Ritsuka opened his eyes

He was lying on a small bed in a quiet room full of sunlight. A light breeze was blowing in through an open window. Birds could be heard twittering outside. He blinked several times, disoriented, feeling a bit woozy.

Though he was sure he had never been in this room before, there was something about the way the wind played about his face, gently blowing back his hair, that stirred something within him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the feeling of déjà vu would not leave him.

As he shifted his position, he noticed that his hand was bandaged, and he immediately recalled the events of… was it the night before? How had he arrived in this place? He thought hard. The last thing he remembered was… Soubi's arms around him. He had been running and running, lost in his troubles, and he'd fallen down in that alleyway, and then Soubi was there, holding him, and… He didn't remember anything after that. Where was Soubi now? Where was Ritsuka himself?

Crawling out of bed, he made his way to the door and stepped out into the hall. Thick carpeting embraced his bare feet as he padded towards the small bathroom, the location coming to him almost intuitively. He was puzzled about the oddness of this place, how it was both familiar and unfamiliar to him at the same time.

When he came out of the bathroom, he heard a noise coming from the direction that he had a feeling was the kitchen. Soubi? he thought hopefully, hurrying down the hall.

But it wasn't Soubi.

There, sitting at the kitchen table, quietly sipping green tea, dressed in black from head to foot, was his dead brother, Seimei.

Ritsuka stared. This can't be right. I must be dreaming. They must have given me some strong drugs at the hospital. This is an illusion.

"Good morning, Ritsuka."

"S-Seimei??"

"Tea?" The man in black gestured towards a steaming cup and an empty seat beside him.

"Is it… is it really you?"

The figure at the table slowly smiled. Ritsuka took a hesitant step forward. Get a hold of yourself. Deep breaths. This isn't real. It's just another one of your crazy dreams. Or it's some trick. Seimei can't be alive. If he was alive, he would have come, he would have come to me, he would have told me, he would have…

But it wasn't working. There, right in front of him, was his brother, his only brother, the one for whom he had prayed and prayed, night after night, huddled in his little bed, shaking and crying and railing against the world, begging desperately that he would somehow miraculously return to him. Against his will, silent hopes were rising in his chest. My brother, alive, Seimei, in the flesh, could it be…?

Something frightening was happening inside Ritsuka's mind. As he gaped at his brother – his dead brother – thoughts and memories began flooding his brain, an enormous cascade exploding in front of his eyes like a brilliant fireworks display. Seimei. His brother. Christmas time. Presents. A toy rocket. His mother, happy, smiling, loving. His father, quiet, strong, his arm around Seimei. This house. Surrounded by trees. A lake. Ritsuka and Seimei, swimming, playing together, laughing. Seimei holding Ritsuka's hand on his first day of school, so excited for him, so happy…

Ritsuka staggered. What… was this? Darker memories were coming to him now; he saw his father being dragged off somewhere, his mother screaming, Seimei was nowhere to be found, and there were the dark corridors; he was running, running, passing strange people he didn't know, strange acts being performed behind closed doors. He shook his head, trying to regain his senses, but nothing would stop the terrifying images from coming.

The man in black stood, still smiling, and moved towards the younger boy. Ritsuka took a step back, still cautious, not sure what was going on, not sure what to believe. The living man who looked exactly like his brother stopped in front of him, knelt down, and opened his arms.

Seimei. When you left, I thought my life was over. Could it be that I'm being offered a second chance?

Something snapped in Ritsuka. He couldn't help it: he rushed into Seimei's arms. He didn't care anymore whether this was real, or imagined, or some delusional dream. It didn't matter. Even if it was a hallucination, he could feel his brother's arms around him, and that was all that mattered. Seimei! You have no idea how much I've missed you. Your absence has been an endless ache in my heart. Please don't leave me again. Please. His little body shook with sobs. Everything he'd been through, all of the terrible pain in his short life seemed to rise to the surface just then, begging to be healed. An image of himself and Seimei hand in hand on his first day of school flashed into his mind, his big brother beaming with pride, holding him protectively, Ritsuka feeling like he could conquer the world. If only it could stay like this; if only we could remain like this, forever…

He was startled out of his reverie by a sharp prick in his upper arm. Pulling away, he noticed something in Seimei's hand: a hypodermic needle. The man in black was still smiling. "Sleep now, Ritsuka. Forget about the pain."

"S-Seimei?" Ritsuka was trying hard to figure out what was happening to him, but whatever drug had just been injected into his system had already begun to take effect. His mind was starting to get hazy, and the memories were beginning to fade. One thought forced its way through the murkiness: Soubi. Where are you. I need you.

Then there was darkness.