To prevent confusion, some names in this story are modified: Hiroshi, Takeshi and Takuro from version 1.1 will be called Hiroto, Takashi and Takero.

Chapter 1

Hiroshi entered the forest near his house. He walked down the dirt path, trying to be as silent as possible to not disturb the peace of the woods. The sun gently shone over the trees, giving the leaves a bright green color. There wasn't any wind today so it was warm in here, a comfortable temperature. Some squirrels were jumping trees to trees, like if they were playing a game of tag with each other while the birds were signing a happy and cheerful melody, flying around the tall trees.

Once he was near a small bridge over a rather calm river, the gray-haired took a look around him to be sure no one was there. He knew nobody would be here today, but it was still a good idea to make sure he was not seen. Everyone would be with their families, they knew it might be the last day they saw their loved ones. Some students would surely skip school today! Hiroshi wasn't really surprised, it happened every two years. Seeing he was alone in here, he entered some bushes, going out of the dirt path. He started to run through the trees in a straight line for a good thirty seconds before he made a little pause by walking instead. He reached another part of the river. It was a good place to relax and stay away from the rest of the town. Sometimes, he'd make a fire at night with some friends. Hiroshi put his feet on the small flat rocks and took one. He spotted a silver-haired child backing him and sitting on the only big and non-flat rock. He approached the kid that didn't seem to have noticed him yet.

"I knew I'd find you here, Kazuya." Said the teen once he was just behind his brother.

The little boy turned and made a small smile.

"Oh, hey Hiroshi." He said.

He seemed lost in his thoughts. The gray-haired threw the rock in the water that bounced three times and then put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"C'mon, let's get home, mom will get worried." He said with a bright smile.

Kazuya nodded and stood up. Realization suddenly hit Hiroshi.

"Oh crap! School starts early today! We'll be late!"

He then showed his back to the silver-head that climbed on it and started to run away from the river. Depending of the days of the week school was starting at one o'clock in the afternoon or two o'clock. Today, Thursday, it started at one.

"Clear?" Asked Hiroshi once they were near the bushes next to the dirt path.

"Clear!" Answered Kazuya before his older brother would go through the bushes.

Once they were back on the dirt path, they followed it, leading them outside of the forest. Hiroshi ran toward their house, not so far from the woods so they could get their stuff. The teen let the silver-head climb off his back before opening the door and coming in the house, panting. Their mom, Etsuko, greeted them with a smile. Kazuya darted to his room and grabbed his schoolbag. He then got in Hiroshi's room and took his brother's bag.

"You can take your time, we're a bit early!" Said Hiroshi.

The child poked his head out of the gray-haired's room.

"Early? You said we'd be late!" He said with a confused frown.

Their mother giggled.

"I think Hiroshi's watch is too early again!" She said as she unstrapped it from her son's wrist to arrange the time on it. "You won't be late but don't be too slow."

Kazuya brought the two bags and set them aside to put on his shoes. The teen loosened his scarf and rearranged his glasses before putting his watch back on, now showing the correct time, one minus ten. Etsuko hugged the two boys before they exited the house to go to school. While they were walking, Hiroshi noticed his little brother had the same lost-in-thoughts expression he had back at the river.

"Is there something bothering you?" He asked.

The silver-haired scratched his neck and looked away, a gesture the teen knew as a yes.

"I'm just worried about tomorrow..." Answered the child.

Hiroshi smiled.

"Don't worry about that! The chance they take a child of your age is one in a hundred! Take you? One in a billion! It's impossible they take you!"

Kazuya smiled, a bit reassured and Hiroshi looked away, his smile faded. There was still that one chance in the billion... He shook his head. He shouldn't worry himself for nothing. They took only children that didn't behave, children that no one would miss.

When they arrived in the school, the boys splited toward their classes. The teen arrived to his math class where he met some friends, Shun and Shura, two twins. Shun was a rather calm and hardworking boy while Shura was a direct and sadistic girl. Both had black hair and a really pale skin with brown eyes having a reddish tint. Younger students from another class already asked them to play as vampire twins for a movie project they had to do. Remembering how fun the project was, they didn't refuse. Hiroshi saw the short movie and he had to admit that it was pretty cool.

"Hey guys! Where's Rin?" He said, referring to the fourth person in their group.

Shura shrugged.

"You know her... She was probably so stressed about tomorrow that she stayed at home." She said with a relaxed tone.

"Too bad our parents know we don't get stressed before the last minute." Said Shun with a sigh, "It would've been a good excuse to stay home."

"What about you, Hiroshi?" Asked Shura. "You're a really good actor when you want; you didn't try to convince your mom to let you stay?"

Hiroshi shook his head.

"I don't want my brother to worry. If I act normal, he'll probably think it's no big deal."

"Pretty smart..." Said Shun.

"So you think spreading a positive atmosphere will determine if you're chosen or not?" Asked Shura. She then chuckled. "That's not your type Hiroshi; you're not superstitious!"

"I never said I was." Replied the gray-haired calmly. "I just don't want to pressurize him."

A bell rang. The class was starting in three minutes. The twins grabbed their math stuff and walked toward their class.

"School's mean..." Complained Shun, "They canceled science class for that conference... Why not math?"

"Nah," Replied Shura, "It's fine with science class..."

"Well, science or math, it doesn't change anything," Said Hiroshi, "They'll still repeat the beast's legend. I'd rather have a normal day."

The three teens entered the class and sat down. Hiroshi opened his schoolbag and got out his stuff when the bell rang again, indicating that the class was starting. The teacher, Mr. Murakami, didn't really seem to hear it. In fact, he looked just like he was asleep with both of his eyes opened. Shura, who was at the front, snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. He blinked a couple of times and stood up.

"Sorry... Umm... Open your manual at page fifty-eight." Said the teacher, clearly thinking about something else.

He took a chalk and wrote on the board what they would see today.

Homothetic transformations

Everybody in the class noticed the teacher didn't write a beautiful capital letter like he usually did. He also used to draw something on the board every day (He could've been an art teacher) and to lean on the board when he was writing. Plus, he didn't even say that phrase every student knew him for: Hey hey, good day guys! I hope I won't be too boring today!

Something was definitely wrong. The class today was pretty boring. Normally, Mr. Murakami was giving examples easy to remember because he was using references of games or popular music with those and sometimes trailed off the subject just because he felt like saying something funny but today, he was only explaining and making a problem on the board as an example. Hiroshi didn't really listen. He was tired. He couldn't help but smile seeing his teacher. Mr. Murakami was so tall; he almost had to bend to pass through the doors! Students called him giant. He didn't really mind. In fact, he liked the nickname.

Shun raised his hand.

"Mister, how old is your little girl, again?" He asked.

"Eight."

Eight years old, Kazuya's age. She could be chosen now.

"I'm sorry." Said the teen sympathetically.

The teacher didn't answer as he continued his lesson. He finished the talking part and gave the exercises.

"Do we have to finish this at home?" Asked a student.

Mr. Murakami shook his head as a no and the teens started to work. Hiroshi finished his work rapidly and started reading for the fifteen minutes left.

The bell rang. Everybody took their things and exited the class except Shun that walked toward the teacher's desk.

"I'm sure your daughter won't be chosen." He said.

The teacher made a sad smile and the black-haired exited the class to join Shura and Hiroshi that were waiting for him. They got to their lockers, put their things in and walked to their science class. Since the door was opened, they got in and sat at the back, where their seats were. The first bell rang and some students came in the class. The substitute entered the class with a projector. The conference was in the auditorium but only the younger ones were going there, the older ones were listening to it in their classes. Hiroshi couldn't help but think about the science teacher. The teen understood why she wasn't there. Her son had been chosen last time, he died.

The man in the screen started talking. The gray-haired didn't listen at all, he already knew the story. A demon appeared in the middle of the night. It destroyed a whole town in a mere ten minutes. The authorities were able to lock up the monster in an abandoned mansion. When everyone thought it was gone like it had appeared, it broke the barrier that was keeping it inside. Fifteen children were its victim. Only three of them made it out alive but they got serious wounds and scars. The authorities were able to get it back in again. They then understood it wanted some sacrifices to stay calm. They tried giving it some adults that volunteered but it only became more aggressive; it wanted children. To try to minimize the loss, they gave it violent or hopeless children, the ones none would miss. That is why every two years, the authorities choose fifteen children around the country and give them as a sacrifice to the beast. Three children have a chance to escape at the end but for now, only one ever escaped. He was in the very first group. He was still alive; his name was Hiroto. Of course, now he was thirty-two. He still had a really long scar that started from the left side of his forehead, passed on his eye and ended at the bottom of his left cheek. It gave the teen goosebumps when he saw the scar; it looked like it was still painful.

The bell pulled him out of his thoughts. He stood up with Shun and Shura before they exited the class and got back at the entrance.

"So, what about a movie Saturday?" Asked Shura.

The two boys nodded.

"I'll tell Rin." Volunteered Shun.

When the twins spotted their dad's car outside, they waved goodbye and headed out. Hiroshi sat on a bench, waiting for his brother. Kazuya arrived a minute later, with his bag on his shoulder. The boys walked out of the school to head back home.

"What do you think the beast looks like?" Asked Kazuya curiously.

"That's a good question..."

Hiroshi didn't answer, wondering how it would look like. He didn't really put an appearance to it.

"I never thought of anything except a pair of red eyes." Finally answered Hiroshi. "What do you think it looks like?"

"I don't have any idea, that's why I asked you!" Said the child with a smile.

He then lost it immediately.

"Still... That story is scary..."

They opened the door leading in their house and closed it behind. They were greeted by their mom and their dad, who came home earlier today. His dad was part of the police. His main role was to keep an eye on the mansion where the monster was locked in and he participated in special operations sometimes. The job was well paid but he couldn't be home very often because of it. He would probably be working tomorrow too. Well, at least he was there now so they would be able to have an evening all together!

Kazuya came in his older brother's room. It was dark in here but he could still see. It was dark everywhere in the house anyway. He walked to Hiroshi's bed, his heart still beating fast. He gently shook the teen.

"Hiroshi..." Whispered the boy, hoping to wake him up.

Since he was a light sleeper, the gray-haired immediately woke up.

"What is it?" Asked the teen with a sleepy voice.

"A nightmare..." Said the kid.

Hiroshi sat up in his bed and tapped the part of the mattress next to him to invite Kazuya to climb on the bed, which he did. The teen put his arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Tell me, what was that nightmare?" Asked the gray-haired.

"I was in a huge house." Started Kazuya. "I was holding a candle, my only source of light and I had to find something but I don't remember what. Also I knew that if the fire disappeared, I would die. Something was pursuing me, but I had no idea what it was. I wasn't able to run, my legs were too heavy. I got grabbed and the candle blew out. I felt like I was dragged and then I woke up."

Hiroshi smiled.

"Hey don't worry! Just keep in mind it was only a dream and it'll be fine. Try to go back to sleep now, okay?"

"Can I stay?" Asked the child.

The teen took his second pillow and gave it to his brother.

"Be my guest!"

The boys lay down and Kazuya snuggled closer to the teen.

Thanks to DatLittleStar for the title and the inspiration!

Please leave a review and see you next chapter!