarily, it was as if he forgot how to breathe. Like somehow, his lungs had ran out of oxygen.

"I've heard rumors, Heiwajima-san. Interesting rumors. I'm sure you're aware on what I'm referring to." The man continued. "At first, I couldn't believe it. How can an eight year old child carry a refrigerator single-handedly? Not to mention throwing it on his own brother–

"Don't drag my children into this!"

"Kichirou! Stop!"

Their brawl had become much worse. His mother struggled to hold back his father's arm that was raised midair, with every intention to collide his fist to the man who was smirking in front of him. He shuddered at their deafening screams.

Was all of this... because of him?

"But it was true all along. Everyone in this village had seen it. And it frightens them."

"Nii-san." Dazed, his hands automatically went up the furniture for leverage as his legs were ready to give out any moment.

"Ka-Ka-kasuka."

"They no longer perceive you as a leader, Heiwajima-san. But as a threat. A father of the monster that–

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Nii-san–

It all happened so fast. He lost track of reality, not noticing there's something atop of the furniture he rested his hand on and that his brother was tugging at his shirt, hoping to catch his attention, rattling the said furniture. And in a blink of an eye, he made the gravest mistake of making their presence known.

An earsplitting crash resonated, followed by a heavy steam of silence. Shattered pieces of the vase was scattered across the floor. His eyes dilated and hears a clicking of a tongue and a mumble.

"Perfect timing."

Since then,

"Shizuo! Kasuka!" His mother shouted, running towards them in spite of the shards that obstructed the way, knelt and embraced them. "Oh god, why are you both–

"It's him!" Someone yelled from outside the door. His gaze trailed the voice. Their faces were indistinct enclosed within the tawny tints that surrounds the sky, its darkness evidently nearing. The man laughed again, further agitating what's left of his father's patience.

"Which reminds me, Heiwajima-san." The man stated, regardless of the hostility he's been receiving. "Were you aware of what your son has done minutes ago?"

"What on earth–

"It was a coincidence, really. But I guess luck is on my favor."

This time, his heart ultimately stopped beating. Two people had emerged from the darkness – a woman and a child. He remembers.

"You don't have to be shy!"

"I–I do–don't re–re-real–ly want to–

It was the kid he tried to play with earlier. The woman stepped forward.

"He pulled my baby out of nowhere and broke his arm! I heard him scream and crying–

That's not true, he wanted to tell them. It's not what I meant. I just wanted–

But those words were stuck down his throat.

"He's just a child!" He heard his mother say. "He doesn't know what he's doing! What he's capable of–

"Exactly, Namiko! He doesn't! Who knows what he'll do next! It's too dangerous to be around him! I doubt he can even be considered human!"

Not... human?

"How could you?!"

From that point on, his mind went blank.

He was a child no more

Several people had burst their way through the entrance, bawling, their stares bluntly accusing. He recalls constant screaming, mixed, jumbled noise after noise, his mother in the verge of tears and his father's disbelieving expression.

"Ever since that child was born, he gave us nothing but problems!"

"Bad things happen when he's around!"

"We can't sleep peacefully at night–

"Everything is being destroyed!"

"He's a jinx!"

"He causes misfortune!"

"And every single day we wake up terrified–

"What if he accidentally kills–

"Please understand Kichirou-san–

"We're sorry, but–

"This is for our safety."

They complain one after another, denouncing each of their own biased opinion. So blinded by exaggerated rage to care whether they're trampling on a child so innocent, heedless whether their hurtful words would have any underlying effect. Oblivious to an extent where their ignorance will be the one to bring them great deal of misery.

Children surfaced out of the crowd, rallying along the adults while some observed. Until one of them began to throw a stone, saying:

"Monster."

Then followed by another and another and another and another.

"Leave us!"

"We don't want you here!"

"Freak!"

"Disappear already!"

"Stop it!"

"See?"

In attempt to shield them, his father pushed the man backwards, scrambling against the heap of stones thrown to their direction. His mother was already hunched, covering him and Kasuka with her petite built. They eventually stopped throwing. His father knelt on the ground beside them, trying his best to stay strong for their sake. Arms encircling, he felt his father's resolve slowly break.

Shrilling sounds of insects engulfed the weakening turbulence. The sun had descended, letting the shadows roam the heavens. When a short-lived flicker produced an apparent faint tinge of color and a residual burnt scent of wood, as someone outside the door exclaimed in full volume.

"Hey! What are you carrying? WATCH OUT–

Next thing he knew, flames ensued.

Within seconds of its ignition, their neighbors immediately dispersed. He could hear horrified shrieks of panic as they searched for shelter. The fire was halfway consuming their house. His mother acted quick, grabbing two sets of cloth and draped it over their fragile bodies. Dragging them both to the back exit before the smoke begins to congest their breathing, she cried out her husband's name who was facing the man in black suit standing from a distance devoid of flames, a devious smirk twisted on the edge his lip and eyes gleaming a color alike of the blaze.

"Is this all part of your plan?"

"Kichirou, let's go!" His mother said in between throaty coughs. "Kichirou!"

The ceiling threatens to fall apart.

He witnessed it all happen, how their once called home incinerates to ashes, the way his mother wheezed yet kept him and his brother away from what might harm them. It was a sight that'll forever burn into his memory as he hears a distant cracking. The night, cool air invaded by emissions of flames which made it difficult to stay awake without gasping for breath.

And the last thing he discerns before losing consciousness were the man was mouthing words and his father's earsplitting c