Darkness, it was all he could see. He tried to to escape and he tried to scream, but a cold liquid rushed to fill his lungs as he did. A sense of dread filled him as his eyes finally landed on something. His sister was free floating in the ever-expanding black darkness.
"Nooooooooooooooooooo" he gasped out desperately grabbing his sister. Kicking and thrashing to try to save his sister. She meant everything to him especially after his parents left him and his 5-month-old sister. His eyes watered as he took his last breath. He left everything for his sister something he would never regret, and she was the only thing that ever mattered to him. She was the tether to the mortal world and he would do anything to keep her from experiencing the pain and loss he had gone through.
All this would be in vain though as the darkness consumed his whole body taking all its energy away and with that he would perish. His sister, now able to be corrupted by the darkness like he had already many years ago.
"I failed you."
He awoke from his dream covered in sweat, hyperventilating, and in pain. He took a look in the nearby mirror and saw himself with his light brown hair that was in its usual "birds-nest" style, his narrow bright green eyes that had been trained to kill, and his pointed and clean face. He closed his eyes to slow his breath and calm his mind. Finally coming to his senses he realized that he was sitting in his bed or more rather a bale of hay that was covered by a blanket. His little sister slept soundly next to him while huddled on the top cover which was also another blanket that he had to steal from a rather rich merchant.
He disliked stealing, but it was the only way other than working and killing for money (killing he thought was good for purifying the world of evil). Since then he got a job cleaning stables and other odds and ends for a farmer, and now it was about time for another change in an occupation which some call heroic.
He also worked secretly as a hitman, and his night job involved murder, theft, and lying. It was his job to assassinate people who had turned the world into a darkness that preyed on victims like his sister, and this turned him into a cold person who would only ever become a nice, funny, and friendly person around his sister. The stable job also gave him and his sister a place to sleep and he got paid enough to support himself and his little sister with the funds of his stable and hitman job.
He took a look at her sleeping form as she slowly inhaled and exhaled. His stupid brain had other ideas flashing back to a time he wished he could forget.
An eleven-year-old boy was hiding behind a door that was cracked open.
"We can't let the little mutt and his sister stay at this orphanage anymore!" voice number one said.
"But he and his little sister are just kids." a second voice interjected. "So what, he just keeps disrupting the rest of the lot!" "He was just trying to protect his sister!" "Maybe she shouldn't have been born, and then none of this would have ever happened!" the headmistress of the orphanage screamed.
The little 11-year-old boy behind had snapped inside and was weeping into his hands. "What are the little twit and his sisters' names." "Well, his sister's name is Angelica." "And the boy." "That's the problem, he doesn't have one and he prefers it that way."... "What do you call him then?"...She thought it over "I call him Ichibei and his last name is Tanuma but everyone else just calls him boy."
He realized that the second voice belonged to his favorite caretaker Mrs. Beller. is the only caretaker or another human that he could trust because she happened to protect his sister who is still only six.
"Why don't you go and tell that boy and his sister are not to have anything to do with this orphanage anymore." The headmistress hissed ..."B-B-But I can't do that." ..."Just do it in the morning then."
With that, the boy ran back to where his little sister was waiting, and he told her to go pack her things. Soon after they both had gathered what little belongings they had. With a sad wave directed toward the old building, they both started their long and tedious journey.
The now sixteen-year-old boy was gripping his head trying to shake the massive headache he had. It had been five years since he had run away from that terrible place.
"What are you staring at brother?" his little sister inquired in a low whisper.
"Ahhhhhh!" The boy yelped.
"Oh, nothing but just thinking about you." He answered back in a playful voice. "You need to stop thinking just about me." she commanded, "You need to get a girlfriend and some friends brother before I get married."... "I don't need any as long as I have you." He carefully stated with his voice full of emotion trying to sway the subject away from his sister's marriage.
He stood up to gather in his familiar surroundings. "Today's the day that I get to apply to Maho no Sora Academy, so I will become a Defender to protect you."
"I know this is the day brother but can I come please, please, please?"
"Sure as long as you don't get into trouble."
"Brother I would never get into any trouble." the little girl sarcastically added
So it was settled he would take his sister to the city with him so maybe he can get her in a school for once. There aren't any ways to get a formal education out in the country.
Though the city was a blip of hope in a sea of darkness where most people hoped to live so that they can either get rich, have better lives, to have protection from the king or Defenders or even something stupid like having fun.
The world seemed peaceful at times if you don't count the monsters that terrorized everyone and that almost extinguished the flame of humanity. The monsters are always a sickly green color with the souls of the damned reaching out trying to escape the pit of eternal flame. They were also about nine to twenty feet tall, and the only weapons they had were the 2 foot long claws on each finger and the razor-sharp teeth made for tearing people apart.
Monsters had started a "war" (the monster did not officially declare war on humanity) almost ten years ago in the year 2011 and sometimes he couldn't believe they were related to the monsters the kept the world in darkness himself. Attack after attack from the monsters from Hell and this is where Maho no Sora Academy came in. The academy is where the strongest, smartest, and the best of the best high school students go to be trained in the ways of being a Defender. A defender was a person who fought the monsters from Hell with powerful weapons that contain the essence of the monsters to destroy the Aljic (the monsters from Hell) once and for all.
I found myself being dragged by my sister who was so full of glee and energy that she had packed all of their stuff already as evident by the two backpacks full of their stuff.
"Brother you dosed of for an hour so I took it upon myself to pack, and by the way, your sword is right here." She handed me my sword and pistol and then stuck out her head to suggest a head-rub from me as I spoke. "What, I dozed off for an hour!" "Yeah, you had another one of those day-sleeps." "Crap they're getting worse!" I thought while slinging the sword and sheath around my shoulder.
I patted her head to satisfy her "I told you before they are called sleep-attacks and they are a medical condition." "Sure they are brother, but I like day-sleeps better."
I could never bring myself to tell her the real reason why I had my sleep-attacks and that they were a curse that I brought upon myself. I felt glad though that we would be going somewhere were Angelica could really make a living.
We both made our way across the field and now we came across the wooden fence that I had to rebuild several times. I touched its rough surface for the last time and remembered all of the great times (more or less) that I had here. I easily opened the gate that stopped even the biggest of the horses from getting out (I had built this strength over the many years of hard labor working and the training for assassination).
We walked to the cabin that was close by and went inside. I looked at the old man that had been my boss and nodded. Mr. Davidson returned the gesture knowing full well that his amazing worker was going on a journey to become a man and was leaving him behind.
My sister skipped along to the exit and waited patiently for me to walk over. Once I had reached my sister, she pushed on the old door without getting it to budge.
"You have to pull Angelica," I said trying to hold back a laugh. "I knew that brother, I was just loosening it up for you." Angelica said with a cute grumpy face.
I pulled the small handle of the door and I had to immediately cover my eyes so my retinas don't become permanently damaged. The sun was beating down on the earth below.
He took his sister's hand and lead her down the dirt trail that lead to the front of the property. It only took about two hours get across the property with a lunch break somewhere in the middle. They both made it to the exit which had a gate smaller the the one for the livestock and horses. But it was a good 6 feet from the ground at the top
"Angelica will you please get on my back"
"Sure thing brother," she said before she hopped on my back.
I went back so I was ten feet from the fence. I started to run towards the gate and I got to top speed and…. I jumped it.
"Brother, with strength like that you'll surely become a Defender!"
"I'll do it for you, Angelica."
With that, they started off on the long road ahead towards the city.