In the dimly lit room, a singular light shines down on the three individuals currently present. The small and tight grey walls are close enough, not to mention the two men sitting across from the poor boy. Sweat runs down his face and off his chin, dripping onto the floor as one of the only audible noises left within the room. The boy looks with a cold dead stare at the metal table in front of him, speechless and pale. His breathing is displaced and his blinking is almost absent. A sudden voice breaks him out of his trance. The boy looks up at the voice coming from one of the two men sitting across from him. The voice is harsh and blunt to his ears. The voice speaks again, causing the lone boy in the room to move his gaze towards the police officer that sits from across the table.
Officer 1: Mr. Akiyama, can you tell us what the suspect looked like? The one that escaped?
Khan takes a second to gather his words, it's almost as if he had no idea what the officer was asking for. Khan then nods, speaking in a frail tone of voice.
Khan: Uh… yeah… he uh… was blonde, and had… blue eyes. He also had a full-grown beard… same color as his hair… dirty blonde.
Officer 1: So was his hair blonde, or dirty blonde?
Khan: Oh uh… blonde.
Khan could hear the second officer writing every description down that Khan gave them into a notepad on the desk. Khan's red, tear-stained eyes dart from the notepad to the officer who spoke to him. That same officer then speaks to him again, probing for more questions.
Officer 1: Can you tell us the build and height of the suspect?
Khan: Uhhh… average build… maybe… five foot ten? Maybe taller?
Once again, Khan hears the rapid scribbling on the second officer's pad. Khan's foot taps quickly in place, showing obvious signs of his nerves getting the better of him.
Officer 1: Do you have an idea of how the suspects could have gotten into your house, Mr. Akiyama?
Khan: Uhh… not sure… maybe they broke in the front door? The door was unlocked when we got home.
Officer 1: Any signs of forced entry?
Khan: No, we thought we had just left the door unlocked.
The second officer continues to scribble onto the notepad. The first officer thinks about the information he had been given, and taps a pen against his chin while he takes the time to process everything.
Officer 1: Your family lives in a good neighborhood, is that correct?
Khan: Yeah, nothing ever really goes on there… ever…
Officer 1: Hmm, docile neighborhood. No signs of forced entry, yet the suspects were inside the house, were they not?
Khan: Yes, sir, they were. That's how they jumped us.
Officer 1: Now, once your brother got the gun away, you said he discharged two rounds into one of the suspects, killing him? But then he was attacked by the other suspect while he was untying you, is that correct?
Khan: Yes sir.
Officer 1: You also stated that the way your brother had been killed was by a shot to the upper left rib area, yet how could he have been shot if he had killed the man with the gun from earlier? Was he not engaging the second suspect at the time?
Khan chokes up for a second, remembering the scene of Kaito's death. He plays it in his head, over and over again. The blood, the sound of heavy breathing, the smell of the gun after being fired, the sound of sirens in the distance. It was all so vivid, as if it had just happened moments ago. A few tears start to roll down Khan's face as he struggles to answer the police officers. The two policemen look at each other as Khan starts to cry. He takes a moment to gather himself, then tries his best to answer them.
Khan: Yes sir… I… he was shot by the guy he thought he had killed. I guess when he got charged by the second robber, Kaito dropped the gun. The first guy must have still been alive somehow, but… we never… checked to make sure he was dead… and I guess he had time to shoot before dying…
Khan continues to cry and sob as he speaks, sniffing in between sentences. The second officer quickly writes down what Khan says, then closes the notepad and stands up from his chair before walking out of the room. This leaves only Khan and the first police officer at the table. The first police officer gives a heavy sigh before standing up out of his chair. He then pushes his chair into the table and walks over to Khan. The first police officer pats Khan on the back to comfort him, then speaks.
Officer 1: Thank you for your help, Mr. Akiyama. I know it's hard right now, but your brother was a brave kid. There aren't many who would have done what he did to save you.
Khan continues to sob, but then wipes his eyes of tears and nods, simply responding with:
Khan: Yeah… not many who would…
The first police officer shakes his head at Khan's words, then lays a hand on the young man's shoulder.
Officer 1: Let's get you to your parents, young man, they're waiting for you in the lobby.
Khan slowly gets out of his chair, using the table for support as he stands. The first police officer stays close to Khan as he walks unsteadily through the halls of the police station. As they walk down the main hallway, Khan takes the time to look at the many wanted posters around the different cork boards of the office. Some part of him hopes that they would have already printed some kind of suspect profile on the man who got away, but Khan knew that this kind of thing would take days for the police to finish. Once they reach the lobby, the first police officer pats him on the back again, before speaking to Khan one more time.
Officer 1: Don't worry. We'll find whoever did this.
The first police officer then walks back into the halls of the police station, disappearing from Khan's sight. Across from where Khan stands are his parents, who sit still, waiting patiently for Khan's arrival. His mother is the first one to notice Khan, who stands there with a pale glow, his eyes still red and irritated. His mother jumps up quickly and grabs her purse before running over to Khan. His mother then gives him a big hug, keeping him close to her as a way to comfort the defeated young man. Khan simply falls into his mother's arms; his body is cold and almost limp.
Mom: Oh thank God you're alright, sweetie!
Khan's mother continues to hug him, holding him close to her. Khan's father walks up behind his mother and looks at him with a sad, concerned look.
Dad: How ya holding up, sport?
Khan sniffs and wipes his eyes, before responding in a slow, melodramatic tone.
Khan: About as well as you'd expect…
Dad: Ah… well, let's get you to the hotel. You look like you could use the rest.
Khan slowly nods and follows his parents out to the car. The whole time, from leaving the police station to their drive towards the hotel, Khan had the same expression of hopelessness on his face. A mixture of not only his recent experiences and tiredness, but an absolute destroyed state of mind. Khan had been feeling a huge sense of guilt, replaying his brother's death over and over again in his mind, wondering what could have been different. In Khan's mind, if only he had helped his brother instead of freezing up and crying like a baby, his brother would still be here, next to him on the hotel bed upon which he sat. Khan sits frozen on the hotel bed in his shirt, socks, and underwear, the young man now fresh out the shower. His parents unpack their suitcases with the few clothes they didn't use on their trip. His parents are quiet and do not speak while they check everything they had brought with them meticulously. Once they are done with checking their suitcases, Khan's dad walks over to his bed and sits down next to him. Khan's father wraps an arm around Khan, before speaking to him.
Dad: Hey, sport, feel better after your shower?
Khan responds in the same, saddened tone.
Khan: I… I guess so.
Dad: Well, just get some rest, you don't have school tomorrow, so the day is yours. If there is anything your mother and I can do for you, just let us know, OK?
Khan simply nods at his father's words while keeping quiet in his own thoughts. Khan's dad then hugs him, before getting up and going into the bathroom. Khan slides down into his small, twin-sized hotel bed, then pulls the covers over himself and turns the light off beside him. The only light left in the room is the television, which flashes white and blue with each commercial that airs. Once Khan has slipped into his bed and closed his eyes, he hears what sounds like his mother walking over to his bedside. He then feels a kiss on his forehead, followed by something wet dropping down onto his face. He feels the liquid being wiped from his cheek, before hearing his mother speak to him in a kind, but weak voice.
Mom: Sleep well, sweetie.
Having been up for two days straight has taken a complete toll on his body. Khan had also barely eaten in those two days, which hadn't helped either. The only place he could sleep while staying at the police station were those hard cots that criminals used during their overnight stay at the station. Compared to those cots, this hotel bed felt like Heaven to the young man. They would have to stay in this hotel room for now, as the family is not able to return to their house until it is checked for more evidence. It didn't matter to Khan; he didn't want to return now anyways. He knew once he saw the sight of their home, only bad memories would flood his mind. A sense of weightlessness travels over Khan, and soon he falls into a deep, restless sleep.
Khan doesn't remember when he fell asleep, only that he wakes to the start of a new day. His eyes are blurry as they open to the sight of the hotel room's ceiling. The morning light shines upon the hotel room, with small rays of sunlight piercing through the curtains and streaking onto the floor, running across its surface all the way up to Khan's bed. A ray of sunlight shines onto Khan, his face now bathed in its warm glow, beckoning him to wake up. Khan puts a hand up to block the sunlight from his eyes and shifts to the other side of the bed. He curses the searing sunlight, finding its presence insulting. If this was some cliché movie, it would be raining after what had happened to him and his family. The young man eventually sits up, then looks around the room to see his father at the small table next to the balcony window. His father sits quietly while working at his laptop, sipping on a hot cup of coffee. Khan then looks around the room for his mother, but the only two people in the room are him and his father. Khan's father notices his son sitting up in the bed, and greets him with a smile.
Dad: Morning, sport, how'd you sleep?
Khan goes to speak but chokes up, some phlegm still remaining in his throat from last night. He clears it, then stretches. Once he is ready, Khan responds to his father in a sleepy, low sounding voice.
Khan: Slept well. Where's Mom?
Dad: She's downstairs getting breakfast.
Khan: You didn't go with her?
Dad: Nope. I wanted to stay with you, and this way I can get some work done early! How about that?
Khan smiles at his dad's good mood but then falls back into a melancholy state as the recent events start to fill his brain once again. Khan then stares down at his bed sheets, lost again in the scene of his brother's murder. Khan's father watches as his son's expression changes, then speaks in an attempt to derail any negative thoughts.
Dad: Hey, do you want some breakfast? I can order room service! It'll cost a bit more, but we'll manage.
Khan thinks for a few seconds, then nods while putting on a weak smile for his father.
Khan: Yeah, that'd be good, thanks.
Dad: No problem, sport, those stocks can wait. Your breakfast can not!
Khan's father speaks in an almost triumphant tone, acting weird and silly like he usually does when around Khan. He stands up and goes to the bedside table, using the hotel's phone to dial room service.
Dad: Yes, can you connect me to the restaurant?
Khan can hear his dad place an order. The order is blueberry pancakes with syrup and extra butter, bacon on the side with eggs cooked sunny side up. Khan chuckles to himself as he hears his father's order. His dad knew him and Kaito's favorites by heart.
Dad: Alright, that'll do it. Yep, thank you!
Khan's father hangs up the phone and walks over to the foot of Khan's bed. He sits down on the edge of the bed, looking at his son with the same concerned expression as the night before.
Dad: Well, what are your plans?
Before Khan's father could finish his sentence, his cell phone rings. Rising from Khan's bed, he picks up the phone from the table where he had been working, looks at the touch screen, and tells Khan it is his mother calling.
Dad: Hello? Yeah… They did?!
Khan's father then gives an audible sigh.
Dad: Alright, I'll be down in a minute.
Khan's father puts his cell phone back down on the table and looks at Khan.
Khan: What was that about?
Dad: Your mother said the hotel declined her card for some reason, so I gotta go help her… You'll be OK?
Khan thinks for a second or two, then nods.
Khan: Yeah, I'll be fine.
Dad: OK, I'll be back in a few minutes, sorry about this, sport!
Khan: Don't worry about it.
Khan's father nods before slipping out of his pajamas and putting on a pair of jeans and a white tee shirt. He then walks over to his computer and saves his work. He grabs his cell phone and a small key from the table, and slips the phone into his back pocket. He then walks over to the balcony door and puts the small key into the door's lock, locking it tight. Once the balcony door is locked, he turns his attention back towards Khan.
Dad: Like I said, I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere, OK?
Khan agrees to his father's request, and once he does, Khan's father walks out of the hotel room, shutting the door with a quiet click of the door's automatic lock.
In the quiet hotel room, Khan takes this alone time to simply think to himself. Scenes of the recent events keep playing over and over in his mind. He is full of despair and guilt, hating his gutless reaction to danger, and partially blaming himself for Kaito's passing. A sense of curiosity makes him wonder why all of this happened in the first place. As he told the police officer before, they live in a nice, wealthy neighborhood. An occasional theft of packages off the front porches happened once in a while, but cold-blooded murder? Nothing like that had ever happened since he had lived in that house.
The one thing that Khan had not told the police or his parents was that he felt like he had met the two suspects before all of this happened. After what he had done many months ago, telling the police that he was familiar with these suspects might incriminate himself in a crime. "There's no way the two are connected though, right? There's just no way." The guilt within him grows more and more as he starts to connect the dots.
Khan's train of thought is then broken when he hears a quiet knock on the hotel room's front door. He looks over at the front door for a few seconds, then gets up out of bed. The young man is still in his boxers, shirt, and socks, but at this point he didn't even have the energy to get dressed. Khan walks up to the front door and looks through the peephole to see a girl on the other side. He then quickly opens the door, and as he does, the girl on the other side looks at him and rushes in to give him a hug.
Girl: Oh my god! Are you OK?!
Khan gasps out as he receives the surprise hug, then gives the girl a gentle hug back.
Khan: Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing here, Asuna? Shouldn't you be in school?
Khan walks over to the door and quickly closes it, leaving only him and the girl alone in the room. The girl's name is Asuna Nakamura. She is of a slim build and has an average height of five feet two inches. Today she wore her dark hair in a short, straightened look down to her shoulders. Her beautiful blue eyes are fixed on Khan, looking him over as to study his current condition. Khan notices that she is in her school uniform. The uniform is their regular grey button-up shirt and jacket, with a skirt to match as a bottom for her. Asuna notices Khan's tired look and drained demeanor. This causes her concern to grow as she stares at the young man.
Asuna: Are you really OK? You weren't lying to me in your texts?
Khan: Me? Yeah, I'm fine, just a couple of scratches and scars…
Asuna: You don't know how worried I've been, and when you didn't respond to my texts anymore, I could only assume the worst had happened!
Khan: I know, I know, but my phone died while I was at the station, no chargers either. Sorry to drop our texts short.
Asuna sighs, then walks through the hotel room while looking around at its standard hotel décor.
Asuna: I'm just glad you're alright.
Khan: Yeah, me too…
Khan looks down at the hotel floor as a sad expression returns to his face. Asuna turns around and looks at Khan, sharing the same sad expression with him. She steps in front of him, breathing in and out in a calm manner as she thinks about what she should say to him. She then speaks in a kind and gentle tone; her hand is warm against his cheek.
Asuna: I'm sorry about what happened to Kaito… he didn't deserve that…
Khan's breathing starts to become choked up.
Khan: Yeah… he didn't.
Asuna looks at Khan, then steps closer to him. Her hug is one of a kind and warm embrace. She keeps him close to her for a few moments, and runs her fingers through his messy brown hair to calm him. After a minute or so had passed, she lets him go and backs away.
Khan: How come you aren't in school?
Asuna: I wanted to come see you.
Khan: How'd ya know I was here?
Asuna: I texted your mom. She understood that I wanted to see you and told me the hotel name and room number.
Khan finds this to be odd. His parents normally wouldn't let him and Asuna be alone together while they weren't around. Guess they figure if anyone will take Khan's mind off of any negative thoughts, it's Asuna. Khan walks past Asuna and over to the curtains in front of the balcony door. He then moves the curtains further back, opening the room up to more light, and peers out at the skyline of the city. The morning sun shines down over the many buildings and cars, and from what Khan can see, the people down below go about their day like any other day. Again, he is insulted by the world's behavior. Khan then hears Asuna speak up as she walks up next to him.
Asuna: Once I had heard what happened, I argued with my parents about coming to see you instead of going to school.
Khan: They let you come here?
Asuna: Them? Hell no. I imagine they are still pretty livid right now. But I couldn't care less.
Asuna turns her head to look at Khan, who continues to look out at the vast and bustling city. She then speaks, her tone switching to a more cheerful one, instead of sad and dreary like before.
Asuna: I wanted to come see you, and maybe, if you're feeling up to it, we could do something today? To take your mind off things? We haven't got the chance to hang out that much, because of school and everything…
Khan: Yeah, they've been keeping us busy this year, haven't they?
Khan thinks to himself for a moment, then walks over to an open suitcase, rummaging through some clothes until he finds a fresh pair of his dad's jeans. Khan slowly slips them on to an almost perfect fit, then grabs one of his dad's hoodies and puts it on. Once he is finished getting dressed, he turns to face Asuna.
Khan: Alright, what did you have in mind?
Asuna smiles, then walks over to him, her phone already open to a premade list she had made that morning. She shows him the many activities on her list, pointing to each one in order from top to bottom. If there's one thing Asuna does best, it's preparation for a good time.
Asuna: Alright, so first, I thought we might hit up the mall? Maybe find some new clothes? Then we could go to some arcades and maybe even an amusement park. After all of that, there's this really pretty park I know of that would be a great place to take your mind off things. A good place to relax for a bit.
Khan studies the list, then nods and gives a yawn before replying to Asuna.
Khan: Alright, sounds like a plan, but can I eat first? Room service should be on its way, and I am starving.
As soon as Khan says this, his stomach growls, the young man placing his left hand on it before looking down in surprise. Asuna giggles at him, then nods.
Asuna: Sure thing, take your time, babe. And be honest with me, if ANY of this doesn't sound like fun, we won't do it. This is your day today, mister.
Khan gives Asuna a smile, before replying to her statement.
Khan: If you say so.
A few minutes later, room service arrives with Khan's breakfast. Asuna's eyes follow his plate as he walks over to the small table where his dad had sat while working. Noticing her gaze on his food, he splits it up, offering her half of his meal. At first, she refuses, saying it would be wrong for him to give up his food to her. Khan, however, insists that she eats with him, wanting her to enjoy herself as well. She weakly hesitates, but once given the chance, she digs in with Khan. Once the two finish their breakfast, they leave their plate on the small table and walk up to the door of the hotel room. Khan was now freshened up and ready to go for the day. Before they can leave, however, the door to the hotel room can be heard opening from the outside. The door opens and in steps Khan's father. His dad looks at Khan and Asuna, then smiles as he steps inside the room.
Dad: Hey you two! Asuna, it's good to see you again.
Asuna: Good to see you too, Mr. Akiyama!
Dad: Where are you two going?
Khan starts to speak, but gets beat to it by Asuna.
Asuna: We're going to go out to have some fun today, stuff like shopping, and the park, and whatnot.
Khan's dad chuckles.
Dad: Well alright then, you two be safe out there, OK?
Khan and Asuna: We will!
Dad: And Asuna? Take care of my boy alright? Keep him out of trouble.
Khan looks at his dad with a sour expression, but knows deep down that he has a right to say that. Asuna laughs at Khan's expression and responds to his father's request.
Asuna: Yes sir, I'll keep a close eye on him.
Khan's father simply nods and gives the two a thumbs-up, saying goodbye to them as they leave. After about an hour or so of walking around town, Khan and Asuna go through their list of things to do. Their first destination is the mall, which to Khan's surprise isn't all that busy, most likely because it's a school day. While at the mall, Khan and Asuna pick up some new clothes, and even a few new trinkets to put on Khan's desk back home. Khan also snags some new issues of the manga he had been reading. It was something he had been meaning to do for a while now, but he was so busy at school, he couldn't find time to do so. After the mall, the two head towards the arcade, where they spend their time beating each other's high scores and participating in many cooperative games together. Khan has always been good at the sports-centered ones, while Asuna has always been good at racing games. Once the two had burned through their tokens at the arcade, they found themselves at the park. The tail end of the day was now in sight and was being sent off by the burning orange and pink skies of the evening sunset. Khan and Asuna walk slowly through the gardens, eventually ending up at a small, remote pond. The water shines brightly from the cast of orange sunlight dancing on its surface, the pond itself acting like a reflective mirror to the sky above. The two find a spot under a tree near the pond's edge and sit down under it, keeping close to each other while they relax. Khan looks into the orange sky and notices dark and thick clouds in the distance. Though in his current mood, he doesn't think much of it. With his spirit lifted by Asuna, her feeling of care towards him was all he could think about. Khan turns his attention from the sky to Asuna, who watches the ducks in the pond with a cute smile.
Khan: Thank you, Asuna, for today…
Asuna gets broken out of her stare and looks at Khan.
Asuna: No problem, anytime. I had a lot of fun today.
Khan: Yeah, me too… You didn't have to do this you know.
Asuna: But I did. You know I love you and care about you, so it pains me to see you hurt. If there is anything I can do to cheer you up, just say the word.
Khan leans his head against Asuna and closes his eyes while resting against her. Asuna looks up at him and smiles, then turns her attention back towards the fauna that resides in the pond. Khan's heartwarming moment with Asuna is short-lived, however, as once his mind quiets from thought, he hears something whisper to him. Khan opens his eyes and looks behind himself. The voice is hard to make out, but it sounds like it came from right behind him.
Asuna: Khan? What's wrong?
Khan: I… I thought I heard something, but it was probably nothing. Don't worry about it.
Khan again rests his head against Asuna and the tree, hugging her close to him. He looks at the pond and watches as the ducks swim around in the small body of water. Again… he hears a soft whisper. Khan's eyes start to shift from side to side, and again he looks around the open space near them. This time, he feels as if someone had just breathed down his neck. Khan jumps up quickly at the feeling and turns around to face the trunk of the tree.
Khan: What the hell was that?!
Asuna looks at Khan and jumps up as well, her heart beating quickly from Khan's sudden shouting.
Asuna: What do you mean? What was what?
Khan speaks frantically now, looking around the base of the tree and the surrounding area of the pond.
Khan: That voice, I heard it again, you heard it too, right?!
Asuna: No… I didn't hear anything…
Khan: Ah great… now I'm hearing things.
Asuna: Khan…
Asuna walks up to Khan and grabs his hands gently.
Asuna: You've been through a lot recently; this could be the trauma from—
Khan: No! I swear I heard something.
Once again, he hears a whisper. This time it comes from the pond's edge. Khan turns his head and looks towards the pond, then walks slowly over to the small body of water. He hesitantly looks into the pond's water, the sun still reflecting off its surface. Khan once again hears a whisper and looks towards a bright spot in the water. On its surface, Khan can make out what seems to be a face. He then hears another whisper and a hand reaches out to him. Khan gets closer to the water's edge and sticks his hand out at the reflection. He then feels someone's grasp, a cold feeling in contrast to the light on the edge of the pond.
Khan then feels himself being pulled into the pond; his face now buried deep underwater. Moments later Khan can feel himself resurface from the cold waters. Asuna pulls hard on Khan and finally gets him out of the water and onto the grass near the water's edge. Both of them breathe heavily, trying to catch their breaths. Khan himself chokes and spits up water. His body was now drenched and soaking. Asuna eventually catches her breath, and looks towards Khan in confusion. Her anger is soon quelled, however, when she notices the dead and hopeless expression on his face.
Asuna: Khan! Oh my god, what are you doing?! You almost drowned yourself!
Khan is lost for words. He is caught so deep in his own mind that it's hard to respond back.
Khan: I… I saw… I saw it.
Asuna: Khan, look at me!
Asuna moves her hands onto Khan's face and turns his head so that their eyes can meet.
Khan: I… I saw him, Asuna…
Asuna: Saw who?! You just tried to drown yourself!
Khan: I saw him, I saw Kaito!
Asuna steps back from Khan. Her face is wet from the pond's water, as well as her own tears. The whole situation has scared her half to death. She then looks at Khan and slowly shakes her head.
Asuna: Khan… Kaito isn't here anymore.
Khan quickly gets up and puts a hand on Asuna's shoulder.
Khan: No! I saw him! In the pond!
Asuna backs away a bit more from him.
Asuna: Khan… your brother is gone, there's no way he could be in the pond…
Khan shakes his head at Asuna's words. He was certain he saw Kaito's face in that pond. The more he thinks about it, the worse he starts to feel. Tears roll softly down his cheeks and onto the grass.
Khan: No! You see, he could still be out there somewhere! He has to be!
As Khan continues to speak, his vision gets blurry, his body weakens as he trembles in place. After two long days, the reality of his situation finally hits him. Everything before was simply the fear and hardship of a traumatic moment. These tears were now those of grief, of loss. Ones of pure sadness and hopelessness. Khan thought he had seen a sliver of hope in his beloved brother's fate. He swore up and down that he had just seen him, the face in the water was as vivid as someone standing right there in front of him.
Khan remains crouched below Asuna, his hands hugging her waist as he cries into her. Asuna stares at Khan with a look of kind pity. She holds Khan close to her again, running her fingers through his now wet hair. His eyes are once again red from crying. Asuna wants nothing more in the world right now than to be there for Khan, to comfort him, and to help him heal. Not even the rain from the dark heavy clouds above, with heavy taps on their bodies, can move them from this space. It is as if they are stuck in this moment of despair. The cries and screams from Khan continue to echo over the rain and thunder as the once brightly colored day now turns to darkness.
A dark, rainy night now covers the city. The only source of light is that of the streetlamps scattered throughout the neighborhood, and the neon signs of local shops. The front door to their house opens. Khan's father steps inside first, and looks around the open space cautiously. The house is neat and tidy, as if it was how they had left it before their trip. Behind Khan's father steps his mother, who walks into the kitchen and sets down her belongings, before turning on the stove light. Khan's father walks further into the house, turning on light after light to make it easier to see for everyone else. It's as if nothing ever happened here, as if everything that occurred was only in their minds. Behind the two parents step Khan and Asuna, who supports Khan's weight with her shoulder. The boy is too damaged mentally to walk right on his own.
Dad: Alright, well, looks like the house is back to normal. I don't know about you guys but I'm going to get some shut-eye. You guys sleep well, OK?
Khan's dad walks into the master bedroom, then turns on the lamp and starts unzipping the suitcases they had with them. Khan and Asuna walk across the living room towards the two bedrooms across from one another. To the right, is Khan's room. To the left, is Kaito's room. Asuna turns her head back towards Khan's mother. She is about to step into Khan's room, but looks back towards his mom for affirmation. Khan's mother nods in response, and Asuna steps further into the room with Khan. Asuna then takes off some of her clothes, and puts them in a neat pile outside of Khan's room to be washed. She then climbs into Khan's bed, picking the spot closest to the wall, and lies down as she watches Khan undress. The young man takes his clothes and sets them next to Asuna's outside the bedroom door, then climbs into the bed as well. Once Khan is in bed, Asuna wraps her arm around him, the two cuddling close together for comfort. Before the two know it, they both fall asleep, the quiet night soothing them into their slumber. Khan's eyes then open suddenly. His gaze shoots around the room, and eventually lands onto the clock by his bedside. The clock itself reads three in the morning. Khan stares at the clock for a moment, then turns to look at Asuna, who lays sprawled out on the bed with one of her legs on top of his, while her arms rest beside her head. The quiet sounds of snoring can be heard coming from her as she sleeps. Khan then turns his attention to the bedroom door, where he can see a small trail of white light. Its movement is almost that of a snake, but coils in the air, rather than on the ground. Khan looks at Asuna again, then quietly gets up as not to wake her. Khan slowly steps out of his bedroom, and follows the trail of light into the hallway. Khan looks to his left. The house is now quiet, with only the stove light shining dimly in the kitchen. Khan then turns his attention back towards the white trail of light in front of him. The trail leads into Kaito's room, and glows brightly in its own path. Khan slowly follows the trail and ends up standing between the doorframe and bed. He looks down hesitantly at the footboard of the bed, expecting to see his brother's body sprawled out on the floor at his feet, but thankfully, he finds nothing but carpet. He looks at where the trail of light flows and notices that it leads to one of Kaito's bedposts. Khan then walks over to where the trail stops and finds it wrapping around a small wooden talisman, which sits hooked to a nail on Kaito's bedpost. Khan picks up the talisman, and as he does, the light seems to fade into thin air. He then brings the talisman closer to read the kanji inscribed on it. Khan can make out the words "Live each day as if it were your last" on the talisman's front side. He then turns the talisman over, and written on the back, simply put, is this: "Live YOUR life, and you may die complete…" Khan grips the talisman firmly in his hand while looking at the piece of wood in silence. He then closes his eyes, and opens them once again to speak softly.
Khan: OK, Kaito. I'll do my best, just like you…