"You told her?" Shiro glared faintly at Matt. "Why Matt? Why?"
Matt scoffed slightly. "Because I blurted it out all right? I wasn't going to leave my sister in the dark. I did tell her to ask you for details but have a feeling you won't be elaborating easily."
Shiro groaned. "Yeah, because it's still a sensitive subject for me." He looked down and gently placed his fingers against the front of his neck. "I bear the mark of it every day." He glanced at the mirror in the bathroom. The butterfly shaped bruise was faint today. "Besides, we need to focus on our current situation more so right now." He grunted at feeling Matt lightly punch his arm.
"Yeah but I think what you went through, both in All God's Village and with Adam is being used against you." Matt crossed his arms over his chest. "The manor has literally manifested a place based on All God's Village just as it has manifested an area similar to Himuro mansion. This place right now is really feeding off you and Keith both."
Shiro frowned and looked out into the hallway. "I would rather it feed off just me if it really is doing that."
Matt shook his head. "Yeah, but you aren't going to get that wish my friend. The malice released from that place doesn't discriminate. Just for some reason, maybe because those two places were also infested by malice and ghosts…that the manor seems especially willing to adapt itself to those places."
"Wouldn't that apply some sort of awareness of Himuro Mansion and All God's Village?"
"It would." Matt tapped his chin. "It could easily glean it from your two's memories though. I haven't found or seen any proof that the people that once lived at the manor knew about the other Hell gates. So, I would say the most likely theory is just learning about them from you two."
Shiro nodded and moved away from the bathroom mirror. He stepped past Matt and into the hallway. He glanced briefly at the ground. "So, what do you suggest then? If the Manor of Sleep is somehow purposefully targeting me and Keith in some way…then how do we stop that?"
Matt popped his knuckles while he walked past Shiro. "I think you know the answer to that, Shiro. After all, the place curses those with unresolved guilt related to trauma. That is what it seems like if we base it off of you, Keith, and Veronica." He turned to face Shiro before pointing at him. "You two are just going to have to finally face your demons and learn to live with them. Then the manor can't have as much power over you two."
Hearing those words caused Shiro to faintly scowl. Yet, he didn't have any smart comebacks for Matt. He knew there was truth to his friend's words. He took a deep breath while once more brushing his fingers along the butterfly bruise. "I think I was worried that if I let myself move on, if I made myself live on knowing my brother and my fiancé are dead now…that I would truly lose them."
"You already did though." Matt almost cringed at his own bluntness. But maybe the bluntness was needed. "They aren't amongst the living anymore, but you are. We can argue all we want whether Kuron is pleased with that outcome. But I know Adam would rather you have survived that crash than die along with him. His spirit helping us is a sign of that."
Shiro nodded slowly. "I know. It just hurts."
Matt frowned. "Yeah, it hurt when father died. Death is never easy." He walked over and patted Shiro on the shoulder. "But if we are to make sure no one else loses their lives to this curse, we have to set an example. The example of learning to live with the pain and not let ourselves be burdened with the desire to join them." He squeezed Shiro's shoulder before moving away. "Otherwise this curse will continue and affect many more slowly but surely."
"You're right." Shiro looked Matt in the eye. "I don't want anyone else to die from the curse. We were too late to save Veronica but aren't too late to save myself and the others." He glanced towards the door into the living room. "I think it's time I did open about what happened to me. Maybe not all of it at once…but just the bit I'm sure your sister is curious about."
"You sure? I know I said you got to deal with it. But I don't mean to head charge through it and act like trauma talk is going to be easy peasy either."
"I know. But you told her that I had killed Kuron right? Then it's only right I explain to her and to you why I had to do that."
Matt smiled faintly. "Yeah, I have only been able to speculate all these years. But do know I have never thought you did it out of cold blood or anything like that. I'm sure Katie believes that too."
Shiro smiled warmly and walked towards his friend. "Thanks Matt. It's nice to hear that."
He walked into the living room with Matt. He saw Keith and Lance watching TV on the couch. He had a feeling Pidge must be upstairs in her room. He walked past the two that weren't arguing for once and made his way up the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder to see Matt was following him. Upon standing in front of Pidge's door, he took a shaky breath. He saw Matt smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. Shiro smiled back and then knocked on the door.
"Pidge? You busy?" He called out and heard someone coming towards the door.
Pidge opened it and looked up at Shiro. "No, need something?"
Shiro glanced towards Matt and then back at Pidge. "I just wanted to take the opportunity to explain myself…to give you the reasoning behind what I did." He tensed slightly, watching Pidge's facial expression.
She furrowed her eyebrows. Then, she moved back to give Shiro and Matt room to enter. "I wasn't expecting you to come to me. But hey, it does take a lot of work off my back trying to get you to tell me." She walked back towards her desk chair and plopped on it. "But Shiro? Take your time okay? I'm really curious but I…I'm no rush. I just never really thought you would do such and-" She stopped herself and huffed. "Never mind. It's coming out all wrong."
Shiro chuckled slightly. "It's alright Pidge. I'm not expecting you to be all fine and dandy about it." He sat down at the edge of Pidge's bed. "But I'm glad you are willing to listen."
He looked between the two Holt siblings and then took a huge breath in and out.
"So, I'm going to tell you now why I had to kill my own brother."