Chapter 7

Kazuya woke up in his room. He took a quick glance around his surroundings and stood up. Why did he feel so small all of a sudden? His room also seemed to be bigger. He looked out the window to see the backyard. The sun was shining on the small set of swings and the sky was clear. He turned around and his eyes met with his reflection in the mirror. He rubbed his eyes just to be sure his eyes weren't fooling him. He was actually smaller. He seemed to be eight again. He couldn't understand at all what was happening. Was this whole thing a nightmare? No, it couldn't be. Why would he dream in a dream? Why would he dream for a couple of years? Why would he write in his dreams? Writing in dreams was impossible; the brain couldn't make it. The boy put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it. He ended up in his house. Everything was normal in here. He heard some sound from Hiroshi's room. It seemed like somebody was talking. The voice sounded familiar. The child walked hesitantly to the room and pushed the door open.

There were three persons in the room: Rin, Hiroto and Hiroshi. They all turned toward him when he stepped in the room, staring in disbelief at the three persons.

"Good morning, Kazuya! Slept well?" asked Hiroshi with a smile.

The child didn't answer for a short moment. His eyes filled with tears.

"Hiroshi…" he let out, not even noticing he had a voice.

The boy ran in his brother's arms and hugged him tightly, hiding his face in his shirt. He let out a couple of sobs, clutching to Hiroshi's shirt as to convince himself he was truly there.

"It's okay, Kazu. You made it. That demon is gone."

After a moment, the child was able to calm down. Still, he didn't let go of his brother. For years, he came in this empty room to try to have a glimpse of comfort and that warmth Hiroshi had but the only thing he received was more tears and guilt.

The boy winced when he felt something pass his whole body. He looked up at Hiroshi, expecting an answer of what was happening but when he saw Hiroshi looked saddened by the phenomenon, he didn't want an answer anymore.

"Looks like they aren't ready to let you go," said Hiroshi with a faint glimpse of sadness in his voice.

Kazuya felt another electric shock travel his body. He understood he wouldn't stay here for a long time anymore. He began to panic.

"Hiroshi! I don't want to go! I want to stay here with you! I-I don't want to be alone again!"

The teen put his hands on the boy's cheeks.

"Kazuya, you're not alone! All of those years, I looked at you. I wanted to give you a sign but I couldn't. It's only when you came back in the mansion that I was able to do something. I'll always be there for you, Kazuya!"

Another electric shock was felt in the child's body and he moaned. Hiroto put his hand on Kazuya's shoulder.

"Hey, I just want you to know that it's not your fault if I died, okay?" he said, "I'll try to join you out there but don't wait for me."

"Wait, how will I know it's you!?" asked Kazuya.

"You'll know it, trust me," answered the adult, ruffling his hair.

Hiroshi hugged Kazuya one last time and Rin kissed the child on the top of the head.

"You'll be fine," she said, "You're very strong; you'll make it."

The gray-haired approached his mouth of the boy's ear.

"I love you."

There was another electric shock that seemed stronger and Kazuya opened his eyes, taking a deep breath that made him cough some blood. He saw blurry shapes around him and felt a vibration around him, like if they were in a car or something like that. He felt something pass rapidly on his mouth and something being put on it. Breathing began to be a lot easier but it was still painful. He heard a distant voice that slowly became clearer. Something held his hand and lightly squeezed it.

"Oh god… I thought we lost you!"

He lightly turned his head and the blurry form soon began to be more human and he recognized his father's traits. His dad put his hand on his son's cheek, a relieved smile on his face.

"Look at me, Kazuya! Stay with me!"

The teen squeezed the adult's hand back and tried to say something but no sound got out of his throat. He forced his eyes to stay open. His vision kept getting blurry before getting back to normal. Each time he was closing his eyes, he'd hear his father's voice and open his eyes again. When the vehicle he was in came to a stop, his father let go of his hand and disappeared from Kazuya's field of view. He tried to call out for him but the only thing he could make was a releasing of air that brought more pain. He tried to grab his father's hand when he felt like he was being moved but the only thing his hand met was thin air. His head fell on the side and he slipped into unconsciousness.

The first thing Kazuya heard when he woke up was a regular beeping noise. He turned toward the machine and felt a slight resistance. He put his hand on his neck to feel something that felt like a bandage even though it had a square-like form. He noticed he had some on his cheeks too and an oxygen mask. He tried to move but a sharp pain convinced him that he was better to stay in this position. He felt like if there was something between his back and the mattress and noticed he was topless if it wasn't of the bandages. He took a quick look at his surroundings. There was a chair next to his bed like if someone had been seated next to him.

After a couple of minutes where he started blankly at the ceiling, the regular beeps of the machine being the only thing that travelled his mind, he heard some footsteps getting closer and the door leading to his room opened. His mother entered in the room, a coffee mug in hand and light dark circles under her eyes. When she saw her son was awake, she put the mug on the night table and took his hand. She smiled and her eyes filled with tears. It was obvious to see that she contained herself from pulling her son into a hug. Kazuya guessed she knew it would be painful for him if she pulled him up. The teen decided that the bad job would be for him. He removed his oxygen mask and leaned on his elbows to push himself up. Etsuko tried to keep him down but he got up anyway and put his arms around her. She hugged him back, being careful where she put her hands to not hurt him. Kazuya closed his eyes and took deep breaths, the easiest way for him to breathe regardless of the pain. After a long and quite pleasant moment, Etsuko helped her son to lie back down and sat back on the chair, still holding his hand. His vision began to slowly blur and he fell asleep.

After a couple of days, Kazuya was able to sit easily and stand with a bit of difficulty due to the bites that hadn't completely healed on his legs. The doctor who took care of him explained to him that he had been infected by a sort of poison with multiple effects. It made him drown from the inside, have a slower brain activity and other things that he didn't remember. He just knew that he was lucky to be still alive. Well, lucky wasn't really the term he would have used but it was a good term to say that not a lot of people would have survived that.

It took him a week before he was completely cured. He didn't feel that much relieved when he came back home. Yes, that demon was gone and he had pretty much every reason to be happy about it but he felt like if a part of him was missing.

There were a lot of people at Hiroto's funerals. The whole town was there if not more. He highly doubted they were all close friends but a survivor was famous and respected so everyone came more out of respect than anything. When Kazuya had arrived, he had been greeted politely by a lot of people and some even bowed. Of course, he didn't like all of that attention. One of the things that saddened him the most was to know that nobody of his family was there. Like Hiroto said, his parents had died and his brother drove away. His brother didn't show up. Well, Kazuya didn't think that he wouldn't come but it wouldn't be because he didn't know it because the new of his death passed at least twice on each news channel as well as the demon's death.

After a moment, Kazuya wasn't able to stay anymore because of his guilt. He couldn't stand the fact he killed him even though it was because he had become like that beast. He got out of the funeral home and walked down a couple of random streets. The sky was covered with dark clouds but it didn't convince him to go back and see the friend he murdered. He ended up in front of Hiroto's house. He stared at it for a long moment before he continued on and entered the forest as a drop of rain fell on his nose. If they hadn't done the plan this year, they would've met at the river today. The rain started to fall louder and the drops were quite big. He finally reached the river. The drops were falling loudly in the water and making the flat rocks wet and darker. Kazuya removed his shoes and his socks and walked in the water, letting the cold sensation travel the bottom of his legs. He removed the elastic in his hair and dropped it. His hair fell to the bottom of his neck and he felt the rain soak them. His bang was plastered on his face, barely not touching his eyes.

He began to take deeper breaths and they slowly turned shaky and then they became small sobs. Kazuya fell on his knees in the water and he squeezed the sand under his hand. His tears fell down in the water like the drops of rain. He looked up at the dark sky and screamed.

Even though there wasn't any sound coming out of his throat, Kazuya felt like he had a voice and heard himself.

Why me? Why not them? Why!? There's nothing here for me anymore! Why didn't you let me go? WHAT DO YOU FUCKING WANT FROM ME!?

He then lowered his head and took a couple of shaky breaths.

I'm sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't save any of you…

Kazuya felt a hand on his shoulder. He gasped and looked behind him. There was a girl with very short black hair ending at the middle of her neck and brown eyes. Her black pants were rolled up until her knees so the water didn't touch them. It was the girl to who he explained the chosen ones' part in the plan.

"Are you…crying?" she asked.

He looked down, trying to control his shaky breaths. She put her hands around his arm and pulled him up.

"I wanted to come and thank you at the hospital but I never found the courage to do so," she said.

Kazuya looked at her and wiped away his tears.

"If you hadn't come and told me about your plan, I'm more than sure that I would have died in the first phase," she continued regardless of the rain or the cold, "I might be fourteen but my will is weaker than a five years old girl."

She looked down and then back in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for your friend, really. He looked like a nice guy."

She put her hands on his shoulders.

"I'm maybe too young for that but…"

She didn't end her sentence and kissed him. Kazuya blushed at the contact of their lips but didn't push her away. He felt something, a pleasant shiver going down his spine and sudden warmth surround him. He immediately felt it; she had that understanding nobody except Hiroto had.

"Thank you," she said quietly when she pulled away.

She was about to head back in the forest but she stopped and slightly turned.

"My name is Hikari, by the way," she said before heading in the forest to return home.

Just before they would hit their sixteen, Hikari moved at the other side of the country. They had stayed friends during the years. She came to say goodbye. Since that day Hikari had talked to him under the rain, he had promised himself to not cry for bad reasons. Good reason or not, he cried when he left a goodbye kiss on her lips. He had taken out his notepad and wrote something down on a sheet that he tore up and put in her jacket's pocket before she entered the car. When she closed the back seat door, she had taken out the paper and read the quick note. She had held it close to her heart and made a sad smile to him before the car got out of the driveway. Kazuya looked at the car go away and turn the corner of the street.

Each year, there was that celebration called Liberation day. It was to celebrate the beast's death. There would be thirteen different drinks or food depending on the family representing the chosen ones who fell and then three special ones kept for the end. They were representing the demon, Hiroto and Kazuya. The demon was eaten or drunk first and then somebody would make a small speech to thank the two chosen ones who put an end to this before eating or drinking the two last things.

For Kazuya, it was the day where he didn't eat anything or speak to anyone. It was the day where he stayed in his room and thought alone. He'd think about a lot of things but the thing he thought the most about was Rin, Hiroto and Hiroshi. He hated that celebration even if it was a day to thank him and Hiroto. It was a day where fifteen children were saved, where the demon was eliminated, where a chosen one gave his life doing so and where he almost died too and they were feasting over it. Feasting. It was a day where people suffered and they were feasting.

The mansion became a memorial and a museum. The first phase was the entrance and people could look around a little bit. People could do the maze in the second phase if they wanted to and see the exact place where Hiroto had died or take a shortcut with a tunnel built in the wall next to the maze. The third phase was more about the beast's legend and they could explore a little bit. The last phase was a memorial of all the ones who had fallen during those years. There were pictures of the chosen ones with their names below and a proverb about courage above. The picture of Kazuya and Hiroto was in the last room with a thanks message. People had asked him if he could come and do a speech. He didn't refuse. He talked about the chosen ones, Hiroshi and Hiroto. He also talked about that forgotten survivor. Of course, people felt uneasy about it but he continued anyway and finished his speech.

Once he became an adult, Kazuya moved a lot. Once he finished his studies to become a vet, he moved in another city for a year where he worked there. He didn't need to talk where he was; he only needed to concentrate on the animal. He moved a couple of times, getting hired in different places each time. He also wrote a book during his free time. He wrote what happened to him in the mansion and everything afterward with as much details as he could remember. The only thing he didn't write in his book was Hiroto's story. He wrote Hiroto told him the story but he didn't write the story itself. When people asked him why, he answered that it was to respect his friend who preferred to keep his story in silence. The book became a best-seller and they made a movie out of it. They had asked him if he wanted to play as himself at fourteen but he refused. People invented Hiroto's story during the movie and specified this part was fictive. They made a story where he tried to save people and got his scar while saving a friend. It was probably better for Hiroto if no one knew the invented story was more than entirely wrong. At least, people didn't know he escaped selfishly; Hiroto wouldn't have liked it.

One day, Kazuya noticed an oddly familiar child in a back street.

"It's an annoying kid," the baker said when Kazuya bought some bread, "he always comes and tries to get something without paying. We give something after some time of course. That ol' butcher guy got mad a couple of times and chased him but he comes back the next day anyway. Plus, he fakes not hearing us when we talk to him."

Kazuya decided to approach him. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes. He wasn't older than six. The child sat up, as if he was ready to run when Kazuya crouched next to him.

My name is Kazuya. What's your name?

After seeing the hand movements, the child's eyes lightly widened and he smiled before he spelled his name with his hands.

Hiroki.

The silver-haired's heart stopped for a second. He forced himself to calm down.

Where are your parents?

I don't have parents.

Kazuya then noticed a faint and very pale pink line crossing the child's eye. He couldn't help but hug the boy. That was really him. He pulled away and smiled, trying to keep the tears of joy inside his eyes.

Let's get you home, Hiroki.

After Kazuya adopted Hiroki, he had moved one last time to get in a house instead of an apartment. He treated Hiroki like his own son. He paid him a special school for children with disabilities and picked him up at the end of each day. At home, they would speak in sign language and Hiroki began to learn how to read on lips by looking at his teacher speak for the blind kids while doing sign language. Kazuya wanted to move again to…look for a certain something but he decided to not do it because schools for people with disabilities were rare. Besides, Hiroki had some friends there.

One day, when he had a day off and Hiroki was at school, he was having a little walk and passed in front of a café. He saw somebody inside playing with a small piece of paper with a coffee mug in hand. He entered the restaurant, his heart beating fast in his chest. He got out his notepad and wrote down something on it. He put the piece of paper on the table and let it slide on the table until it reached her field of view.

Is your name Hikari?

The girl looked up. She had long black hair until the middle of her back with a square bang and rectangular glasses in front of her warm brown eyes. He stared at him for a moment and stood up, disbelief clearly seen in her eyes.

"Kazuya!?"

She put her hand on her mouth, hardly believing it. She made some hand gestures.

I waited for you.

He smiled and she kissed him, gently putting her arms around his neck while he put his hands on her cheeks. On the small piece of paper she was still holding, there was some writing. It was a paper she kept for years, in hope to see the boy who gave it to her again.

"I'll come and find you
I love you," it said.

She slightly pulled away.

"I love you too," she whispered before letting another kiss on his lips.

Hiroki looked at the baby in the cradle with a smile. In two years, he got a very nice mother and a cute little sister; he sure was a lucky boy!

What's her name?

Hikari nodded to her husband and Kazuya spelled her name with his hands.

Ran.

Hiroki turned back to the baby and Kazuya put a hand on his son's shoulder. When Hikari leaned her head on his shoulder, he understood why he had been kept alive after the death of that demon: happiness. After Hiroshi passed away, Kazuya had forgotten what it was to smile and be happy. He had lost contact with his friends but he hadn't really tried to keep contact with them. Kazuya's life had become a repetitive cycle where he grieved or thought about Hiroshi without thinking about living and honoring his brother's sacrifice. He thought he just had to stay alive to keep his promise but he had to live his life happily; he had to stay alive from the inside too! The only thought of happiness passing in his mind were pushed away by a once that beast is gone or when this will be over. It was like if he hadn't truly lived during those years. Hiroshi didn't want him to just live; he wanted him to live his life at the fullest.

He thought he would never be able to be happy again and now there he was, being the happiest man on earth. The beast didn't win; he got out of the torment he was constantly in and he stopped having the nightmares after some time. Hiroshi saved him another time. Kazuya lightly squeezed Hikari's hand and smiled. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on hers. He saw Hiroshi making a warm smile. Hiroto was right; he was there, he just had to realize it. Forgetting Hiroshi would be a crime; he would've died a couple of times if he hadn't been there and not only in the mansion. If it wasn't of the promise he made to him, Kazuya would have killed himself. Now that he was here, he thought that all this pain and suffering was worth it. Besides, the silver-haired knew his brother's sacrifice wasn't vain and that he could rest with Rin in peace now. Kazuya sighed and opened his eyes with a smile he never had before: a smile of pure and true happiness; the smile of someone who fulfilled all of his goals and was now at peace.

Thank you, Hiroshi.

I know what you're thinking... "Man, it's cliché!" To be honest, I don't care XD It's the happiest ending I ever wrote in my life!

I don't know if the ending is too happy... I like it anyway! Seriously, I was smiling while revising it!

Also, I have to bring an excerpt of something for a club thingy and I thought about bringing an excerpt of this story. Which part should I bring? There's no special length but it would be better if it wasn't too long (like half of a chapter is way too long) and there isn't any constraints. If I don't get any answer at the end of the third of August, I'll choose by myself.

The only thing that wasn't a last minute idea was Kazuya not dying, the Hiroki part and Kazuya "screaming" at the river. The rest came in my head at the last minute. That Nirai Nikki theme really got me... I couldn't find a better song to give me inspiration, really!

Thank you for reading this story and probably Saving my blood by sacrificing it, too! It's the story I enjoyed the most writing so far in my fanfic author life!

As you probably know, I'm better with emotion and description (like that moment when Kazuya was dying) than action :) This serie also made Kazuya become my favorite Ao oni character x)

Special thanks to DatLittleStar a.k.a Star who made the idea of this serie spark in my mind and thanks to you for reading!

Please leave a review and see you next time! :)