My brother Lucia was my exact copy apart from his amethyst eyes and height otherwise his brown hair and face were no different to mine. But he was sick mother and father did not tell me why but they did not have to. Everytime Luc would act up and start coughing blood and passing out, mother and father would leave us with auntie Fey and come home with a new necklace for Luc. As I got older I realized they were magic items that helped Luc for a max of 1 and half years. Our life would be mostly normal in those times, father always in trouble for his obsession of battle and trying to train a pair of 6 year olds. Luc and I would always go of playing in the forest behind the cabin mother didn't like it when we did, but we went anyway because way past the north of the forest we lived in Xhlas we found a ruin on a cliff edge. We were playing tag and I nearly fell off I landed on a rock extruding from the entrance to a ruin. So next time we came we took a piece of rope and climbed down to enter, it was huge inside the walls had lines made of gold leading to a grand throne room with 20 giant armored stone golem-like status wielding spears held upright, they had the same golden line patterns on them. The golems stood in a kneeling position, 10 at each side lining the sides all the way to a throne of stone. it was not very comfortable but Luc seemed to like it.
"Hey Vlad look over here" he shouted enthusiastically.
He pointed at a pair of golden rings on the ground. So we picked them up, the had writing on the inside otherwise they were just plain golden rings. The writing on them read [FOR BLOOD AND KIN ALWAYS] we didn't understand what it meant back then we just took them and the slowly through the years they became the symbol of our brotherhood. Years and passed we grew older Luc grew paler each day and soon we began our training and school. In Midgar we have adventurer who hunt monsters and take capital contracts like mercenaries and mother Maddeline the flame princess was one of three kinds of Casters, a Mage and father was a Dragon Slayer an advance knight class. They were both Captain 1st class adventurers which was the third highest Rank at the least that is what father told us.
Father had come in the livingroom in a hurry I was on the coach right across the entrance to the livingroom and Luc was on his way out meeting with father l.
"Oh...boys hide daddy please she's coming damn it please boys" he exclaimed in a hurry and frightened manner
"hey Luc why don't you try the mirage Sorcery you learnt" I said.
"oh yeah...but am not sure how effective it is" he nervously said looking down on to his spell book we got from mother gave to us when she started our magic training.
"Come on she is almost here please my boy" he tensely lowered his voice and fell on his knees as he said this.
"ok I'll try my best" Luc said.
Luc stoke out his arm and began drawing a rune in mid air with a blue magic lines, then he opened his palm and said mirage and steam manifested around father and wrapped around him and concealing him in plain sight. Mother stepped in looking aggravated and in a hurry.
"Have you boys seen your father" she asked with an intimidating smile.
"Nope" we both exclaimed.
I could tell Luc was reaching his limit he had his hands behind himself and his right hand that possessed a magic rune in it.
"Oh really here I thought I saw him go this way...are you sure you didn't see him" she interrogated.
"Nopee" we both shouted out.
"oh so....What's with the crap ton of mana concentrate to the right of me" she stare beside herself as she reached out and dragged father out from the collar of the white shirt he had on.
"That's some really good magic you getting better luc" she said as she kissed Luc in the forehead and then she cam me to me dragging father on the ground behind her to kiss my forehead as well .
"Your in charge until am back" she whispered to me.
"I love you two" she said as she left the room.
"you too mom" we exclaimed.
"Please I don't want to go came on pleeease" father complained.
"your coming whether you like it or not" mother commanded.
"I hate guild conferences they are so boring and plus Fey will be there please noo" father explained.
Mother did not seem to care. Luc and I decided to go to our hide out, the ruin had a replicant of the night sky that was visible on an evening like this. We laid on the floor of the ruin on our backs. This was our 14th year on this world and soon we would have to leave to chase our dreams.
"So adventurers right?" Luc said as we looked at the replica.
"yeah " I replied.
"i don't know what awaits us but will become the strongest and most famous adventurers" he said with a passionate smile.
I knew what I wanted was to become an adventurer with my brother but something I realised a year was the rage I had in me the hate the misery emotions I did not know where they originated. During training with father it hindered my progression and dulled my blade,
As we stared at mother and Luc practicing magic me and father had talk about my emotional state he was concerned for me.
"you don't know where it comes from...that's tough" he said with a surprisingly genuinely loving smile and a hug.
"well even if you don't know where it's from, it yours so if you want to protect him that hate won't do. I know you love your brother and you feel useless not being able to help him when his body acts up...I feel that same way too but don't beat yourself up just do best"
we sat on the doorstep for while talking. As we laid in here we looked up at our stretched hands, at our rings
"For blood" Luc said.
"And kin" I replied.
ALWAYS.
But things would not stay so calm, Lucia fell unconscious during our way home. Luckily he was light to carry. I called mother and father and they arrived shortly after Luc's flesh started tearing open as if some invisible force was cutting him with a knife reaping through his flesh, his screams became louder and more horrific along with the wounds. Mother began using magic
"Hear my cry, grant me thy protection. thy blessing rewrite the laws that bind our world [Greater Regeneration]" mother chanted as a bright green mass of mana surrounded Luc. Sadly things were worse then they ever been when aunt Fey came out of the room Luc was in when she arrived, she explained how the necklace they had him wear this time was the strongest they had known about and Luc had too much magic for magic items to handle anymore and neither can his body so I suggest we drain his mana everyday to as low as possible, she was sorry she could not help her own nephew any further.
Our 18th birthday came and he was still bedridden for the last three years, the treatment of draining his mana became useless as his mana grew drastically during his teenage years. I had been a Slayer at the time trying to find a cure for him, I had become a Lieutenant 1st class swordsman, I was one of the best In Brigalia but I can't help him what am I doing wrong, what was I wrong about was there no cure. Everyday since my anger grew hotter as his days grew
shorter I hated everything mother and father were in the kingdom of Agio Fonz trying to get a cure and I was sitting in a transport airship that would deliver high ranking adventurers to strike areas sobbing damn it.
19th birthday he could barely talk let alone move the more of him in this state I saw the more furious I became the flame that was lit years ago had become a volcano of madness. I don't want to see him like that so I went to where we use to laugh and dream together our ruin. It had been years since I had stepped in here nothing had changed but me.
I sat on the throne.
"uhhhm...just as uncomfortable as ever"
this was not how I imagined my future with you bro forgive me, forgive this failure. As I stood up the throne slede to the side revealing stairs I descended but all I could on the descend was to wipe my tears.
I eventually reached a room filled with books and papers. So with nothing else to do I started reading.
God cannot put what I found in that place in words but I found it the holy grail
EVERYTHING
OUR BIRTH
OUR TRUTH
AND THE ANSWER TO YOUR SUFFERING.