Shiba Miya had been moved from the hospital to a villa, where was unmistakably her deathbed.
In an unusual scene, she had enough strength to sit up instead of lying down. Her daughter, Shiba Miyuki was sleeping soundly on the edge of her bed. Miya was fondling with her daughter's hair.
The third and last person in the room was Yotsuba Maya, Miya's younger twin sister and Miyuki's aunt. She was sitting on an armchair near the window, with her eyes closed.
It was certain that Miya was going to die within this week.
"Did you find him yet?" Miya broke the ice.
"Him? You mean, Tatsuya-san?" Maya replied.
"...are you even trying?"
"Of course I am! Don't worry, he'll come back eventually. By the way, perchance, are you showing concern for a 'servant'?" Maya smiled, with obvious underlying implications in her words.
Tatsuya had disappeared without any warning. The last person he talked to was Miyuki, telling her and assuring her that 'he'll be back'. It had been 4 weeks since anyone had seen him.
Hearing that, Miya returned to being silent. However, Maya was still in the mood for a talk.
"Say, Nee-san, do you want to go outside?"
Needless to say, Miya was shocked. "'Nee-san'? When was the last time you called me that?" Ending with a scoff, Miya passed back the baton.
"We both know when..." Maya sighed before continuing, "I am-"
A knock on the door interrupted them. And when Tatsuya's voice was heard from behind the door...
"Enter!" Miya replied with visible desperation.
The boy looked as if nothing had happened. As if he was just reporting to take Miyuki to school like he does daily. The only difference was that he had a briefcase in his hands.
"Where were you? Do you realize you left your post for four weeks?" Miya scolded. Maya was content to sit back and watch the drama, despite being interrupted earlier.
"I apologize. I went away for an experiment." He replied nonchalantly.
"Experiment!? What experiment was it? And was it more important than staying with Miyuki?" The boy's 'mother' looked at him with questioning eyes. Even with a frail body and deteriorating face, her expression didn't lose any impact it had on a normal servant.
"I was still keeping an eye on Miyuki. And this experiment was for her happiness." He paused and looked the Mistress of Lethe straight in her eyes. "Haha-ue, do you want to live?"
That question sent the sisters into a state of shock.
"What do you mean?" Maya asked, standing from her seat.
"I have developed a method that can save her life."
"That is impossible. My state is not something that can be-" Miya was, for the first time in her life, interrupted by the son she had discarded.
"I concluded that your death would hurt Miyuki very much. Eventually, she can deal with it. But right now, she's just a kid. I don't want to see her in that state." Disregarding the fact that he was barely a year older than her, and therefore also a kid, Tatsuya replied. "I was looking for a way to save your life. And I found it. I only have two conditions."
"Ho? Conditions? You're being quite brave today." Maya remarked, with Miya still looking at the boy with a tense expression. Nevertheless, the Yotsuba family head wanted to know what the boy had discovered this time. "What are these conditions?"
"They are in the hands of Haha-ue." He stated bluntly. "Oba-ue, could you take Miyuki and leave?"
Ever since Miyuki had started openly showing her affection for her brother, he had also started doing the same. And somewhere along the line, he had also started speaking his mind. After all, Miyuki didn't like it when he would be pushed around by his supposed family.
"Miyuki-san can leave, but I'm staying here." Maya declared with a slight hostility. With a nod from Tatsuya, Miya woke Miyuki up.
"Miyuki-san, wake up."
After rubbing her eyes, Miyuki looked at who was present. "Oni-sama" She ran and hugged Tatsuya with tears flowing from her eyes. Tatsuya was regrettable that this was his fault, but he deemed his actions necessary for the future.
"Sorry Miyuki, but I need you to leave the room." Tatsuya explained to her after she had calmed down. He didn't however, tell her that he was going to save Miya's life.
After a bit of back and forth, and the eventual departure of his sister, he put on a serious face.
"Haha-ue" Only calling her that because Miyuki insisted he doesn't call anyone as 'ojou-sama', he continued. "My first condition is that you need to promise to never use Magic again."
"*sigh* My magic is beyond crippled anyway. I don't know what you're going to do, and since you refuse to tell me, fine, I won't use my magic." Miya had frustration in her voice.
Tatsuya put down the bag in his hand opened it, pulling out a gun-shaped CAD. Maya's eyes were screaming curiosity.
"My second condition..." He took a pause. "Is that I need you to want to live."
"Tatsuya-san." Maya spoke up.
A handful of people in the Yotsuba knew that there was a hidden reason behind Miya's condition. When Miya used her magic on Maya for the first time, she lost her will to live. And when she did the surgery on her own son, that lost will to live was replaced by a will to die. Along with that also accompanied her voluntary shut down of emotions, replaced by a cold air of hostility.
It was a tragedy, but it was also unavoidable. But Tatsuya wasn't having any of it.
"Shiba Miya, say you want to live." He said, almost in a threatening voice.
It was at this moment, that the depth of the situation finally hit Miya. She had treated this boy like trash. He was her son, and yet she called him a servant. In fact, she had given him every reason to hate her. She had taken away his emotions, his privileges, his family and his birthright. She wouldn't have been surprised if he wanted to kill her.
But rather than that, not only did he save her life once, but here he was...declaring that he won't let her pass. That he was going to tear the grim reaper from her back.
'He only did that for Miyuki.'
'He's only doing this for Miyuki.'
'I do not matter to him. Why should I?'
'To him, I am nothing but an important person to his sister.'
She kept repeating those sentences in her mind.
But somewhere along them. Somewhere, beneath all the guilt and frustration. Where the part of her that was proud of her son lay. The part of her that wanted to scream and apologize. Beg and hug her son. That part, began to grow, ever so slightly.
She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. Live long enough that one day, she would be able to look him in the eye and tell him what she truly felt.
"...I want to live."
Tatsuya pointed the CAD at Miya.
In the next instant, the CAD disintegrated and he fell onto his knees, panting.
"Tatsuya-san, what happened?" Maya asked.
"I...apologize for the unsightly display." He wiped the sweat off his face and stood up. "It is done."
Maya then looked at Miya, who was also as confused as her.
'It is done? But I didn't even feel anything...'
"Nee-san! Your skin!" At maya's words, Miya looked down at her arms that were showing off her skeleton until moments ago.
Her arms were full of life.
Maya opened a drawer for a mirror and showed her.
Miya's face was glowing. Her eyes had their light returned to them.
She took a peek inside her, and sure enough, her psions were no longer killing her.
"Ta-" She tried to speak but the words didn't come out. It wasn't due to a sudden disability. She had spent a major part of her life belittling this person, she mouth couldn't accept the words she wanted to speak.
"I will send Miyuki inside." Tatsuya took his leave.
Maya was still dumbstruck at what happened to her sister, so he left uninterrupted.
The words 'Come back with her' weren't spoken.
Moments later, Miyuki dashed in while crying and hugged her mother.
Maya had left, likely to have a word with Tatsuya.
Miya, however, was focused on something else.
Tatsuya brought her back from the dead. But...he didn't ask for gratitude, an apology. He didn't hug her like her daughter did.
And she would change that.
.
.
Alright so there's the gist. Maya's insanity will be slightly altered. Miya will love her son (in more ways than one). Miyuki will have some tough competition. And Tatsuya...will likely get a headache every chapter.