Disclaimer: I own nothing publicly recognised.

Chapter One

Saeko tapped her fingers against her leg, still feeling the buzz of the party and the energy that radiated off of her friends, though to a slightly lesser degree than them. Perhaps she'd better phone her brother and check that him and his friends hadn't completely wrecked the house, because she knew that she would definitely be the one to get the blame from their parents. With a small sigh, she took her phone from her pocket and unlocked it. She scrolled through her contacts until she found her brothers name, and pressed down on it.

"Huh? What do you want, Saeko?" Ryuu's voice seemed slightly crackly because of the bad line.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. You know, check that you hadn't destroyed everything," Saeko replied cheerfully, "How are the boys?"

"Yeah, everyone's good. They've all gone home already, though, because they got so much homework today."

"Cool. Just wanted to check that you hadn't broken anything, because you know I'll get the blame if you do," Saeko said, "I'll talk to you la-" A loud shattering sound cut her off. "What was that?" she asked, irritation filling her voice.

"I don't know. I'll go and check," Ryuu said. He sounded vaguely frightened, though Saeko knew that he wouldn't appreciate her noticing, so she didn't say anything. "It's nothing to worry about, Onee-chan. A vase fell off the counter, th-that's all. I can probably afford a repla-"

There was a loud crashing noise, followed by a soft thud. Had Ryuu dropped his phone? Saeko heard muffled shouts.

"Ryuu?" she called down the phone line, "What's going on? Can you hear me?" No reply. It was nothing to worry about, she was sure. It was just her idiot brother and his idiot friends trying to wind her up.

Sounds of crashing and shattering glass filled her ear, mixing with yells and pained cries and in stern contrast to the sounds of the people around her. There was no way the boys would go to so much effort to stage something to annoy her, no matter how moronic they were.

"R-Ryuu?" her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. Again, there was no response. Saeko was beginning to get seriously worried now. One of her friends across the room gave her a quizzical look and began to make his way across the dance floor towards her. Saeko was almost paralysed with fear, unable to do anything but listen and listen and listen to what was happening in her house, her blood running cold and her shudders ripping through her body every time she heard Ryuu's voice.

"Ryuu? Ryuu, answer me!" she screamed into the phone, tears in her eyes, long past the point of caring about the eyes that filled the room training themselves on her.

Finally, her brother answered her.

"Onee-chan!" A terrified scream, barely his voice.

With that, the phone line went dead.

Saeko felt the entire weight of the world collapsing in on her. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She knew nothing. Her mind and body felt hollow. She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and staggered out of the party.

The five or so minutes walk home seemed to take an eternity, but even that wasn't long enough to prepare Saeko for the sight which met her eyes as she reached her front door.

It took no more than a gentle push of her fingertips to open the door. The house, usually so loud and lively, was deadly silent. All around her, the paintings and elaborate vases her parents loved so much lay shattered.

Slowly, ever so slowly, barely daring to look, think, even breathe, Saeko made her way into the kitchen. A brick laid by the smashed window, flecks of blood painting the room deep crimson as they began to dry, casting an eternal stain on the walls.

That was when she saw it. Battered, the screen smashed in miniscule fragments, but unmistakably his: Ryuu's mobile phone. A choked sob left her throat and her shaking hands rose to her mouth.

"R-Ryuu?" she called out weakly. She was answered only by the echoes of her own voice as it reverberated through the silence which rang a thousand decibels in her ears.

With trembling hands and a plummeting heart, she took out her phone and dialled the police number.

Three rings, then, "Hello, how can we help you?"

"I-I want to report a b-break in… And a d-disap-pearance." Without permission, Saeko's legs carried her out of the house, barely five paces down the road, and gave way beneath her, leaving her sprawling in the street, sobbing down the phone to an unknown stranger. He asked her questions, but she knew nothing.

Only that her brother was gone and she hadn't been there to save him.