"Where are you taking me!"
"…"
"Stop gripping my hand so hard, it's hurting."
"Oh… sorry"
Sebastian let go of Luna's hand and mentally slapped himself for being so absent-minded.
"I am taking you on a detour. The Christmas market is nearby, we can go have some fun there before going home."
"But…"
"Don't worry I have the money."
"That's not what I was saying… Nevermind."
"Cheer up! Let us enjoy ourselves today alright?"
"Fine... I will agree so that you won't think that I am some sort of unreasonable little sister."
Even though she tried to hide it, Seb could still see the excitement sparkling in her eyes.
He should have remembered this earlier.
Luna loved festivals.
Even though she wasn't particularly fond of winter, she loved it when that meant it was time for Christmas.
Back then he must have taken her here to coax her when she was mad at him.
After all the 22nd was just two days short of Christmas.
He had forgotten all about that, perhaps because had been attending Luna's funeral instead during that time of the year.
.
.
.
The street was full of red, green and golden colours expressing the festive atmosphere.
The moment the two stepped into the market it was as if they had entered a separate dimension.
Hundreds of people were bustling up and down from stall to stall.
The sounds of a thousand voices overlapped as they chatted and laughed together.
A giant Christmas tree was placed in the centre of the square, laden with multiple decorations like Christmas lights, multi-coloured balls and a golden star at the top.
Below it was gift boxes and there even was a Santa Claus nearby who was playing with some children.
"Do you want to play with Santa Claus as well Luna?"
"Y-You Stupid-tian! I am not that young anymore. I know he isn't real!"
"Ah! Now I remember. You cried so loudly that day when you found out that Santa wasn't real"
"Brother… stop."
"Bwuder! Iz Santa really not real. He iz real right? Pwease tell me he's real bwuder! Uwaainnn!~"
"I get it, I was stupid and naïve back then. Let's move on"
"AHAHA! No, no, no. You weren't stupid at all. In fact, you used to be so cute. Too bad you had to grow into such a pain, little Luna-tic."
"SEBASTIAN ALAISTER! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH!"
"I'm soooo scared~ Maybe I should ask Santa for help?"
Seeing that Sebastian had decided on courting death, Luna decided to use her secret weapon.
"OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! I AM SORRY LUNA! I WON'T TEASE YOU AGAIN! OW!OW!OW!"
Luna just snorted at Sebastian's over-acting and kept on pinching him ruthlessly.
"Please Luna, won't you forgive your brother."
Luna decided to soften up a little.
"You promise…"
"Yes! Your highness, your majesty Luna please forgive this lowly peasant. Let me go..."
"Hmph! Fine…"
However right at the moment she stopped her assault, Seb retaliated again.
"Big Bwuder is the best~ Luna will always listen to you~…"
"YOU LIAR! COME BACK HERE! I PROMISE I WON'T PINCH YOU TOO HARD!"
Luna screamed out in outrage as she chased behind Sebastian who had already shot off in anticipation of her anger.
.
.
.
"So… how do we play this game?" Luna asked with her hands on her hips.
Even though Seb had managed to calm her down, she was still mad at him from before.
"Hu Hu Hu! Listen here, you have to use the gun to knock off the toys and you get to keep whatever you manage to knock off!"
So, he decided to take her to a game stall to improve her mood.
"Don't get too cocky brother, I bet you don't even know how to hold a gun, the bullet comes out of that side by the way."
Seb already had enough experience of being on both sides of the barrel that he would at least be able to tell the difference. He didn't bother saying that though.
"Haaa! Don't underestimate me you little runt, tell me what you want, I will get it on the first shot."
"Okay then… get me that Dino plushie"
"Seriously that one…"
"Yes, that one…"
"But it's so ugly, why? Just take the teddy bear!"
"Shut up! It's cute and I want it! Are you getting cold feet already Seb?"
"Pfft, as if. Watch me use my godly skills"
Seb grabbed the toy rifle and aimed it at the ugly Dino plushie and…
*bang*
… missed it by a mile.
"Ahahaha! You suck so bad at this Seb… "
"You are still too naïve Luna; the first shot is to determine the trajectory of the gun. Every gun has a different feel. One needs to test it first."
"Sure~ I believe you"
"Just watch me."
*bang*
This time he somehow managed to hit the plushie but… instead of knocking out the plushie, the bullet just ricocheted off it and smacked Seb right in the face.
"OWWW! This game is rigged!"
"Of course, brother! It's definitely the game's fault, after all, it's not like you actually suck at this."
"Are you done?"
"I mean it's just bad luck Seb, don't worry!"
"…"
"I am done now."
"Good"
"jUsT wAtCh mE! Hahahaa!"
"Luna if you don't stop, I will tickle you!"
"Really now… I don't think you have the guts to- wait stop -ahahah – sorry- hahaha- I said sorry!"
"You asked for this! Muahahaha!"
"You started it back then!"
The game was long forgotten, but it was now Sebastian's turn to chase Luna through the streets.
The two of them soon lost themselves in enjoying the various attractions of the market while they continued to tease each other.
For a while, Seb had forgotten about all his worries.
The trauma from his past…
The insecurity of his future…
All that mattered now was the present.
The present he spent enjoying with his beloved sister.
His heart had never felt so light in a long time.
When had been the last time he had genuinely smiled?
When was the last time he had been truly happy?
Sebastian couldn't remember.
Perhaps he had been stuck in his personal hell ever since Luna's death.
Sebastian wasn't sure whether he should be thankful to Purgatory for letting him see his sister again…
… Or be hateful that he would soon be forced to kill her all over again.
.
.
.
All good things come to an end.
As the sun approached the horizon and dusk started to fall, Seb knew that he didn't have much time left.
The two of them walked up the stairs to the overpass that went just over the central square of the market.
Luna rushed ahead skipping along to the beat of the Christmas tunes blaring out of the speakers in the street.
In one of her arms was an ugly dino plushie, while the other held a dripping ice cream which she licked with relish.
They came to stop right at the centre which was basically right above the giant Christmas tree.
They could view the entire festival at a glance from their vantage point.
"Isn't having ice cream in the middle of winter one of the best things ever!"
"Just don't catch a cold Luna… Here let me give you my jacket."
Seb scolded her in annoyance as he draped it over her shoulders.
"Come on… While the cold can be annoying, I think that winter is fun!"
"Is that so… I guess it's not that bad then."
"Yep! Yep! It's good that you understand!"
Seb just smiled in response.
Today had been full of fun.
The more time he spent with her, the more his memories of her were refreshed.
The nicknames they had for each other, the way she pinched him when she was angry, her tearful giggles when she got tickled, and the way she used to follow him around wherever he went.
It had been so long since he had been in her company.
Seeing her living and breathing in front of him was a wish he never even dared ask for.
But… there she was.
And the more he remembered… the harder it got for him to do what came next.
Luna was busy leaning over the railing and looking at the beautiful Christmas tree below, Seb slowly crept up behind her.
"Luna…"
"Hmm… what?"
"I am really sorry…"
"Haha, why are you being so weird today?"
Seb just stayed silent as he stood behind her, and then … proceeded to push her.
"There was no other choice…"
As she fell, their eyes seemed to meet for a brief eternity.
First confusion, then terror and finally despair flashed over her eyes.
"Please don't be sad Luna..."
*Spurt*
"… Big brother loves you the most."
Luna's body came crashing down and impaled itself on the crown of the Christmas tree.
The Golden Star was dyed red as it cut open her stomach and spilled her guts all over the tree.
Her body kept crashing down the tree, sliding on it until the wider branches managed to hold her fall.
The Green King of Christmas had gained an extra dash of red. With its crown being the darkest shade, growing lighter and sparser as one went down the tree.
The spilled guts hung like macabre garlands adding their twist to the festival by trading places with the original decorations.
Her liver and kidney hung on the branches like unique Halloween-themed Christmas balls.
The rays of the setting sun reflected off the blood in a haunting fashion dominating the entire street with its scarlet glow.
As the joy and laughter gave way to screams and panic even the once beautiful Christmas melodies sounded like nothing but whispers of the devil.
Seeing the gore-filled scene ensue below, Seb couldn't help but laugh at his own expense.
"Now this is what you call a 'Red Christmas' fit for Purgatory."
Even as the tears trickled down his cheeks, he felt a sense of relief wash over his body.
He had managed to do it.
He had not grown soft.
He did not falter.
He would use this experience to forge himself into a ruthless person fit for surviving in Purgatory.
And when… and when he was strong enough… he would never have to suffer again.
As he justified his actions time and time again, his quest for power was already slowly turning into a mental crutch of sorts.
What would happen when if this simple desire for strength turned into an obsession?
That is something the world was better off not knowing.
When a new set of blood-red words started scrawl themselves on the floor beside him, he had to swallow his aversion and force himself to look at them.
[Attempt 3: Failure!]
[Completion Rate: 30%]
[Reason for failure: Completion rate below 80%]
Alas… all it led to was disappointment.
"I guess I failed this time as well…"
Sebastian had already given up rage as he resigned himself to his new reality.
"I wonder... how many attempts will this phase take me."
Would it be better to have more? So that he would get to spend more time in this make-believe reality with his sister's phantom?
Or would it be better to have less? Would having to kill her fewer times make his sins any lighter? Will he be able to move on from his past any sooner?
Either way ... it was something only time could tell.
And as long as the tutorial kept on resetting the world...
... he would have all the time in the world to find the right answer.