The wind blew across the countryside, carrying the scent of rain and earth through the air. It was unlike the bustling metropolis of the City, where towering skyscrapers pierced the sky and neon lights flickered from every corner. Out here, the land was wild, untouched by the relentless progress of technology. Even though it was the future, the countryside seemed to belong to a different time, far removed from the urban sprawl Reana was used to.
Reana walked alongside Keith, the man who resembled Shiro in so many ways, yet carried a stark contrast in his demeanor. His white hair, almost silver in the fading light, shimmered in the twilight. They had left the old, decrepit house he called home behind them, and now strolled through fields of tall grass. In the distance, the remnants of a long-abandoned railway stretched out across the hills, a relic of a forgotten age when people still traveled by trains.
The hover-bike they had arrived on sat idle at the edge of the field, softly humming as its sensors adjusted to the surrounding terrain. Keith had insisted on walking, and Reana hadn't objected, sensing that he needed space before he could open up.
But now, walking in the cool evening air, Reana couldn't hold back the questions that had been burning in her mind since the moment Keith revealed his last name. Arcadia. The same last name as Shiro.
"So... you're really Shiro's brother?" Reana broke the silence, her voice tentative, as if she feared that her words might shatter the fragile peace between them.
Keith didn't answer right away. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his tattered coat. The faint hum of distant energy drones drifted overhead, patrolling the skies as part of the security grid that kept the rural districts under surveillance.
After what felt like an eternity, Keith spoke, his voice low and edged with bitterness. "Yeah. I'm his brother. Not that it matters much anymore."
Reana frowned, puzzled by the coldness in his tone. "Why haven't you two talked in years? What happened between you and Shiro?"
Keith's jaw tightened, his steps slowing as he came to a stop. He glanced over at Reana, his expression dark. "You don't know what you're asking. Shiro and I… we don't exactly see eye to eye."
Reana stepped in front of him, her gaze firm but filled with curiosity. "I get that. But there's got to be more to it than just sibling rivalry. What happened, Keith? And why won't anyone tell me why Shiro is considered so dangerous?"
Keith's eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe?—but he quickly buried it. He leaned against a nearby fence, its wood worn and splintering. The futuristic glow of a nearby holo-sign advertising a defunct farming co-op cast a faint light over his face.
"You want to know why Shiro's dangerous?" Keith said, almost scoffing at the question. "You think he's just some corporate big-shot with too much power? That he's just misunderstood? You've got no idea who he really is."
Reana crossed her arms, frustration seeping into her voice. "Then tell me. Stop dancing around it and just give me the truth."
Keith's silver eyes met hers, and for a moment, she saw the weight of years of conflict and pain behind them. He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to loosen the tension in his body.
"Shiro… he's not the man people think he is," Keith finally said. "He wasn't always this way, but something changed him. Something dark. I don't know if it's the power, or the control he craves over Arcadia, but whatever it is, it's twisted him."
Reana felt a chill run down her spine. "Twisted him how?"
Keith looked away, his gaze settling on the distant horizon. "We grew up together, you know? Same house, same father. But even back then, Shiro was different. He was always… ambitious. Always reaching for more, never satisfied with what he had. But when he took over Arcadia Industries, it became more than that. It became an obsession. He's dangerous because he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. And if you're in his way…"
Keith's voice trailed off, but Reana could sense the unsaid words. If you're in his way, you don't survive.
"Then why don't you two talk anymore?" Reana asked softly, trying to piece together the fractured puzzle of their relationship. "What happened between you that made you walk away?"
Keith hesitated, the silence stretching between them like a chasm. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with an old, familiar pain. "I didn't walk away. He did. Shiro chose power over family. He chose control over everything else. There was a time I tried to reach him, to pull him back from whatever darkness had taken hold of him. But he made his choice."
Reana studied Keith's face, noting the way his eyes hardened whenever he mentioned Shiro. But beneath that bitterness, there was something else—a deep hurt that hadn't healed.
"You still care about him," Reana said, more a statement than a question.
Keith chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Care? Maybe once. But not anymore. I've seen what he's become, and there's no going back for him."
Reana remained silent, absorbing everything Keith had said. She still had so many questions—about Shiro, about their past, and about how everything connected—but she could tell Keith wasn't ready to open up any further. Not yet.
As they stood there in the fading light, the hum of a nearby energy grid softly pulsing, Reana wondered if there was more to Shiro's story than even Keith knew. She had seen the way Shiro operated, the cold calculation in his every move, but she had also seen glimpses of something else. Something human.
"What do you plan to do now?" Reana asked, finally breaking the silence.
Keith pushed himself off the fence, his expression unreadable. "I don't know. Maybe I'll disappear again. The countryside's big enough for that."
Reana shook her head. "You can't run forever, Keith. Come on , Keith you can make a real difference,
I promise!
Keith glanced at her, something unreadable in his eyes. "You think I don't know that? But what am I supposed to do? Go back to Arcadia Industrys, where everything I've tried to leave behind is waiting for me?"
"You're Shiro's brother," Reana said firmly. "Whether you like it or not, you're part of this. And if you know anything about what's really going on, you need to help stop it."
Keith stared at her for a long moment, and then, with a reluctant sigh, nodded. "Fine. I'll think about it. But don't expect me to be some hero."
Reana offered a small smile. "I'm not asking for a hero, Keith. I just need the truth."
As they walked back to the hover-bike, the sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting the land in shadow. The countryside was quiet, but Reana could feel the storm brewing, not just in the air but in the world around her.
And at the center of it all, the ghosts of the Arcadia family loomed large.
---
End of Chapter.