How long has it been?

Now my twin's body in my arms have completely lost it's warmth. Stiff and cold like a stone.

My tears have dried up. I don't think I have any more to spill.

Around me the world suddenly quiet.

As an ended dream, everything start to blurred out and fading away.

The world is dissolving, slowly but sure. Everything is washed away in white.

Should I relieved? Should I be grateful? Should I rejoicing? With this everything will also ended along with us.

I tried to close my swollen eyes. It would be nice if I faded away and perish, but I don't think I wanted to see myself blurred just like a blotted painting. But it seems my thought isn't in accordance with my desire.. I force myself to open my eyes.. I want to make sure that my little brother is still here for the very last...

"Vi...", I can't say it to the end. My voice is hoarse... my throat is dry and aching. Not a surprise. If it doesn't it would be a surprise instead.

"Oya..oya.. still have sarcasm left? That's good, I was afraid you lose yourself completely back then.."

I almost jumped. By reflex I pull my sword when I realized it was long gone. I turn my head to the source of the voice. Suddenly I realize, the world around me had stopped fading away, it's almost like inside an unfinished painting which is left out. From those uncertain whiteness, he just appear. Just like a part of an unforgotten dream, transcient and unreal. A feeling of familiarity, just like someone you know for a long time and a felling of foreigness, just unlike anything from this world, or at least the world that I know.

It's a man, dressed in long black coat and wear a black tall hat. His hair is completely white, yet his face is face of a youth, maybe not much older than me. Not only that, his eyes are mismatched, one is pale grey and the another is clear blue. Overall he give a feeling of deviation, something that not supposed to be there.

I try to collect my voice, as I tighten my grip of my brother's body I held. I don't care who this stranger is or what is he doing here, I won't let he bother us, "wh..o?"

"want me to help you with wording?", he twist a smile as he approach me.

"Don't come near! Answer m..cough! cough!"

"well... become cautious is very nice indeed.. but I want to ensure you that I don't have any bad intention...um...Virid-kun isn't it?"

Crap, so he know. This guy is suspicious indeed

"um.. I've told you, I have no bad intention...I do seems suspicious but...really! I don't want to harm you..two?"

"Who?", I try to ask once more. Such a bother. Why can't I just perish peacefully?

The man smiled again, "My name is Christian Wisbourne..but you won't know that will you?"

"And?", this is getting ridiculous.

He giggled, "you are so impatient. Well.. you're still young afterall...Do you wish for your demise that bad?"

My body stiffed again. What the..? How did he guess that? There's must be a trick..who is..this guy?

"Getting impatient again? I'm going to explain, bear it for a while, yes?"

He read my mind? "How.."

"because I'm not a human I guess? Well.. although it doesn't mean all non-human can read minds?", he chuckled. I find nothing funny, "you're really bitter huh? Then to be simple.. I'm someone who shouldn't interfere directly... um.. just in some special cases that sometimes we had to.."

"We?"

He rolled his eyes and give me a big smile, "Patience, always a grace, you will find that when you're older"

" you doesn't seem much older than me..yet you're talking like an old man"

"looks always can be decieving! Now, where are we? Ah, we...are the immortals..or to be precise.. God's material"

"hu..h?"

He smiled again, "but that's not important, at least for now. What did you asked is who am I didn't you?"

Trying to keep my disbelief of my face and failed. The man, Christian Wis-what is that again? laughed.

"you are an interesting kid. Now let me introduce myself formally shouldn't I? I am the second in hirearchy of the court of ten, the oldest member and the oldest God material's creatures, The Death... I... will grant your wish in exchange of a price that will sacrificed."

"You're lying.."

"trust, cannot be forced. Yes I know. But what I need isn't a trust but answer and choice. For the time being it is."

"what do you want?"

"finish my involvement. Now that I've started it, it's up to you to choose, now that I have no authority to fall back and ended it by myself"

"Why..did.. you approach me for the very first...?"

"Maybe because I'm going senile?"

Trying to ignore such ridiculous reasoning. I sort all the question in my head. Confused, I try to process the sudden realization, I surpress a sudden hope that rise on my head,"you're the death.."

"Yes, but I cannot revive your brother.. he already gave his soul to the amaranthine to be sent away..", I am thankfull for not put my hopes.

"I have no wish aside from that..."

"yet you cannot die..?"

"eh?"

"every wish that granted have it's payment."

"what.. do you mean?"

"your payment is your... ability to dead... This world.. is done for. But.. you won't die for sure..maybe you will trapped in your own consiousness and fleeting memories of this world or you will find yourself somewhere, but not die."

My head spinning like lost it's brake. Is that real? Is that my punishment for being so selfish? Is that the curse that everyone has been talking about?

"Now, you're just like our kind. You will walk down an endless road, which have no destination, nor edge. There's no way back, no end. Therefore, I will give you choices on how you can walk down in this path.."

I will live. Upon your death...

I will live..\

Even there's no reason to live?

That's right..

"I will offer two choices to you. Your choice may bring sadness, no.. both bring sadness.. I'm very sorry...but.. you decide which is better.. "

It's my punishment. My punishment for being so greedy. To be deceptive..

"Please remember, Virid-kun...it's not completely a way to atone.. it's your choice to go on without regret.."

Even so..

"you shall go.. from now your steps is by yourself. You have to follow what your heart, as it's your only guidepost"

The greedy me still wanted to be happy..

"Yes, It's alright" that man smiled again, he offer his hand, slowly the world around me start to dissolving again.

I looked at my back, my twin's body already blurred along the world, tears thatt I thought have dried streamed again from my eyes.

"will you choose?

The man in black cloak asking once more

"between serene darkness and solitude"

My wish.. That I will grant no matter how..

"or sorrow dyed in blood red?"

The endless path that I have to start.

"what is your wish?"

Even if I have to erase myself?

"wish that you will give your life into it?"

There were never two to begin with

"then, give me...", I reach that man's offered hand. There's no turning back anymore.

Then, I will live as you...

"reason to keep living"

Dear little brother..