Chapter 14
The sword and the white rose – Touma's life story-Touma's POV-
Her delicate skin was filled with wounds, old ones as well as fresh ones. I laid by her bed, running my fingers against those wounds as I rubbed the medication on her.
What happened?
That was what that I was most concerned about. I came home from school and Kori was crying in the yard behind the rose bush. Her blood was stained onto the white petals as she hid in the bush. First I thought she had been naughty and accidentally fell into the thorny bushes. But as I approached her, I thought otherwise. I tried to get her in the house, but her arms flinched and refused to go with me. So, I thought of leaving her there for a little while more while I go in to get some medication.
Tripping over the carpet as I enter the house, the servants greeted me as usual but with a much colder tone.
"Has anything happened?" I asked them but none of them dared to speak.
I took it as a usual respond of Father being unsuccessful at work again and coming home with a bad temper, not knowing that was something much more serious that may even endanger my own safety.
"TOUMA SEGUCHI!" A voice boomed through the whole hall room, ringing in my ears.
"Good afternoon, Father. What's with the…" I was about to finish when he interrupted.
"Where's your sister?" He growled.
I didn't think twice before my answer, I soften my voice and answered to him with the slightest caution, "She's in the rose bushes Father, and she appears…(to be hurt)" He did not even wait for me to finish. It all happened so fast; Father rushed out and Mom appeared, injured with many bleeding bruises all over her arms.
"Wait!" She screamed after Father. She ran towards me and grabbed onto me, "Why do you have to tell him?" She screamed.
Then, a high-pitched screaming. It lasted for about five seconds, breaking only when it finally died down. Mom and I rushed out, ignoring the servants who soon began to weep.
Kori was dragged out of the bushes and Father was standing beside her with a sculpting knife in his hand. His gentle face smeared with blood and hatred. Kori had fainted.
Father fell to the ground and fainted too. Mom embraced Father and weeps in a million apologies. I stared at them and got myself to Kori's side. Trembling in fear, I got up weakly and carried the bleeding child away from the scene.
Passing through the crowd of cowards in the house, I brought her up to her room and locked the door.
"Kori…wake up…" I sobbed weakly and embraced her. I couldn't bring myself to even look at her face.
Her blood smeared over my uniform, dying them from a pale yellow to a dark red colour. I was petrified, but knowing that it was not the time to be staying still and doing nothing, I got her onto the bed and let her rest there while I go to the washroom to get some wet towels.
I came back crying. Wiping the blood off her body, I could see more and more of her bare skin, but the blood keep oozing out from the cut and covering it again. The more I felt frustrated, irritated, the more I feel the urg to just stop and scream.
I couldn't. I knew that even of the entire world do I feel terrible; I'll never let Kori go.
The red towels dropped onto the floor one after another. Kori slowly opened her eyes and looked at me motionlessly.
"Touma." She said in a soft whispering voice.
I leaned forward, in hope that she would tell me that she's okay or that she'll pull through. But I guess my hopes were too high.
"Why do you have to tell him?"
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The council took notice of our family situation, since the neighbours saw what happened during that day and called the police.
Father was brought to court, charged with the deed of child abuse and attempt of murder, and was sent to jail of a jail term of five years and six months with ten strokes. He was also sent for counseling and regular mental checkup since the doctors had found him to have severe clinical depression.
Mom and I were separated from Kori and had suggested to send Kori for foster care, but it was not approved since they found out that Kori's case was not minor. Kori was sent to a hospital and they had found her to have an inability to communicate after the incident. So, it was suggested that Kori was to be in care of someone that studies psychology and knows how to handle the situation and mom proposed Miyashi Hashiba.
End
The chapter ends here. Kori will have her final say about her background. What will happen?
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