"An ace and ten of diamonds," Shadow Mirage announced as he placed his five cards on a black table top. "You shouldn't have traded cards with me, Maria."

Maria shook her head. She placed down her five cards. In her hand were a three of diamonds, six of spades, a five of clovers, a queen of diamonds and a blank card. She turned to the three humans in the room.

Arthur, Alfred and Antonio were bound tightly with rope that bit into their ankles and wrists. Worst still, they were hanging upside down like bats and were in reach of the other two beings.

Maria extended her hand and touched Alfred's pale cheek. Alfred swallowed and he felt shivers running down his spine as her cold finger ran down to the corner of his lips. Her finger lifted and dug itself into Alfred's skin. Alfred bit his lips, trying to suppress his urge to howl in pain.

Maria trailed her blood-tipped finger on her blank card, painting a blood-red ace. She smiled.

"I win, Saerel."

Shadow Mirage grinned. "You're better than I thought," he turned to the hanging three humans. "I'm so sorry you three had nothing to do. You must be bored. But then again, you must be watching your three friends suffer, not wanting to kill 'you'."

Arthur spat. "That game makes me sick. You can't just make Feliciano, Lovino and Ludwig do this. It's inhumane!"

"Tell that to Lust Eater. We're all enjoying this, aren't we?" Maria's smile was sickeningly sweet. She made a cup of tea appear from thin air, and sipped it delicately.

"No! We're not enjoying this at all!" Alfred snapped. "Let… us… go!"

Shadow Mirage shook his head. "I don't think so. Not until the game is over," he grinned. "Fortunately, there's only…"


"Three minutes left!" Lust Eater wild cackle echoed through the mansion.

With Feliciano weeping helplessly on the floor and Ludwig frozen by fear of killing his brother, there seemed to be no hope. But Lovino was not going to give up. Not now. Not when he thought he found a lead into winning this crazed game.

He followed the reflection on his blade, forcefully shoving away the containers with its hilt. He stumbled clumsily into the kitchen, lifting his blade. His gaze ran from the reflection on his dagger to the mirror hanging on the cracked wall.

He ran forward. Then he saw it.

Not a reflection of himself. Not a reflection of his surroundings. But an image of a room, with walls painted black-green, the jerks who introduced themselves as Shadow Mirage and Maria and Alfred, Arthur and Antonio, limbs bound and hung upside-down but still alive and breathing.

"I-it's them! They're alive!" Lovino yelled, making himself heard among the lies and empty pleading.

"W-who?" Feliciano asked, lifting his head. Ludwig turned towards the kitchen.

"Alfred, Arthur and Toni!" Lovino shouted back. "It's the mirrors! The mirrors have some sort of power that lets you see into… oh blast it! JUST LOOK INTO THE MIRRORS!"

Ludwig immediately began peering into every mirror he could find in the mansion. As they shone, they revealed empty rooms and truths. He desperately hoped that one of the mirrors revealed the very room his brother was in.

And suddenly, he found the mirror he was looking for on the second floor corridor.

Its surface shone brightly and in an instant, he was looking straight at his brother's face.

"BRUDER!" Ludwig yelled. He felt the heavy rock weighing on his heart finally lift itself. He saw Elizabeta and Roderich in the background and Gilbert looked extremely happy and relieved, his crimson eyes suddenly filled with tears. Gilbert's lips were moving, but no sound came out. But then again, words would just spoil everything. Ludwig smiled.

"Bruder…" he murmured.

"DAMN!" Lust Eater's voice split the air, ruining the mood. The mirror shone and soon, Gilbert's image disappeared. Ludwig turned and saw Lust Eater on the ground floor, looking furious. The containers howled and suddenly vanished, leaving behind no trace of their existence.

"And here I thought that I would win," Lust Eater gritted his teeth. He smirked. "Well, at least I haven't completely lost yet. I can still pick out a soul here to eat."

"P-please don't hurt us! Don't kill us! I'll do anything! Just don't eat me!" Feliciano wailed from his vulnerable kneeling position. Lust Eater's grin got wider as he approached Feliciano, who was still kneeling and begging for mercy.

"Well, well… Looks like I'll pick you," Lust Eater whispered in a dangerous voice.

"FELICIANO! FRATELLO!" Ludwig yelled from the staircase. "RUN!"

Suddenly, Lovino leapt from the staircase and thrust himself in front of Feliciano protectively, wielding his dagger. His eyes flamed with fury. "I dare you to touch my fratello. As stupid as he is, he's still my brother!" Lovino said. "Come on! I'll protect my brother with my own life if I have to! He's the only family in this fucking mansion I've got!"

Suddenly, Lust Eater stopped dead in his tracks.


"Don't hurt him!" The boy said, thrusting himself in front of his helpless younger brother, although he was no stronger himself. He was scrawny and skinny. He looked up, teeth gritted and dark eyes blazing. His words were louder than the sound of the pouring rain, stronger than the descending raindrops. "Don't touch him! He's the only family I've got!"

"Big Brother…" The boy behind him whispered.

The man still stood there. In the faint, flickering light, he looked genuinely surprised.

"What makes you think I'll hurt little children like you? You two look cold and hungry!" The man exclaimed. He extended a large hand. "Come on, come home with me."

The boys cautiously followed the man to his house, a large mansion. There the friendly man, who looked only around ten years older than the older boy, got some servants to clean the two boys up. They took warm baths and were changed out of their wet clothes and into a set of clean clothes each. The man led them into a room where there were two beds. The boys clambered onto the beds.

"Thanks, Big Brother," the younger boy smiled at his older brother. "For saving me."

"Silly boy," his older brother laughed as he ruffled his younger's brother's dark hair. "That man didn't hurt us. He helped us, so I didn't really save you."

"B-but still," his brother insisted. The older boy extended his pinkie towards brother.

"We're brothers. We live together, we die together as brothers. Promise?" the older boy asked.

The younger boy used his own pinkie to hook onto his brother's. "Promise."


"Big Brother…" Lust Eater whispered as he dropped to his knees as buried memories flashed in front of his eyes. The humans' eyes widened in surprise.

Lust Eater suddenly made a choked, whimpering sound. "Shit!" he cursed, his teeth gritted. "Move!" But his legs seemed paralysed and numb. He looked up and threw himself forward, his upper body sprawled across the floor. He snatched up Feliciano's abandoned dagger. He lifted the dagger high up, and brought it down hard on his left thigh.

There was a spurt of blood as the blade dug right into his thigh. Lust Eater breathed hard and panted as he pulled out the dagger, and continuously stabbed his thigh. His stabs sped up as he cursed.

"Shit, shit, SHIT! WHY CAN'T I KILL HIM?" he yelled loudly as he continuously stabbed himself in the thigh, tears streaming down his face. Lovino couldn't help but wince every time the dagger was brought down. It was the first time he had seen this… being… no, be it any one of those five jerks, acting human.

After stabbing himself countless times, Lust Eater finally dropped the bloody dagger. His breathing seemed so loud as he leaned forward, supporting himself with his arms. He huffed. Blood was splattered across his cheek and on his shirt. His very words, although whispered, seemed louder and cleared in the empty mansion.

"Big… Brother… Saerel…"