~South Sector- Hackett Town, Tekisu District~
Noah stumbles through the ruined streets of his hometown, his mind struggling to process the devastation around him. Blood, dismembered bodies, and shattered lives litter the path to his home. The acrid stench of death hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the metallic scent of blood that clings to his throat and makes him gag with each breath.
He visits the Stinson household first, desperately hoping that Rachel at least will have made it unharmed. However, upon arriving to the now desolate home, he finds Mrs. Stinson in pieces across the kitchen floor and down the hall, he finds her sister Dina with her throat slashed and lying lifeless in a pool of her own blood. He gags at the sight, but quickly rushes to Rachel's bedroom. However, he finds no sign of her, so he has no choice but to assume the worst.
"Rachel…no…." He sobs, the loss of his first love all but assured. "I'm sorry Rachel…."
He forces himself to keep moving, driven by a single hope: that his mother and brother are still safe. But as he nears his house, a deep dread settles in his chest. The door is ajar, swinging slightly in the breeze, and the faint scent of blood wafts out, chilling him to the bone.
With a trembling hand, Noah pushes the door open. The interior of the house is in shambles, furniture overturned, and the walls streaked with blood. The signs of a violent struggle are evident everywhere he looks. His heart pounds as his gaze follows a gruesome trail of blood leading down the hallway.
His legs feel like lead as he moves toward the source of the horror, each step heavier than the last. The world around him seems to blur, the only thing in focus being the trail of blood that leads him inexorably towards his room.
He stops in front of the door, his breath hitching as he reaches out to open it. The door creaks open, revealing a scene that will forever be etched into his memory.
His mother and brother lie on the floor, their bodies brutally torn apart. His mother, the kind and gentle woman who has always been his rock, is barely recognizable, her body shredded and bloodied. Beside her, Caleb, his protector and best friend, is equally broken, his life snuffed out in a brutal instant.
"No!" Noah's scream tears through the air, raw and desperate. He falls to his knees, crawling towards their bodies, his hands trembling as he reaches out to touch them. "We were too late," he chokes out, his voice a broken whisper.
Mikael steps into the room, his face a mask of sorrow. "Noah, I'm so sorry," he says softly, his voice filled with genuine empathy. "I was hoping we'd make it in time, but they were too fast. I knew what they were capable of, but I still dared to hope. That was my mistake. I shouldn't have brought you back. It would've spared you this trauma."
Noah's grief morphs into fury as his eyes blaze with hatred, locking onto Mikael with a glare that could pierce steel. "No! If you hadn't taken me in the first place, I would've had a chance to save them! It's your fault!" His voice rises, filled with venom. "Get out and leave me alone. I never want to see your face again! I will never embrace you or this sick culture that is the Junsui Demons. I'm human now and forever, and nothing will change that. Now go, or I'll kill you myself!"
Mikael flinches at the words, each one a dagger to his heart, but he understands the depth of Noah's pain. "I understand your anger, and if it pacifies you, I will take the blame. But I caution you, Noah, don't try to deny your nature, or it will become toxic within you. I pray you will hear this warning and find peace within yourself."
Noah's hands ball into fists, his body shaking with rage. "I don't care. I'd rather die than embrace being such a beast. Now, for the last time, leave and never return. I won't ask you again nicely the next time."
Mikael sighs, a deep, sorrowful sound, and nods. "Very well. I will take my leave now. But should you ever change your mind and require guidance on your Junsui nature, don't hesitate to call for me. I will hear your voice and come to you no matter where you may roam. Most of all, I pray you will find happiness, Helios. Until we meet again, be safe and at peace. Goodbye, son."
Noah doesn't respond, doesn't even look at Mikael as he turns and leaves, disappearing into the shadows. Once he's certain Mikael is gone, Noah finally allows himself to fully react to the horror before him. He crawls over to his mother and brother, their bodies cold and lifeless, the blood that once pumped life through their veins now pooling on the floor. He lies beside them, not caring about the blood soaking his clothes, and wraps his arms around Caleb's broken body.
"I'm sorry," he sobs, his voice trembling with the weight of his guilt and grief. "I'm so sorry… Mom, Caleb, please forgive me…." His tears flow freely, mixing with the blood on the floor as his heart breaks over and over again.
Then, through the fog of his despair, he hears it—a faint, raspy voice, barely more than a whisper. "Noah…"
Noah's heart leaps into his throat, his breath catching as he looks down at Caleb's face. His brother's eyes are open, dim but alive, locking onto Noah's with an intensity that holds both love and resignation. "Caleb!" Noah cries, his voice cracking with a mixture of relief and panic. He gently cradles Caleb's head in his lap, his hands trembling as they brush blood-matted hair from his brother's pale face. Tears stream down Noah's cheeks, falling onto Caleb's ashen skin like a baptism of sorrow. "You're alive… thank God you're alive."
Caleb's eyes flutter, the familiar warmth in his gaze now dimmed by the shadow of death, but still, they find Noah's, locking onto him with an intensity that holds both love and resignation. "Noah," Caleb whispers again, his voice barely audible yet laced with all the emotions he can't physically express. "I knew you'd come back… I waited for you."
Noah's heart breaks all over again as he sees the pain etched into every line of Caleb's face, the agony that his brother is enduring just to speak to him. "I'm so sorry, Caleb," Noah chokes out, his voice thick with guilt and grief. "I should've been here. I should've protected you and Mom. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry…."
Caleb manages a weak smile, his lips cracking but still curving upward, a gesture so familiar and yet so heartbreaking in its fragility. "Don't… don't say that," Caleb murmurs, his words a gentle reprimand. "This isn't your fault, Noah. You've always done your best… you've always been the best brother… the best son. I'm grateful… for every moment we shared. Please don't carry this burden… don't let it weigh you down."
Noah's tears fall harder, his body wracked with sobs as he clings to Caleb, trying to memorize every detail of his brother's face, every last word he speaks. "Caleb, please don't leave me. I can't do this without you. I don't know how to be strong without you."
Caleb's hand, shaking and covered in blood, lifts with great effort to rest against Noah's cheek, the touch so light it's almost like a ghost's caress. "You are strong, Noah, stronger than you know," Caleb whispers, his breath shallow, his strength waning. "You have a good heart… you have to keep going for me, for Mom. Live, Noah. Live the life we couldn't. Be happy… find peace."
Noah's chest heaves with the force of his sobs, his vision blurred by tears as he presses his forehead against Caleb's. "I love you, Caleb. I love you so much. Please don't leave me… please…."
"I love you too, Noah," Caleb breathes, his voice fading, his eyelids growing heavy as the last vestiges of life slip away. "Always… and forever… my little brother. But I have to go now. Don't be afraid… we'll always be with you… in your heart… in your memories."
Noah's heart shatters as Caleb's eyes drift closed, his hand slipping from Noah's cheek to fall limply by his side. "No… Caleb, no!" Noah's cry is a wail of despair, a sound that echoes through the shattered remains of their home, through the hollow streets of a town that has become a graveyard.
For a moment, the world stands still as if mourning the loss of a life too precious to be taken. Noah cradles Caleb's lifeless body, his own soul crying out in silent agony, unable to comprehend the finality of it all. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…." Noah whispers over and over again, his voice a broken prayer to a brother who can no longer hear him.
He lays beside Caleb, pulling his brother close as he wraps his arms around him, wishing desperately that he could turn back time, that he could have saved them all. But there is no going back, only the cruel, unyielding reality of the present. The tears flow freely as he presses his face into Caleb's hair, the scent of blood and death overwhelming him.
He lies there in the ruins of what once was, holding on to the last warmth of his brother's body, clinging to the last thread of his old life and crying until there are no more tears left to shed.
~
The next day arrives, but Noah remains in the same spot as before, beside his family. He hears several vehicles arriving and voices. Eventually, a man dressed like a soldier enters the room and shouts outside. "General, there's a survivor! It seems he's just a boy!" The soldier is excited.
Heavy footsteps approach, and eventually, a man with a stern face crouches down beside Noah. He's intimidating, and if Noah had met him yesterday, he'd be scared. However, this is today.
The man speaks calmly, "You've found yourself alone, with no home and no family. You've come to hate this world, only second to hating yourself. You're angry and broken, but I promise you it'll make you stronger." He stands up, exuding a sense of authority. "So don't worry about anything. I'll take it from here. My name is General Mason Tahno. You're safe. Trust me, kid."
For reasons Noah can't quite explain, he decides to believe the man's words. He doesn't know what fate has in store, but he senses that a long and perilous journey with comrades awaits—one that will change his life forever. He intends to eliminate the Junsui, to eradicate them from this earth, whatever it takes.
However, most importantly of all… he hopes that in the end… he'll finally be able to die.